Nicki Minaj captures No. 1 on The Billboard 200 for the first time

'Pink Friday' ascends to the summit after 11 weeks on the chart in a rare move

By Katie Hasty Wednesday, Feb 9, 2011 11:59 AM

Nicki Minaj

Credit: AP Photo

After 11 weeks on The Billboard 200 album sales chart, Nicki Minaj has made it to No. 1 for the very first time. “Pink Friday” moved 45,000 copies – an 18% sales increase – which also helps push her total sales over the one million mark (to 1,035,000).

The sales bump was probably caused in part by her guest appearance on “Saturday Night Live.”

And in case you were wondering, one, an ascent like hers to the top is very rare and, two, it does not make for another record sales low for an album at the summit. Amos Lee’s “Mission Bell,” which bowed at No. 1 last week with 40,000, is that current record-holder. That set slips to No. 26 this week, with 15,000 (-62%).

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Red’s “Until We Have Faces” debuts at No. 2 with 43,000, which is enough, at least, for the top of Billboard’s Christian Albums chart. The rock act’s last album, 2009’s “Innocence & Instinct,” bowed at No. 15 with 39,000.

Ricky Martin’s mostly-Spanish album “Musica + Alma + Sexo” starts at No. 3 with 32,000. His last studio set was out in 2005, “Life,” which bowed at No.6 with 73,000.

Bruno Mars' "Doo-Wops & Hooligans" rises No. 5 to No. 4 (32,000, -3%), Rihanna's "Loud" re-enters the top tier No. 13 to No. 5 (29,000, +15%), "Kidz Bop 19" ascends No. 9 to No. 6 (28,000, -7%), Jason Aldean's "My Kinda Party" moves No. 12 to No. 7 (27,000, +5%) and Taylor Swift's "Speak Now" slips No. 7 to No. 8 (27,000, -13%). Pink's "Greatest Hits ... So Far!!!" is up No. 11 to No. 9 (25,000, -6%) and Eminem's "Recovery" recovers from No. 16 to No. 10 (25,000, +18%).

Sales this week are up 4% compared to last week and down 18% compared to the same week last year. Sales for the year are down 14% compared to last year so far.

Katie Hasty
Managing Editor

After five years as a columnist and editor at Billboard, Katie Hasty joined HitFix in 2009 for music and film reporting out of New York. The Midwest native has worked as a writer, music promoter and in A&R since 1999 and performs with her band Numbers And Letters.