Megadeth Debuts at #1 on Billboard 200 and Makes History

After almost 40 years of career, Megadeth reached the #1 position on the Billboard 200 for the first time with their new album Megadeth, released on January 23, 2026. An achievement as late as it is symbolic: the album is not only the band's first to reach the top of the most important chart in the United States, but also marks their definitive farewell from the studio. The album debuted at the top of the chart dated February 7, with 73,000 equivalent units in its first week in the U.S., according to Luminate data. This is Megadeth's best commercial debut in the modern era of the units-based chart (since 2014). THE STRONGEST DATA IS IN PURE SALES: 69,000 copies sold between physical and digital formats. Of that total, 56,000 were physical sales, including 22,000 vinyls, the band's best vinyl week since electronic record-keeping began (1991). This performance makes Megadeth the album with the best initial sales of the group since Risk (1999), which had opened with 74,000 copies. As for streaming, the album accumulated around 4.23 million on-demand plays, contributing about 4,000 SEA units, while the contribution from individual track sales (TEA) was marginal. The commercial push was clearly focused on the album format, boosted by: • More than a dozen vinyl variants • An exclusive Target CD with bonus track • A deluxe digital edition released mid-week The album's release came just one day after the theatrical premiere of the documentary Megadeth: Behind the Mask, and a few weeks before the start of the farewell tour, which will begin on February 15 in Victoria, Canada. With this debut, Megadeth breaks a historic barrier: until now, their best position had been #2 with Countdown to Extinction (1992). In total, the band has placed 23 albums on the Billboard 200, nine of them within the top 10. Dave Mustaine celebrated the achievement with a message full of gratitude: "After 40 years releasing Megadeth music and playing around the world, I feel nothing but gratitude. Knowing that our last album is also our first #1 validates my desire to retire at the top." And he added a special thanks to his bandmates, the technical team, management, and above all, the fans: "This album is a work made with love. Without you, none of this would be possible." The final fact is significant: Megadeth's debut with 73,000 units represents the lowest figure for a #1 album on the Billboard 200 since May 2025, a clear sign of the current industry context... and, at the same time, proof of the specific weight that Megadeth still carries when deciding to say goodbye.

Megadeth makes history with their first #1 on Billboard 200