The race is on: Madonna and Bruce Springsteen both released their new studio albums this past week and now they are competing for the top spot.
Music News has reported that it might be a close call at the end of the week in the U.K. The two legends have a reputation for topping the album charts with their previous records, but this week, only one of them can claim the top spot in the first week.
“Bruce’s Western Stars – his 19th studio album – currently leads the way over Madonna’s 14th collection Madame X by just shy of 16,000 combined sales.”
“If Western Stars holds its position, it’ll mark Bruce’s 11th Number 1 album on the Official UK Chart,” they stated.
“Meanwhile, Madonna is eyeing her 13th Number 1 album – she currently holds the record for the most chart-topping records by a female artist, with 12. If Madame X ousts Western Stars by Friday’s Official Chart, Madonna will join Elvis Presley as the solo artists with most Number 1s on the Official UK Albums Chart,” Music News continued.
In a tweet last week, Madonna stated that Madame X was currently No. 1 in 58 countries.
Madame X was released via Interscope Records and consists of 15 new songs. Collaborations on the album include songs with Quavo, Swae Lee, Anitta, and two tracks with Maluma.
Western Stars consists of 13 new tracks and no collaborations. The record was released through Columbia Records.
On Spotify, Madonna has over 13.5 million monthly listeners, while Bruce Springsteen has over 9.8 million monthly listeners on the app.
Madonna’s current most played track is “Medellin” taken from her latest album, which features Latin hitmaker Maluma. It has been streamed over 23.6 million times
Springsteen’s most played track currently is his classic hit, “Dancing in the Dark” with over 179 million streams.
The pair have both topped the U.S. album charts numerous times. On the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart, Bruce has had 11 No. 1 albums, while Madonna has had eight. According to Billboard, Springsteen currently holds a record with Janet Jackson, Barbara Streisand, and U2 by having a No. 1 album in the last four decades in the U.S.
Madonna’s last No. 1 album in the U.S. was MDNA in 2012. Bruce’s was High Hopes in 2014.
To support Madame X, Madonna will embark on a tour around the world, per The Inquisitr. So far, 79 shows have been announced across North America and Europe. The venues are more intimate than her previous tours, which the “Get Together” chart-topper chose to do purposely. She revealed in a BBC News interview that she likes to talk directly to the audience.