Ghost Makes History: Skeletá Becomes the First Hard Rock Album to Hit No. 1 Since 2020
In a thrilling moment for hard rock fans, Swedish band Ghost has made history with Skeletá, their first-ever No. 1 album on the Billboard 200. The album debuted with 86,000 equivalent units in its opening week, ending May 1, according to Luminate data. Not only is this a major milestone for Ghost, but it also marks the first time a hard rock album has topped the charts since AC/DC’s Power Up in 2020, making this achievement even more significant for the genre.
How Skeletá Brings Hard Rock Back to the Top
Skeletá has already become Ghost’s biggest chart success, and it has revived hard rock’s place at the top of the Billboard 200. The album’s success was largely driven by physical sales, with 77,000 of those 86,000 units coming from traditional album purchases. Ghost leaned into the collectible nature of vinyl, offering over 15 different vinyl variants, three CD versions, and four cassette formats, all of which featured the same music but unique packaging. This strategy gave fans an incentive to purchase multiple versions.
Vinyl sales, in particular, were a standout. Skeletá sold over 44,000 vinyl copies in its first week—a record for hard rock albums since Billboard began tracking vinyl sales in 1991. To put that into perspective, only two other rock albums have sold more vinyl copies in their first week: blink-182’s One More Time… and boygenius’ The Record, both from 2023.
But it wasn’t just vinyl. Skeletá also pulled in 12.45 million official on-demand streams, Ghost’s best streaming debut to date. This was a significant jump from the 9.11 million streams Impera racked up in its first week.
The Power of “Satanized”
The album’s lead single, “Satanized,” played a crucial role in driving its success. The song made it to the top 10 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Airplay chart, marking Ghost’s 10th top 10 hit. The track’s widespread radio play helped keep momentum high for the album, attracting new listeners while keeping existing fans engaged.
Ghost’s Chart Evolution
Skeletá represents the culmination of Ghost’s steady rise over the past decade. The band first appeared on the Billboard 200 in 2013 with Infestissumam, which peaked at No. 28. Since then, they’ve had nine albums on the Billboard 200, with eight of those landing in the top 40. Five of their albums have made it to the top 10, and in 2022, Impera hit No. 2, setting the stage for Skeletá.
Not only did Skeletá earn Ghost their first No. 1 album, but it also made history for their label. It’s the first-ever No. 1 album for Loma Vista Recordings and the first for Concord Label Group in nearly a decade.
A Long Wait for Hard Rock’s Return to No. 1
For hard rock fans, this moment has been a long time coming. The last hard rock album to hit No. 1 was AC/DC’s Power Up in November 2020—a full four years ago. In the past decade, only eight hard rock albums have reached No. 1 on the Billboard 200. The list includes:
- Ghost – Skeletá (2025)
- AC/DC – Power Up (2020)
- Tool – Fear Inoculum (2019)
- Slipknot – We Are Not Your Kind (2019)
- Foo Fighters – Concrete and Gold (2017)
- Metallica – Hardwired… To Self-Destruct (2016)
- Disturbed – Immortalized (2015)
- Breaking Benjamin – Dark Before Dawn (2015)
And in a larger sense, hard rock has been scarce on the charts in general. Skeletá is the only rock, hard rock, or alternative album to hit No. 1 in 2025 so far. The last rock album to top the charts was Coldplay’s Moon Music in October 2024, though it held the position for just one week.
A New Era for Rock Music
With Skeletá‘s success, it’s clear that hard rock fans are hungry for new music from the genre. Ghost’s ability to blend traditional rock elements with modern strategies, like exclusive vinyl releases and strategic singles, has set a new standard for how hard rock can make a big impact in today’s music industry.
For fans, this is a historic moment—one that shows hard rock is far from being a thing of the past. Thanks to Ghost and their innovative approach, the genre is proving that it can still thrive at the top of the charts.
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