David Bowie has achieved his first-ever No. 1 album in the US with ★ (Blackstar). Bowie’s 24th and final studio album sold 181,000 copies in its first week of release, according to Billboard.

★ was released two days prior to the musician’s death on January 8th and marks the first posthumous release to go No. 1 since Michael Jackson’s 2009 compilation This is It.



Several other Bowie albums also placed in Billboard’s Top 200 this week. Best of Bowie moved 94,000 units making it the fourth best selling release of the week. With★ and Best of Bowie at Nos. 1 and 4, respectively, Bowie becomes the first artist since Adele to have two records in the top five.

The Rise and Fall of Ziggy Stardust and the Spiders From Mars comes is the week’s 21st best selling release.

Prior to ★, Bowie’s highest-peaking release was 2013’s The Next Day, which debuted at No. 2 after selling 85,000 copies.

★ is also No. 1 in the UK, with 18 other Bowie albums also appearing on the UK charts this week

Update – Monday, January 18th at 11:25 a.m. CT:★ producer Tony Visconti has issued a statement about the album charting No. 1.