After nearly four decades and 23 albums on the Billboard 200, MEGADETH have finally claimed their first-ever No. 1 spot on the chart. The self-titled final album debuted atop the list dated February 7 with approximately 73,000 equivalent album units in the tracking week ending January 29, with 69,000 of those coming from traditional album sales -- an extraordinary number in an era when streaming dominates consumption metrics and physical media sales have long been in decline.
This surpasses the band's previous career high of No. 2, set by 1992's "Countdown to Extinction," which was famously kept from the top spot by Billy Ray Cyrus's "Some Gave All." The irony of finally achieving this milestone with their farewell album has not been lost on Dave Mustaine, who responded to the news in a Billboard interview with characteristic candor, discussing his ongoing health challenges, the upcoming farewell tour, and what hitting No. 1 means to him after all these years of falling just short of the summit.
"Megadeth" -- the album -- features the current lineup of Mustaine, bassist James LoMenzo, drummer Dirk Verbeuren, and new guitarist Teemu Mantysaari, who replaced Kiko Loureiro. The album was produced by Mustaine and Chris Rakestraw and includes four previously released singles: "Tipping Point," "I Don't Care," "Let There Be Shred," and "Puppet Parade." A bonus cover of METALLICA's "Ride the Lightning" -- a song Mustaine co-wrote before his 1983 dismissal from that band -- adds a deeply emotional layer to the record's farewell narrative.
The album's release was accompanied by "Megadeth: Behind the Mask," a cinematic documentary that premiered in theaters worldwide on January 22, one day before the album dropped. The band's farewell tour is expected to be announced in the coming weeks, with Mustaine promising it will be a comprehensive celebration of MEGADETH's four-decade legacy. The No. 1 debut ensures that one of thrash metal's Big Four exits on the highest possible note.