Olivia Rodrigo's Albums Chart Together — And Something Unusual Is Happening

Forbes

5 days ago

Olivia Rodrigo's Sour and Guts both rise on the U.K. charts this week, with Sour climbing highest, ... More while Guts appears on physical and digital sales lists. HOLLYWOOD, CALIFORNIA - NOVEMBER 13: Olivia Rodrigo attends the Los Angeles premiere of "The Hunger Games: The Ballad Of Songbirds & Snakes" at TCL Chinese Theatre on November 13, 2023 in Hollywood, California. (Photo by Monica Schipper/WireImage)
There's something a bit unusual about Olivia Rodrigo's placements on the music charts in the United Kingdom this week. It's not odd that her only two full-lengths, Sour and Guts, appear simultaneously. The pop star's catalog remains hugely popular, even though the singer-songwriter hasn't released anything new in years.
It's the specific placements and exact positions of both Sour and Guts that may raise eyebrows. Their current standings speak to her ability to continually sell her work, as well as her unceasing success on streaming platforms.
Olivia Rodrigo's Sour and Guts Both Climb
Deciding between Sour and Guts in terms of which title is more successful on the U.K. musical lists this week is tricky. On one hand, Sour appears higher on the Official Albums chart, the ranking of the most consumed projects in the country, as it lifts to No. 30. Guts is only a few spots behind, landing at No. 34.
However, Guts lives on several rankings at the same time. In addition to its position on the Official Albums chart, the collection also climbs on both the Official Physical Albums and Official Albums Sales lists, lifting to Nos. 71 and 76, respectively.
Guts Proves to Be the Better Seller
Guts is the stronger seller between the two, as it's the only one that lands on rankings dedicated to fans actually buying albums. Pure purchases of Rodrigo's sophomore set seem to be increasing, as it grows by more than 10 spaces on the general Official Albums Sales ranking while ascending just a few spots on the roster that looks specifically at physical titles — those offered on CD, vinyl, and cassette.
Sour doesn't live on any such rosters, and yet it still manages to be the most-consumed between the pair. That must mean that between purchases and streaming activity, it's winning – but the fact that Sour doesn't appear on either sales or streaming rosters, yet bests Guts, is somewhat unusual.