billboard charts

Hamilton Is the Most Popular Cast Recording in 50 Years

Amazing. Photo: Joan Marcus

Lest you think Lin-Manuel Miranda’s Hamilton is just some New York City obsession that Beyoncé can’t wait to copy on tour, the AP reports that, according to Atlantic Records, Hamilton’s cast recording is the highest-debuting Broadway musical since 1961’s Camelot, starring Julie Andrews and Richard Burton. The album, released on October 16, has already sold more than 54,000 copies and has been streamed 16 million times. Most impressively, it debuted well on several Billboard charts, including No. 1 on Cast Albums, No. 3 on Rap Albums, No. 9 on the Top Album Sales, and No. 12 on the Billboard 200. The forever-sold-out show is also the highest-charting cast album since 2011’s The Book of Mormon debuted on the Billboard 200 at No. 10, and is just the sixth cast album to even make it into the Top 20 in 50 years. Hamilton also caused an increase in milk sales by 23.3 billion pounds — oh wait, sorry, that was Michael Bay’s “Aaron Burr†commercial.

Hamilton Cast Recording Is Historically Popular