Bruno Mars' 'The Romantic' Becomes His First to Bow at No. 1

Mar 8, 2026 12:56pm PT Bruno Mars’ ‘The Romantic’ Becomes His First to Debut at No. 1 on Albums Chart By Steven J. Horowitz Plus Icon Steven J. Horowitz Senior Music Writer speriod Latest Harry Styles Performs Stunts on Set in ‘American Girls’ Music Video 2 days ago Harry Styles Opens Up About How Liam Payne’s Death Affected Him: ‘Live Your Life to the Fullest’ 4 days ago Charli xcx, Rüfüs Du Sol, the Strokes to Headline Outside Lands 2026 5 days ago See All Getty Images for iHeartRadio Bruno Mars’s latest album “The Romantic” has debuted at No. 1 on the albums chart, making it his first full-length project to bow atop the tally. The singer’s fourth offering enters the Billboard 200 with 186,000 equivalent album units. He previously reached No. 1 with “Unorthodox Jukebox” in 2013, when it took three months to climb to the summit. Over the past week, some users on social media were surprised to learn that his last solo album, 2016’s “24K Magic,” only peaked at No. 2 as Metallica’s “Hardwired… to Self-Destruct” blocked it from the top of the chart. “An Evening with Silk Sonic,” his 2021 release as one-half of Silk Sonic, topped out at No. 2. Related Stories Film Festival Chiefs, Including Thierry Frémaux, Rally to the Defense of Berlinale Boss Tricia Tuttle as Her Future Hangs in the Balance Donald Trump Lashes Out at Robert De Niro for Telling Americans to 'Resist' the President: 'A Sick and Demented Person With an Extremely Low IQ' As Billboard notes, Mars’ span of 13 years between No. 1s is the longest for any living solo male artist since Paul McCartney’s return to the top in 2018 with “Egypt Station,” marking a 36-year gap. “The Romantic” got a boost from its 10 vinyl variants, as vinyl sales accounted for 48,000 of the album’s first week. Mars teased the project with its first single “I Just Might,” which became his 10th No. 1 on the Hot 100 and is expected to return to the summit when the chart is unveiled tomorrow. Popular on Variety Elsewhere on the albums chart, Bad Bunny’s “Debí Tirar Más Fotos” maintains its hold at No. 2, followed by Morgan Wallen’s “I’m the Problem,” Don Toliver’s “Octane” and Olivia Dean’s “The Art of Loving.” Megan Moroney’s “Cloud 9,” which bowed atop the chart last week, slides to No. 6, while Gorillaz’s new record “The Mountain” enters at No. 7. Blackpink lands its third top 10 with “Deadline” at No. 8, followed by Taylor Swift’s “The Life of a Showgirl” and Mitski’s “Nothings About to Happen to Me” to round out the top 10. Jump to Comments How to Watch Ryan Gosling Hosting ‘Saturday Night Live’ Online for Free Arden Cho, Ji-young Yoo, Chloe Zhao, Bowen Yang and More Honor Asian Heritage at Unforgettable Gala Awards Timothée Chalamet Faces Backlash From Ballet and Opera Communities After Viral ‘No One Cares’ Comment: ‘We’d Love To Change Your Mind’ How to Watch ‘WWE SmackDown’ Online Without Cable for Free Katie Leung ‘Would Not Want to Go Back’ to Her Time Shooting ‘Harry Potter’ Movies: ‘I Was So Easily Influenced’ Alan Trustman, ‘The Thomas Crown Affair’ and ‘Bullitt’ Screenwriter, Dies at 95 JavaScript is required to load the comments. Loading comments...