TobyMac gets his first chart-topper with "Eye On It," as it bows with 69,000 copies according to Nielsen SoundScan.
The last time a Christian CD led the Billboard 200 was on the Nov. 1, 1997 chart, when country star LeAnn Rimes' "You Light Up My Life - Inspirational Songs" spent its third and final week at No. 1. (It debuted in the top slot on Sept. 27.) That effort included a fair amount of inspirational tunes (hence its title).
Before that, the only other Christian effort to crown the Billboard 200 was Bob Carlisle's "Butterfly Kisses (Shades of Grace)." It notched a pair of weeks at No. 1 earlier in 1997 (June 28-July 5), fueled by its hit title track, Father's Day gift-giving and an appearance by Carlisle on "The Oprah Winfrey Show."
"Eye On It" also bows at No. 1 on the Digital Albums chart, with 35,000 downloads sold -- or, 50% of its overall debut. Also, a significant chunk of the set's sales (27%) were driven by Christian retailers and bookstores.
Previous to TobyMac's achievement this week, we've had some recent close calls at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. In 2011, Casting Crowns' "Come to the Well" and Red's "Until We Have Faces" both debuted and peaked at No. 2, while this year, David Crowder Band's "Give Us Rest" also topped out in the runner-up slot.
As for TobyMac himself, he's no stranger to hits on the Billboard 200. "Eye On It" becomes his ninth entry and third top 10. As part of the trio DC Talk, he claimed five more hit albums on the tally, including the No. 4 set "Supernatural" in 1998.
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