Ever wondered how your favorite artist lands (or doesn't land!) on the Billboard 200 album chart? It's more than just record sales! This guide breaks down the basics of music's most prestigious ranking.

The Billboard 200 ranks the most popular albums of the week in the U.S., based on multi-metric consumption as measured in equivalent album units. This means it considers not only traditional album sales but also track equivalent albums (TEA) and streaming equivalent albums (SEA).

TEA factors in individual song downloads: 10 song downloads count as one album sale. SEA considers streams: Roughly 1,500 on-demand audio and/or video streams from an album equate to one album unit.

Why is it important? A high Billboard 200 placement signifies cultural impact, drives sales, and boosts an artist's career. Keep an eye on the charts and see if your favorites make the cut!