Kenny Chesney Ties Garth Brooks, Madonna With Ninth Billboard Number One Album

Kenny Chesney's Here And Now album, released on May 1, has now become his ninth No. 1 Billboard Top 200 Albums release – a feat that ties him with the Rolling Stones, Drake, Madonna, Garth Brooks and Kanye West.

With 233,841 units sold in the first week, Chesney maintains the momentum begun with 2002’s No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems, his first Top 200 debut, which sold just north of 235,000 copies.

Chesney says, “It’s not about the numbers or the stats, it’s about No Shoes Nation. Even as times change, they want the music – and I want to get it to them however we can. There was talk of delaying the album release, but with everything else in the world being so unknown, I felt strongly about getting 'Here And Now' to the people in No Shoes Nation."

He adds, "If there’s one thing that holds us all together, it’s the songs – and I had songs on this record I knew they’d take to heart. To me, that’s why we do this.”