For the past decade-plus, Twenty One Pilots has been one of the most consistent rock acts in the business. Since breaking into the mainstream with its Billboard 200 chart topper Blurryface in 2015, the group has landed four albums in the top three on the chart, with 2024’s Clancy becoming the biggest rock album of that year.
But this week, the duo of Tyler Joseph and Josh Dun set a new mark. With the release of Twenty One Pilots’ new album, Breach, the band not only landed its first No. 1 since Blurryface, it scored the biggest first week of the group’s entire career (200,000 equivalent album units), the biggest week for a rock album in six years, and the highest vinyl sales week (77,000) for a rock album since Luminate began tracking sales data in 1991.
It’s not often that a band well into its second decade sets new benchmarks for itself, but Twenty One Pilots did just that by leaning into a “fan-first” approach — “designed to galvanize and reward the community rather than chase broader commercial milestones,” says manager and owner of element1 music, Chris Woltman. And with the payoff this week, Woltman earns the title of Billboard’s Executive of the Week.
Here, Woltman breaks down the strategy that led to such a huge debut for Breach, how the band built up to this moment in their careers, the state of rock music in the current industry landscape and what it takes to survive in the music business these days. “Every detail mattered,” Woltman says, “And we challenged ourselves to expand beyond the core while recognizing that fan engagement with the album was the true measure of success.”
This week, Twenty One Pilots debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 with Breach, the group’s first No. 1 album since 2015. What key decision did you make to help make that happen?
We viewed Breach as a “mid-stride” moment where the baton would pass from Clancy to this record — we weren’t starting from a stop. Coming through Clancy, the global fan base was deeply engaged: over 1 billion streams, 72 headline arena and stadium shows worldwide, a certified gold record with multiple No. 1 Alternative singles, plus significant moments like “Doubt” going viral, and “The Line” featuring in Arcane.
The key decision came down to a March conversation with Tyler and Josh: “Let’s release a new body of work.” From there, we deployed our playbook, shaped by key learnings from Clancy that drove stronger results across fan engagement, physical and digital offerings, and content strategy. We dropped teaser moments, created a significant live moment at night No. 2 at the O2 in London that spoke to the super-core, launched with single “The Contract,” sent a cryptic mailing to fans, produced video content that captured their imagination and secured an incredible embrace from the independent record store community. We also announced a 23-city tour across 18 amphitheaters and four stadiums with an incredible physical release plan.
The album debuted with 200,000 equivalent album units, the group’s best week ever and the best week for a rock album since 2019. What did you do differently to reach such a huge peak for them?
We’ve consistently been competitive with our debut weeks across every record going back to the beginning — even [2013’s] Vessel as a debut release from what was an “unknown baby band.” Each record has its own moment, energy and timing. For Breach, having Clancy released just last year was crucial — we had fresh insights into how the fan base was showing up rather than analyzing an album from years ago. That immediacy allowed us to shape Breach around the band’s current relationship with their fans.
The “Dema” narrative moment was clearly additive to driving this peak first week, but it reflects broader storytelling and world-building that’s defined the band for over a decade. Each prior campaign built toward this album’s success — TØP has cultivated a fan relationship that always carries core fans through multiple albums while continually driving discovery and drawing in new fans.
The strategy execution was detailed and precise: introducing new music with “The Contract,” shifting into track two with “Drumshow,” then the album coming to life on release day with “City Walls” as the lead driver. But the most significant part was the body of work itself — the music, these songs — and fans went all the way.
Powering that, in part, was 72,000 in vinyl sales across 15 different variants, the biggest vinyl sales week for a rock album since Luminate began tracking data in 1991. What was your strategy there and how did you see it pay off?
We approached this cycle as we do all cycles — with deep recognition of the fan base. The goal was to bring them closer to it all, to provide something that enabled fans to touch and hold a part of Breach and experience it. The physical line was designed to reward fans who wanted to fully immerse themselves — from the first pressing edition that recognized the earliest supporters, to exclusive picture discs for independent record stores. It was about those keepsakes for the most engaged fans.
We still live in a world where, when you create something of value, fans recognize it and want to experience all of it. The sell-through, the stat that Breach is the biggest vinyl week for a rock album in nearly 35 years — 35 years! — that’s an extraordinary payoff and proof that creating that value for fans matters deeply.
What was your approach to marketing this album, and how was it different than previous releases?
Not to be elusive — we very much did what we do. Clancy did 143,000 on its debut week in May 2024, at that point the second-biggest rock record of this decade. While so much of this was our version of best-in-class strategy specifically for Twenty One Pilots, this team — Tyler, Josh, Ashley, Mark, Brandon, Shap, as well as our partners at Atlantic Records/WMX, CAA and Live Nation — set out with focus, determination and mission. We hit each mark that was in front of us. Sounds simple, but it’s not with all the moving parts.
We approached Breach with absolute clarity. A precise understanding of who we were engaging and how we could expand that engagement. This allowed us to design touchpoints that rewarded the most invested fans while creating pathways for others to join the campaign. I say this more in hindsight than as strategic marketing genius, but that clarity and mission-focused approach made all the difference.
Between Ghost, Sleep Token and now Twenty One Pilots, this is also the most rock albums to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 since 2019. What’s your assessment of the rock genre in the current industry landscape?
The rock genre, throughout time, defines a depth of super-fandom that exists across many genres but is very much key to this one. When you do it all right, this fan carries “their favorite band/artist” with them throughout their life. It’s not a fad.
In this business, regardless of genre, you better do it right, you don’t skip steps. You build a foundation that’s deeply embedded in the creation of culture. This stat perhaps speaks to the industry pendulum swinging as it always does, but more importantly, it speaks to three bands that understand fan base cultivation across many records, significant content supporting the music, cohesiveness within the brand, not skipping steps, and delivering captivating live experiences night after night, year after year, through years of touring.
Rock succeeds when artists commit to the long game — building genuine relationships with fans who become lifelong advocates. Ghost, Sleep Token and Twenty One Pilots all exemplify that approach, and their No. 1 debuts reflect that depth of connection in an industry that often prioritizes quick wins over lasting impact.
How do you continue to push this project forward beyond the first week?
The guys are currently on tour — we dropped Breach as we were rehearsing in Toledo on release night, then seven days later moved into opening night at the soccer stadium in Cincinnati. Pretty intense lift.
We’re moving through this tour leg that carries us to the end of October, with additional “focus” singles and content coming from the record. We have a series of pillars — marketing and visibility moments — that will take shape as we push deep into 2026. Many we have locked in already, and a few that will present themselves as we move through the window.
To be very honest, the push never stops. That’s the reality with Twenty One Pilots — the album launch is just the beginning. The tour, the singles, the content, the fan engagement — it all builds momentum that sustains the project well beyond that crucial first week.