Which Kanye West album was his first to debut at number one on the Billboard 200?

Kanye West's first album to debut at number one on the Billboard 200 was Late Registration. Released in 2005, it followed his commercially successful debut, The College Dropout, which had entered the chart at number two.

Late Registration showed West expanding beyond the sped-up soul samples that defined his debut. He worked with composer and producer Jon Brion, adding orchestral textures and instruments such as strings, celesta, harpsichord, and Chinese bells. The album retained his sharp hip-hop production while tackling subjects including racism, higher education, health care, and the blood-diamond trade.

The album opened with approximately 860,000 copies sold in the United States during its first week. Its singles included “Gold Digger,” “Touch the Sky,” and “Heard 'Em Say.” Late Registration received eight Grammy nominations and won Best Rap Album. Graduation later became another Billboard 200 number-one album, but it was not West's first.