Billboard 200: 6/8/13: Daft Punk No. 1- 339,000

[HolidayGuy]

Official: Daft Punk's 'Random' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200 With 339,000
By Keith Caulfield, Los Angeles | May 28, 2013

It's official: Daft Punk's new album "Random Access Memories" debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling 339,000 copies in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

"Random Access Memories," released on May 21, gives the veteran electronic/dance duo its best sales week ever and first No. 1. The set also notches the second-largest sales week of the year overall. Only the debut of Justin Timberlake's "The 20/20 Experience" logged a larger frame so far in 2013, when it began with 968,000 in March.

The full top 10 of the new Billboard 200 will be revealed on Wednesday, May 29.

With 339,000 sold, "Random Access Memories" also starts with a more robust sales figure than expected. Industry forecasters had projected a first-week launch of around 300,000 -- with a chance at hitting 325,000 if the set performed strongly through its first week.

"Random Access Memories" is the act's fourth studio effort and second top 10 set on the Billboard 200. They had previously gone as high as No. 4 with its soundtrack to "TRON: Legacy" in January of 2011. Their highest-charting studio album had been 2001's "Discovery," which peaked at No. 44.

Daft Punk's last studio set, 2005's "Human After All," debuted and peaked at No. 98.

Notably, in one week, "Random Access Memories" has sold more than twice what the total sales are for "Human After All." The latter has sold just 125,000 to date. Comparably, Daft Punk's best selling album is "Discovery," with 796,000.

Further, "Random Access Memories" is the first dance/electronic album to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in more than a year. The last dance/electronic No. 1 was Madonna's "MDNA" -- it debuted atop the April 14, 2012 chart.

"Random Access Memories" is led by the single "Get Lucky," featuring Pharrell Williams. The song earned Daft Punk its first top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 chart, so far peaking at No. 10 last week. The song is also the duo's biggest airplay hit ever, as it climbed 46-29 on the Radio Songs chart last week.

[halo19]

Good job, Daft Punk! Really impressive. Long break after their last not-as-well received album, but the acclaim of their live album and soundtrack and Kanye sampling them and them having such a cool factor has really worked well for them, as well as the current single being a success.

I wouldn't have expected this, even though it's more universal to enjoy them now.

[Verisimilitude]

First album from a full on electronic act to hit #1 since The Prodigy's "The Fat Of The Land" in 1997.

[KMJ1]

great news!! Im also expecting a very good climb for Get Lucky on the Hot 100! Song is exploding on radio and sales are staying steady in the top 3 on iTunes. Def a possible future #1 contender. America is def. slower than other countries but things are looking very good that this could hit #1

[areyoureadytojump]

www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/chart-alert/1565037/daft-punk-leads-debut-filled-top-four-on-billboard-200

Daft Punk Leads Debut-Filled Top Four On Billboard 200

By Keith Caulfield | May 29, 2013

Led by Daft Punk at No. 1, the entire top four on the Billboard 200 are debuts this week. The dance/electronic duo’s new Random Access Memories launches at atop the tally with 339,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. As reported last night, it is the second-largest sales week of the year for an album. Only the debut of Justin Timberlake's The 20/20 Experience was bigger, with 968,000 first-week copies sold.

Sixty-five percent of Daft Punk's sales were from digital downloads, equating to 221,000 in sales. It's the second-biggest digital week of the year, behind, again, only 20/20's first-week digital haul of 452,000.

At Nos. 2-4, respectively, on the chart this week are bows from Darius Rucker's True Believers (83,000), the National's Trouble Will Find Me (75,000) and French Montana's Excuse My French (56,000).

Rucker's start is larger than initially forecast, as insiders had pegged True Believers to launch with around 60,000 to 65,000. Comparably, his last studio effort, 2010's Charleston, SC 1966, also bowed at No. 2, but with 101,000 (his best sales week so far).

While he's yet to claim a No. 1 as a solo act on the Billboard 200 (he's collected two as the singer for Hootie & the Blowfish), his new album marks his third straight No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart, his entire output of country material. Previous to his career in country music, he issued one solo R&B set, 2002's Back to Then.

At No. 3 on the Billboard 200 this week is rock band the National, starting with a career-high 75,000 for its sixth studio album, Trouble Will Find Me. Its No. 3 entry ties the band's 2010 effort High Violet for its highest-charting set yet. High Violet debuted and peaked with 51,000 on the tally dated May 29, 2010.

Rapper French Montana has the fourth new set in the top four, as his debut album, Excuse My French, starts with 56,000 at No. 4. It also lands atop both Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Rap Albums.

The soundtrack to "The Great Gatsby" slips 4-5 with 54,000 (down 43%), bringing its to-date total to 286,000 after three weeks.

In the No. 6 slot is Thirty Seconds to Mars' Love Lust Faith + Dreams, starting with 53,000. It's the band's first top 10 album and second-largest sales week. Its previous best chart position was achieved with its last studio album, 2009's This Is War, which debuted and peaked at No. 19 with 69,000. That sales sum remains the band's biggest week.

As for the rest of the top 10 albums, last week's No. 1, Vampire Weekend's Modern Vampires of the City, falls to No. 7 with 48,000 (down 64%), while George Strait's Love Is Everything slips 2-8 in its second week with 43,000 (down 65%). Timberlake's The 20/20 Experience descends 7-9 with 42,000 (down 4%) while Lady Antebellum's Golden moves 5-10 with 34,000 (down 39%).

Over on the Digital Songs chart, the top-selling tune of the week remains "Can't Hold Us" by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Ray Dalton, with another 212,000 downloads sold (down 8%).

Jumping up two slots is Florida Georgia Line's "Cruise" (4-2), with 197,000 (up 4%). Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" (featuring T.I. and Pharrell Williams) slips 2-3 with 191,000 (down 8%), while P!nk's "Just Give Me a Reason" (featuring Nate Ruess) dips 3-4 with 184,000 (down 5%).

Climbing 10-5 with 180,000 is Daft Punk's "Get Lucky," also featuring Williams, up by 53%. The song profits from release-week buzz of its parent album, the aforementioned Random Access Memories.

Selena Gomez's "Come and Get It" is pushed back 5-6, despite a gain this week. It moved 171,000 downloads, up 4%.

The chart's highest debut comes in at No. 7, by the late Zach Sobiech. The singer/songwriter -- who passed away on Monday, May 20, from cancer -- enters with "Clouds," selling 156,000 downloads (up 8,149%). The song has been on sale since December 2012, and had sold 25,000 through the Sunday night before he died.

Sobiech was also part of the trio A Firm Handshake, whose album Fix Me Up flies onto the Billboard 200 at No. 20 with 19,000 sold (up 7,500%). The set features "Clouds," and was released in February.

Closing out the top 10 on Digital Songs: Imagine Dragons' "Radioactive" falls 7-8 (148,000; though it's up 4%), Timberlake's "Mirrors" descends 6-9 (142,000; down 9%), and Icona Pop's "I Love It" (featuring Charli XCX) is pushed back 8-10 with 134,000 (despite a gain of 4%).

Overall album sales in this past chart week (ending May 26) totaled 5.2 million units, up 2% compared with the sum last week (5.1 million) and down 2% compared with the comparable sales week of 2012 (5.3 million). Year-to-date album sales stand at 116.6 million, down 5% compared to the same total at this point last year (122.7 million).

Digital track sales this past week totaled 24.5 million downloads, up less than 1% compared with last week (24.4 million) and down 6% stacked next to the comparable week of 2012 (26 million). Year-to-date track sales are at 555.7 million, down 3% compared with the same total at this point last year (571.3 million).

Next week's Billboard 200 competes with the same week in 2012 when: John Mayer's Born and Raised held at No. 1 for a second week, selling 65,000 (down 70%), while Regina Spektor's What We Saw From the Cheap Seats earned the chart's highest debut, starting at No. 3 with 42,000.

[areyoureadytojump]

music.yahoo.com/blogs/chart-watch/week-ending-may-26-2013-albums-daft-punk-145934615.html

Week Ending May 26, 2013. Albums: Daft Punk Gets Lucky
By Paul Grein | Chart Watch – 16 minutes ago

Daft Punk’s fourth studio album, Random Access Memories, enters The Billboard 200 at #1 with first-week sales of 339,000. That’s the second best opening so far this year, trailing only Justin Timberlake’s The 20/20 Experience, which opened with sales of 968K in March. While Timberlake has been putting up these kind of numbers for 15 years, dating back to his days with *NSYNC, this is a breakthrough for Daft Punk. The duo’s biggest sales week before this week came when its soundtrack to TRON: Legacy sold 71K in its first week in December 2010.

These two albums have something in common besides their blockbuster first weeks. Both albums were made available for free streaming on iTunes for a week prior to being released commercially. The idea behind this strategy is that the buzz and word-of-mouth created during the free streaming period offsets the lost sales. And it seems to be working. Billboard’s Alex Phem reports that more than 30 other artists have participated in Apple’s promotional program since it began in August 2011 with Red Hot Chili Peppers’ I’m With You. Other outlets have gotten in on the action, including YouTube, Spotify and Pandora.

Daft Punk, which consists of Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo and Thomas Bangalter, is one of the few French artists to reach #1 on The Billboard 200. Conductor Paul Mauriat and his Orchestra were #1 for five weeks in March 1968 with Blooming Hits. The album included the #1 instrumental smash “Love Is Blue.”

Random Access Memories is the first dance/electronic album to reach #1 since Madonna’s MDNA debuted at #1 in April 2012.

Random Access Memories sold nearly three times as many copies this week as Daft Punk’s previous studio album, 2005’s Human After All, has sold in its entire run (127K). That album was a dud for the duo. Its first two studio albums both sold better. Homework has sold 674K copies since its release in 1997. Discovery has sold 802K since its release in 2001. Discovery rebounds from #104 to #59 on The Billboard 200 this week. (It peaked at #44 when it was first released.) The album jumps to #1 on Top Catalog Albums, displacing George Jones’ Super Hits.

Two other factors lifted the new album to these heights. Daft Punk’s score for Disney’s TRON: Legacy boosted the duo’s profile and stature. (The album reached #4 in January 2011 and has sold 588K copies.) And the success of the top 10 single “Get Lucky” (featuring Pharrell Williams) has given the act heavy radio exposure for the past month. The glossy pop-disco track sounds like it would have been a smash at Studio 54 in the 1970s.

Random Access Memories sold 221K digital copies and enters Top Digital Albums at #1. TRON: Legacy headed the digital sales chart for three weeks in late 2010 and early 2011.

Random Access Memories also enters The Official U.K. chart at #1. It’s Daft Punk’s first #1 in that country. Discovery reached #2 in 2001. Random Access Memories sold 165K copies in the U.K., which is the biggest one-week tally so far this year. It tops Michael Buble’s To Be Loved, which sold 121K in its first week last month. (Bear in mind, the U.K. has a population of 63 million, which is about one-fifth of the population of the U.S.—314 million.)

Daft Punk is only the fourth ongoing duo to release an album that reached #1 in both the U.S. and the U.K. They follow Simon & Garfunkel (who did it twice), Carpenters and Wham! (They’re the fifth if you count a collabo by John Lennon & Yoko Ono.)

Daft Punk won a pair of Grammys for 2008 for Best Dance Recording (“Harder Better Faster Stronger”) and Best Electronic/Dance Album (Alive 2007). They’re likely to be front-runners in the same two categories in January for “Get Lucky” and Random Access Memories, respectively. They’d be only the second act, following Skrillex, to win twice in both categories.

Random Access Memories is also likely to be nominated for Album of the Year. It may give Justin Timberlake’s The 20/20 Experience a run for its money in that category. Taylor Swift’s Red is also a strong contender.

Darius Rucker’s True Believers debuts at #2. It’s Rucker’s third top five album as a solo artist. This matches the number of top five albums he had with Hootie & the Blowfish. Hootie first cracked the top five with Cracked Rear View in March 1995 and returned to the top five with Fairweather Johnson in April 1996 and Musical Chairs in September 1998. Rucker first cracked the top five with Learn To Live in September 2007 and followed suit with Charleston, SC 1966 in October 2010.

This is Rucker’s second album in a row to debut at #2. Charleston, SC 1966 also opened in the runner-up slot.

True Believers enters Top Country Albums at #1, displacing George Strait’s Love Is Everything. All three of Rucker’s country albums have topped the country chart. Learn To Love spent two weeks on top. Charleston, SC 1966 spent one week on top. Rucker is the most successful African American artist in country music since Charley Pride, who amassed 12 #1 country albums between 1968 and 1980.

This is Rucker’s fourth solo album. His first, Back To Then, peaked at #127 in 2002. That was in the lull between the end of his Hootie run and his emergence as a country star in 2008.

The National’s sixth studio album, Trouble Will Find Me, debuts at #3. It’s the group’s second album in a row to debut at #3. High Violet achieved the feat in May 2010. The group appeared on The Colbert Report last week.

French Montana’s debut album, Excuse My French, opens at #4. The 28-year old rapper was born in Morocco. The album features both of his Hot 100 hits as a lead artist: “Pop That” (featuring Rick Ross, Drake and Lil Wayne) and “Freaks” (featuring Nicki Minaj). “Pop That” reached #36 in 2012. “Freaks” hit #77 this year.

Music From Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby dips from #4 to #5. It’s the only album that has appeared in the top five in each of the last two weeks. It’s #1 on Top Soundtracks for the third week. Soundtracks to two earlier Luhrmann movies were also smash hits. Romeo + Juliet was the highest-ranking soundtrack on The Billboard 200 for three weeks. Moulin Rouge was the top soundtrack for eight weeks.

Thirty Seconds To Mars’ fourth studio album, Love Lust Faith + Dreams, debuts at #6. It’s the band’s first top 10 album. Each of the band’s studio albums has charted higher than the one before it. It’s first album, 30 Seconds To Mars, reached #107 in 2002. Its second, A Beautiful Lie, hit #36 in 2005. Its third, This Is War, which reached #18 in 2009.

“Can’t Hold Us” by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Ray Dalton holds at #1 for the fifth week on Hot Digital Songs (212K). That’s the lowest sales tally for a song at #1 on this chart since Bruno Mars’ “Locked Out Of Heaven” was #1 with sales of 197K in December. Will “Can’t Hold Us” also hold at #1 for the fourth week on the Hot 100? You’ll find out later today when we post Chart Watch: Songs.

Here’s the low-down on this week’s top 10 albums.

The Top Five: Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories debuts at #1 (339K). It’s the duo’s second top five album…Darius Rucker’s True Believers debuts at #2 (83K). It’s Rucker’s third top five album as a solo artist…The National’s Trouble Will Find Me debuts at #3 (75K). It’s the group’s second top five album…French Montana’s Excuse My French debuts at #4 (56K). It’s the rapper’s first top five album…Music From Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby dips from #4 to #5 in its third week (54K). It has ranked in the top five the entire time.

The Second Five: Thirty Seconds To Mars’ Love Lust Faith + Dreams debuts at #6 (53K). It’s the band’s first top 10 album…Vampire Weekend’s Modern Vampires Of The City drops from #1 to #7 in its second week (48K)…George Strait’s Love Is Everything drops from #2 to #8 in its second week (43K)… Justin Timberlake’s The 20/20 Experience drops from #7 to #9 in its 10th week (42K). It has ranked in the top 10 the entire time…Lady Antebellum’s Golden drops from #5 to #10 in its third week (34K). It has ranked in the top 10 the entire time.

Five albums drop out of the top 10 this week. Demi Lovato’s Demi drops from #3 to #14. Now 46 drops from #6 to #11. Michael Buble’s To Be Loved drops from #8 to #12. Pistol Annies’ Annie Up drops from #9 to #22…Blake Shelton’s Based On A True Story… drops from #10 to #16.

A Firm Handshake’s Fix Me Up debuts at #20. The EP contains Zach Sobiech’s “Clouds,” which re-enters Hot Digital Songs at #7 based with sales for the week of 156K copies. It’s expected to enter the Hot 100 inside the top 20. A Firm Handshake consists of Zach Sobiech and Sammy Brown. Sobiech lost a battle with bone marrow cancer on May 20. He was just 18.

The Fast & Furious 6 soundtrack debuts at #32. This is the highest-charting soundtrack from a Fast & Furious movie since 2 Fast 2 Furious reached #5 in June 2003. That was the second movie in the series. The first, 2001’s The Fast And The Furious, also spawned a top 10 soundtrack. Fast & Furious 6 was #1 at the box-office over the weekend. “We Own It” by 2 Chainz & Wiz Khalifa is the breakout single from the album. It enters Hot Digital Songs at #19.

The Rolling Stones’ Crossfire Hurricane leaps from #49 to #1 in its second week on Top Music Videos, displacing Eagles’ History Of The Eagles. The two-hour music documentary aired on HBO in November. It’s the group’s fourth music video to reach #1. It follows 25 X 5: The Continuing Adventures Of The Rolling Stones (six weeks on top in 1990), The Rolling Stones Rock & Roll Circus (one week on top in 1996) and Ladies And Gentlemen: The Rolling Stones (two weeks on top in 2010). The title of the new video is drawn from the opening line of the band’s 1968 classic “Jumpin’ Jack Flash.” The song reached #3 in July 1968, becoming the group’s biggest hit in the 2-1/2 year span between “Ruby Tuesday” and “Honky Tonk Women.”

Coming Attractions: Alice in Chains’ The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here and Little Mix’s DNA are expected to battle for the #2 spot next week. (Daft Punk will likely remain at #1.) Also due: John Fogerty’s Wrote A Song For Everyone, The-Dream’s IV Play, Paul McCartney’s Wings Over America 2, Kid Ink’s Almost Home EP and the Kinky Boots original cast album.

[areyoureadytojump]

www.hiphopdx.com/index/news/id.24121/title.hip-hop-album-sales-the-week-ending-5-26-2013

Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 5/26/2013

by Jake Paine

posted May 29, 2013

Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 5/26/2013

#1. Daft Punk - Random Access Memories - 339,000 (340,000)

#4. French Montana - Excuse My French - 56,000 (56,000)

#5. The Great Gatsby Soundtrack - 54,000 (286,000)

#17. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - The Heist - 24,000 (754,000)

#23. Lil Wayne - I Am Not A Human Being II - 15,000 (453,000)

#42. Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city - 8,800 (905,000)

#113. Eve - Lip Lock - 3,500 (12,000)

#160. LL Cool J - Authentic - 2,700 (26,000)

#165. Snoop Lion - Reincarnated - 2,600 (40,000)

#175. Gucci Mane - Trap House III - 2,500 (2,500)

[Verisimilitude]

oming Attractions: Alice in Chains’ The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here and Little Mix’s DNA are expected to battle for the #2 spot next week. (Daft Punk will likely remain at #1.)

Hold up... HOW?! I didn't think "Wings" made any impact to warrant such a high placing!

[Agent Yoncé]

My robots :'( I wonder if their debut sold a nice bundle of units this week. I'm curious to see its current sales.

[areyoureadytojump]

*HAPPY*

Newer albums on the Billboard 200 that have not been certified with the RIAA yet:

Numbers are not exact. They are estimated and rounded.

Numbers from the 6/1 chart:

Michael Buble 415k
Blake Shelton 520k
Lil Wayne 440k
Luke Bryan 405k
Josh Groban 400k
Kelly Clarkson 420k
Now 45 410k
Miguel 410k
Lee Brice 400k
Muse 405k
Awolnation 410k
Pistol Annies 485k
T.I. 465k
Skirillex Bangarang 520k
Bob Seger 460k
Skrillex Scary Monsters 565k

Albums only on the BB200 for 4+ weeks are listed and have sold over 400k.

[areyoureadytojump]

keelyskorner.com/category/soundscan/

SOUNDSCAN (WEEK ENDING 5/26/13)

1) Daft Punk – Random Access Memories – 338,677
2) Darius Rucker – True Believers – 83,409
3) The National – Trouble Will Find Me – 74,721

Other Debuts

4) French Montana – Excuse My French – 56,208
6) 30 Seconds To Mars – Love Lust Faith + Dreams – 53,004
20) A Firm Handshake – Fix Me Up (Feat. Zach Sobiech) – 18,620
32) Fast & Furious 6 Soundtrack – 11,074

[areyoureadytojump]

Million Sellers Club:

Rihanna's Unapologetic crosses 1 million scanned

The figures this week:

5,189,000 albums were sold in the USA last week.

2,258,000 were digital albums.

2,931,000 were physical cds/vinyl albums/cassettes.

More figures here:

www1.billboard.biz/bbbiz/photos/pdf/2013/TFMm0530.pdf

Album sales down 5.0% (-5.1% last week)

[areyoureadytojump]

Country album sales:

www.roughstock.com/blog/country-album-chart-news-for-may-29-2013-darius-rucker-true-believers-debuts-at-number-one-features-wagon-wheel-single

Country album sales are up +3.9% so far in 2013:

www1.billboard.biz/bbbiz/photos/pdf/2013/BCU_mw_0530.pdf

[ListenToItTwice]

^ areyoureadytojump Could you please not post exact figures here? Keelyscorner is not a legal source for posting SoundScan data on this forum.

[areyoureadytojump]

^Are you sure? I've been posting that weekly since last summer!

No one has complained to me about it. It's a blog with over 260 posts of SoundScan info. It's fair game as long as I link to the source.

[cartman2002]

Here's this week album sales

9.The 20/20 Expericen-Justin Timberlake (gold)
63.Same Trailer, Different Park-Kaccey Musgraves (gold)
189.Finally Rich-Chief Keef (Gold)

[chartfreak]

This info is a little old, so I apologize if already mentioned, but I wanted to post in the most recent Billboard 200 thread.

Nielsen Soundscan reports that during the week ending April 21, 244,000 vinyl records were sold-more than any other week since Soundscan began in 1991. The bump is thanks to the 6th annual Record Store Day, which fell on April 20. Of the approximately 450 limited-edition titles released, the top movers came from the Black Keys, Mumford & Sons and Phish.

ew.com

[Deleted]

May 30, 2013 14:20:25 GMT -5 areyoureadytojump said:

^Are you sure? I've been posting that weekly since last summer!

No one has complained to me about it. It's a blog with over 260 posts of SoundScan info. It's fair game as long as I link to the source.

Many of the sites that we have copied full Soundscan data from in the past have also been from blogs


Per the most recent statement from site management, you can post the same info by just rounding to the 000's

[areyoureadytojump]

^I just find it funny that I've been doing it since last August and now people (well one) here are concerned about it.

[areyoureadytojump]

www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/1565446/chart-moves-the-doors-sales-surge-fast-6-soundtrack-drives-in-david

Chart Moves: The Doors' Sales Surge, 'Fast 6' Soundtrack Drives In, David Crowder Band's Latest Top 10

By Keith Caulfield, Los Angeles | May 31, 2013 9:30 AM EDT

This week on the Billboard 200 albums chart, Daft Punk barged in at No. 1 with "Random Access Memories," selling 339,000 copies in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It led a debut-filled top four, where Darius Rucker, the National and French Montana also started at Nos. 2-4, respectively.

Elsewhere on the Billboard 200 there were a number of movers and shakers. Let's take a look at some of them…

-- The Doors, "The Very Best of the Doors" (No. 84): Following the death of Doors keyboardist and founding member Ray Manzarek on May 20, the legendary rock band tallies big sales gains on the Billboard charts this week.

Sales of the Doors' albums catalog grew 121% in the week ending May 26, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The collected works shifted a little less than 13,000 copies for the week (up from 6,000 the week previous). The best seller of the bunch was the 2007 album "The Very Best of the Doors," which moved 5,000 -- its best sales week since August of 2012 -- and re-enters the Billboard 200 at No. 84.

The band's digital song sales soared by 208% this past week as well, rising to 34,000 downloads sold. The Doors’ first No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit "Light My Fire" was their biggest seller for the week, with 5,000 downloads sold (up by 270%). Their 1971 No. 14 Hot 100 hit "Riders on the Storm" was their second largest of the week, with 4,000.

Oddly enough, the group’s second and final No. 1, "Hello, I Love You," was only their 10th-largest seller in the week after Manzarek's passing, with 1,000 (up 204%).

-- Soundtrack, "Fast & Furious 6" (No. 32): The soundtrack to the sixth installment of the action movie series debuts at No. 32 on the Billboard with 11,000 -- much stronger than the 5,000 debut that greeted the "Fast Five" soundtrack in 2011 (No. 105). The new effort is the highest-charting “Fast” album since the second film's companion album, “2 Fast 2 Furious,” hit No. 5 in 2003.

-- Beth Hart/Joe Bonamassa, "Seesaw" (No. 47): The starts starts at No. 47 on the Billboard 200, but also at No. 1 on the Blues Albums chart. With the latter feat, Bonamassa extends his lead over B.B. King as the artist with the most Blues No. 1s in history (11).

-- Pitbull, "Global Warming" (No. 61): The album gains by 81% and flies 122-61 on the chart, lifting it to 6,000 sold for the week -- its best frame since the April 13 chart (8,000). Credit the gain to performances on ABC's "Dancing With the Stars" (May 21) and the Billboard Music Awards (19), as well as publicity gleaned by his voice role in the animated film "Epic," which bowed in U.S. theaters on May 24.

-- David Crowder Band, "All This For a King: The Essential Collection" (No. 70): While the band has called it quits, they continue to rack up the hits. On Christian Albums, this new greatest hits collection debuts at No. 3, giving the band its 11th top 10 set.

"All This For a King" includes one new track by Crowder (who continues on as a solo act) and a remix by the Digital Age (the new name of the rest of the Band, which drops its debut album on Aug. 13).

-- Amy Winehouse, "Back to Black" (No. 90): Sale pricing on hit albums in the iTunes Store spur gains for the likes Winehouse's "Back to Black" (up 104% for a re-entry at No. 90), Eminem's "The Eminem Show" (a re-entry at No. 77, up 243%) and fun.'s "Some Nights" (35-25, up 28%).

-- will.i.am, "#willPOWER" (No. 103): The album scores its first weekly sales gain, as it rises up three slots with a 6% increase. Credit a portion of that spike to will.i.am's performance on the Billboard Music Awards (May 19), where he sang his current hit #thatPOWER" with Justin Bieber.

-- Audra McDonald, "Go Back Home" (No. 147): The five-time Tony Award-winning actress/singer returns to the charts with her first album in seven years. The set bows with 3,000 sold in its first week, and also lands at No. 2 on Heatseekers Albums.

-- Elvis Presley, "Uncovered" (No. 192): It's the 128th charting album for the King of Rock & Roll, which also steps in at No. 49 on Rock Albums. The budget-priced collection has been out since May 2012, but only popped onto the list this week (up 87%) after continued promotion at retail.

-- Daft Punk, "Homework" (No. 194): Absent from the chart since 1998, the duo's debut album returns with a 50% sales gain for the week, thanks to the buzz generated by their No. 1 debut with "Random Access Memories." With a bit over 2,000 sold, it's "Homework's" best sales frame since the week ending Jan. 3, 1999.

[areyoureadytojump]

www.billboard.com/biz/articles/news/chart-alert/1565549/rihanna-earns-sixth-million-selling-album

Rihanna Earns Sixth Million-Selling Album

By Keith Caulfield, Los Angeles | May 31, 2013

Pop diva Rihanna scores her sixth million-selling album in the U.S. this week, as her latest release, Unapologetic, sails past the million mark, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Unapologetic, released late last year, sold another 9,000 (down 17%) in the week ending May 26, bringing its to-date total to slightly more than 1 million. The set -- her seventh studio album -- also became her first No. 1 on the Billboard 200, following six earlier top 10 entries.

In reaching the threshold in its 27th chart week on the Billboard 200 (falling 33-39 this week), Unapologetic is selling at a faster clip than her previous album, 2011's Talk That Talk. The latter took 43 frames to reach 1 million.

Of Rihanna's seven studio releases, all but one have sold a million. Only her debut, 2005's Music of the Sun, has missed the mark, moving 607,000 to date. Her biggest selling set is 2007's Good Girl Gone Bad, with 2.8 million. Her total album sales stand at 9.8 million.

Unapologetic has tallied four hit singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart so far: "Diamonds" (No. 1 for three weeks), "Pour It Up" (19), "Loveeeeeee Song," featuring Future (55) and "Stay," featuring Mikky Ekko (3). Her next top 40-focused single is “Right Now” (featuring David Guetta), which is percolating under the threshold of the Pop Songs airplay chart.

[Duca]

'Unapologetic' isn't selling that well considering how massive the singles have been.

[Push The Button]

May 31, 2013 16:16:20 GMT -5 Duca said:

'Unapologetic' isn't selling that well considering how massive the singles have been.

Couldn't you say that about all of her albums? It's selling well for a Rihanna album, maybe just down the lane for others.

[areyoureadytojump]

May 31, 2013 16:16:20 GMT -5 Duca said:

'Unapologetic' isn't selling that well considering how massive the singles have been.

No. She's had 2 official singles so far and one radio single since this era began.

She sold 1 million units faster than TTT. About 5 months faster!

It's impressive.

[Honeymoon]

I don't find the fact that Rihanna selling 1 million especially surprising/impressive but rather that it's her sixth consecutive album to do so in a seven year period.

[Deleted]

The songs with Rihanna's name on it that have hit the Hot 100 from the latest album:

and the peak position

Diamonds, Rihanna 1
Stay, Rihanna Featuring Mikky Ekko 3
Pour It Up, Rihanna 19
Loveeeeeee Song, Rihanna Featuring Future 55

[areyoureadytojump]

^So 2 official singles and 2 radio singles. RN is #5.

But, knowing 2m, he'll argue it was 4 official singles.

I've never heard LS.

[Deleted]

Jun 2, 2013 12:37:34 GMT -5 areyoureadytojump said:

^So 2 official singles and 2 radio singles. RN is #5.

But, knowing 2m, he'll argue it was 4 official singles.

I've never heard LS.

Nope try again. I never used the word "single" in my post nor was I attempting to "argue" one way or the other. This was posted as a reference aid to discussion only

[Deleted]

Random Access Memories represents the 4h occurrence (and 3rd album) to exceed 200K in a week this year. Last year at this time there were 8. In 2011 there were 6

[Deleted]

May 31, 2013 17:27:53 GMT -5 Push The Button said:

May 31, 2013 16:16:20 GMT -5 Duca said:

'Unapologetic' isn't selling that well considering how massive the singles have been.

Couldn't you say that about all of her albums? It's selling well for a Rihanna album, maybe just down the lane for others.

Albums released in 2012
1. Red - Taylor Swift 3,673,000
2. Babel - Mumford & Sons 2,289,000
3. Up All Night - One Direction 1,777,000
4. Take Me Home - One Direction 1,674,000
5. The Truth about Love - P!nk 1,535,000
6. Believe - Justin Bieber 1,501,000
7. Blown Away - Carrie Underwood 1,451,000
8. Some Nights - fun. 1,365,000
9. Bruno Mars - Unorthodox Jukebox 1,359,000
10. Overexposed - Maroon 5 1,335,000
11. Night Train - Jason Aldean 1,297,000
12. The Lumineers - The Lumineers 1,276,000
13. Tuskegee - Lionel Richie 1,097,000
14. Unapologetic - Rihanna 1,009,000

What other pop acts are selling well? Unapologetic is still selling so the list isn't accurate, but of the pop acts above her Bieber/1D sell well from the teenage fan girls, and Maroon 5, fun., and Bruno Mars have had even bigger hits than Rihanna has had with this album. Even P!nk has had three top 10's, two going #1 on CHR, and one of them being one of the biggest songs of the year. So I'd say Rihanna's doing fine in comparison so far. One more hit and she'll easily be in the top 10 best selling albums of the year.