Billboard 200 4/14/12 - Madonna #1 359K

[Verisimilitude]

Madonna's 'MDNA' Debuts at No. 1 on Billboard 200, Lionel Richie Bows at No. 2

April 03, 2012
By Keith Caulfield (keith_caulfield), Los Angeles

Madonna scores her eighth No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart with the debut of her "MDNA," while Lionel Richie's all-star country collaborations covers album "Tuskegee" bows in the runner-up slot -- his highest-charting album since 1986.

Madonna remains in second place among women with the most No. 1 albums. She now needs only one more No. 1 to tie Barbra Streisand, the leader among women with nine chart-toppers.

"MDNA" sold 359,000 copies according to Nielsen SoundScan, and is Madonna's fifth straight studio album to debut at No. 1. It follows 2008's "Hard Candy," which moved 280,000 in its first week. "MDNA's" opener is her best sales week since 2000's "Music" shifted 420,000 when it debuted at No. 1.

Meanwhile, Richie's "Tuskegee" starts with 199,000 -- his best sales week since SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991. His previous largest frame in that span of time was when 2006's "Coming Home" started with 75,000 at No. 6 in 2006. Richie was last higher on the Billboard 200 in 1986, when "Dancing on the Ceiling" spent two weeks at No. 1.

Like other veteran acts before him, Richie opted for a creative way to reach consumers with "Tuskegee." Not only did he go the covers route (see: Tony Bennett, Rod Stewart, etc.) but he also brought in a gaggle of A-listers (again, Bennett with his "Duets" albums, or, Santana's "Supernatural"). Further, he isn't just covering old tunes -- he's covering his own familiar hit singles, but with a country slant.

Richie also was the focus of an hour-long concert special on the Home Shopping Network on March 16. Sales generated from the broadcast amounted to about 20,000 sold, says Richie's record label, Universal Music Nashville.

A traditional studio album from Richie would have likely never sold as well as "Tuskegee," which targets multiple demographics all in one tidy package. Case in point: In one week, "Tuskegee" moved more than twice what his last studio album did in total -- 2009's "Just Go" has done 95,000.

In terms of release-week promotion, Madonna was basically off the radar, instead focusing her energy on rehearsals for her upcoming world tour. That stands in contrast to Richie, who worked the TV circuit hard in the past week.

He was the focus of multiple CMT specials and was interviewed on NBC's "Weekend Today" (March 25), appeared on "The Voice" (26, the album's release date), performed on "Today" (27), "The Late Show With David Letterman" (27), chatted with CNN's "Piers Morgan" (27) and finally, performed on CBS' "Academy of Country Music Awards" (April 1).

As for Madonna, since headlining the Feb. 5 Super Bowl halftime show, she's been laying low. Her only significant recent media appearances have been via a live Facebook chat with Jimmy Fallon (March 24) and a brief drop-in at the Ultra Music Festival in Miami the same night.

"MDNA's" sales were aided by a successful album sales promotion involving Madonna's upcoming world tour. U.S. customers who bought a concert ticket had the option of also receiving the album as part of their purchase. The only sales that count towards Billboard's charts are those where the customer opted to receive "MDNA."

This sort of ticket/album promotion has been used in the recent past by such acts as Bon Jovi and Tom Petty. The latter's "Mojo" album saw a No. 2 debut on July 3, 2010 -- thanks to a fair number of customers who got the album via a ticket purchase. The same goes for Bon Jovi's 2007 No. 1 album "Lost Highway."

Our regular recap of the week's top 10 selling albums and songs will be available on Wednesday (April 4) morning.

[HolidayGuy]

Even higher than the Hits number. Yay.

[Deleted]

Apr 3, 2012 17:10:50 GMT -5 Verisimilitude said:

Madonna remains in second place among women with the most No. 1 albums. She now needs only one more No. 1 to tie Barbra Streisand, the leader among women with nine chart-toppers .

Yay, the 2 most talented artists lead the pack :)

[areyoureadytojump]

MOST #1 ALBUMS ON THE BILLBOARD 200

Beatles 19

Jay-Z 12

Elvis Presley 10
Bruce Springsteen 10

Rolling Stones 9
Barbra Streisand 9

Garth Brooks 8
Madonna 8

Elton John 7
Paul McCartney/Wings 7
Led Zeppelin 7
U2 7

Janet Jackson 6
Mariah Carey 6
Michael Jackson 6
Eminem 6
Britney Spears 6

MOST TOP 10 ALBUMS ON THE BILLBOARD 200

Rolling Stones 36

Frank Sinatra 33

Barbra Streisand 31

The Beatles 30

Elvis Presley 27

Madonna 20

Bob Dylan 19

Paul McCartney 18
Elton John 17
George Strait 17
Bruce Springsteen 17

Johnny Mathis 16
Neil Diamond 16
Mariah Carey 16

[Fat Ass Kelly Price]

Apr 3, 2012 17:23:15 GMT -5 @cosmiccandy said:

Apr 3, 2012 17:10:50 GMT -5 Verisimilitude said:

Madonna remains in second place among women with the most No. 1 albums. She now needs only one more No. 1 to tie Barbra Streisand, the leader among women with nine chart-toppers .

Yay, the 2 most talented artists lead the pack :)

...

[slicknickshady]

Shouldnt Eminem be on that list ready too jump?

MMLP, Eminem Show, Encore, Curtain Call, Relapse, Recovery.

[kingofpain]

Where's Rihanna on that list?

[Deleted]

Are you shading or are you actually asking?

[allow that]

Congrats to Madonna on another #1. That article still doesn't say how much of the sales come from the redemptions. I'm sure it wouldn't be enough to change the #1 album, but it would still be interesting to know.

[Deleted]

Apr 3, 2012 17:24:25 GMT -5 areyoureadytojump said:

MOST #1 ALBUMS ON THE BILLBOARD 200

Beatles 19

Jay-Z 12

Elvis Presley 10
Bruce Springsteen 10

Rolling Stones 9
Barbra Streisand 9

Garth Brooks 8
Madonna 8

Elton John 7
Paul McCartney/Wings 7
Led Zeppelin 7
U2 7

Janet Jackson 6
Mariah Carey 6
Michael Jackson 6
Britney Spears 6

MOST TOP 10 ALBUMS ON THE BILLBOARD 200

Rolling Stones 36

Frank Sinatra 33

Barbra Streisand 31

The Beatles 30

Elvis Presley 27

Madonna 20

Bob Dylan 19

Paul McCartney 18
Elton John 17
George Strait 17
Bruce Springsteen 17

Johnny Mathis 16
Neil Diamond 16
Mariah Carey 16

Is this before or after Madonna's latest release?

[Deleted]

it includes it

[KeepDeanWeird]

And to think about all those #2s (TIC, Erotica, Evita and ROL). They finally got smart in terms of release dates with Music. Weird how she's had five straight (studio #1) since 2000.

[Push The Button]

Even weirder - she had three #1 albums in the 80's, none in the 90's, four in the 00's and now one in the 10's.

[KMJ1]

out of the 4 #2s up above hands down TIC and ROL should have been #1. She should have 10, not 8 #1 albums. Though you could say that American Lifes 1st week sales were decent though beatable by any d-list rap star in 2003. So, with that logic she should still be at least at 9 cause I strongly feel TIC and ROL based on their sales, impact and 1st week sales (ROL- ESP.) she should have 2 more :/

[KeepDeanWeird]

Apr 3, 2012 20:56:24 GMT -5 KMJ1 said:

out of the 4 #2s up above hands down TIC and ROL should have been #1. She should have 10, not 8 #1 albums. Though you could say that American Lifes 1st week sales were decent though beatable by any d-list rap star in 2003. So, with that logic she should still be at least at 9 cause I strongly feel TIC and ROL based on their sales, impact and 1st week sales (ROL- ESP.) she should have 2 more :/

That's what I mean about being smart - they picked a good week for AL. Now, TIC is debatable because it's pre-Soundscan. ROL was trapped under the Titanic crap, but then Dave Matthews had a big release that knocked it off. (More than any ROL weeks.) Regardless, it is funny that two of her classic releases didn't hit #1 while forgettable ones like AL and HC did.

[Push The Button]

They should have been #1 had they sold the most copies that week. They didn't, thus they're not.

Streisand had four albums that peaked at #2 as well.

[HolidayGuy]

Yah- plenty of non-No. 1s have had huge success- including No. 2-peaking albums. I'd say Madonna and company would be more pleased with Ray of Light's performance compared to those for American Life and Hard Candy.

As noted in another thread, this is Madonna's 13th top 2 album- tying Barbra Streisand in that regard. Not sure what other female comes close to that (if any do).

Wow at sales for Lionel Richie's last studio album- less than 100K to date.

[areyoureadytojump]

Apr 3, 2012 18:14:26 GMT -5 kingofpain said:

Where's Rihanna on that list?

Rihanna has 6 #1 albums?

[Rose "Payola" Nylund]

Apr 3, 2012 21:47:18 GMT -5 areyoureadytojump said:

Apr 3, 2012 18:14:26 GMT -5 kingofpain said:

Where's Rihanna on that list?

Rihanna has 6 #1 albums?

Rihanna has 1 #1 album?

[HolidayGuy]

RiRi's albums have performed somewhat consistently, at least, even if she's never had a huge-selling album. maybe there would be more of a demand for her albums in their release week if she took a decent break between albums (i.e. a couple of years at least). She's certainly been one of the more successful acts in terms of digital-tracks sales since she emerged.

[slw84]

Apr 3, 2012 21:48:09 GMT -5 Rose "Payola" Nylund said:

Apr 3, 2012 21:47:18 GMT -5 areyoureadytojump said:

Rihanna has 6 #1 albums?

Rihanna has 1 #1 album?

Is this a bad joke or are you going to show me receipts?

[HolidayGuy]

^I believe he meant that she doesn't have a single No. 1 album (let alone 6). :)

[HolidayGuy]

www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/madonna-mdna-guy-oseary-jimmy-iovine-308040

The Hollywood Reporter
Madonna's 'MDNA' is No. 1: Guy Oseary, Jimmy Iovine on the Art of the Album Roll-Out
4/4/2012 by Shirley Halperin

The pop queen's longtime manager and brand new label head reflect on the road taken straight to the top of the charts and answer a nagging question: three decades in, is Madonna still selling scandal?

When Madonna’s twelfth album, MDNA, debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 today with Nielsen SoundScan-certified sales of 359,000, she'll not only have the biggest first week of the year, but will instantly reinstate her place at the top of the pop heap.

That’s right, in this digital age of naysayers, haters, critics and cynics, Madonna is on her third decade of relevance. With MDNA, she trails only Barbra Streisand for the most chart-toppers ever by a female artist (Babs has nine, Madge is one shy) -- an extraordinary musical and cultural feat. Still, some will inevitably credit controversy for MDNA's out-the-gate success.

Have your pick of which one from recent months - the album title, which is a letter away from MDMA, the common name for the drug ecstasy; the Super Bowl halftime performance during which guest M.I.A. gave some 150 million people the finger; a permanent ban by Piers Morgan and subsequent Twitter spat between the talk show host and Madonna’s manager Guy Oseary; or a surprise appearance at Miami’s Ultra Music Festival in March, where Madonna took the stage alongside Avicii and instantly riled up a crowd of 100,000 by asking if anyone had seen “Molly,” the street name for ecstasy, a comment that prompted superstar DJ Deadmau5 to take her to task publicly. All have kept Madonna’s name in the headlines just as new music hit the market.

“All those things didn’t start with us,” Oseary tells The Hollywood Reporter, shrugging off any insinuation that scandal is a step in the roll-out plan. “It's just part of the gig.” Indeed, Oseary and his client of 22 years can explain away each one -- the title has multiple meanings and came about like this, according to Oseary: “[Madonna] told me one day, ‘Here's what I'm calling my album.’ And I went, ‘Cool.’ She had a vision.” As for M.I.A.? She acted on her own accord; Piers Morgan’s people continue to reach out for a booking despite the ban; and Madonna was referring to a song by producer and DJ Cedric Gervais called “Have You Seen Molly,” not the staple drug of all-night dance parties. What may be harder to wrap the head around is the continued omnipotence of the eighties-bred pop star, who’s already topped the iTunes charts in 35 countries with MDNA presales alone.

Truth be told, Madonna did little in the way of traditional promotion for the album, her first for Interscope after some 30 years at Warner Bros. She skipped the club shows, the late night lead guest slot and the Diane Sawyer interview. Her only broadcast sit-down was with Jimmy Fallon on Facebook. She premiered her single at the Super Bowl and her video on American Idol (Interscope is the show’s music partner) rather than MTV or Vevo. If there’s a plan, says Oseary, it was for the music to speak for itself, and thanks to the current popularity of EDM (electronic dance music), it seems the former Danceteria regular is having her day yet again -- and at 53 years old.

“Anyone who can have a career as long and as healthy, strong and consistent as Madonna's, that’s a once-in-a-lifetime artist,” says Interscope Geffen A&M chairman Jimmy Iovine. “It's incredible what she's done. You can have an act earn money like her, but you can't have a career like that.”

Curiously, though her touring sets have featured many of her greatest hits, sometimes going deep into the catalog, like her first No. 1 dance smash, 1983’s “Burning Up,” Oseary says both he and Madonna rarely look back themselves. The decades spent at Warner Bros.? They hardly gave it a second thought when “friend” Jimmy Iovine came into the picture. “I have a lot of faith in him,” says the 39-year-old Israel-born Oseary. “I didn't shop a deal. I didn't go meet with every label and play the field. I was pretty confident with [Universal Music Group chairman and CEO] Lucian [Grainge] and Jimmy as partners.” (Iovine returns the admiration, telling THR, "Guy is honest, straight-headed and talented -- a great combination.") Besides, adds Oseary, “One of the things that I've learned working with Madonna is you just move forward. It's really rare that she ever brings up the past.”

On this album cycle, she really doesn't need to “go retro” as so many veteran artists do. Always one step ahead of the latest sounds and production trends (Martin Solveig, Benny Benassi and William Orbit were each enlisted for their studio skills on multiple MDNA tracks), her brand of dance music meets delectable pop comes at a perfect time, just as EDM has, to put it plainly, taken over. “Dance music is Madonna’s base,” says Oseary, who can’t recall exactly how many club hits she’s had but knows it’s more than 40. “It's what she likes, it's what she listens to. It's not anything other than that. She doesn't read what's on the charts. And if it's on time, great. This is who she is.”

Still, there are those pesky detractors who insist Madonna’s MDNA motif -- from the cheerleader costume she wears in the video for “Give Me All Your Luvin’” to the album’s title to her Ultra appearance just before midnight on March 24, are simply age-inappropriate, a slag Oseary doesn’t take to kindly. “Didn’t Lionel Richie just make a country album?” he barks. “God bless him, I love Lionel, but how come no one is yelling at him? The ageism criticism is getting old. It’s, like, let's just talk about the music. Do you like it?”

Clearly, people do, what with first week sales of MDNA beating her last studio effort, 2008's Hard Candy, by more than 50 percent -- her best showing in over a decade. Partly to thank: a U.S. promotion where customers who bought a concert ticket had the option to receive the album as part of their purchase. These opt-in sales counted towards the chart's tally, according to Billboard. And Oseary says she’s also engaging more with her fans. Although Madonna has been reluctant to hop on the Twitter bandwagon, she’s logged on for one-night events (a second is coming up on Wednesday at 10 p.m.; the handle: @madonnamdnaday) and fielded hundreds of questions from fans, no doubt convinced by active tweeter Oseary.

All the awareness when you add the Super Bowl audience to that of Facebook and Twitter users coupled with a Smirnoff-sponsored dance contest that provides key primetime television advertising and an international tour kicking off May 29 in Tel Aviv, and you’re looking at more than a billion potential impressions within four months time.

But while the numbers make for a nice security blanket, positive reception from critics, fans and peers is ultimately how Oseary quantifies success, and so far, he’s more than pleased. “People are really digging it,” he says. “We feel good about the album, I’m proud of the work she’s done, [the EDM community] is giving the love back. It's her 12th album and the same story she had 30 years ago. That’s an amazing accomplishment.”

[Kishi KCM]

Apr 3, 2012 21:57:03 GMT -5 HolidayGuy said:

RiRi's albums have performed somewhat consistently, at least, even if she's never had a huge-selling album. maybe there would be more of a demand for her albums in their release week if she took a decent break between albums (i.e. a couple of years at least).

Releasing a new album every year is definitely a rapid pace. But realistically, if IDJ had Rihanna release new material every 1.5 to 2 years and stopped putting it out in the 4Q, she'd get a #1.

Folks can throw shade, but there are #1s that didn't sell well and had no longevity. A #1 is nice, but healthy sales are better.

[Deleted]

Week Ending April 1, 2012. Albums: Madonna Chases Richie
By Paul Grein | Chart Watch – 8 minutes ago

Lionel Richie gave Madonna a run for her money on this week's Billboard 200. Madonna came out on top with her new album MDNA, but Richie was a surprisingly strong #2 with Tuskegee, a collection of his greatest hits performed as duets with such country stars as Kenny Chesney, Rascal Flatts and Shania Twain. The album sold 199K copies, which is Richie's strongest weekly sales tally since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales for Billboard in 1991. Moreover, it's his highest-charting album since October 1986.

In addition, Tuskegee enters Top Country Albums at #1. Richie is only the fourth African American artist to top that chart, following Charley Pride, who amassed 12 #1 country albums between 1968 and 1980; Ray Charles, who topped the country chart in 1985 with Friendship, which was also a collection of duets; and Darius Rucker, who has had two #1 country albums, in 2008 and 2010.

Richie and Ray Charles are the only artists in chart history to reach #1 on all three of Billboard's key album charts: The overall Billboard 200, Top Country Albums and Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums (over the course of their careers, not necessarily with the same album). Charles topped the Billboard 200 in 1962 with Modern Sounds In Country And Western Music and in 2005 with Genius Loves Company; the R&B chart in 1966 with Crying Time; and, as noted, the country chart in 1985 with Friendship. Richie topped The Billboard 200 in 1983 with Can't Slow Down and in 1986 with Dancing On The Ceiling; the R&B chart with those two albums and also with four Commodores albums; and the country chart this week with Tuskegee.

Richie and Darius Rucker (who team to sing "Stuck On You" on the new album) also have a lot in common. Both emerged from groups that were rooted in other genres. Commodores originated as an R&B/funk group, though they moved closer to pop as Richie's ballads became the group's key hits. Hootie & the Blowfish were the hottest mainstream pop/rock group of the mid-1990s. Both Richie and Rucker saluted their hometowns in album titles (in a clear effort to underscore their Southern roots). Richie was born in Tuskegee, Ala. in 1949. The title of Rucker's 2010 album, Charleston, S.C. 1966, gives you the particulars on his hometown and birth year.

Incidentally, this isn't Richie's first appearance on Top Country Albums. Can't Slow Down reached #55 in 1984, when one of its key hits, "Stuck On You," reached #24 on Hot Country Songs.

Is it just me or is the cover for Tuskegee reminiscent of the cover for Can't Slow Down? I guess Richie's attitude is, "If this photo session is going to take awhile, I'm going to have a seat." I'm sure Richie would be happy if Tuskegee did a fraction as well as Can't Slow Down. That album logged 58 weeks in the top 10, spawned five top 10 hits and won a Grammy as Album of the Year.

Finally, Tuskegee is Richie's fifth top 10 album on The Billboard 200 as a solo artist, which equals the number he had as the lead singer of Commodores.

MDNA is Madonna's eighth #1 album, which puts her just one album away from matching Barbra Streisand's long-held lead as the female artist with the most #1 albums in chart history. Madonna is also second to Streisand among female artists for the longest span of #1 albums. Streisand's #1 albums span nearly 45 years, from People in October 1964 to Love Is The Answer in October 2009. Madonna's span a little more than 26 years, from Like A Virgin in February 1985 to MDNA this week.

MDNA also becomes Madonna's 20th album to make the top 10. The only female artist with more is, you guessed it, Streisand with 31.

MDNA is Madonna's fifth consecutive studio album to reach #1. This streak started with Music in 2000 and has continued with American Life, Confessions On A Dance Floor, Hard Candy and now MDNA. This ties Janet Jackson for the lead among female artists. Jackson hit #1 with five consecutive studio albums from Control in 1986 to All For You in 2001.

MDNA sold 359K copies this week, which is the biggest opening week for an album by female artist since Lady Gaga's Born This Way powered on with sales of more than 1 million in May. It's Madonna's best sales week since Music arrived with sales of 420K in 2000. Madonna's tally was bolstered by a promotion involving her upcoming world tour. U.S. fans who bought a concert ticket had the option of receiving MDNA as part of their purchase. This same policy boosted the debut of Bon Jovi's Lost Highway, which opened at #1 in July 2007, and Tom Petty & the Heartbreakers' Mojo, which bowed at #2 in June 2010.

MDNA also enters the U.K. chart at #1. It's Madonna's 12th album to reach #1 in that country, which enables her to surpass Elvis Presley as the solo artist with the most #1 U.K. albums. It's Madonna's eighth album to reach #1 in both the U.S. and the U.K. This puts her in a tie for second place with Bruce Springsteen, who notched his eighth "transatlantic #1" just three weeks ago. The Beatles are out front with 10 albums that hit #1 in both countries.

Greatest hits albums by Richie and Madonna re-enter this week's chart. Richie's The Definitive Collection (from 2003) re-enters at #100. Madonna's Celebration (from 2009) re-enters at #177.

Madonna and Richie both had #1 albums in 1986. So, remarkably, did two other artists who are listed in this week's top 15: Bruce Springsteen, who falls to #9, and Whitney Houston, who drops to #12.

Adele's 21 logs its 58th week in the top 10, which equals the run of Taylor Swift's Fearless from November 2008 to February 2010. The last album to spend more weeks in the top 10 was Celine Dion's Falling In You, which spent 61 weeks in the top 10 from March 1996 to June 1997. How long will Adele remain in the top 10? Place your bets.

Three weeks ago, Adele moved into some choice real estate: Nielsen SoundScan's running list of the 200 best-selling album artists in its history. To join the list, artists must have sold (as of this week) 10,241,000 albums since the company began tracking sales for Billboard in 1991. Adele has done that with just two studio albums and two iTunes releases.

The Hunger Games: Songs From District 12 And Beyond soundtrack drops from #1 to #5 in its second week. It's #1 on Top Soundtracks for the second week. The movie was #1 at the box-office for the second weekend. An album featuring James Newton Howard's original score debuts at #43.

Katy Perry's Teenage Dream leaps from #31 to #7 in its 84th week thanks to the release of The Complete Confection edition. (Billboard and Nielsen SoundScan are combining the sales of the regular and expanded editions.) This is the album's ninth week in the top 10; its highest ranking since May 1. The album has sold 2,141,000 copies, which represents a healthy increase over Perry's 2008 debut One Of The Boys, which has sold 1,458,000. Teenage Dream received a Grammy nomination for Album of the Year and went on to spawn five #1 hits on the Hot 100, something only Michael Jackson's Bad had previously accomplished.

Justin Bieber's "Boyfriend" sold 521K copies in its first week. Only one other song in digital history has gotten off to such a fast start. Flo Rida's "Right Round" sold 636K copies in its first week in February 2009. "Boyfriend" may debut at #1 when the Hot 100 is released later today, though it is facing a strong incumbent: "We Are Young" by fun. featuring Janelle Monae, which sold 364K copies. This is the fifth consecutive week in which that song has topped 300K in weekly sales. Only one other song in digital history, "Love The Way You Lie" by Eminem featuring Rihanna, has topped 300K five times. Which will come out on top on the Hot 100 (which combines digital sales, radio airplay and on-demand streaming data)? You'll find out later today when we post Chart Watch: Songs.

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

1. Madonna, MDNA, 359,000. This new entry is Madonna's 20th top 10 album. The album sold 124K digital copies, which puts it at #1 on Top Digital Albums. Two songs from the album are listed on Hot Digital Songs. "Give Me All Your Luvin" (featuring Nicki Minaj and M.I.A.) rebounds from #119 to #83. "Girl Gone Wild" re-enters at #120.

2. Lionel Richie, Tuskegee, 199,000. This new entry is Richie's 10th top 10 album (counting five albums with Commodores). "You Are," a duet with Blake Shelton, bows at #160.

3. Adele, 21, 121,000. The former #1 album dips from #2 to #3. This is its 58th week in the top 10. Four songs from the album are listed on Hot Digital Songs, topped by "Set Fire To The Rain," which drops from #15 to #20.

4. Shinedown, Amaryllis, 106,000. This new entry is Shinedown's second top 10 album. The Sound Of Madness hit #8 in 2008. Two songs from the album are listed on Hot Digital Songs. "Bully" drops from #94 to #149. "I'll Follow You" debuts at #174.

5. Various Artists, The Hunger Games: Songs From District 12 And Beyond, soundtrack, 64,000. The former #1 album drops to #5 in its second week. Four songs from the album are listed on Hot Digital Songs, topped by Taylor Swift's "Eyes Open," which drops from #4 to #13.

6. One Direction, Up All Night, 46,000. The former #1 album drops from #4 to #6 its third week. Two songs from the album are listed on Hot Digital Songs. "What Makes You Beautiful" jumps from #7 to #5. "One Thing" jumps from #83 to #77.

7. Katy Perry, Teenage Dream, 33,000. The former #1 album leaps from #31 to #7 in its 84th week. Five songs from the expanded version of the album are listed on Hot Digital Songs, topped by "Part Of Me," which rebounds from #11 to #10.

8. The Used, Vulnerable, 32,000. This new entry is the band's fourth top 10 album. No songs from the album are listed on Hot Digital Songs. As a result, next week it may be Vulnerable to dropping out of the top 10.

9. Bruce Springsteen, Wrecking Ball, 28,000. The former #1 album drops from #6 to #9 in its fourth week. The album has sold 320K copies. No songs from the album are listed on Hot Digital Songs, yet it has spent a month in the top 10. Being a legend has its privileges.

10. Various Artists, Now 41, 25,000. The album drops from #8 to #10 in its eighth week. It has been in the top 10 the entire time. The album has sold 573K copies.

Five albums drop out of the top 10 this week. The Shins' Port Of Morrow drops from #3 to #14, Odd Future's The OF Tape Vol. 2 drops from #5 to #36, Melanie Fiona's The MF Life drops from #7 to #22. Whitney Houston's Whitney: The Greatest Hits drops from #6 to 12. Esperanza Spalding's Radio Music Society drops from #10 to #30. Houston's album is #1 on Top Catalog Albums for the seventh time in the past eight weeks.

The Mars Volta's Noctourniquet bows at #15. That's a disappointing debut for the band, which has had three top 10 albums (including two that made the top five)…Meshuggah's Koloss bows at #17…The All-American Rejects' Kids In The Streets bows at #18.

Rapper E-40 enters the chart with three separate volumes of The Block Brochure: Welcome To The Soil. Vol. 1 opens at #59, Vol. 2 at #58 and Vol. 3 at #75. In addition, an edition which combines the three volumes bows at #44. E-40 first charted in October 1993. He reached the top 10 with 1996's The Hall Of Game and 2006's My Ghetto Report Card.

Adele's Live At The Royal Albert Hall is #1 on Top Music Videos for the 18th straight week. I've told you that that's the second longest run by a female artist. It trails Whitney Houston's The #1 Video Hits, which logged 22 weeks at #1 in 1986. Let me add that it's also the second longest run by a British artist. It trails Pink Floyd's Pulse, which logged 25 weeks at #1 (15 weeks in 1995-1996 and 10 weeks in 2006). Will Adele's DVD top either or both of these titles? Place your bets. It sold 15K copies this week, bringing its total to 777K.

Shameless Plug: Doris Day turned 90 yesterday. Barbra Streisand turns 70 later this month. On Monday, we posted a Chart Watch Extra in which I compared and contrasted their careers. What do they have in common? Massive success in records, movies and TV which paved the way for everybody from J. Lo to Beyonce. If you missed it, here's a link. I also wrote a sidebar column on other pop music hit-makers from the 1940s and early '50s who are still alive and kicking. (I'm referring here to Day, not Streisand!) Tony Bennett's on the list, of course, and so are Patti Page and Pete Seeger. But who knew that Tony Martin, 98, was still living? Here's a link to that one.

Coming Attractions: Nicki Minaj's sophomore album, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, is expected to debut at #1 next week. Rascal Flatts' Changed and Marvin Sapp's I Win are also eying top 10 debuts. Also due: Candlebox's Love Stories And Other Musings.

Link

[asg4]

Billboard need to give the number of real sales. of course of the 124k digital include the free giveaways

[areyoureadytojump]

^There were no free giveaways.

[allow that]

Apr 4, 2012 9:39:07 GMT -5 asg4 said:

Billboard need to give the number of real sales. of course of the 124k digital include the free giveaways

It would also include all of the pre-orders right after the Super Bowl too, right? If so, the giveaways can't be majorly substantial... but who knows.

That also means the album sold over 200k physical copies?

Madonna's tally was bolstered by a promotion involving her upcoming world tour. U.S. fans who bought a concert ticket had the option of receiving MDNA as part of their purchase.

They had the option of receiving it as part of their purchase? This sounds different- as if when buying the tickets the question 'Would You Like to Add MDMA To Your Purchase?' comes up and they answer yes or no. I was under the impression that all ticket sales were sent a voucher code to redeem for free. ???

[Deleted]

asg4-i agree, the exact break down shouldn't be a secret

[areyoureadytojump]

MDNA:

235k are physical
124k are digital