Billboard 200: 4/21/12: Nicki Minaj No. 1- 253,00

[Hotlantan]

Yeah I know the Madonnamania is getting out of hand on Pulse, but this article actually has some interesting stats.

Madonna 'MDNA' is 'DOA': Total Sales Collapse as Amazon Drops Price to 5 Bucks
www.forbes.com/sites/rogerfriedman/2012/04/11/madonna-mdna-is-doa-total-sales-collapse-as-amazon-drops-price-to-5-bucks/

Madonna‘s ”MDNA” album is dead. It’s really quite amazing. Amazon.com has dropped the price of downloading “MDNA” to five dollars. On iTunes, the only version of the album on the chart is the explicit one, selling for $14.99. It’s at number 46 on their chart. On hitsdailydouble.com, “MDNA” dropped to number 8 from number 1, with an 87% fall off from the previous week.

The amazon.com situation is much worse. As a physical CD, “MDNA” is just gone. The actual CD, explicit or regular (no curse words) is somewhere below 500 in music. This is the second week of release. The clean version — for $5 — is at #733. The dirty one, so to speak, is around 500. “MDNA” is just…gone. It’s a total sales collapse. It makes you wonder, what happened? Of course, Madonna has done very little publicity. And the inflated first week sales–reported here exclusively–are over now as the “bundling” with concert tickets is finished.

But wow. The deluxe version with a special booklet, for sale at $12.99, is showing up on amazon at number 5,706. Five thousand seven hundred and six.

So what did go wrong? The audience wasn’t interested in vituperative songs with the “f” word scattered through them liberally. Instead of dancing, Madonna was cursing. And what does she have to curse about? She’s a gazillionaire. She does whatever she wants, to whomever she wants, whenever she wants. No one stops her. Her charity in Africa was a bust, and the documentary she made about it was ridiculous. She continues to espouse the “philosophy” of the Kabbalah Center. She flaunts lovers half her age. She talks with a haughty accent. Last year, one of her brothers turned up homeless in Michigan. Madonna seemed not to care.

But even more important: those songs. They weren’t uplifting, and weren’t danceable. There’s no humor. Her competitor and successor, Lady Gaga, speaks to kids with hope and faith. And a beat. The kids could relate to it. Lady Gaga created a community. “MDNA” was like a foreign object from another planet.

What to do now: who knows? “MDNA” has turned into “DOA.”

Am I surprised? The great Madonna songs are still great. “Like a Prayer,” “Into the Groove,” “Causing a Commotion,” “Material Girl,” “Borderline”–they’re all still wonderful. Someone joked today that Madonna has to “go country” now–like Lionel Richie–and re-record all her hits with country stars. As if. But it might time for a tribute album, with younger artists performing her songs.

[slicknickshady]

Apr 11, 2012 11:38:17 GMT -5 gracelessheart said:

Apr 11, 2012 11:31:58 GMT -5 Rodze said:

www.billboard.com/#/news/madonna-tops-lady-gaga-for-biggest-2nd-week-1006725152.story

Here are the five largest second-week percentage drops for No. 1-debuting albums in the SoundScan era:

Chart Date - Artist - Title - % Decline - Debut Units - 2nd Week Units

1. April 21, 2012 - Madonna, "MDNA" - 86.70% (from 359,000 to 48,000 at No. 8)
2. June 18, 2011 - Lady Gaga, "Born This Way" - 84.28% (from 1.11 million to 147,000 at No. 1)
3. Dec. 3, 2011 - Mac Miller, "Blue Slide Park" - 82.54% (from 144,000 to 25,000 at No. 24)
4. Dec. 16, 2006 - Jay-Z, "Kingdom Come" - 79.42% (from 680,000 to 140,000 at No. 6)
5. Dec. 11, 2010 - Kanye West, "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy" - 78.14% (from 496,000 to 108,000 at No. 7)


And, the five largest second-week percentage drops for top 10-debuting albums in the SoundScan era:

Chart Date - Artist, Title - % Decline - Debut Units - 2nd Week Units

1. April 3, 2010 - Various Artists, "The Edge" - 87.19% (from 53,000 at No. 4 to 7,000 at No. 81)
2. April 21, 2012 - Madonna, "MDNA" - 86.70% (from 359,000 to 48,000 at No. 8)
3. June 18, 2011 - Lady Gaga, "Born This Way" - 84.28% (from 1.11 million to 147,000 at No. 1)
4. March 24, 2012 - WZRD, "WZRD" - 84.25% (from 70,000 at No. 3 to 10,000 at No. 34)
5. March 31, 2012 - Passion, "Passion: White Flag" - 83.71% (from 49,000 at No. 5 to 8,000 at No. 51)

If anything, this just says to me that album sales are becoming increasingly front-loaded, particularly those artists who are already well-established.

Don't see Eminem on there. :)

[silab]

All albums are expected to drop the second week but why I am eagerly awaiting for the second week sales of MDNA is because of the fact that she manipulated the true first sales week by bundling it free on her concerts. People will remember that this is not a true number and hopefully Billboard will change the rule on this. I was going to subscribe to their $175 yearly subscription but I changed my mind for letting a "singer" like Madonna control the album chart.

Glad Kelly has sold a lot this week. Hoping for a platinum certification

[CammyCan]

Oh Roger Friedman. He and Elton would get along swimmingly.

[Deleted]

Apr 11, 2012 16:35:20 GMT -5 maria4hitz said:

Top 10 Country Albums for This Week with Six Notable Albums (SoundScan Top 200 Current Albums Chart Placement)*

#3 - Rascal Flatts - Changed 130k (130,000)
#4 - Lionel Richie – Tuskegee 95k (294,000)
#7 - The Hunger Games - Original Soundtrack 50k (289,000)
#11 – Luke Bryan – tailgates & tanlines 36k (928,000)
#17 – Lady Antebellum – Own The Night 22k (1,555,000)
#19 – Eric Church – Chief 21k (705,000)
#20 – Jason Aldean – My Kinda Party 21k (2,500,000)
#22 – Scotty McCreery – Clear As Day 20k (1,016,000)
#23 – Miranda Lambert – Four The Record 19k (506,000)
#28 – The Band Perry – The Band Perry 16k (1,246,000)
#34 – Blake Shelton – Red River Blue 13k (631,000)
#64 – Taylor Swift – Speak Now 13k (4,067,000)
#49 – Toby Keith – Clancy’s Tavern 9k (488,000)
#87 – The Lacs - 190 Proof 7k (7,000)
#128 – Eli Young Band – Life At Best 5K (195,000)

www.roughstock.com/blog/chart-news-for-april-11-2012-acm-awards-lead-to-strong-sales

Lionel Richie should see a sales boost following his CBS special this Friday, April 13 (Friday the 13th! ).

In a bit of irony, Rascal Flatts takes over the # 1 Country Album spot from Richie's "Tuskegee" album. The "Tuskegee" album contains a Lionel Richie duet with Rascal Flatts.

Also, I think Lionel Richie's 2nd week "Tuskegee" total (95,000) is roughly the total amount that Richie's last album sold in it's entire chart run. (Billboard)

On another note, Blake Shelton and Miranda Lambert also continue to have low sales despite mainstream exposure and a big push from the country industry.

Also, I am surprised by Toby Keith's sales. I thought the "Red Solo Cup" surprise hit might push his album sales a bit higher.

[Deleted]

Anyone hear any news on Madonna's new album?

[areyoureadytojump]

That Roger Friedman article above is so badly written. Is Roger still in 8th grade?

Roger writes like most of the writers at Examiner.com.

[chartfreak]

Apr 11, 2012 19:11:51 GMT -5 silab said:

All albums are expected to drop the second week but why I am eagerly awaiting for the second week sales of MDNA is because of the fact that she manipulated the true first sales week by bundling it free on her concerts. People will remember that this is not a true number and hopefully Billboard will change the rule on this. I was going to subscribe to their $175 yearly subscription but I changed my mind for letting a "singer" like Madonna control the album chart.

Glad Kelly has sold a lot this week. Hoping for a platinum certification

You didn't want MDNA #1 regardless of any manipulation.

And what people? The people on pulse. Please. Get over it.

[areyoureadytojump]

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

Numbers from the 4/14 chart:

Now 41 572k
Brantley Gilbert 511k
Breaking Dawn Sdtk. 500k
Now 40 689k
Bon Iver 435k

Albums only on the BB200 for 5+ weeks are listed and have sold over 400k.

[HolidayGuy]

^Plus, some obviously still don't comprehend that the cost of the album was worked into the price of concert tickets. The old "ignorance-is-bliss" cliche still holds true in some cases, I suppose. Ah well.

What version of the deluxe could the "esteemed" Friedman have been looking at? Because the U.S. deluxe CD was nowhere near the 5,000 range on Amazon.com. LOL What a tool. What has become of Forbes that it's allowing this ridiculous man to keep posting what he is?

[Dammn Baby]

Apr 11, 2012 22:18:22 GMT -5 HolidayGuy said:

^Plus, some obviously still don't comprehend that the cost of the album was worked into the price of concert tickets. The old "ignorance-is-bliss" cliche still holds true in some cases, I suppose. Ah well.

Let's be realistic. She's charging $300 per ticket regardless of whether or not an album is included. Worked into the price of the ticket? This was a means to circumvent the giveaway rule and nothing more.

[WotUNeed]

Apr 11, 2012 22:31:54 GMT -5 Dammn Baby said:

Let's be realistic. She's charging $300 per ticket regardless of whether or not an album is included. Worked into the price of the ticket? This was a means to circumvent the giveaway rule and nothing more.

That's not realistic at all. With most promotions of this nature, the cost of something being advertised "at no additional cost" was considered well before the pricing was considered. While there are several businesses that can benefit from using a loss leader strategy, Madonna's touring is something that tends to have a guaranteed market. In cases like those, it's actually much easier to use the product people want (in this case, concert tickets) as a boon to the product that has less demand (here, her newest album). The idea is that the demand for concert tickets will be far greater than the loss of consumers taken by setting the price point somewhat higher to offset the cost of the album promotion. In this case, it seems to have been a successful strategy.

[Dammn Baby]

Apr 11, 2012 22:42:57 GMT -5 WotUNeed said:

Apr 11, 2012 22:31:54 GMT -5 Dammn Baby said:

Let's be realistic. She's charging $300 per ticket regardless of whether or not an album is included. Worked into the price of the ticket? This was a means to circumvent the giveaway rule and nothing more.

That's not realistic at all. With most promotions of this nature, the cost of something being advertised "at no additional cost" was considered well before the pricing was considered. While there are several businesses that can benefit from using a loss leader strategy, Madonna's touring is something that tends to have a guaranteed market. In cases like those, it's actually much easier to use the product people want (in this case, concert tickets) as a boon to the product that has less demand (here, her newest album). The idea is that the demand for concert tickets will be far greater than the loss of consumers taken by setting the price point somewhat higher to offset the cost of the album promotion. In this case, it seems to have been a successful strategy.

We'll have to agree to disagree. I'm confident Madonna would have charged people the same price point regardless of the album bundle, since she has done so for previous tours. We're not talking about an artist who normally charges $50/ticket and would need to justify the cost of the bundle by bumping up the base price. It was a savvy move to get the album to #1 - and on that front, it worked.

Personally, I think the only concert-related sales that should count for chart purposes are point-of-purchase at concession. There is tremendous opportunity for chart manipulation with big touring acts, and artists (and labels) are getting more creative since Prince exploited a (now closed) loophole and gave his album away outright to concertgoers. I would not be surprised if Billboard eventually revised its policies as this kind of bundle has resulted in high debuts and plummeting second-week sales for several artists now. Is it an accurate reflection of real demand for an album, as the Billboard 200 is intended to be on any given week? Probably not. And we are already seeing a certain cynicism about this kind of bundle and "unusually enhanced sales" in many of the news articles focusing on Madonna's second week drop. This is high profile enough that Billboard will probably react at some point, much as they did (months after Born This Way's debut) to establish minimum pricing requirements for an album to be eligible for chart purposes.

[Oprah]

I think this sums up the last two weeks and dozens of pages of arguing quite succinctly.

[Deleted]

The Billboard 200
Issue Date: 2012-04-21

This Week Last Week Two Weeks Ago Weeks Title, Artist Peak
on Imprint | Catalog No. | Distributing Label Position
Chart
1 NEW 1 Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, Nicki Minaj 1
2 3 2 59 21, Adele 1
3 NEW 1 Changed, Rascal Flatts 3
4 2 - 2 Tuskegee, Lionel Richie 2
5 6 4 4 Up All Night, One Direction 1
6 NEW 1 My Head Is An Animal, Of Monsters And Men 6
7 5 1 3 The Hunger Games: Songs From District 12 And Beyond, Soundtrack 1
8 1 - 2 MDNA, Madonna 1
9 NEW 1 I Win, Marvin Sapp 9
10 4 - 2 Amaryllis, Shinedown 4
11 11 16 35 Tailgates & Tanlines, Luke Bryan 2
12 26 19 24 Stronger, Kelly Clarkson 2
13 19 17 3 Shake It Up: Live 2 Dance: Music From The Disney Channel Series, Soundtrack 13
14 10 8 9 NOW 41, Various Artists 3
15 13 12 14 Making Mirrors, Gotye 9
16 NEW 1 Boys & Girls, Alabama Shakes 16
17 20 15 129 19, Adele 4
18 28 27 30 Own The Night, Lady Antebellum 1
19 9 6 5 Wrecking Ball, Bruce Springsteen 1
20 27 28 37 Chief, Eric Church 1
21 23 25 75 My Kinda Party, Jason Aldean 2
22 46 48 12 Kidz Bop 21, Kidz Bop Kids 2
23 21 67 27 Clear As Day, Scotty McCreery 1
24 12 9 38 Whitney: The Greatest Hits, Whitney Houston 2
25 47 55 23 Four The Record, Miranda Lambert 3
26 7 31 85 Teenage Dream, Katy Perry 1
27 16 11 7 Some Nights, fun. 3
28 24 18 21 Take Care, Drake 1
29 NEW 1 Dedicated, Wilson Phillips 29
30 55 53 78 The Band Perry 4
31 32 21 42 Sorry For Party Rocking, LMFAO 5
32 25 14 20 Talk That Talk, Rihanna 3
33 NEW 1 Locked Down, Dr. John 33
34 31 22 18 El Camino, The Black Keys 2
35 14 3 3 Port Of Morrow, The Shins 3
36 45 57 39 Red River Blue, Blake Shelton 1
37 70 63 76 Speak Now, Taylor Swift 1
38 33 20 7 Careless World: Rise Of The Last King, Tyga 4
39 51 45 34 Halfway To Heaven, Brantley Gilbert 4
40 39 32 15 Bangarang (EP), Skrillex 14
41 22 7 3 The MF Life, Melanie Fiona 7
42 54 54 10 The Fresh Beat Band: Music From The Hit TV Show, Soundtrack 21
43 49 40 20 Here And Now, Nickelback 2
44 73 50 9 A Different Kind Of Truth, Van Halen 2
45 NEW 1 The Lumineers 45
46 50 33 24 Mylo Xyloto, Coldplay 1
47 48 26 10 Born To Die, Lana Del Rey 2
48 34 42 107 Sigh No More, Mumford & Sons 2
49 74 68 11 Emotional Traffic, Tim McGraw 2
50 43 30 16 TM:103: Hustlerz Ambition, Young Jeezy 3
51 68 65 24 Clancy's Tavern, Toby Keith 5
52 72 43 46 Torches, Foster The People 8
53 112 104 13 The Muppets, Soundtrack 38
54 63 38 77 Hands All Over, Maroon 5 2
55 NEW 1 TAAB2: Thick As A Brick 2, Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson 55
56 57 49 79 Doo-Wops & Hooligans, Bruno Mars 3
57 8 - 2 Vulnerable, The Used 8
58 30 10 3 Radio Music Society, Esperanza Spalding 10
59 76 64 81 You Get What You Give, Zac Brown Band 1
60 65 52 32 Tha Carter IV, Lil Wayne 1
61 38 47 61 Barton Hollow, The Civil Wars 10
62 75 58 44 Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites (EP), Skrillex 49
63 NEW 1 De Vermis Mysteriis, High On Fire 63
64 56 34 23 Ceremonials, Florence + The Machine 6
65 36 5 3 The OF Tape Vol. 2, Odd Future 5
66 117 83 25 Come To The Well, Casting Crowns 2
67 NEW 1 Into The Glorious, Christy Nockels 67
68 NEW 1 190 Proof, The Lacs 68
69 115 81 20 Break The Spell, Daughtry 8
70 35 - 2 After This, J.J. Hairston & Youthful Praise 35
71 69 36 35 Watch The Throne, Jay Z Kanye West 1
72 86 76 14 God's Not Dead, newsboys 63
73 82 72 26 American Capitalist, Five Finger Death Punch 3
74 140 100 17 Back To Love, Anthony Hamilton 12
75 89 73 42 Planet Pit, Pitbull 7
76 64 - 85 Precious Memories, Alan Jackson 4
77 41 - 2 Gold, Britt Nicole 41
78 66 41 150 The Bodyguard, Whitney Houston (Diamond Certification) 17 1
79 52 - 2 Dubbed & Freq'd: A Remix Project, tobyMac 52
80 91 66 41 4, Beyonce 1
81 107 86 9 Home, Dierks Bentley 7
82 NEW 1 Love Stories & Other Musings, Candlebox 82
83 37 13 3 Unexpected Arrival, Diggy 13
84 102 71 72 Pink Friday, Nicki Minaj 1
85 42 35 5 Top 25 Praise Songs 2012 Edition, Maranatha! Praise Band 26
86 167 182 107 My World 2.0, Justin Bieber 1
87 RE-ENTRY 15 Sweeter, Gavin DeGraw 8
88 87 61 20 My Life II...The Journey Continues (Act 1), Mary J. Blige 5
89 79 44 34 I Look To You, Whitney Houston 1
90 18 - 2 Kids In The Street, The All-American Rejects 18
91 95 60 11 2012 Grammy Nominees, Various Artists 4
92 60 85 9 Kisses On The Bottom, Paul McCartney 5
93 RE-ENTRY 27 Shake It Up: Break It Down, Soundtrack 22
94 199 154 18 Elevate (Soundtrack), Big Time Rush 12
95 108 112 37 The Best Of Lionel Richie: 20th Century Masters The Millennium Collection, Lionel Richie 71
96 105 77 98 Brothers, The Black Keys 3
97 136 97 178 Fearless, Taylor Swift 1
98 132 117 28 WOW Hits 2012, Various Artists 35
99 88 59 172 Whitney Houston (Diamond Certification) 13 1
100 15 - 2 Noctourniquet, The Mars Volta 15
101 RE-ENTRY 23 Unbroken, Demi Lovato 4
102 118 105 176 The Foundation, Zac Brown Band 9
103 149 181 22 Life At Best, Eli Young Band 6
104 101 78 28 Cole World: The Sideline Story, J. Cole 1
105 135 172 45 The Generous Mr. Lovewell, MercyMe 3
106 94 56 29 Duets II, Tony Bennett 1
107 93 103 30 Barefoot Blue Jean Night, Jake Owen 6
108 53 39 29 Nothing But The Beat, David Guetta 5
109 144 96 9 Scars & Stories, The Fray 4
110 126 82 22 NOW 40, Various Artists 3
111 98 79 22 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 1, Soundtrack 4
112 RE-ENTRY 84 Get Rich Or Die Tryin', 50 Cent 1
113 119 99 11 WOW Gospel 2012, Various Artists 30
114 106 51 4 Passion: White Flag, Passion 5
115 196 - 129 Greatest Hits Volume 1, Rascal Flatts 6
116 NEW 1 Once In A Lifetime, Smokie Norful 116
117 99 153 66 Loaded: The Best Of Blake Shelton, Blake Shelton 18
118 97 140 3 47th Academy Of Country Music Awards: 2012 Nominee Spotlight, Various Artists 97
119 40 - 2 The Hunger Games: Original Motion Picture Score, Soundtrack 40
120 137 114 133 Awake, Skillet 2
121 RE-ENTRY 18 How Great Is Our God: The Essential Collection, Chris Tomlin 40
122 198 190 41 When The Sun Goes Down, Selena Gomez & The Scene 3
123 121 92 94 Recovery, Eminem 1
124 111 70 13 Footloose (2011), Soundtrack 14
125 103 113 33 Hell On Heels, Pistol Annies 5
126 134 108 87 The Best Of Lynyrd Skynyrd: 20th Century Masters The Millennium Collection, Lynyrd Skynyrd 60
127 110 94 50 Rolling Papers, Wiz Khalifa 2
128 138 124 115 Need You Now, Lady Antebellum 1
129 78 23 3 Casey James 23
130 NEW 1 Bottoms Up, Obie Trice 130
131 17 - 2 Koloss, Meshuggah 17
132 123 - 2 The Lateness Of The Hour, Alex Clare 123
133 143 116 97 Lungs, Florence + The Machine 14
134 84 29 6 Project X, Soundtrack 12
135 NEW 1 Enamorada De Ti, Selena 135
136 RE-ENTRY 266 Nevermind, Nirvana (Diamond Certification) 10 1
137 109 123 209 Journey's Greatest Hits, Journey (Diamond Certification) 15 10
138 67 - 2 Desnuda, Ednita Nazario 67
139 122 84 23 Ambition, Wale 2
140 29 - 2 Sick And Twisted Affair, My Darkest Days 29
141 RE-ENTRY 97 Dr. Dre -- 2001, Dr. Dre 2
142 96 80 3 Opus Collection, Billy Joel 80
143 113 115 135 Chronicle The 20 Greatest Hits, Creedence Clearwater Revival Featuring John Fogerty 67
144 RE-ENTRY 5 One Song At A Time, Jamie Grace 84
145 RE-ENTRY 9 God, Love & Romance, Fred Hammond 8
146 RE-ENTRY 259 Taylor Swift 5
147 175 155 42 Outlaws Like Me, Justin Moore 5
148 157 162 44 The Best Of Aerosmith: 20th Century Masters The Millennium Collection, Aerosmith 67
149 129 107 29 Megalithic Symphony, AWOLNATION 99
150 142 128 56 4X4=12, deadmau5 47
151 RE-ENTRY 3 Listen To The Sound, Building 429 115
152 158 139 62 The Best Of Eric Clapton: 20th Century Masters The Millennium Collection, Eric Clapton 66
153 RE-ENTRY 12 Alvin And The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, Soundtrack 36
154 104 75 18 Lioness: Hidden Treasures, Amy Winehouse 5
155 RE-ENTRY 72 Titanic, Soundtrack (Diamond Certification) 11 1
156 RE-ENTRY 25 #1 Girl, Mindless Behavior 7
157 133 95 83 My Love Is Your Love, Whitney Houston 13
158 169 - 9 Hunter Hayes 18
159 176 142 126 The Marshall Mathers LP, Eminem (Diamond Certification) 10 1
160 RE-ENTRY 10 Where I Find You, Kari Jobe 10
161 130 87 46 Born This Way, Lady Gaga 1
162 150 122 217 Legend: The Best Of Bob Marley And The Wailers, Bob Marley And The Wailers (Diamond Certification) 10 26
163 148 126 33 Best Of The Temptations-The 60's: 20th Century Masters The Millennium, The Temptations 73
164 146 118 20 The Best Of Etta James: 20th Century Masters The Millennium Collection, Etta James 32
165 161 127 20 Ultimate Hits: Rock And Roll Never Forgets, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band 19
166 171 133 42 The Best Of Three Dog Night: 20th Century Masters The Millennium Collection, Three Dog Night 109
167 RE-ENTRY 107 Sublime 13
168 165 130 44 The Best Of Boyz II Men: 20th Century Masters The Millennium Collection, Boyz II Men 70
169 181 150 156 Curtain Call: The Hits, Eminem 1
170 RE-ENTRY 67 Hemingway's Whiskey, Kenny Chesney 1
171 168 141 74 Doin' My Thing, Luke Bryan 6
172 173 131 50 The Best Of Barry White: 20th Century Masters The Millennium Collection, Barry White 78
173 RE-ENTRY 72 Licensed To Ill, Beastie Boys 1
174 147 93 52 Wasting Light, Foo Fighters 1
175 162 125 18 The Path Of Totality, Korn 10
176 58 - 2 The Block Brochure: Welcome To The Soil 2, E-40 58
177 RE-ENTRY 23 Evanescence 1
178 RE-ENTRY 18 What If We Were Real, Mandisa 66
179 170 - 33 Neon, Chris Young 4
180 159 138 108 War Is The Answer, Five Finger Death Punch 7
181 174 143 46 VH1 Storytellers, Johnny Cash/Willie Nelson 56
182 59 - 2 The Block Brochure: Welcome To The Soil 1, E-40 59
183 178 157 6 Flashback With The Monkees, The Monkees 125
184 NEW 1 La Gritera, Los Inquietos del Norte 184
185 RE-ENTRY 32 Move, Third Day 9
186 127 88 23 Open Invitation, Tyrese 9
187 141 89 6 All Of Me, Estelle 28
188 125 69 5 Break It Yourself, Andrew Bird 10
189 NEW 1 Forget The Storm, Tyler Hilton 189
190 200 171 13 The Best Of Jackson 5: 20th Century Masters The Millennium Collection, Jackson 5 114
191 RE-ENTRY 11 Identity, James Fortune & FIYA 7
192 RE-ENTRY 4 Spring Break 4... Suntan City (EP), Luke Bryan 9
193 189 - 23 Wildflower, Lauren Alaina 5
194 100 - 58 The Definitive Collection, Lionel Richie 19
195 172 173 14 Take A Back Road, Rodney Atkins 8
196 164 110 22 Formula: Vol. 1, Romeo Santos 9
197 NEW 1 Happy Easter!, The Hit Crew Kids 197
198 RE-ENTRY 21 The Awakening Of Le'Andria Johnson (EP), Le'Andria Johnson 24
199 RE-ENTRY 72 Loud, Rihanna 3
200 RE-ENTRY 17 The Very Best Of Neil Diamond: The Studio Recordings, Neil Diamond 45

[Deleted]

Top Current Albums
Issue Date: 2012-04-21

This Week Last Week Two Weeks Ago Weeks Title, Artist Peak
on Imprint | Catalog No. | Distributing Label Position
Chart
1 NEW 1 Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, Nicki Minaj 1
2 3 2 59 21, Adele 1
3 NEW 1 Changed, Rascal Flatts 3
4 2 - 2 Tuskegee, Lionel Richie 2
5 6 4 4 Up All Night, One Direction 1
6 NEW 1 My Head Is An Animal, Of Monsters And Men 6
7 5 1 3 The Hunger Games: Songs From District 12 And Beyond, Soundtrack 1
8 1 - 2 MDNA, Madonna 1
9 NEW 1 I Win, Marvin Sapp 9
10 4 - 2 Amaryllis, Shinedown 4
11 11 14 35 Tailgates & Tanlines, Luke Bryan 2
12 24 17 24 Stronger, Kelly Clarkson 2
13 18 15 3 Shake It Up: Live 2 Dance: Music From The Disney Channel Series, Soundtrack 13
14 10 8 9 NOW 41, Various Artists 2
15 12 11 14 Making Mirrors, Gotye 7
16 NEW 1 Boys & Girls, Alabama Shakes 16
17 26 25 30 Own The Night, Lady Antebellum 1
18 9 6 5 Wrecking Ball, Bruce Springsteen 1
19 25 26 37 Chief, Eric Church 1
20 21 23 75 My Kinda Party, Jason Aldean 2
21 44 44 12 Kidz Bop 21, Kidz Bop Kids 2
22 19 62 27 Clear As Day, Scotty McCreery 1
23 45 51 23 Four The Record, Miranda Lambert 3
24 7 29 85 Teenage Dream, Katy Perry 1
25 15 10 7 Some Nights, fun. 2
26 22 16 21 Take Care, Drake 1
27 NEW 1 Dedicated, Wilson Phillips 27
28 53 49 78 The Band Perry 4
29 30 19 42 Sorry For Party Rocking, LMFAO 5
30 23 13 20 Talk That Talk, Rihanna 3
31 NEW 1 Locked Down, Dr. John 31
32 29 20 18 El Camino, The Black Keys 2
33 13 3 3 Port Of Morrow, The Shins 3
34 43 53 39 Red River Blue, Blake Shelton 1
35 66 58 76 Speak Now, Taylor Swift 1
36 31 18 7 Careless World: Rise Of The Last King, Tyga 3
37 49 41 36 Halfway To Heaven, Brantley Gilbert 4
38 37 30 15 Bangarang (EP), Skrillex 14
39 20 7 3 The MF Life, Melanie Fiona 7
40 52 50 10 The Fresh Beat Band: Music From The Hit TV Show, Soundtrack 20
41 47 38 20 Here And Now, Nickelback 2
42 69 46 9 A Different Kind Of Truth, Van Halen 2
43 NEW 1 The Lumineers 43
44 48 31 24 Mylo Xyloto, Coldplay 1
45 46 24 10 Born To Die, Lana Del Rey 2
46 32 39 112 Sigh No More, Mumford & Sons 2
47 70 63 11 Emotional Traffic, Tim McGraw 2
48 41 28 16 TM:103: Hustlerz Ambition, Young Jeezy 3
49 64 60 24 Clancy's Tavern, Toby Keith 5
50 68 40 46 Torches, Foster The People 8
51 102 95 15 The Muppets, Soundtrack 34
52 61 36 80 Hands All Over, Maroon 5 2
53 NEW 1 TAAB2: Thick As A Brick 2, Jethro Tull's Ian Anderson 53
54 55 45 79 Doo-Wops & Hooligans, Bruno Mars 3
55 8 - 2 Vulnerable, The Used 8
56 28 9 3 Radio Music Society, Esperanza Spalding 9
57 72 59 81 You Get What You Give, Zac Brown Band 1
58 62 48 32 Tha Carter IV, Lil Wayne 1
59 36 43 62 Barton Hollow, The Civil Wars 8
60 71 54 49 Scary Monsters And Nice Sprites (EP), Skrillex 45
61 NEW 1 De Vermis Mysteriis, High On Fire 61
62 54 32 23 Ceremonials, Florence + The Machine 6
63 34 5 3 The OF Tape Vol. 2, Odd Future 5
64 106 77 25 Come To The Well, Casting Crowns 2
65 NEW 1 Into The Glorious, Christy Nockels 65
66 NEW 1 190 Proof, The Lacs 66
67 104 75 20 Break The Spell, Daughtry 8
68 33 - 2 After This, J.J. Hairston & Youthful Praise 33
69 65 34 35 Watch The Throne, Jay Z Kanye West 1
70 81 71 19 God's Not Dead, newsboys 55
71 77 67 26 American Capitalist, Five Finger Death Punch 3
72 122 91 17 Back To Love, Anthony Hamilton 12
73 83 68 42 Planet Pit, Pitbull 7
74 39 - 2 Gold, Britt Nicole 39
75 50 - 2 Dubbed & Freq'd: A Remix Project, tobyMac 50
76 85 61 41 4, Beyonce 1
77 99 80 9 Home, Dierks Bentley 6
78 NEW 1 Love Stories & Other Musings, Candlebox 78
79 35 12 3 Unexpected Arrival, Diggy 12
80 95 66 72 Pink Friday, Nicki Minaj 1
81 40 33 5 Top 25 Praise Songs 2012 Edition, Maranatha! Praise Band 21
82 194 115 24 Sweeter, Gavin DeGraw 8
83 82 56 20 My Life II...The Journey Continues (Act 1), Mary J. Blige 5
84 17 - 2 Kids In The Street, The All-American Rejects 17
85 89 55 11 2012 Grammy Nominees, Various Artists 3
86 58 79 9 Kisses On The Bottom, Paul McCartney 5
87 196 180 31 Shake It Up: Break It Down, Soundtrack 22
88 159 120 20 Elevate (Soundtrack), Big Time Rush 12
89 119 102 28 WOW Hits 2012, Various Artists 31
90 14 - 2 Noctourniquet, The Mars Volta 14
91 182 130 26 Unbroken, Demi Lovato 4
92 128 137 34 Life At Best, Eli Young Band 6
93 94 72 28 Cole World: The Sideline Story, J. Cole 1
94 88 52 29 Duets II, Tony Bennett 1
95 87 94 32 Barefoot Blue Jean Night, Jake Owen 6
96 51 37 32 Nothing But The Beat, David Guetta 5
97 125 88 9 Scars & Stories, The Fray 4
98 113 76 22 NOW 40, Various Artists 3
99 92 73 22 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 1, Soundtrack 4
100 107 90 11 WOW Gospel 2012, Various Artists 28
101 98 47 4 Passion: White Flag, Passion 4
102 NEW 1 Once In A Lifetime, Smokie Norful 102
103 93 119 74 Loaded: The Best Of Blake Shelton, Blake Shelton 18
104 91 113 3 47th Academy Of Country Music Awards: 2012 Nominee Spotlight, Various Artists 91
105 38 - 2 The Hunger Games: Original Motion Picture Score, Soundtrack 38
106 120 101 137 Awake, Skillet 2
107 177 140 21 How Great Is Our God: The Essential Collection, Chris Tomlin 37
108 158 144 41 When The Sun Goes Down, Selena Gomez & The Scene 3
109 101 65 19 Footloose (2011), Soundtrack 14
110 96 100 33 Hell On Heels, Pistol Annies 5
111 100 87 54 Rolling Papers, Wiz Khalifa 2
112 74 21 3 Casey James 21
113 NEW 1 Bottoms Up, Obie Trice 113
114 16 - 2 Koloss, Meshuggah 16
115 110 - 2 The Lateness Of The Hour, Alex Clare 110
116 79 27 6 Project X, Soundtrack 10
117 NEW 1 Enamorada De Ti, Selena 117
118 63 - 2 Desnuda, Ednita Nazario 63
119 109 78 23 Ambition, Wale 2
120 27 - 2 Sick And Twisted Affair, My Darkest Days 27
121 90 74 3 Opus Collection, Billy Joel 74
122 RE-ENTRY 20 One Song At A Time, Jamie Grace 80
123 160 125 10 God, Love & Romance, Fred Hammond 8
124 143 121 42 Outlaws Like Me, Justin Moore 5
125 116 97 42 Megalithic Symphony, AWOLNATION 91
126 124 107 67 4X4=12, deadmau5 42
127 RE-ENTRY 9 Listen To The Sound, Building 429 102
128 170 - 16 Alvin And The Chipmunks: Chipwrecked, Soundtrack 35
129 97 70 18 Lioness: Hidden Treasures, Amy Winehouse 5
130 RE-ENTRY 28 #1 Girl, Mindless Behavior 7
131 140 192 19 Hunter Hayes 18
132 168 141 11 Where I Find You, Kari Jobe 10
133 117 81 46 Born This Way, Lady Gaga 1
134 135 106 19 Ultimate Hits: Rock And Roll Never Forgets, Bob Seger & The Silver Bullet Band 19
135 127 86 52 Wasting Light, Foo Fighters 1
136 136 105 18 The Path Of Totality, Korn 10
137 56 - 2 The Block Brochure: Welcome To The Soil 2, E-40 56
138 179 164 26 Evanescence 1
139 RE-ENTRY 25 What If We Were Real, Mandisa 64
140 141 186 39 Neon, Chris Young 4
141 57 - 2 The Block Brochure: Welcome To The Soil 1, E-40 57
142 144 123 6 Flashback With The Monkees, The Monkees 96
143 NEW 1 La Gritera, Los Inquietos del Norte 143
144 RE-ENTRY 45 Move, Third Day 9
145 114 82 23 Open Invitation, Tyrese 9
146 123 83 6 All Of Me, Estelle 21
147 112 64 5 Break It Yourself, Andrew Bird 9
148 NEW 1 Forget The Storm, Tyler Hilton 148
149 162 148 12 Identity, James Fortune & FIYA 7
150 165 84 5 Spring Break 4... Suntan City (EP), Luke Bryan 8
151 151 153 26 Wildflower, Lauren Alaina 5
152 142 133 27 Take A Back Road, Rodney Atkins 8
153 138 99 22 Formula: Vol. 1, Romeo Santos 9
154 NEW 1 Happy Easter!, The Hit Crew Kids 154
155 RE-ENTRY 30 The Awakening Of Le'Andria Johnson (EP), Le'Andria Johnson 23
156 176 103 73 Loud, Rihanna 3
157 161 124 18 The Very Best Of Neil Diamond: The Studio Recordings, Neil Diamond 39
158 NEW 1 Return of the Spectacular Spinning Songbook!!!, Elvis Costello & The Imposters 158
159 178 132 21 Lights, Ellie Goulding 72
160 184 161 71 Number One Hits, Tim McGraw 25
161 150 96 28 Young The Giant 41
162 67 - 2 The Block Brochure: Welcome To The Soil 3, E-40 67
163 NEW 1 Generation X, The Dean's List 163
164 80 - 2 Hymns, Guy Penrod 80
165 RE-ENTRY 34 NOW 39, Various Artists 3
166 153 98 22 Blue Slide Park, Mac Miller 1
167 RE-ENTRY 27 Victorious: Music From The Hit TV Show, Soundtrack 5
168 147 - 43 This Is Country Music, Brad Paisley 2
169 169 114 55 F.A.M.E., Chris Brown 1
170 73 - 2 The Electric Age, Overkill 73
171 175 142 48 lovestrong., Christina Perri 4
172 134 89 6 Black Radio, Robert Glasper Experiment 10
173 NEW 1 Disney Princess: Fairy Tale Songs, Various Artists 173
174 RE-ENTRY 49 Hello Fear, Kirk Franklin 5
175 164 109 40 Icon: Josh Turner, Josh Turner 90
176 157 126 18 Hats Off To The Bull, Chevelle 19
177 RE-ENTRY 38 Blessings, Laura Story 61
178 173 159 4 Top 25 Gospel Songs 2012 Edition, Maranatha! Gospel 154
179 149 92 11 NOW That's What I Call Country Ballads, Various Artists 55
180 171 135 43 Hell: The Sequel (EP), Bad Meets Evil 1
181 RE-ENTRY 5 Crave, for King & Country 98
182 195 194 69 Nothing Like This, Rascal Flatts 6
183 60 - 2 Nothing's Gonna Change The Way You Feel About Me Now, Justin Townes Earle 60
184 RE-ENTRY 65 BTR (Soundtrack), Big Time Rush 3
185 78 - 2 Live Like That, Sidewalk Prophets 78
186 174 145 28 Icon: George Strait, George Strait 58
187 42 - 2 The Block Brochure: Welcome To The Soil 1, 2 & 3, E-40 42
188 RE-ENTRY 5 Release Me, Lyle Lovett 47
189 163 147 21 Arise: The Live Worship Expierence, William McDowell 58
190 130 - 2 Best Of: All My Rowdy Friends, Hank Williams Jr. 130
191 RE-ENTRY 5 Believer, Kutless 27
192 NEW 1 De La Soul's Plug 1 & Plug 2 Present... First Serve, De La Soul's Plug 1 & Plug 2 192
193 RE-ENTRY 72 Greatest Hits... So Far!!!, P!nk 5
194 RE-ENTRY 16 A.N.T. Farm, Soundtrack 28
195 155 35 11 Believe, Celtic Woman 13
196 187 104 6 This Ole Boy, Craig Morgan 32
197 121 85 6 Il Volo ...Takes Flight: Live From The Detroit Opera House, Il Volo 75
198 181 - 53 Prince Royce 75
199 200 162 25 Hurry Up, We're Dreaming., M83. 15
200 166 108 10 Old Ideas, Leonard Cohen 3

[Deleted]

Top Pop Catalog
Issue Date: 2012-04-21

This Week Last Week Two Weeks Ago Weeks Title, Artist Peak
on Imprint | Catalog No. | Distributing Label Position
Chart
1 2 2 80 19, Adele 1
2 1 1 13 Whitney: The Greatest Hits, Whitney Houston 1
3 3 - 12 Precious Memories, Alan Jackson 3
4 4 3 25 The Bodyguard, Whitney Houston (Diamond Certification) 17 2
5 28 45 27 My World 2.0, Justin Bieber 5
6 5 4 9 I Look To You, Whitney Houston 4
7 9 13 44 The Best Of Lionel Richie: 20th Century Masters The Millennium Collection, Lionel Richie 5
8 8 6 19 Brothers, The Black Keys 2
9 17 9 62 Fearless, Taylor Swift 6
10 6 5 10 Whitney Houston (Diamond Certification) 13 3
11 12 10 25 The Foundation, Zac Brown Band 8
12 16 40 5 The Generous Mr. Lovewell, MercyMe 12
13 RE-ENTRY 64 Get Rich Or Die Tryin', 50 Cent 1
14 40 - 67 Greatest Hits Volume 1, Rascal Flatts 4
15 13 7 17 Recovery, Eminem 4
16 15 11 181 The Best Of Lynyrd Skynyrd: 20th Century Masters The Millennium Collection, Lynyrd Skynyrd 3
17 18 20 21 Need You Now, Lady Antebellum 7
18 19 15 29 Lungs, Florence + The Machine 2
19 RE-ENTRY 79 Nevermind, Nirvana (Diamond Certification) 10 2
20 10 19 861 Journey's Greatest Hits, Journey (Diamond Certification) 15 1
21 RE-ENTRY 9 Dr. Dre -- 2001, Dr. Dre 21
22 11 14 769 Chronicle The 20 Greatest Hits, Creedence Clearwater Revival Featuring John Fogerty 1
23 50 25 92 Taylor Swift 3
24 24 35 48 The Best Of Aerosmith: 20th Century Masters The Millennium Collection, Aerosmith 5
25 25 27 73 The Best Of Eric Clapton: 20th Century Masters The Millennium Collection, Eric Clapton 4
26 NEW 1 Titanic, Soundtrack (Diamond Certification) 11 26
27 14 8 7 My Love Is Your Love, Whitney Houston 6
28 33 29 191 The Marshall Mathers LP, Eminem (Diamond Certification) 10 1
29 22 18 1015 Legend: The Best Of Bob Marley And The Wailers, Bob Marley And The Wailers (Diamond Certification) 10 1
30 21 21 40 Best Of The Temptations-The 60's: 20th Century Masters The Millennium, The Temptations 6
31 20 16 22 The Best Of Etta James: 20th Century Masters The Millennium Collection, Etta James 2
32 30 24 48 The Best Of Three Dog Night: 20th Century Masters The Millennium Collection, Three Dog Night 11
33 RE-ENTRY 317 Sublime 5
34 27 22 57 The Best Of Boyz II Men: 20th Century Masters The Millennium Collection, Boyz II Men 7
35 36 33 115 Curtain Call: The Hits, Eminem 3
36 NEW 1 Hemingway's Whiskey, Kenny Chesney 36
37 29 28 17 Doin' My Thing, Luke Bryan 14
38 31 23 47 The Best Of Barry White: 20th Century Masters The Millennium Collection, Barry White 7
39 RE-ENTRY 441 Licensed To Ill, Beastie Boys 1
40 26 26 28 War Is The Answer, Five Finger Death Punch 18
41 32 30 46 VH1 Storytellers, Johnny Cash/Willie Nelson 2
42 41 39 34 The Best Of Jackson 5: 20th Century Masters The Millennium Collection, Jackson 5 8
43 7 - 72 The Definitive Collection, Lionel Richie 7
44 45 - 27 Crazy Ex-Girlfriend, Miranda Lambert 12
45 47 34 260 Greatest Hits, Guns N' Roses 1
46 44 46 44 Super Hits, Willie Nelson 12
47 RE-ENTRY 5 A Modern Day Prodigal Son, Brantley Gilbert 2
48 38 12 7 Just Whitney..., Whitney Houston 10
49 RE-ENTRY 10 Carolina, Eric Church 11
50 RE-ENTRY 2 Love Like Crazy, Lee Brice 38

[Deleted]

Top Digital Albums
Issue Date: 2012-04-21

This Week Last Week Two Weeks Ago Weeks Title, Artist Peak
on Imprint | Catalog No. | Distributing Label Position
Chart
1 NEW 1 Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, Nicki Minaj 1
2 NEW 1 My Head Is An Animal, Of Monsters And Men 2
3 NEW 1 Changed, Rascal Flatts 3
4 6 5 4 Up All Night, One Direction 1
5 NEW 1 Boys & Girls, Alabama Shakes 5
6 2 - 2 Tuskegee, Lionel Richie 2
7 5 3 59 21, Adele 1
8 8 7 13 Making Mirrors, Gotye 5
9 1 - 2 MDNA, Madonna 1
10 4 1 3 The Hunger Games: Songs From District 12 And Beyond, Soundtrack 1
11 9 6 7 Some Nights, fun. 2
12 NEW 1 I Win, Marvin Sapp 12
13 3 - 2 Amaryllis, Shinedown 3
14 RE-ENTRY 4 Four The Record, Miranda Lambert 4
15 NEW 1 The Lumineers 15
16 RE-ENTRY 15 Stronger, Kelly Clarkson 2
17 18 - 5 Tailgates & Tanlines, Luke Bryan 2
18 NEW 1 Locked Down, Dr. John 18
19 RE-ENTRY 8 Born To Die, Lana Del Rey 1
20 RE-ENTRY 4 The Muppets, Soundtrack 11
21 21 20 21 Take Care, Drake 1
22 RE-ENTRY 6 Chief, Eric Church 1
23 10 2 3 Port Of Morrow, The Shins 2
24 11 - 90 Sigh No More, Mumford & Sons 1
25 RE-ENTRY 32 My Kinda Party, Jason Aldean 2

[Deleted]

Vinyl Albums
Issue Date: 2012-04-21

This Week Last Week Two Weeks Ago Weeks Title, Artist Peak
on Imprint | Catalog No. | Distributing Label Position
Chart
1 NEW 1 Boys & Girls, Alabama Shakes 1
2 1 1 3 Port Of Morrow, The Shins 1
3 6 2 64 Abbey Road, The Beatles (Diamond Certification) 12 1
4 NEW 1 Letting Off The Happiness, Bright Eyes 4
5 10 7 17 El Camino, The Black Keys 1
6 NEW 1 Zammuto 6
7 RE-ENTRY 2 A Different Kind Of Truth, Van Halen 6
8 NEW 1 Every Day And Every Night (EP), Bright Eyes 8
9 NEW 1 I Love You, It's Cool, Bear In Heaven 9
10 11 6 37 21, Adele 1
11 RE-ENTRY 5 Visions, Grimes 8
12 NEW 1 My Head Is An Animal, Of Monsters And Men 12
13 15 13 36 For Emma, Forever Ago, Bon Iver 4
14 12 - 3 Open Your Heart, The Men 12
15 RE-ENTRY 2 The Second Stage Turbine Blade, Coheed And Cambria 1

[HolidayGuy]

The top tickets for the Madonna tour are $355 before fees/taxes (maybe more, haven't checked all cities), so that's an increase from previous tours. Keeping all the facts straight.

Thanks for posting the charts, 2m. :)

[gracelessheart]

These articles by this Roger Friedman guy remind me of a critic, for some Chicago publication I think, that tried putting down everything about Born This Way. He even went so far during its run to say that Gaga lost her touch because You and I wasn't the most played song in CHICAGO and peaked at NUMBER 6 on the Hot 100, when her previous singles had no issue reaching the TOP 5. Come on. Lol. Obviously there is an agenda.

[asg4]

Apr 11, 2012 22:49:39 GMT -5 Dammn Baby said:

Apr 11, 2012 22:42:57 GMT -5 WotUNeed said:

That's not realistic at all. With most promotions of this nature, the cost of something being advertised "at no additional cost" was considered well before the pricing was considered. While there are several businesses that can benefit from using a loss leader strategy, Madonna's touring is something that tends to have a guaranteed market. In cases like those, it's actually much easier to use the product people want (in this case, concert tickets) as a boon to the product that has less demand (here, her newest album). The idea is that the demand for concert tickets will be far greater than the loss of consumers taken by setting the price point somewhat higher to offset the cost of the album promotion. In this case, it seems to have been a successful strategy.

We'll have to agree to disagree. I'm confident Madonna would have charged people the same price point regardless of the album bundle, since she has done so for previous tours. We're not talking about an artist who normally charges $50/ticket and would need to justify the cost of the bundle by bumping up the base price. It was a savvy move to get the album to #1 - and on that front, it worked.

Personally, I think the only concert-related sales that should count for chart purposes are point-of-purchase at concession. There is tremendous opportunity for chart manipulation with big touring acts, and artists (and labels) are getting more creative since Prince exploited a (now closed) loophole and gave his album away outright to concertgoers. I would not be surprised if Billboard eventually revised its policies as this kind of bundle has resulted in high debuts and plummeting second-week sales for several artists now. Is it an accurate reflection of real demand for an album, as the Billboard 200 is intended to be on any given week? Probably not. And we are already seeing a certain cynicism about this kind of bundle and "unusually enhanced sales" in many of the news articles focusing on Madonna's second week drop. This is high profile enough that Billboard will probably react at some point, much as they did (months after Born This Way's debut) to establish minimum pricing requirements for an album to be eligible for chart purposes.

If there was real demand for the album it would have had the standard drop but instead u have the worst drop in history that just says it all. It has embarrassed billboard and i am sure they will act. plus everyone is talking about it not just on pulse it was on the radio too

[areyoureadytojump]

Damage control has started.

www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/04/11/madonnas-mdna-album-sales_n_1417189.html?ref=tw

Madonna's 'MDNA' Album Sales Plummet, But 'The Game Ain't Over'

Madonna's "MDNA" sales may have plummeted in the new record's second week of release, but the singer's friends say it would be foolish to count the material girl out just yet.

"Can't deny that there [was] a drop on the second week of sales, and a significant one, but I would not say the CD tanked," Madonna's longtime publicist, Liz Rosenberg, tells me, responding to reports that "MDNA" has crashed and burned. "It still has had the highest debut of 2012 and was number one in many countries. And the game ain't over."

"MDNA" sold a massive 359,000 copies when it debuted at number one, before sales fell 88 percent to a mere 46,000 copies in its second week.

"This is Madonna's 12th album in a 30-year career," a friend of Madonna's tells me. "She just beat Elvis' record for number ones in the UK. That's a career that anyone in the music business would kill to have. Plus, she did no traditional TV appearances to promote it. Just wait until her sold-out tour starts and more singles are released. That's when Madonna will start pushing the CD hard."

[chartfreak]

And let's say MDNA experiences some small increase in the next few weeks or months? Then what? What is your point with real demand and real sales?

Her hardcore fans have the album, now, with hopefully some promotion on the horizon, general fans will purchase.

Are you going to keep talking about the bundle and the percentage drop 2 months from now?

[SPRΞΞ]

Apr 12, 2012 9:29:30 GMT -5 asg4 said:

Apr 11, 2012 22:49:39 GMT -5 Dammn Baby said:

We'll have to agree to disagree. I'm confident Madonna would have charged people the same price point regardless of the album bundle, since she has done so for previous tours. We're not talking about an artist who normally charges $50/ticket and would need to justify the cost of the bundle by bumping up the base price. It was a savvy move to get the album to #1 - and on that front, it worked.

Personally, I think the only concert-related sales that should count for chart purposes are point-of-purchase at concession. There is tremendous opportunity for chart manipulation with big touring acts, and artists (and labels) are getting more creative since Prince exploited a (now closed) loophole and gave his album away outright to concertgoers. I would not be surprised if Billboard eventually revised its policies as this kind of bundle has resulted in high debuts and plummeting second-week sales for several artists now. Is it an accurate reflection of real demand for an album, as the Billboard 200 is intended to be on any given week? Probably not. And we are already seeing a certain cynicism about this kind of bundle and "unusually enhanced sales" in many of the news articles focusing on Madonna's second week drop. This is high profile enough that Billboard will probably react at some point, much as they did (months after Born This Way's debut) to establish minimum pricing requirements for an album to be eligible for chart purposes.

If there was real demand for the album it would have had the standard drop but instead u have the worst drop in history that just says it all. It has embarrassed billboard and i am sure they will act. plus everyone is talking about it not just on pulse it was on the radio too

By continually talking about her with every post you make, you are only making her all the more relevant. :)

[moore746]

As someone with no agenda, I will say that I am seeing A LOT of press (outside of Pulse) about the record-setting drop in sales. This unconventional release strategy is doing Madonna no favors. Generally, it's hard to boost an album that has tanked months after the fact, as Rosenberg is suggesting she will do.

[areyoureadytojump]

New RIAA certifications:

Black Keys, Brothers 1xp

[HolidayGuy]

Indeed- if the percentage drop was from a lesser star, it would not be a big topic, because it would not drive traffic to all of these sites. But because it's Her Madgesty...

That $6.99 iTunes sale certainly boosted album sales for those sale-priced 10 titles, even though there was just one day impacted for this week's charts.

[Deleted]

Apr 12, 2012 9:29:30 GMT -5 asg4 said:

Apr 11, 2012 22:49:39 GMT -5 Dammn Baby said:

We'll have to agree to disagree. I'm confident Madonna would have charged people the same price point regardless of the album bundle, since she has done so for previous tours. We're not talking about an artist who normally charges $50/ticket and would need to justify the cost of the bundle by bumping up the base price. It was a savvy move to get the album to #1 - and on that front, it worked.

Personally, I think the only concert-related sales that should count for chart purposes are point-of-purchase at concession. There is tremendous opportunity for chart manipulation with big touring acts, and artists (and labels) are getting more creative since Prince exploited a (now closed) loophole and gave his album away outright to concertgoers. I would not be surprised if Billboard eventually revised its policies as this kind of bundle has resulted in high debuts and plummeting second-week sales for several artists now. Is it an accurate reflection of real demand for an album, as the Billboard 200 is intended to be on any given week? Probably not. And we are already seeing a certain cynicism about this kind of bundle and "unusually enhanced sales" in many of the news articles focusing on Madonna's second week drop. This is high profile enough that Billboard will probably react at some point, much as they did (months after Born This Way's debut) to establish minimum pricing requirements for an album to be eligible for chart purposes.

If there was real demand for the album it would have had the standard drop but instead u have the worst drop in history that just says it all. It has embarrassed billboard and i am sure they will act. plus everyone is talking about it not just on pulse it was on the radio too

Where is the proof that it has embarrassed Billboard? Beyond the hyperbole?

[HolidayGuy]

^There's no embarrassment of the sort for Billboard; just wishful thinking for some (especially some bloggers).