Billboard 200: 12/29/12- Taylor Swift No. 1: 208K

[HolidayGuy]

www.billboard.com/news#/news/bruno-mars-debuts-at-no-2-as-taylor-swift-1008054852.story

Bruno Mars Debuts at No. 2 as Taylor Swift's 'Red' Still Rules
by Keith Caulfield, L.A. | December 19, 2012

Taylor Swift continues to rule the roost on the Billboard 200 albums chart as "Red" stays steady at No. 1 with 208,000 sold according to Nielsen SoundScan (up 25%). It's the Big Machine album's fifth non-consecutive week at No. 1.

The title beats the arriving "Unorthodox Jukebox" by Bruno Mars, which settles for a bow at No. 2 with 192,000. It's easily the best sales week yet for the singer/songwriter/producer, who previously earned his best frame when "Doo-Wops & Hooligans" moved 61,000 on the chart dated March 5, 2011. The set, which was his debut full-length effort, topped out at No. 3 on the tally.

The new album's lead single, "Locked Out of Heaven," became Mars' fourth No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 last week.

"Unorthodox Jukebox" bows with a bigger number than expected. Label sources had forecasted last week (Dec. 12) that the set would sell in the range of 140,000 to 150,000. Those same sources indicate that its fortunes seriously improved over the busy shopping weekend thanks to heavy foot traffic in stores. 70% of the album's first-week sales were physical albums according to SoundScan.

Back on the Billboard 200, Michael Buble's evergreen "Christmas" album steps 5-3 with 138,000 (up 30%) while One Direction's second album "Take Me Home" is steady at No. 4 with 127,000 (up 19%). The latter set shifts past the 1 million sales mark this week (1.04 million), making One Direction the only act to sell a million copies of two different albums this year. Earlier this year, the group's debut effort "Up All Night" -- which was also released in 2012 -- sailed past the million mark. Its total sales stand at 1.5 million.

Elsewhere in the top 10 of the Billboard 200 this week, Rod Stewart's "Merry Christmas, Baby" slips 3-5 with 108,000 (down 15%) while Game's new "Jesus Piece" opens at No. 6 with 86,000. It's the fifth top 10 effort for the hip-hop star, who saw his last album, 2011's "The R.E.D. Album," bow at No. 1 with 98,000.

Phillip Phillips' "The World From the Side of the Moon" climbs 9-7 (68,000; up 4%), Blake Shelton's "Cheers, It's Christmas" holds at No. 8 (just under 68,000; down less than 1%) and Alicia Keys' "Girl On Fire" falls 7-9 (61,000; down 20%). Closing out the top 10 is Lady Antebellum's "On This Winter's Night," which rises 11-10 with 60,000 (down 3%).

Just outside the top 10 are a couple new entries, where Green Day's "Tre" (No. 13; 58,000) and the "Nashville" TV soundtrack (No. 14; 56,000) arrive.

Over on the Digital Songs chart, Bruno Mars' "Locked Out of Heaven" holds at No. 1 for a second week, selling 222,000 (up 13%). Taylor Swift's "I Knew You Were Trouble" rallies 5-2 with 167,000 (up 29%), the Lumineers' "Ho Hey" rises 4-3 with 131,000 (down less than 1%) and Rihanna's "Diamonds" dips 2-4 with 121,000 (down 15%).

will.i.am's "Scream & Shout" (featuring Britney Spears) falls 3-5 with 120,000 (down 15%) while "The Voice" winner Cassadee Pope debuts at No. 6 with "Stupid Boy" (117,000). It's the second top 10 hit on the Digital Songs chart for Pope, who launched at No. 3 three weeks ago with "Over You" (152,000).

Back in the top 10 this week, Justin Bieber's "Beauty and a Beat" (featuring Nicki Minaj) is up 8-7 (108,000; but up 1%) and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' "Thrift Shop" zooms 13-8 (102,000; up 23%). The latter's rise comes at the same time it enters the Pop Songs airplay chart at No. 36 (known as Mainstream Top 40 on Billboard.biz).

PSY's "Gangnam Style" descends 6-9 on Digital Songs with 101,000 (down 18%), marking its 14th straight week of 100,000-plus sales. Rounding out the top 10 is Ke$ha's "Die Young," holding at No. 10 with 94,000 (down 2%).

Overall album sales in this past chart week (ending Dec. 16) totaled 9.71 million units, up 15% compared with the sum last week (8.45 million) and down 13% compared with the comparable sales week of 2011 (11.20 million). Year-to-date album sales stand at 293.47 million, down 5% compared with the same total at this point last year (307.75 million).

Digital track sales this past week totaled 22.79 million downloads, down 2% compared with last week (23.28 million) and up 1% stacked next to the comparable week of 2011 (22.48 million). Year-to-date track sales are at 1.255 billion, up 6% compared with the same total at this point last year (1.186 billion).

Next week's Billboard 200 competes with the same week in 2011 when: Michael Buble's "Christmas" was tops for a fifth week, selling 467,000 (up 4%). The top debut was Young Jeezy's "T M 103: Hustlerz Ambition," which started at No. 3 with 233,000.

[areyoureadytojump]

Shit! Green Day misses the Top 10!

Album sales now down 5%.

[HolidayGuy]

And there's no 2012 holiday release that's competing with what Buble's album managed last year. And his album reigns as this week's top holiday album, too.

[areyoureadytojump]

^Yes. Many thought (Billboard especially) that Rod Stewart would sell bucket loads, but I figured it it wouldn't. Buble's voice>Rod's voice

[chartfreak]

Rod's doing OK...But nothing compared to Buble's.

[👑 Eloquent ™]

For a Christmas album, I'd say Rod's doing pretty great. He's not benefiting from the title of this year's go-to Christmas album, but it's selling well for what it is (particularly when compared to others).

[HolidayGuy]

Oh, yeah- Stewart's album passed 700K with this week's numbers- that's not bad at all.

[Deleted]

Really happy Bruno pulled in higher numbers than projected his album is enjoyable and a electric mix of old and new music, and while i'm not a fan of Taylor much respect is due to how amazing she is selling week after week, its even more impressive than her million + debut.

[areyoureadytojump]

Yes, Rod is doing excellent, but some expected sales close to 2 million like Buble last year. That was not going to happen...

[areyoureadytojump]

Paul Grein's Chart Watch at Yahoo.com:


Week Ending Dec. 16, 2012. Albums: One Direction’s Singular Achievement
By Paul Grein | Chart Watch

One Direction’s Take Me Home tops the 1 million mark in U.S. sales this week. It’s the boy band’s second album to sell 1 million copies this year. Up All Night is up to 1,505,000. One Direction is the first act to sell 1 million copies of two different albums in a calendar year since 2009, when Michael Jackson (who died that year) did it with four albums and Miley Cyrus (then at the peak of her career) did it with two. One Direction is the first group or duo to achieve this feat since Rascal Flatts in 2007.

Take Me Home reached the 1M threshold in just five weeks, compared to 19 weeks for Up All Night. Just nine albums that have sold 1 million copies so far in 2012, which makes One Direction’s achievement all the more impressive. Take Me Home holds at #4 for the third week on The Billboard 200.

In addition, Up All Night—The Live Tour logs its 26thweek at #1 on Top Music Videos. It’s one of just four titles to log 26 weeks at #1 since this chart originated (as Top Music Videocassettes) in March 1985. The others: Ray Stevens’ Comedy Video Classics (29 weeks in 1993-1994), Bon Jovi’s Bon Jovi—Breakout (26 weeks in 1987) and Jose Carreras/Placido Domingo/Luciano Pavarotti’s Carreras Domingo Pavarotti In Concert (26 weeks in 1991-1992). (That may be the oddest grouping of artists I’ve ever encountered.)

Up All Night—The Live Tour has been #1 for all but three of the last 29 weeks. It yielded for one week each to videos by three iconic acts, Michael Jackson, the Beatles and The Doors.
Taylor Swift’s Red logs its fifth week at #1 on The Billboard 200. It’s her third studio album in a row to log five or more weeks at #1. Fearless spent 11 weeks on top. Speak Now had six weeks in the lead. Red sold 208K copies this week, which brings Swift’s career album sales tally to 20,737,000. That puts her in third place among female country artists since 1991. She trails Shania Twain (34,250,000) and Reba McEntire (30,118,000). Swift just this week pulls ahead of LeAnn Rimes (20,500,000). Both Swift and Rimes started out as teen stars. Swift was 16 in July 2006 when she first hit the country chart with “Tim McGraw.” Rimes was just 13 in May 1996 when she first charted with “Blue.”

Bruno Mars’ sophomore album, Unorthodox Jukebox. debuts at #2. The album sold 192K copies in its first week, which is more than three times as many as Mars’ debut album, Doo-Wops & Hooligans, which sold 56K in its first week in October 2010. Though that album started with a modest tally, it has sold steadily over time and now boasts an impressive sales tally of 1,799,000.

The tally for Unorthodox Jukebox includes 59K digital copies, which puts the album at #1 on Top Digital Albums.

Doo-Wops (which received a Grammy nomination as Album of the Year) spawned two #1 hits, “Just The Way You Are” and “Grenade.” Unorthodox Jukebox has already yielded one, “Locked Out Of Heaven.” The new debuts at #1 on this week’s Official U.K. chart. Doo-Wops also reached #1 in the U.K.
Michael Buble’s 2011 album Christmas jumps from #5 to #3 in the wake of two airings of his NBC holiday special. The album pulls ahead of this year’s best-selling holiday album, Rod Stewart’s Merry Christmas, Baby, which drops from #3 to #5. Stewart was the special guest star on Buble’s special. Buble’s album is the highest-ranking of 69 Christmas albums on this week’s Billboard 200.

This marks only the second time in the Nielsen SoundScan era that a Christmas album that was first released in a previous holiday season has climbed as high as #3 in a subsequent holiday season. Kenny G’s 1994 release Miracles—The Holiday Album was the third best-selling album in the U.S. for two weeks in 1995. (Catalog albums didn’t appear on The Billboard 200 until December 2009. But Nielsen SoundScan compiled a “Comprehensive Albums” chart that combined current and catalog albums, just as The Billboard 200 now does, so we can compare then and now.)

Buble’s album is #1 on Top Catalog Albums for the seventh week. Next week, it will become the first Christmas album to top 3 million in U.S. sales since Josh Groban’s Noel five years ago. It will become just the 12th album in the Nielsen SoundScan era to sell 3 million copies.

The Game’s Jesus Piece debuts at #6. This is The Game’s first album not to reach #1 or #2. The Game has put the “The” back in his name. He was just Game on his last album, 2011’s The R.E.D. Album. Other artists have done idiosyncratic things like this over the years. Dionne Warwick went by Warwicke on four albums from 1971-1973, on the advice of her numerologist.

Bruno Mars’ “Locked Out Of Heaven” tops Hot Digital Songs for the second week in a row. Will it also remain #1 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: Taylor Swift’s Red holds at #1 for the fifth week in its eighth week (208K). It has ranked in the top two the entire time...Bruno Mars’ Unorthodox Jukebox debuts at #2 (192K).This is Mars’ second top five album…Michael Buble’s Christmas rebounds from #5 to #3 in its 18th week on the chart (138K). This is its 12th week in the top 10…One Direction’s Take Me Home holds at #4 for the third week in its fifth week (127K). This is its fifth week in the top five…Rod Stewart’s Merry Christmas, Baby drops from #3 to #5 in its seventh week (108K). This is its seventh week in the top 10.

The Second Five: The Game’s Jesus Piece debuts at #6 (86K). This is his fifth top 10 album… Phillip Phillips’ The World From The Side Of The Moon rebounds from #9 to #7 in its fourth week (68K). This is its fourth week in the top 10…Blake Shelton’s Cheers, It’s Christmas holds at #8 for the second week in its 11th week (68K). This is its third week in the top 10…Alicia Keys’ Girl On Fire drops from #7 to #9 in its third week (61K). This is its third week in the top 10…Lady Antebellum’s On This Winter’s Night rebounds from #11 to #10 in its eighth week (60K). This is its fourth week in the top 10.

Three albums drop out of the top 10 this week. Wiz Khalifa’s O.N.I.F.C. dives from #2 to #26. …Ke$ha’s Warrior drops from #6 to #35…Florida Georgia Line’s Here’s To The Good Times drops from #10 to #27.

Green Day’s Tre! debuts at #13. It’s the band’s first studio album to fall short of the top 10 since Kerplunk! in 1992. Uno!, Dos! and Tre! haven’t sold as well as hoped. The three albums have sold 256K, 117K and 59K copies respectively, for a combined total of 432K copies. 21st Century Breakdown, Green Day’s last album before this flurry of releases, sold more than that (459K) in its first three weeks in May 2009. If I were advising acts, I’d say make one great album and forget about stunts.

The Music Of Nashville debuts at #14. It’s #1 on Top Soundtracks. The Music Of Smash debuted and peaked at #9 in May. It has sold 131K copies to date. Another TV soundtrack, Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album, Vol. 3, debuts at #20. The first Glee Christmas album reached #3 in 2010. The second reached #6 in 2011.

The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey soundtrack debuts at #30. It’s the week’s #1 soundtrack to a theatrically-released movie. Howard Shore composed and conducted the score. The movie was #1 at the box-office over the weekend.

Big Boi’s Vicious Lies And Dangerous Rumors debuts at #34. It’s Big Boi’s first studio album to fall short of the top five since 1994, when OutKast’s debut, Southernplayalisticadillacmusik, reached #20. Big Boi’s 2010 solo album, Sir Lucious Left Foot: The Son Of Chico Dusty, reached #3.

Jenni Rivera’s La Misma Gran Senora debuts at #38. Rivera died in a plane crash in Mexico on Dec. 9. She was 43. This 13-song compilation was announced in October. Rivera released two previous albums with similar titles: La Gran Senora in 2009 and La Gran Senora En Vivo in 2010.

Led Zeppelin this week becomes just the third hard rock/heavy metal band to reach the 25 million mark in U.S. album sales since 1991, when Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales for Billboard. The band follows Metallica (53,618,000) and AC/DC (31,901,000). All three of these bands pre-date the Nielsen SoundScan era. Metallica first charted in 1984; AC/DC in 1977 and Led Zeppelin way back in 1969. But here’s the big difference: Led Zeppelin released its last studio album in 1979. Metallica and AC/DC both released their most recent studio albums in 2008.

Coming Attractions: 12-12-12: The Concert For Sandy Relief is sure to make itself felt on next week’s chart. Also due: T.I.’s Trouble Man: Heavy Is The Head, Chief Keef’s Finally Rich, the Les Miserables soundtrack, The-Dream’s Terius Nash: 1977 and a reissue of Rush’s 1976 album 2112.

[jenglisbe]

How many albums have sold over 1 million this year? 8-9 now? I remember Luke Bryan was close.

[DJ General]

Bruno did fantastic! I think he should be able to get 2x platinum. the album is loaded with hits

[areyoureadytojump]

^It's really too early to discuss 2 million.

Let's get to 1 million scanned first.

[areyoureadytojump]

Dec 19, 2012 13:43:00 GMT -5 jenglisbe said:

How many albums have sold over 1 million this year? 8-9 now? I remember Luke Bryan was close.

9:

From the 2012 YTD thread:

Week 49

Rank - Sales - Title - Artist

01 - 4,255,000 - 21 - ADELE
02 - 2,380,000 - RED - SWIFT*TAYLOR
03 - 1,465,000 - UP ALL NIGHT - ONE DIRECTION
04 - 1,245,000 - BABEL - MUMFORD & SONS
05 - 1,140,000 - BELIEVE - BIEBER*JUSTIN
06 - 1,065,000 - BLOWN AWAY - UNDERWOOD*CARRIE
07 - 1,055,000 - TUSKEGEE - RICHIE*LIONEL
08 - 990,000 - TAILGATES & TANLINES - BRYAN*LUKE - NOW at 1 million+
09 - 915,000 - TAKE ME HOME - ONE DIRECTION - NOW at 1 million+

[areyoureadytojump]

Labels are doing a great job getting new albums certified this year. Except for Maroon 5's label...

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

Numbers from the 12/22 chart:

Maroon 5 835k
Lana Del Ray 430k
Linkin Park 530k

Numbers are estimated and rounded. They are not exact.

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

[Deleted]

The Billboard 200
Issue Date: 2012-12-29

This Week Last Week Two Weeks Ago Weeks Title, Artist Peak
on Imprint | Catalog No. | Distributing Label Position
Chart
1 1 2 8 Red, Taylor Swift 1
2 NEW 1 Unorthodox Jukebox, Bruno Mars 2
3 5 7 18 Christmas, Michael Buble 1
4 4 4 5 Take Me Home, One Direction 1
5 3 3 7 Merry Christmas, Baby, Rod Stewart 3
6 NEW 1 Jesus Piece, The Game 6
7 9 5 4 The World From The Side Of The Moon, Phillip Phillips 4
8 8 9 11 Cheers, It's Christmas, Blake Shelton 8
9 7 1 3 Girl On Fire, Alicia Keys 1
10 11 8 8 On This Winter's Night, Lady Antebellum 8
11 14 16 12 Babel, Mumford & Sons 1
12 13 11 6 NOW 44, Various Artists 2
13 NEW 1 Tre!, Green Day 13
14 NEW 1 Nashville: The Music Of Nashville: Season 1: Volume 1, Soundtrack 14
15 12 6 4 Unapologetic, Rihanna 1
16 21 26 14 Tornado, Little Big Town 2
17 19 19 26 Believe, Justin Bieber 1
18 18 14 9 Night Train, Jason Aldean 1
19 15 12 9 Christmas With Scotty McCreery, Scotty McCreery 4
20 NEW 1 Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album: Volume 3, Soundtrack 20
21 22 22 95 21, Adele (Diamond Certification) 10 1
22 16 17 4 Celebration Day, Led Zeppelin 9
23 20 13 13 The Truth About Love, P!nk 1
24 23 28 40 Up All Night, One Direction 1
25 24 21 33 Blown Away, Carrie Underwood 1
26 2 - 2 O.N.I.F.C., Wiz Khalifa 2
27 10 - 2 Here's To The Good Times, Florida Georgia Line 10
28 17 10 4 Rebel Soul, Kid Rock 5
29 25 32 7 Cee Lo's Magic Moment, Cee Lo Green 25
30 NEW 1 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Soundtrack 30
31 28 27 25 Overexposed, Maroon 5 2
32 30 39 71 Tailgates & Tanlines, Luke Bryan 2
33 27 20 37 The Lumineers 11
34 NEW 1 Vicious Lies And Dangerous Rumors, Big Boi 34
35 6 - 2 Warrior, Ke$ha 6
36 29 24 7 Dreams Of Fireflies (On A Christmas Night) (EP), Trans-Siberian Orchestra 9
37 33 40 44 Hunter Hayes 18
38 NEW 1 La Misma Gran Senora, Jenni Rivera 38
39 39 49 73 Chief, Eric Church 1
40 38 43 43 Some Nights, fun. 3
41 31 31 42 Noel, Josh Groban 1
42 32 18 8 good kid, m.A.A.d city, Kendrick Lamar 2
43 37 37 16 Under The Mistletoe, Justin Bieber 1
44 26 15 4 Woman To Woman, Keyshia Cole 10
45 36 23 4 Greatest Hits: Chapter One, Kelly Clarkson 11
46 34 25 5 Standing Ovation: The Greatest Songs from the Stage, Susan Boyle 12
47 47 61 12 WOW Hits 2013, Various Artists 35
48 35 36 33 My Christmas, Andrea Bocelli 2
49 52 55 23 Uncaged, Zac Brown Band 1
50 42 50 5 GRRR!, The Rolling Stones 19
51 59 35 15 Night Visions, Imagine Dragons 2
52 45 58 38 The Lost Christmas Eve, Trans-Siberian Orchestra 26
53 50 81 27 A Charlie Brown Christmas (Soundtrack), Vince Guaraldi Trio 23
54 41 30 5 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 2, Soundtrack 3
55 NEW 1 Almeria, Lifehouse 55
56 40 34 6 NOW That's What I Call Today's Christmas, Various Artists 34
57 44 38 4 Global Warming, Pitbull 14
58 56 52 143 Sigh No More, Mumford & Sons 2
59 54 72 53 Come To The Well, Casting Crowns 2
60 51 74 27 +, Ed Sheeran 5
61 43 46 10 Home For Christmas, Celtic Woman 43
62 67 45 37 My Head Is An Animal, Of Monsters And Men 6
63 48 54 28 Christmas Eve And Other Stories, Trans-Siberian Orchestra 48
64 80 95 7 What Christmas Means, Kem 64
65 46 57 28 It's Christmas Time, Elvis Presley 46
66 49 62 35 Merry Christmas, Mariah Carey 3
67 62 71 16 Heavenly Christmas, Jackie Evancho 11
68 NEW 1 Joyas Prestadas: Pop, Jenni Rivera 68
69 137 110 5 Christmas, Francesca Battistelli 69
70 98 158 113 Doo-Wops & Hooligans, Bruno Mars 3
71 78 93 5 Dos!, Green Day 9
72 53 42 5 Trilogy, The Weeknd 4
73 61 65 7 A Very Special Christmas: 25 Years Bringing Joy To The World, Various Artists 61
74 RE-ENTRY 2 Joyas Prestadas: Banda, Jenni Rivera 74
75 68 66 7 Hope On The Rocks, Toby Keith 6
76 55 60 16 Christmas Symphony, Mannheim Steamroller With Members Of The Czech Philharmonic Orchestra 19
77 64 84 10 The Heist, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis 2
78 74 96 22 Kidz Bop 22, Kidz Bop Kids 3
79 108 117 26 Welcome To The Fishbowl, Kenny Chesney 2
80 60 78 37 Glory In The Highest: Christmas Songs Of Worship, Chris Tomlin 19
81 58 47 5 Lotus, Christina Aguilera 7
82 72 86 19 NOW 43, Various Artists 1
83 70 64 18 Based On A T.R.U. Story, 2 Chainz 1
84 81 41 8 Christmas In The Sand, Colbie Caillat 41
85 109 87 74 Red River Blue, Blake Shelton 1
86 91 115 16 Eye On It, tobyMac 1
87 135 154 12 Uno!, Green Day 2
88 66 53 5 I Will Always Love You: The Best Of Whitney Houston, Whitney Houston 14
89 73 67 6 Music From Another Dimension!, Aerosmith 5
90 96 98 8 Viva Duets, Tony Bennett 5
91 99 108 6 Miracle, Third Day 10
92 71 51 6 R.E.D, Ne-Yo 4
93 93 77 13 Kiss, Carly Rae Jepsen 6
94 150 195 207 Fearless, Taylor Swift 1
95 103 94 112 Speak Now, Taylor Swift 1
96 75 70 5 King Animal, Soundgarden 5
97 79 85 27 The Gift, Susan Boyle 1
98 82 63 37 Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, Nicki Minaj 1
99 111 131 54 El Camino, The Black Keys 2
100 104 121 11 The 2nd Law, Muse 2
101 85 101 121 Teenage Dream, Katy Perry 1
102 114 155 3 The Best Of The Temptations Christmas, The Temptations 102
103 97 103 28 James Taylor At Christmas, James Taylor 16
104 69 80 36 The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection (EP), Taylor Swift 20
105 87 59 11 Kaleidoscope Dream, Miguel 3
106 100 167 11 The Christmas Song, Nat King Cole 100
107 83 89 23 NOW That's What I Call Christmas! 4, Various Artists 28
108 RE-ENTRY 28 Blunderbuss, Jack White 1
109 92 73 14 A Very She & Him Christmas, She & Him 12
110 86 165 4 This Christmas, John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John 81
111 132 122 165 19, Adele 4
112 84 79 7 Home For The Holidays, Andre Rieu 56
113 57 44 32 The Essential NOW That's What I Call Christmas, Various Artists 30
114 117 171 24 Christmas Portrait, Carpenters 114
115 88 109 27 White Christmas, Martina McBride 64
116 115 104 11 Songs From The Silver Screen, Jackie Evancho 7
117 121 83 46 Born To Die, Lana Del Rey 2
118 144 127 23 Channel Orange, Frank Ocean 2
119 77 48 6 Holidays Rule, Various Artists 42
120 90 92 12 One Wish: The Holiday Album, Whitney Houston 49
121 127 120 14 Away From The World, Dave Matthews Band 1
122 199 152 10 Glad Rag Doll, Diana Krall 6
123 138 159 110 My Kinda Party, Jason Aldean 2
124 130 97 37 Changed, Rascal Flatts 3
125 105 146 11 White Christmas, Bing Crosby 105
126 102 105 20 Once Upon A Christmas, Kenny Rogers & Dolly Parton 31
127 76 33 3 Glee: The Music, Season 4: Volume 1, Soundtrack 33
128 125 139 24 Holiday Spirits, Straight No Chaser 46
129 141 76 10 Halcyon, Ellie Goulding 9
130 101 107 22 The Christmas Attic, Trans-Siberian Orchestra 83
131 165 160 57 Four The Record, Miranda Lambert 3
132 157 200 8 The Piano Guys 44
133 179 133 113 Hands All Over, Maroon 5 2
134 NEW 1 Crazy World LP, Boys Like Girls 134
135 147 - 32 Hard 2 Love, Lee Brice 5
136 112 148 7 Christmas Classics, Bing Crosby 112
137 106 113 18 Elf, Soundtrack 81
138 89 69 7 Dreams And Nightmares, Meek Mill 2
139 120 138 18 Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album, Soundtrack 3
140 160 172 96 The Legend Of Johnny Cash, Johnny Cash 5
141 129 136 6 NOW That's What I Call Disney, Various Artists 34
142 145 150 70 Halfway To Heaven, Brantley Gilbert 4
143 NEW 1 iTunes Session (EP), fun. 143
144 139 132 10 51 Songs Kids Really Love To Sing, Kids Choir 81
145 128 88 5 Paradise (EP), Lana Del Rey 10
146 116 186 14 North, matchbox twenty 1
147 118 143 9 Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album: Volume 2, Soundtrack 6
148 177 153 7 Hello My Name Is..., Bridgit Mendler 30
149 119 114 17 Christmas Celebration, Mannheim Steamroller 19
150 134 168 35 These Are Special Times, Celine Dion 2
151 124 68 5 Under The Mistletoe, Various Artists 49
152 RE-ENTRY 62 Own The Night, Lady Antebellum 1
153 113 111 5 Chipmunks Christmas, Alvin And The Chipmunks 111
154 RE-ENTRY 210 The Foundation, Zac Brown Band 9
155 176 - 123 My World 2.0, Justin Bieber 1
156 140 129 7 Psychedelic Pill, Neil Young & Crazy Horse 8
157 133 192 29 Elvis Christmas, Elvis Presley 68
158 171 - 12 Austin & Ally (Soundtrack), Ross Lynch 27
159 164 130 35 California 37, Train 4
160 156 162 24 Christmas Cheers, Straight No Chaser 38
161 RE-ENTRY 31 Love Is A Four Letter Word, Jason Mraz 2
162 187 - 2 Advent At Ephesus, Benedictines Of Mary, Queen Of Apostles 162
163 126 99 5 Koi No Yokan, Deftones 11
164 143 194 33 A Christmas Celebration, Celtic Woman 35
165 146 177 5 The Best Of Bing Crosby: 20th Century Masters: The Christmas Collection, Bing Crosby 146
166 172 - 33 Boys & Girls, Alabama Shakes 8
167 181 - 268 Taylor Swift 5
168 168 193 24 Living Things, Linkin Park 1
169 107 100 4 We Are Love, Il Volo 100
170 154 149 24 Wild Ones, Flo Rida 14
171 142 174 30 The Christmas Collection, Il Divo 14
172 RE-ENTRY 3 Roads, Chris Mann 172
173 RE-ENTRY 32 Up All Night, Kip Moore 6
174 65 - 2 Welcome To The Freakshow, Hinder 65
175 162 137 8 Blak And Blu, Gary Clark Jr. 6
176 136 142 6 The Classic Christmas Album, Kenny G 128
177 RE-ENTRY 58 Ceremonials, Florence + The Machine 6
178 149 112 4 Live At River Plate, AC/DC 66
179 NEW 1 Brighter Days Ahead (EP), Clyde Bawden 179
180 131 123 24 Holiday Collection, Kenny G 85
181 NEW 1 Christmas Spirit, Richard Marx 181
182 175 82 13 Battle Born, The Killers 3
183 RE-ENTRY 165 Chronicle The 20 Greatest Hits, Creedence Clearwater Revival Featuring John Fogerty 52
184 193 - 24 NOW That's What I Call Country: Volume 5, Various Artists 13
185 155 163 6 The Classic Christmas Album, Elvis Presley 152
186 110 125 6 This Is Christmas, Katherine Jenkins 110
187 94 151 13 Christmas In Diverse City, tobyMac 84
188 191 173 11 Transit Of Venus, Three Days Grace 5
189 RE-ENTRY 107 The Band Perry 4
190 184 - 79 Loaded: The Best Of Blake Shelton, Blake Shelton 18
191 153 156 14 A Christmas Album, Barbra Streisand 153
192 188 188 9 Release Me, Barbra Streisand 7
193 197 187 11 Sticks & Stones, Cher Lloyd 9
194 167 - 2 The Classic Christmas Album, Luther Vandross 167
195 123 - 166 Time Out Featuring Take Five, The Dave Brubeck Quartet 123
196 122 75 33 Pluto, Future 8
197 152 147 13 WOW Christmas: 32 Christian Artists And Holiday Songs, Various Artists 61
198 RE-ENTRY 13 One Song At A Time, Jamie Grace 84
199 169 191 29 Christmas: 25th Anniversary Collection, Mannheim Steamroller 29
200 166 - 5 Rudolph The Red-Nosed Reindeer, Burl Ives 166

[Deleted]

Top Current Albums
Issue Date: 2012-12-29

This Week Last Week Two Weeks Ago Weeks Title, Artist Peak
on Imprint | Catalog No. | Distributing Label Position
Chart
1 1 2 8 Red, Taylor Swift 1
2 NEW 1 Unorthodox Jukebox, Bruno Mars 2
3 4 4 5 Take Me Home, One Direction 1
4 3 3 7 Merry Christmas, Baby, Rod Stewart 3
5 NEW 1 Jesus Piece, The Game 5
6 8 5 4 The World From The Side Of The Moon, Phillip Phillips 4
7 7 8 11 Cheers, It's Christmas, Blake Shelton 7
8 6 1 3 Girl On Fire, Alicia Keys 1
9 10 7 8 On This Winter's Night, Lady Antebellum 7
10 13 15 12 Babel, Mumford & Sons 1
11 12 10 6 NOW 44, Various Artists 2
12 NEW 1 Tre!, Green Day 12
13 NEW 1 Nashville: The Music Of Nashville: Season 1: Volume 1, Soundtrack 13
14 11 6 4 Unapologetic, Rihanna 1
15 20 25 14 Tornado, Little Big Town 2
16 18 18 26 Believe, Justin Bieber 1
17 17 13 9 Night Train, Jason Aldean 1
18 14 11 9 Christmas With Scotty McCreery, Scotty McCreery 4
19 NEW 1 Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album: Volume 3, Soundtrack 19
20 21 21 95 21, Adele (Diamond Certification) 10 1
21 15 16 4 Celebration Day, Led Zeppelin 9
22 19 12 13 The Truth About Love, P!nk 1
23 22 27 40 Up All Night, One Direction 1
24 23 20 33 Blown Away, Carrie Underwood 1
25 2 - 2 O.N.I.F.C., Wiz Khalifa 2
26 9 - 2 Here's To The Good Times, Florida Georgia Line 9
27 16 9 4 Rebel Soul, Kid Rock 5
28 24 30 7 Cee Lo's Magic Moment, Cee Lo Green 24
29 NEW 1 The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey, Soundtrack 29
30 27 26 25 Overexposed, Maroon 5 2
31 29 35 71 Tailgates & Tanlines, Luke Bryan 2
32 26 19 37 The Lumineers 11
33 NEW 1 Vicious Lies And Dangerous Rumors, Big Boi 33
34 5 - 2 Warrior, Ke$ha 5
35 28 23 7 Dreams Of Fireflies (On A Christmas Night) (EP), Trans-Siberian Orchestra 9
36 31 36 55 Hunter Hayes 18
37 NEW 1 La Misma Gran Senora, Jenni Rivera 37
38 35 44 73 Chief, Eric Church 1
39 34 39 43 Some Nights, fun. 2
40 30 17 8 good kid, m.A.A.d city, Kendrick Lamar 2
41 25 14 4 Woman To Woman, Keyshia Cole 10
42 33 22 4 Greatest Hits: Chapter One, Kelly Clarkson 11
43 32 24 5 Standing Ovation: The Greatest Songs from the Stage, Susan Boyle 12
44 41 52 12 WOW Hits 2013, Various Artists 35
45 43 49 23 Uncaged, Zac Brown Band 1
46 38 45 5 GRRR!, The Rolling Stones 19
47 48 33 15 Night Visions, Imagine Dragons 2
48 37 29 5 The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn: Part 2, Soundtrack 3
49 NEW 1 Almeria, Lifehouse 49
50 36 32 7 NOW That's What I Call Today's Christmas, Various Artists 32
51 40 34 4 Global Warming, Pitbull 14
52 46 47 148 Sigh No More, Mumford & Sons 2
53 45 61 61 Come To The Well, Casting Crowns 2
54 42 62 27 +, Ed Sheeran 5
55 39 41 10 Home For Christmas, Celtic Woman 39
56 54 40 37 My Head Is An Animal, Of Monsters And Men 6
57 65 76 9 What Christmas Means, Kem 57
58 RE-ENTRY 3 Joyas Prestadas: Pop, Jenni Rivera 58
59 97 86 8 Christmas, Francesca Battistelli 59
60 64 75 5 Dos!, Green Day 9
61 44 38 5 Trilogy, The Weeknd 4
62 49 55 7 A Very Special Christmas: 25 Years Bringing Joy To The World, Various Artists 49
63 RE-ENTRY 6 Joyas Prestadas: Banda, Jenni Rivera 63
64 55 56 7 Hope On The Rocks, Toby Keith 6
65 51 69 10 The Heist, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis 2
66 60 77 22 Kidz Bop 22, Kidz Bop Kids 3
67 80 91 26 Welcome To The Fishbowl, Kenny Chesney 2
68 47 42 5 Lotus, Christina Aguilera 7
69 58 70 19 NOW 43, Various Artists 1
70 56 54 18 Based On A T.R.U. Story, 2 Chainz 1
71 66 37 8 Christmas In The Sand, Colbie Caillat 37
72 81 71 75 Red River Blue, Blake Shelton 1
73 73 89 16 Eye On It, tobyMac 1
74 95 112 12 Uno!, Green Day 2
75 53 48 5 I Will Always Love You: The Best Of Whitney Houston, Whitney Houston 14
76 59 57 6 Music From Another Dimension!, Aerosmith 5
77 76 79 8 Viva Duets, Tony Bennett 5
78 77 85 6 Miracle, Third Day 10
79 57 46 6 R.E.D, Ne-Yo 4
80 74 65 13 Kiss, Carly Rae Jepsen 6
81 61 60 5 King Animal, Soundgarden 5
82 67 53 37 Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded, Nicki Minaj 1
83 83 99 54 El Camino, The Black Keys 2
84 78 93 11 The 2nd Law, Muse 2
85 69 82 121 Teenage Dream, Katy Perry 1
86 71 51 11 Kaleidoscope Dream, Miguel 3
87 181 - 31 Blunderbuss, Jack White 1
88 70 117 5 This Christmas, John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John 70
89 68 66 7 Home For The Holidays, Andre Rieu 53
90 85 83 11 Songs From The Silver Screen, Jackie Evancho 7
91 87 68 46 Born To Die, Lana Del Rey 2
92 101 96 23 Channel Orange, Frank Ocean 2
93 63 43 6 Holidays Rule, Various Artists 39
94 91 92 14 Away From The World, Dave Matthews Band 1
95 132 110 11 Glad Rag Doll, Diana Krall 6
96 94 78 37 Changed, Rascal Flatts 3
97 62 31 3 Glee: The Music, Season 4: Volume 1, Soundtrack 31
98 100 64 10 Halcyon, Ellie Goulding 9
99 112 114 59 Four The Record, Miranda Lambert 3
100 108 135 10 The Piano Guys 44
101 NEW 1 Crazy World LP, Boys Like Girls 101
102 103 147 34 Hard 2 Love, Lee Brice 5
103 72 59 7 Dreams And Nightmares, Meek Mill 2
104 93 102 6 NOW That's What I Call Disney, Various Artists 33
105 102 109 72 Halfway To Heaven, Brantley Gilbert 4
106 NEW 1 iTunes Session (EP), fun. 106
107 98 100 13 51 Songs Kids Really Love To Sing, Kids Choir 73
108 92 72 5 Paradise (EP), Lana Del Rey 10
109 86 128 15 North, matchbox twenty 1
110 121 111 8 Hello My Name Is..., Bridgit Mendler 30
111 89 58 5 Under The Mistletoe, Various Artists 48
112 161 192 65 Own The Night, Lady Antebellum 1
113 84 87 6 Chipmunks Christmas, Alvin And The Chipmunks 84
114 99 97 7 Psychedelic Pill, Neil Young & Crazy Horse 8
115 116 145 14 Austin & Ally (Soundtrack), Ross Lynch 27
116 111 98 35 California 37, Train 4
117 178 169 35 Love Is A Four Letter Word, Jason Mraz 2
118 124 144 4 Advent At Ephesus, Benedictines Of Mary, Queen Of Apostles 118
119 90 80 5 Koi No Yokan, Deftones 11
120 117 171 36 Boys & Girls, Alabama Shakes 8
121 114 132 25 Living Things, Linkin Park 1
122 79 81 4 We Are Love, Il Volo 79
123 106 108 24 Wild Ones, Flo Rida 14
124 200 120 4 Roads, Chris Mann 120
125 134 143 34 Up All Night, Kip Moore 6
126 52 - 2 Welcome To The Freakshow, Hinder 52
127 109 103 8 Blak And Blu, Gary Clark Jr. 6
128 96 106 6 The Classic Christmas Album, Kenny G 96
129 138 107 59 Ceremonials, Florence + The Machine 6
130 104 88 4 Live At River Plate, AC/DC 61
131 NEW 1 Brighter Days Ahead (EP), Clyde Bawden 131
132 165 194 3 Christmas Spirit, Richard Marx 132
133 120 67 13 Battle Born, The Killers 3
134 128 174 26 NOW That's What I Call Country: Volume 5, Various Artists 13
135 107 116 6 The Classic Christmas Album, Elvis Presley 107
136 82 94 6 This Is Christmas, Katherine Jenkins 82
137 126 119 11 Transit Of Venus, Three Days Grace 5
138 125 130 9 Release Me, Barbra Streisand 7
139 130 129 11 Sticks & Stones, Cher Lloyd 9
140 113 140 4 The Classic Christmas Album, Luther Vandross 113
141 88 63 35 Pluto, Future 8
142 147 177 36 One Song At A Time, Jamie Grace 80
143 118 95 5 The Road, Aaron Lewis 29
144 137 139 78 Outlaws Like Me, Justin Moore 5
145 149 90 14 The Carpenter, The Avett Brothers 4
146 167 175 15 Gravity, Lecrae 3
147 131 122 24 Fortune, Chris Brown 1
148 136 142 8 House Of Gold & Bones: Part 1, Stone Sour 7
149 160 149 14 Tempest, Bob Dylan 3
150 127 134 18 Best Days, Tamela Mann 14
151 143 124 60 Stronger, Kelly Clarkson 2
152 122 141 3 Disney Channel Ultimate Holiday, Various Artists 122
153 133 84 13 Kanye West Presents GOOD Music Cruel Summer, Various Artists 2
154 142 115 4 The Greatest Hits, 3 Doors Down 81
155 148 148 22 Rock Of Ages, Soundtrack 5
156 RE-ENTRY 17 Americana, Neil Young With Crazy Horse 4
157 190 - 49 Clear As Day, Scotty McCreery 1
158 145 126 10 Born To Sing : No Plan B, Van Morrison 10
159 157 188 43 Duets II, Tony Bennett 1
160 105 - 28 The Hurt & The Healer, MercyMe 7
161 151 156 17 Blood, In This Moment 15
162 182 - 4 An Awesome Wave, alt-J 120
163 170 197 8 Make Your Mark: Ultimate Playlist, Various Artists 131
164 156 155 12 Album Title Goes Here, deadmau5 6
165 175 178 12 Pitch Perfect, Soundtrack 12
166 123 127 6 Joy, Steven Curtis Chapman 123
167 162 183 51 Bangarang (EP), Skrillex 14
168 159 179 35 The Strange Case Of..., Halestorm 15
169 139 159 4 Kidz Bop Christmas!, Kidz Bop Kids 139
170 158 146 5 PTXmas (EP), Pentatonix 44
171 153 138 10 Monster, KISS 3
172 172 154 36 Tuskegee, Lionel Richie 1
173 150 - 28 Slipstream, Bonnie Raitt 6
174 144 104 17 Chapter V, Trey Songz 1
175 RE-ENTRY 48 Icon: George Strait, George Strait 58
176 140 123 6 Christmas: God With Us, Jeremy Camp 92
177 169 158 6 Glee: The Music Presents Glease, Soundtrack 27
178 NEW 1 UKF Dubstep 2012, Various Artists 178
179 135 152 6 Disney Jingle Fun, Various Artists 135
180 146 125 10 Lace Up, MGK 4
181 164 166 77 Megalithic Symphony, AWOLNATION 78
182 155 182 14 Coexist, The xx 5
183 195 190 68 Hell On Heels, Pistol Annies 5
184 166 151 57 Take Care, Drake 1
185 185 - 10 The Invitation Narrated By Lee Strobel, Lee Strobel 127
186 174 - 2 The Classic Christmas Album, Willie Nelson 174
187 187 - 10 Lindsey Stirling 77
188 183 - 33 Kidz Bop 21, Kidz Bop Kids 2
189 NEW 1 Y Ahora Resulta, Voz de Mando 189
190 168 131 4 A Very Merry Perri Christmas (EP), Christina Perri 93
191 154 118 20 God Forgives, I Don't, Rick Ross 1
192 RE-ENTRY 14 Dustin Lynch 13
193 171 101 12 Push And Shove, No Doubt 3
194 141 105 9 Two Eleven, Brandy 3
195 RE-ENTRY 18 MDNA, Madonna 1
196 RE-ENTRY 44 The Very Best Of Neil Diamond: The Studio Recordings, Neil Diamond 39
197 186 163 9 Living For A Song: A Tribute to Hank Cochran, Jamey Johnson 5
198 RE-ENTRY 32 Wrecking Ball, Bruce Springsteen 1
199 RE-ENTRY 29 Amaryllis, Shinedown 4
200 RE-ENTRY 4 Uncovered, Elvis Presley 186

[areyoureadytojump]

^Thanks, 2m!

25 albums enter the Billboard 200 this week.

11 are re-entries.

[Rhythm Nation]

Dec 20, 2012 8:33:55 GMT -5 @2m said:

1 1 2 8 Red, Taylor Swift 1
94 150 195 207 Fearless, Taylor Swift 1
95 103 94 112 Speak Now, Taylor Swift 1
104 69 80 36 The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection (EP), Taylor Swift 20
167 181 - 268 Taylor Swift 5

People better bow down

[areyoureadytojump]

HipHopDX:

Hip Hop Album Sales: The Week Ending 12/16/2012: Current Albums

#5. Game - Jesus Piece - 86,000 (87,000)

#8. Alicia Keys - Girl On Fire - 61,000 (298,000)

#14. Rihanna - Unapologetic - 51,000 (420,000)

#25. Wiz Khalifa - O.N.F.I.C. - 40,000 (182,000)

#28. Cee Lo Green - Cee Lo's Magic Moment - 36,000 (113,000)

#33. Big Boi - Vicious Lies And Dangerous Rumors - 30,000 (30,000)

#40. Kendrick Lamar - good kid, m.A.A.d city - 24,000 (506,000)

#65. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis - The Heist - 12,000 (176,000)

#82. Nicki Minaj - Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded The Re-Up - 9,800 (759,000)

#103. Meek Mill - Dreams & Nightmares - 7,800 (274,000)

* data comes from Nielsen Soundscan, rounded to nearest thousandth for units above 10,000, nearest hundredth for units below 10,000. Each week, HipHopDX presents top albums in Hip Hop/related, and five notables.

[cartman2002]

Here's this week awards from this week BB200

59.Come To Well-Casting Crowns (double Platnium)
107.Now That's What I Call Christmas 4 (gold)
122.Glad Rag Dool-Diana Krall (gold)
129.Halycon -Ellie Goulding (gold)
171.The Christmas Collection-Il Divo (Platnium)
189.The Band Perry (double Platnuim)

[SPRΞΞ]

Wow, Ke$ha dropped 6-35. That's pretty crazy!

[HolidayGuy]

^The album had a normal second-week drop, but given the time of year, the rank drop was larger than it normally would be.

[areyoureadytojump]

keelyskorner.com/category/soundscan/

SOUNDSCAN (WEEK ENDING 12/16/12) - Current Albums

1) Taylor Swift – Red – 207,998 (After 8 weeks – 2,590,539)
2) Bruno Mars – Unorthodox Jukebox – 192,210
3) One Direction – Take Me Home – 127,411 (After 5 weeks – 1,042,030)

Other Debuts

5) Game – Jesus Piece – 86,246
12) Green Day – Tre! – 58,392
13) Music of Nashville – Soundtrack – 55,896
19) Glee Cast – Vol. 3-Glee: The Music –Christmas Album – 44,569
29) The Hobbit: An Unexpected Journey Soundtrack – 35,581
33) Big Boi – Vicious Lies & Dangerous Rumors – 30,013
37) Jenni Rivera – La Misma Gran Senora – 27,185
49) Lifehouse – Almeria – 17,152
58) Jenni Rivera – Joyas Prestadas (Pop Version) – 13,970
63) Jenni Rivera – Joyas Prestadas (Banda Version) – 13,209

[areyoureadytojump]

www.roughstock.com/blog/country-album-chart-news-for-december-19-2012-taylor-swift-1-little-big-town-tornado-gold

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

*Numbers rounded to nearest thousandth.
LWTWArtistAlbumSales TWSales Total

11Taylor SwiftRed 208,0002,591,000
77Blake SheltonCheers, It's Christmas. 68,000339,000
109Lady AntebellumOn This Winter's Night 60,000339,000
NEW13Various ArtistsNashville Soundtrack Volume 1 56,00056,000
2015Little Big TownTornado 49,000503,000

1717Jason AldeanNight Train 49,000 914,000
1418Scotty McCreeryChristmas With Scotty 47,000 291,000
2324Carrie UnderwoodBlown Away 31,000 1,108,000
926Florida Georgia LineHere's To The Good Times 39,000 101,000
2931Luke BryanTailgates & Tanlines 34,000 1,677,000

3136Hunter HayesHunter Hayes 28,000 447,000
8172Blake SheltonRed River Blue 11,000 856,000
11299Miranda LambertFour The Record 8,000 678,000
134124Kip MooreUp All Night 7,000 257,000
190157Scotty McCreeryClear As Day 3,000 1,380,000

[areyoureadytojump]

www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/industry/retail/chart-moves-nashville-nets-year-s-best-sales-1008058992.story

Chart Moves: 'Nashville' Nets Year's Best Sales Week for TV Soundtrack on Billboard 200
December 21, 2012 | By Keith Caulfield

Billboard 200

On the Billboard 200 albums chart this week, Bruno Mars' second release, "Unorthodox Jukebox," arrived in the No. 2 slot, selling 192,000, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It surpasses the No. 3 peak of his 2010 debut set, "Doo-Wops & Hooligans." But Mars couldn't trump country/pop diva Taylor Swift this week. The singer's latest album, "Red," rules at No. 1 for a fifth non-consecutive week, selling 208,000 (up 25% compared to last week).

Outside the top 10 there was a lot of action, so let's take a look at some of the notable movers and shakers…

-- "The Music of 'Nashville'": The soundtrack to the ABC TV series "Nashville" earns the biggest sales week of the year for a TV soundtrack, as it starts with 56,000 sold, debuting at No. 14 on the Billboard 200. The last time a TV soundtrack sold more was about a year ago this week, when "Glee, the Music -- Season 3: Volume 7" bowed with 58,000 on the Dec. 24, 2011, chart.

The 11-song "The Music of Nashville" album features contributions from its stars, including Connie Britton, Sam Palladio and Hayden Panettiere. The set was especially popular with mass merchants like Walmart, according to SoundScan, which accounted for 58% of the album's first-week sales.

How did the "Nashville" album sell in the city of Nashville? It was the No. 2-selling album overall last week in the area, moving a little over 2,000 copies. (The city's top title was Taylor Swift's "Red," with 3,000 sold.) Nationwide, the "Nashville" album did not rank among the top five in any other city.

-- "Glee": The third volume in the Fox TV series' "Christmas" album series starts at No. 20 on the Billboard 200 with 45,000 sold. Last year's second edition bowed with 71,000 at No. 6, while the first one, released in 2010, wowed with 161,000 in its premiere frame at No. 8.

The first "Glee" Christmas album would eventually peak at No. 3 in December 2010, shifting 193,000 in its best frame. That figure continues to represent the best sales week for any "Glee" album. All told, the first "Glee" Christmas set has moved 1.1 million copies in the United States and is the second-biggest selling "Glee" album after its very first release, 2009's "Glee, Season One: The Music Volume 1" (1.2 million).

The new "Glee, the Music -- The Christmas Album: Volume 3" is the 18th title to chart in the franchise's history.

-- "The Hobbit": The soundtrack to "The Hobbit" starts at No. 30 on the Billboard 200 with 36,000 sold. In doing so, it almost becomes the highest-charting album from director Peter Jackson's "Lord of the Rings"/"The Hobbit" series. It is barely eclipsed by the No. 29 peak of the first "Lord of the Rings" movie, "The Fellowship of the Ring" in 2001.

-- Michael Buble: The pop singer's "Christmas" album, first released in 2011, should surpass three million in U.S. sales next week. It's currently No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart with 2.89 million sold, according to SoundScan. This past week, it moved another 138,000 copies.

Two weeks ago, "Christmas" became Buble's second biggest selling album ever, moving past his 2003 self-titled debut's to-date sum of 2.65 million. Buble's bestseller remains 2005's "It's Time," which has moved 3.69 million.

[ListenToItTwice]

^ Re: the Nashville stat.. I had no idea they did area-specific stats like that

[Enigma.]

Dec 21, 2012 11:55:30 GMT -5 areyoureadytojump said:

Two weeks ago, "Christmas" became Buble's second biggest selling album ever, moving past his 2003 self-titled debut's to-date sum of 2.65 million. Buble's bestseller remains 2005's "It's Time," which has moved 3.69 million.

Funny because everywhere else in the world his biggest seller is either Christmas or Crazy Love.

[areyoureadytojump]

Dec 21, 2012 12:56:20 GMT -5 ListenToItTwice said:

^ Re: the Nashville stat.. I had no idea they did area-specific stats like that

That's why SoundScan can charge so much for a subscription to its services.

Billboard mentioned a few months back that MDNA had re-entered the BB200 due to concerts in Boston or some other city.

Billboard also mentioned recently that NYC sells a lot of country albums!

[HolidayGuy]

Indeed- regional information is part of the sales-tracking biz.

Billboard every now and again will report a title's rank in a certain market, as it did with MDNA a few months back.