Billboard 200, 05/08/2010: Glee Cast #1, 98K

[HolidayGuy]

^ I believe that's what one could interpret from reading the numbers for all three albums. :) Multi-act albums probably would be more appealing to the average "Glee" fan than an EP featuring the music of one act.

[areyoureadytojump]

Will the following albums be certified by the RIAA on tomorrow's chart?

Numbers are from the 4/24/10 chart:

Justin Bieber 675k
Ke$ha 568k
Young Money 428k
Mary J Blige 732k
Now 32 873k
Eminem 1,911,242
Adam Lambert 592k
Muse 460k
Drake 432k
Kenny Chesney 611k
Alice In Chains 411k
Brad Paisley 524k

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

[danny1999]

Even Billboard calls Madonna〔Queen of Pop〕
So this is her official title now? ;)

Apr 28, 2010 13:52:35 GMT -5 HolidayGuy said:

Madonna's 'Glee'tastic 'Celebration' Continues on Hot 100, Digital Chart

The "Glee"/Madonna celebration is in full swing on the Billboard 200 albums chart, where "The Power of Madonna" soundtrack to last week's Queen of Pop-themed show debuts at No. 1 with 98,000 copies sold according to Nielsen SoundScan.

[areyoureadytojump]

New RIAA certifications:

Monica Gold

[HolidayGuy]

Now? That's been her title for some 20-odd years, for more than just her chart success. Where you been? :)

[joeysbluerose]

congrats to monica on the gold certification

[areyoureadytojump]

Billboard 200 Movers & Shakers: Cypress Hill, Ratt, Luciano Pavarotti, 'American Idiot' and More
April 29, 2010 - Retail

By Keith Caulfield, L.A

While "Glee: The Music, The Power of Madonna" debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart this week with 98,000 according to Nielsen SoundScan, a number of other albums are making waves further down the list.

-- Let There Be Rock: At No. 11, Circa Survive's Atlantic Records debut, "Blue Sky Noise," arrived with 28,000 scans according to Nielsen SoundScan. That's not only the highest charting album for the rock band, but also its best sales week yet. It seems AC/DC's arrival at No. 4 with its "Iron Man 2" soundtrack was a pied-piper of sorts for new rock releases last week, as not only does Circa Survive debut, but we also see Sevendust's "Cold Day Memory" debut with 27,000 at No. 12 (also a new chart peak).

-- Thanks ACM Awards: Miranda Lambert's "Revolution" album -- which rises from No. 36 to No. 13 with 26,000 and a 105% increase in sales -- benefits from the singer's five wins on the April 18 Academy of Country Music Awards show. Other notable gains likely derived from exposure from the ACMs include Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" (jumping one spot to No. 2 with 83,000; up 27%) and Zac Brown Band's "The Foundation" (climbing six rungs to No. 9 -- a new peak – up 26%). Overall country album sales gained by 6% in the week after the ACMs.

-- MGMT Plunges:Last week's top debut, MGMT's "Congratulations," dives to No. 18 in its second week with 20,000 and a 70% decline in sales. Neither drop is surprising, as focus is always on an album's first week in stores. Compare that to how Coheed and Cambria's "Year of the Black Rainbow" falls from No. 5 to No. 42 in its second week on the chart with 11,000 (down 78%).

-- Cypress Hill Is Back: Hip-Hop pioneers Cypress Hill returns to the Billboard 200 for the first time in six years with "Rise Up," entering at No. 19 with 18,000. It's the act's highest charting album since 2000's "Skull & Bones" debuted and peaked at No. 5.

-- DVD Release = Album Sales: Three steps below Cypress Hill at No. 22 is the soundtrack to the film "Crazy Heart," which flies up the tally 56 slots with the chart's biggest percentage increase -- it's up 200%. The gain is owed to the film's DVD bow last week at retail.

-- Colt Fold: At No. 28 on the Billboard 200, singer Colt Fold bows with his second full-length studio set "Chicken & Biscuits," shifting 15,000. The set also bows at No. 8 on the Top Country Albums tally. Ford has been a mainstay on the Heatseekers Albums chart since early 2009 with three different releases, including the No. 2-peaking "Ride Through the Country."

-- Ratt Returns: Veteran rock band Ratt returns with "Infestation" at No. 30 with 30,000 copies sold -- its first album in over 10 years (30,000). The set – its first for Roadrunner -- is the veteran act's highest charting effort since "Detonator" reached No. 23 in 1990. The band is likely best known for its 1984 hit single "Round and Round," which peaked at No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100.

-- "American Idiot": The Original Broadway Cast Recording of the new "American Idiot" musical enters at No. 1 Top Cast Albums and the Billboard 200 at No. 43 with 11,000 copies sold. That's the best debut-sales week and the highest rank on the Billboard 200 for a cast recording since March of 2008, when "Disney's The Little Mermaid" swam onto the big chart at No. 26 with 20,000. Based on music by Green Day, "American Idiot" opened on Broadway on April 20.

-- 39 ½ Years Later: The late Peggy Lee graces the Billboard 200 after an absence of 39-and-a-half years, as "Come Rain or Come Shine" debuts at No. 51. The late legend last charted on the list with the No. 194-peaking "Make It With You" in December 1970. "Come Rain" is exclusively available through Starbucks stores.

-- Luciano Pavarotti: Pavarotti bows at No. 76 on the big chart and is No. 1 on the Classical Albums chart with the budget-priced 100-track compilation "75th Birthday: Limited Edition." The digital-exclusive set was priced for only $2.99 in Amazon's MP3 store last week, thus engineering its debut of 7,000 downloads. His appearance at No. 1 on Top Classical Albums marks his first chart-topper there since 2007.

-- Other Notables: Diving deeper down the Billboard 200, we see a No. 146 debut from T-Pain with his digital-exclusive soundtrack to his Cartoon Network animation special "Freaknik" (4,000 copies) ... At No. 127 -- dropping 58 slots with a 31% decline in sales in its third chart week -- Sigur Ros' Jonsi seems to be making a quick descent down the chart with his latest release "Go." Don't be alarmed though, as it's fairly common to see niche acts with fervent fan bases start strong (No. 23 with a 15,000 debut) and then drop quickly.

[Black Jesus]

I can't believe Paisley has only sold over 500k with his new album...I was expecting at least a million by now

[leilamaurizia]

top 50 + bonus numbers

1 GLEE CAST POWER OF MADONNA 97,973 999 21 97,995
2 LADY ANTEBELLUM NEED YOU NOW 82,794 27 65,381 1,852,480
3 BIEBER*JUSTIN MY WORLD 2.0 80,791 -12 92,129 848,774
4 AC/DC IRON MAN 2 75,974 999 180 76,155
5 USHER RAYMOND V RAYMOND 51,972 -18 63,601 538,030
6 VARIOUS NOW 33 36,933 -18 45,157 393,438
7 BUFFETT*JIMMY ENCORES 30,822 0 30,822
8 BIEBER*JUSTIN MY WORLD 30,769 3 29,790 1,263,019
9 BROWN*ZAC BAND FOUNDATION 28,567 26 22,638 1,851,842
10 LADY GAGA FAME 28,363 -10 31,588 3,241,380
11 CIRCA SURVIVE BLUE SKY NOISE 27,829 999 181 28,137
12 SEVENDUST COLD DAY MEMORY 26,736 999 665 27,401
13 LAMBERT*MIRANDA REVOLUTION 25,526 105 12,436 526,866
14 KE$HA ANIMAL 24,334 -22 31,213 623,840
15 MONICA STILL STANDING 22,579 -25 30,275 356,646
16 BLACK EYED PEAS E.N.D. (ENERGY NEVER DIES) 21,362 -9 23,557 2,456,332
17 LUDACRIS BATTLE OF THE SEXES 21,095 -14 24,552 355,610
18 MGMT CONGRATULATIONS 20,056 -70 66,231 86,852
19 CYPRESS HILL RISE UP 18,343 999 113 18,456
20 NELSON*WILLIE COUNTRY MUSIC 18,085 999 106 18,192
21 UNDERWOOD*CARRIE PLAY ON 17,944 54 11,679 1,484,997
22 CRAZY HEART ORIGINAL MOTION PI CRAZY HEART ORIGINAL MOTION PI 17,426 200 5,803 195,445
23 SADE SOLDIER OF LOVE 16,884 -32 24,727 1,116,411
24 LADY GAGA FAME MONSTER (8 TRK) 16,256 -9 17,950 1,013,452
25 SWIFT*TAYLOR FEARLESS 15,865 1 15,673 5,798,010
26 KOTTONMOUTH KINGS LONG LIVE THE KINGS 15,513 999 13 15,526
27 SAPP*MARVIN HERE I AM 15,396 -7 16,632 189,351
28 FORD*COLT CHICKEN & BISCUITS 14,598 999 135 14,737
29 BADU*ERYKAH NEW AMERYKAH PART TW 14,078 -27 19,351 173,621
30 RATT INFESTATION 13,981 999 44 14,029
31 RIHANNA RATED R 13,863 -9 15,241 844,161
32 BUNDY*LAURA BELL ACHIN' & SHAKIN' 13,588 -9 14,992 28,677
33 SLASH SLASH 12,992 -40 21,670 94,983
34 GORILLAZ PLASTIC BEACH 12,692 -7 13,708 229,587
35 KEYS*ALICIA ELEMENT OF FREEDOM 12,615 10 11,503 1,229,729
36 BUBLE*MICHAEL CRAZY LOVE 12,256 -10 13,642 1,585,791
37 LIL WAYNE REBIRTH 11,990 -9 13,156 529,666
38 DYLAN*JAKOB WOMEN AND COUNTRY 11,983 -27 16,421 54,310
39 GLEE CAST GLEE: THE MUSIC V1 11,761 2 11,528 799,029
40 SONGZ*TREY READY 11,525 -4 11,958 682,876
41 JACKSON*ALAN FREIGHT TRAIN 11,388 -33 16,874 123,748
42 COHEED AND CAMBRIA YEAR OF THE BLACK RA 11,032 -78 51,064 62,409
43 GREEN DAY ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST REC 10,938 999 101 11,039
44 NICKELBACK DARK HORSE 10,685 4 10,319 2,720,521
45 TRAIN SAVE ME SAN FRANCISCO 10,635 0 10,645 251,537
46 JONES*SHARON & THE DAP-KINGS I LEARNED THE HARD WAY 10,574 -30 15,137 48,990
47 GLEE CAST GLEE: THE MUSIC, V2 10,360 3 10,014 594,282
48 TENTH AVENUE NORTH OVER & UNDERNEATH 9,990 4 9,622 93,471
49 LADY ANTEBELLUM LADY ANTEBELLUM 9,984 34 7,437 1,623,290
50 LEE*PEGGY PEGGY LEE OPUS SERIES 9,932 999 57 9,989

Bonus:
57 BOYLE*SUSAN I DREAMED A DREAM 8,957 -12 10,159 3,708,258
65 JAY-Z BLUEPRINT 3 7,849 2 7,667 1,718,757
85 MADONNA CELEBRATION 6,192 219 1,943 226,264
86 BLIGE*MARY J. STRONGER 6,154 -20 7,706 746,690
88 P!NK FUNHOUSE 6,057 -8 6,613 1,672,004
96 EMINEM RELAPSE 5,551 0 5,542 1,922,335
107 MADONNA STICKY & SWEET TOUR 5,191 -32 7,637 40,935
153 BEYONCE I AM...SASHA FIERCE 3,886 -6 4,124 2,831,886
197 UNDERWOOD*CARRIE SOME HEARTS 3,023 34 2,254 6,970,750

[Legoman]

Wow the Fame Monster reached 1 mill sales

[chopped89]

Good seeing eminem still pushing 5k every week!

[Tanisha Thomas.]

This is like beating a dead horse, but Rihanna is such a "WTF" type seller. "Rude Boy" is not helping her sell any albums.

[HolidayGuy]

Thanks for the numbers, leila. Has anyone accounted for the difference between SoundScan and Billboard? For instance, Celebration appears at #86 on the Billboard 200, and 85 on the SoundScan list.

[3m3r7c]

"Has anyone accounted for the difference between SoundScan and Billboard? For instance, Celebration appears at #86 on the Billboard 200, and 85 on the SoundScan list."

The difference is that Billboard switched to the top 200 overall albums (current and catalogue) a year or 2 ago, whereas some of the time when soundscan numbers are reported they are still solely top current. So if an album is number 86 on the billboard 200 and 85 on the soundscan list that means there was one album somewhere in the top 85 that was a catalogue (I believe this to be 1.5 years or older, but I dont know for sure) older.

@leil Thanks a lot for the numbers.

Hopefully this week the whole chart leaks.

[nicole]

I might be wrong but from what I have seen, leaked Soundscan charts that go to the industry first are often re-ran, generally resulting in the shifting of at least one title before it goes to publication in Billboard (without numbers)

This generally effects lower echelon-albums and no one, who isn't paying close attention, would notice.

[3m3r7c]

Does anybody know why the soundscan 200 sales leaks some weeks but not others (like last week it did not leak)? Is it the same source that leaks it every week or somebody different every time?

[HolidayGuy]

3m3- I know of the switch to include catlaog albums on the Billboard 200. But thanks. :) nicole, that's what I figured, that the chart was reran.

I checked Billboard 200- this pushed everything from48-on down one spot (I guess it didn't appear on the initial SoundScan list):

48NEW- Crimson, White & Indigo: Jul..., Grateful Dead

[David]

88 P!NK FUNHOUSE 6,057 -8 6,613 1,672,004

YAY!

[reidster]

How is Monica gold for only 350k. :S I know shipments are over 500k but still, wait until its at least 400k, god.

[Tanisha Thomas.]

Apr 30, 2010 21:12:21 GMT -5 reidster said:

How is Monica gold for only 350k. :S I know shipments are over 500k but still, wait until its at least 400k, god.

Why? If her album shipped 500k, it should be certified Gold. It doesn't matter how much she sold.

[reidster]

Apr 30, 2010 21:15:59 GMT -5 Tanisha Thomas. said:

Apr 30, 2010 21:12:21 GMT -5 reidster said:

How is Monica gold for only 350k. :S I know shipments are over 500k but still, wait until its at least 400k, god.

Why? If her album shipped 500k, it should be certified Gold. It doesn't matter how much she sold.

durrr. I'm just saying they certified it too early. It's like certifying an album that is out for one day for platinum (for someone like Eminem, Kanye or the like) after having just shipped out a million copies without 1 sale. It's not right. RIAA clearly states "An artist's Gold® or Platinum® award represents sales through retail, record clubs, rackjobbers, and all other ancillary markets that legitimately distribute music. Once a title’s sales has been audited and verified as having reached requisite levels, a formal certification report is issued and sent to the title's record company." Certifications are supposed to represent sales. I know they don't, and that shipments are enough to warrant a certification, I just personally don't think it's right. And I know this isn't Monica's fault, it's probably Clive's. And I know the album will eventually see a 500k sold. Plus with digital retailers having more prominence, we shouldn't have this problem of shipments vs sales in the future. Heck, if you want to make sure an artist has a diamond album, just ship out 10 million copies, or better yet, 5 million copies with 2 CDs.

[Tanisha Thomas.]

Apr 30, 2010 23:24:06 GMT -5 reidster said:

Apr 30, 2010 21:15:59 GMT -5 Tanisha Thomas. said:

Why? If her album shipped 500k, it should be certified Gold. It doesn't matter how much she sold.

durrr. I'm just saying they certified it too early. It's like certifying an album that is out for one day for platinum (for someone like Eminem, Kanye or the like) after having just shipped out a million copies without 1 sale. It's not right. RIAA clearly states "An artist's Gold® or Platinum® award represents sales through retail, record clubs, rackjobbers, and all other ancillary markets that legitimately distribute music. Once a title’s sales has been audited and verified as having reached requisite levels, a formal certification report is issued and sent to the title's record company." Certifications are supposed to represent sales. I know they don't, and that shipments are enough to warrant a certification, I just personally don't think it's right. And I know this isn't Monica's fault, it's probably Clive's. And I know the album will eventually see a 500k sold. Plus with digital retailers having more prominence, we shouldn't have this problem of shipments vs sales in the future. Heck, if you want to make sure an artist has a diamond album, just ship out 10 million copies, or better yet, 5 million copies with 2 CDs.

It's not that serious, dude. Stop taking it to heart. A label certifying an album gold after it sold only 350k isn't much different from a label certifying an album platinum after it only sold 850k. Her album shipped 500k and met other requirements. Therefore, it was eligible for a Gold certification. The album is only 150k away from 500k. She should see that amount eventually. Who are you to say that it was too early too certify it?

[Minimalism]

13 LAMBERT*MIRANDA REVOLUTION 25,526 105 12,436 526,866

:o :'(

[kt1990]

May 1, 2010 0:50:46 GMT -5 Minimalism said:

13 LAMBERT*MIRANDA REVOLUTION 25,526 105 12,436 526,866

:o :'(

I know, right? Go Miranda!

[WotUNeed]

Apr 30, 2010 23:24:06 GMT -5 reidster said:

Apr 30, 2010 21:15:59 GMT -5 Tanisha Thomas. said:

Why? If her album shipped 500k, it should be certified Gold. It doesn't matter how much she sold.

durrr. I'm just saying they certified it too early. It's like certifying an album that is out for one day for platinum (for someone like Eminem, Kanye or the like) after having just shipped out a million copies without 1 sale. It's not right. RIAA clearly states "An artist's Gold® or Platinum® award represents sales through retail, record clubs, rackjobbers, and all other ancillary markets that legitimately distribute music. Once a title’s sales has been audited and verified as having reached requisite levels, a formal certification report is issued and sent to the title's record company." Certifications are supposed to represent sales. I know they don't, and that shipments are enough to warrant a certification, I just personally don't think it's right. And I know this isn't Monica's fault, it's probably Clive's. And I know the album will eventually see a 500k sold. Plus with digital retailers having more prominence, we shouldn't have this problem of shipments vs sales in the future. Heck, if you want to make sure an artist has a diamond album, just ship out 10 million copies, or better yet, 5 million copies with 2 CDs.

Shipments aren't sales? Do you think labels ship discs for free to retail out of kindness and love?

[reidster]

Apr 30, 2010 23:34:31 GMT -5 Tanisha Thomas. said:

Apr 30, 2010 23:24:06 GMT -5 reidster said:

durrr. I'm just saying they certified it too early. It's like certifying an album that is out for one day for platinum (for someone like Eminem, Kanye or the like) after having just shipped out a million copies without 1 sale. It's not right. RIAA clearly states "An artist's Gold® or Platinum® award represents sales through retail, record clubs, rackjobbers, and all other ancillary markets that legitimately distribute music. Once a title’s sales has been audited and verified as having reached requisite levels, a formal certification report is issued and sent to the title's record company." Certifications are supposed to represent sales. I know they don't, and that shipments are enough to warrant a certification, I just personally don't think it's right. And I know this isn't Monica's fault, it's probably Clive's. And I know the album will eventually see a 500k sold. Plus with digital retailers having more prominence, we shouldn't have this problem of shipments vs sales in the future. Heck, if you want to make sure an artist has a diamond album, just ship out 10 million copies, or better yet, 5 million copies with 2 CDs.

It's not that serious, dude. Stop taking it to heart. A label certifying an album gold after it sold only 350k isn't much different from a label certifying an album platinum after it only sold 850k. Her album shipped 500k and met other requirements. Therefore, it was eligible for a Gold certification. The album is only 150k away from 500k. She should see that amount eventually. Who are you to say that it was too early too certify it?

I'm not taking it to heart, I'm just saying that these certifications mean nothing anymore. And I might add that 150k is actually a lot when she is only selling 20k a week (and that number will go down). It'll be at least another 4-5 months before she's actually at 500k sold. Again, these certifications mean nothing when you can make them based on nothing. They are congratulating the label on shipping out albums instead of the artist actually selling them. Meh. And I know this is nothing new, but usually labels wait until at least 400k for a Gold Certification, and that is why I brought it up.

[felipe]

May 1, 2010 9:05:52 GMT -5 WotUNeed said:

Apr 30, 2010 23:24:06 GMT -5 reidster said:

durrr. I'm just saying they certified it too early. It's like certifying an album that is out for one day for platinum (for someone like Eminem, Kanye or the like) after having just shipped out a million copies without 1 sale. It's not right. RIAA clearly states "An artist's Gold® or Platinum® award represents sales through retail, record clubs, rackjobbers, and all other ancillary markets that legitimately distribute music. Once a title’s sales has been audited and verified as having reached requisite levels, a formal certification report is issued and sent to the title's record company." Certifications are supposed to represent sales. I know they don't, and that shipments are enough to warrant a certification, I just personally don't think it's right. And I know this isn't Monica's fault, it's probably Clive's. And I know the album will eventually see a 500k sold. Plus with digital retailers having more prominence, we shouldn't have this problem of shipments vs sales in the future. Heck, if you want to make sure an artist has a diamond album, just ship out 10 million copies, or better yet, 5 million copies with 2 CDs.

Shipments aren't sales? Do you think labels ship discs for free to retail out of kindness and love?

But if you consider shipments as sales, than you'd have to say that Monica has already SOLD 500k.

[Tanisha Thomas.]

May 1, 2010 10:30:50 GMT -5 reidster said:

Apr 30, 2010 23:34:31 GMT -5 Tanisha Thomas. said:

It's not that serious, dude. Stop taking it to heart. A label certifying an album gold after it sold only 350k isn't much different from a label certifying an album platinum after it only sold 850k. Her album shipped 500k and met other requirements. Therefore, it was eligible for a Gold certification. The album is only 150k away from 500k. She should see that amount eventually. Who are you to say that it was too early too certify it?

I'm not taking it to heart, I'm just saying that these certifications mean nothing anymore. And I might add that 150k is actually a lot when she is only selling 20k a week (and that number will go down). It'll be at least another 4-5 months before she's actually at 500k sold. Again, these certifications mean nothing when you can make them based on nothing. They are congratulating the label on shipping out albums instead of the artist actually selling them. Meh. And I know this is nothing new, but usually labels wait until at least 400k for a Gold Certification, and that is why I brought it up.

You're right about one thing - this is nothing new. Labels have been doing this for years. I don't see why it's a big now.

[HolidayGuy]

How do you think it was pre-SoundScan? Reports said an album sold such-and-such amount of copies. SoundScan has become more precise through the years, and many outlets report on the SoundScan number, as it's especially important, for instance, if an album is only certified platinum, but has sold 1.5m-1.8m units. Simply reporting that it's certified platinum for 1m copies undermines its sales.

[3m3r7c]

Does anybody have the soundscan sales for numbers 51-200?