Hey folks, I’ve been out of pocket for just about a week. Not having internet service beyond a Blackberry isn’t fun. However, we’re back and 2010 promises even bigger and better things:
This week’s chart is the 52nd of the chart year, so get your pads and pencils ready. We’ll be talking about the top sellers of the year very soon. In the meantime…
Susan Boyle’s “I Dreamed a Dream” logs a fifth week at the #1 spot on the charts, with 510,000 units sold. This brings it’s total to a shade under three million units. It’s the longest running #1 album of 2009.
Mary J. Blige pops in at the runner-up spot with “Stronger with Each Tear”. This album didn’t have the buzz that her previous two albums had, which explains the sharp dropoff in first week sales. “Stronger” checks in with 330,000 units scanned in its’ first week. 2007’s “Growing Pains” debuted with 629K and ’05’s “The Breakthrough” bowed with 727K. I’m giving the album its’ second listen now and while it’s not bad, it definitely sounds like Mary on autopilot.
The chart’s only other debut comes from Lil Wayne’s Young Money collective. Despite the star power of Weezy as well as artists like Lloyd, Nicki Minaj and Drake, their “We Are Young Money” compilation debuts at a so-so #9 with 142,000 copies sold.
Eminem’s “Relapse” gets a huge boost thanks to it’s “Refill” re-release with extra tracks. The album lands at #11 with 128,000 copies sold, bringing its’ total take to 1.7 million copies.
Each of this week’s Top 16 albums sells over 100,000 copies. It’s worth noting how femme-centric the Top 10 is. In addition to Boyle and Blige, the top ten also hosts Taylor Swift, Carrie Underwood and Lady GaGa, as well as female-targeted male artists like Justin Bieber and Michael Buble. Next week, expect a chart overhaul as the more adult-oriented artists take a tumble down the chart (Boyle might even cede her #1 chart perch to Blige or Alicia Keys) and more youth-oriented artists rise up.
Here are this week’s Top 20 albums:
1) Susan Boyle “I Dreamed a Dream”
2) Mary J. Blige “Stronger with Each Tear”
3) Andrea Bocelli “My Christmas”
4) Alicia Keys “The Element of Freedom”
5) Taylor Swift “Fearless”
6) Lady GaGa “The Fame”
7) Justin Bieber “My World (EP)”
8) Carrie Underwood “Play On”
9) Young Money “We Are Young Money”
10) Michael Buble “Crazy Love”
11) Eminem “Relapse”
12) Lady GaGa “The Fame: Monster (EP)”
13) Michael Jackson “This is It”
14) Owl City “Ocean Eyes”
15) The Black Eyed Peas “The E.N.D.”
16) Glee Cast “Glee: The Music Vol. 2”
17) Various Artists “Now 32”
18) Rihanna “Rated R”
19) John Mayer “Battle Studies”
20) Soundtrack “Alvin & the Chipmunks 2: the Squeaquel”
