Susan Boyle has finally met her match.
After a six-week run at the top, Boyle loses the #1 spot on the Billboard Albums Chart to another new female artist. Dance/pop singer Ke$ha opens at the top with her debut album “Animal”. The album scans 152,000 copies in its’ first week out-easily beating Boyle’s total of 93,000.
As is customary for this time of the year, the chart is very quiet. The next highest debut comes all the way down at #27, where “American Idol” Katharine McPhee debuts with her latest, scanning 15,000 copies. Only a small handful of albums showed an increase over the previous weeks’ sales, with an iTunes promotion being responsible for the biggest increases-for Radiohead’s “Kid A” and Lenny Kravitz’ “Greatest Hits”. The two decade-old albums more than doubled in sales this week, and it’s not a stretch to think that Lenny’s involvement in the leaked Michael Jackson track that briefly lit up the internets last week was also a catalyst in his sales increase.
Another increase this week occurs towards the bottom of the Top 200, where Vampire Weekend’s debut re-enters at #199, with an 11% increase in scans over the previous week. Look for VW’s sophomore release, “Contra”, to challenge for the top spot next week. However, with Ke$ha being a new artist and people just now finding out about her, she could maintain her stronghold on the top of the charts for a second week.
Here’s this week’s Top 20:
1) Ke$ha “Animal”
2) Susan Boyle “I Dreamed a Dream”
3) Lady GaGa “The Fame”
4) Alicia Keys “The Element of Freedom”
5) Mary J. Blige “Stronger with Each Tear”
6) Soundtrack “Alvin & the Chipmunks 2-The Squeaquel”
7) Taylor Swift “Fearless”
8) The Black Eyed Peas “The E.N.D.”
9) Justin Bieber “My World”
10) Lady GaGa “The Fame: Monster”
11) Rihanna “Rated R”
12) Michael Buble “Crazy Love”
13) Young Money “We Are Young Money”
14) Owl City “Ocean Eyes”
15) Glee Cast “Glee: The Music Vol. 2”
16) Eminem “Relapse”
17) Lady Antebellum “Lady Antebellum”
18) Carrie Underwood “Play On”
19) John Mayer “Battle Studies”
20) Glee Cast “Glee: The Music Vol. 1”
