Idolator
Disturbed's Indestructible took this week's top spot on the album charts, selling 253,000 copes in its first week and coming out atop a heap of debuts that included the latest Now cash-in comp, Weezer's latest attempt to get money from the nerds who read Digg, and Jewel's play for the country crowd. I just hope that there's at least one person out there who bought Indestructible based on its cover alone, because really, that is something to behold.
Biggest Debuts: Now 28, which this time actually features songs that are still selling briskly on the Hot Digital Tracks chart ("Bleeding Love," "Lollipop," that dreary Natasha Bedingfield track) came in second on the big board, selling 185,000 copies. At No. 4 was the red self-titled album by Weezer, which sold 126,000 copies; No. 5 was Journey's Arnel Pineda'd out Revelation, which was taken home by 105,000 Wal-Mart shoppers; No. 6 was Ashanti's The Declaration, which sold 86,000 units; and No. 8 was Jewel's country album Perfectly Clear, which moved 48,000 copies.
Also, debuting at No. 20 was something called Now Classic Rock, which features these hits that will never be erased from the modern consciousness:
1. Queen - We Will Rock You
2. Heart - Barracuda
3. George Thorogood & The Destroyers - Bad to the Bone
4. Rush - Spirit of the Radio
5. The Who - My Generation
6. Jimi Hendrix Experience - Fire
7. Boston - More Than a Feeling
8. Kansas - Carry on My Wayward Son
9. Styx - Renegade
10. Foreigner - Cold as Ice
11. Deep Purple - Smoke on the Water
12. Grand Funk Railroad - We're an American Band
13. Mountain - Mississippi Queen
14. Creedence Clearwater Revival - Bad Moon Rising
15. Lynyrd Skynyrd - Sweet Home Alabama
16. Steve Miller Band - The Joker
17. David Bowie - Rebel Rebel
18. Cheap Trick - Surrender
19. Peter Frampton - Show Me the Way (live)
20. Kiss - Rock and Roll All Nite (live)
I'm not sure if its high chart placement is a sign of a weak market or a sign that these songs are just going to be the Rock Standards until long after I'm six feet underground.
Notable Jumps: Thanks to its sales-goosing reissue, Chris Brown's Exclusive leapt from No. 56 to No. 10 on a 261% sales gain—that's 36,000 albums sold.
Dropping Off: Last week's No. 1, Usher's Here I Stand, took a 67% hit—but only dropped from the top spot to No. 3.
Nickelback Award For Inexplicable Durability: The Sex And The City soundtrack took a not-bad 9% hit in its second week on shelves, despite a tracklisting that includes Fergie and freaking Morningwood. Well, if it means that some Black Eyed Peas fan will be turned on to Al Green, I guess it's worth it. Even if he had to duet with Joss Stone to get a spot on the playlist.
The top 20 sellers, with sales totals in parentheses:
1. Disturbed, Indestructible (253,000)
2. Now 28 (185,000)
3. Usher, Here I Stand (145,000)
4. Weezer (126,000)
5. Journey, Revelation (105,000)
6. Ashanti, The Declaration (86,000)
7. Sex And The City soundtrack (60,000)
8. Jewel, Perfectly Clear (48,000)
9. 3 Doors Down (45,000)
10. Chris Brown, Exclusive (36,000)
11. Leona Lewis, Spirit (33,000)
12. Duffy, Rockferry (31,000)
13. Mariah Carey, E=MC2 (30,000)
14. Madonna, Hard Candy (27,000)
15. Taylor Swift (27,000)
16. Frank Sinatra, Nothing But The Best (27,000)
17. Death Cab For Cutie, Narrow Stairs (25,000)
18. Toby Keith, 35 Biggest Hits (24,000)
19. Bun B, II Trill (24,000)
20. Now Classic Rock (23,000)
The top 10 digital albums, with sales totals in parentheses:
1. Weezer (41,000)
2. Disturbed, Indestructible (41,000)
3. Sex And The City soundtrack (19,000)
4. Usher, Here I Stand (9,900)
5. Death Cab For Cutie, Narrow Stairs (6,400)
6. Jewel, Perfectly Clear (6,300)
7. Radiohead, Best Of Radiohead (5,900)
8. Jason Mraz, We Sing We Dance We Steal Things (5,800)
9. Ashanti, The Declaration (5,800)
10. 3 Doors Down (5,600)
Comments
That cover is awesome even tho it's kinda scary. I guess that's the point.
darn, i was hoping al green would last more than one week in the top 20.
I just hope that there's at least one person out there who bought Indestructible based on its cover alone, because really, that is something to behold.
Admit it, if this record had come out 20 years ago, at the height of your metal-girl phase, you totally woulda bought it. Not that I condone that sort of thing...
Now that we're running digital album totals, it'll be interesting to keep track of the ratio of digital to physical sales. A year ago, Maroon5's album was considered impressive when it sold more than 100K in a week with a one-out-of-four digital ratio. But check out that Weezer ratio: one out of three! (Interestingly, it's the same ratio on Sex and the City.)
The ratio is an important metric to watch, because it's more telling about an act's fanbase. Notice that Disturbed nearly tie Weezer in digital sales, which looks impressive until you note their digital ratio is less than one out of six. Hard rock people like their plastic.
@Chris Molanphy: And speaking of Weezer and digital sales, Pinkerton came in at No. 24 on the Digital Albums chart, selling 2,500 copies, while on Digital Tracks:
62. "Island In The Sun" (21,000)
140. "Say It Ain't So" (9,200)
Kind of surprised "Beverly Hills" isn't on there, too, what with it still getting regular play on Z100.
That cover totally makes me nostalgiac for "Spawn" circa 1997.
@Maura Johnston: Simple explaination: Weezer have gargled goat balls for ten straight years.
@RaptroAvatar@Maura Johnston: Actually, Amazon's MP3 store was selling Pinkerton for like $2.99 one day last week, probably explaining the digital sales placement.
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