EMINEM SAVES
It would of been another crummy sales week for the Billboard 200 if it weren't for Eminem.
The Marshall Mathers LP 2 debuted with the second-largest week of sales for any album during 2013. The sequel to the rapper's smash 2000 album moved 792,000 copies in its first week, falling short of only Justin Timberlake's The 20/20 Experience Part 1 for first week sales.
Billboard offered some statistics to put Eminem's sales in perspective. For one, MMLP2 sold the combined total of albums nos. 2-32 combined. The album accounted for 14 percent of all album sales during the last week, translating to nearly one in seven records bought were Eminem's new record.
The good (or bad) news is that his return to censor-baiting resulted in higher sales than both of his previous releases, Recovery and Relapse.
Next week will be Timberlake's final challenge for his title of bestselling week for an album. Lady Gaga went platinum in one week with Born This Way. We'll see if ARTPOP can live up.
OTHER NEW ALBUMS
Celine Dion dropped her first English-language release in more than six years with Loved Me Back To Life. Although it debuted at no. 2 with 77,000 copies sold, that total around a third of what her last record debuted with. Avril Lavigne has made the Top 10 with all of her releases, but her new self-titled album was her lowest debut yet, with 44,000 units moved, at no. 5. Pentatonix, an a cappella group, had its highest sales week ever, selling 31,000 copies of its PTX: Vol. II. The group rounded out the list at no. 10.
STILL HERE
The Duck Dynasty crew pulled off the rare feat of increasing its sales during its second week in release, rising to no. 3. Billboard didn't give a sales tally for Duck The Halls, but based on the 5 percent increase stat given, we estimate around 72,500 copies sold. Kelly Clarkson's Christmas album, Wrapped In Red, went down to no. 6, selling 43,000 copies.
Katy Perry has stayed fairly steady, dropping one spot to no. 4, selling 61,000 copies of Prism. Drake is still doing well in its seventh week on the Top 10, moving an additional 37,000 units of Nothing Was The Same and placing at no. 7. Lorde remained at no. 8 with Pure Heroin selling 35,000 copies. Arcade Fire saw a steep drop off after topping the list last week with Reflektor. The album sold 31,000 copies and placed no. 9, but it's probably the record's last week in the Top 10.
