We've been real downers for the last couple months with regards to album sales. If you haven't read the news, music sales are down across nearly every format (aside from vinyl), and this has reflected in new releases too, even with some of the biggest stars. What the industry needed was a good Black Friday to boost sales. And boost did it ever.
WHAT'S NEW
Not much, actually. Only two new albums debuted in the Top 10, far fewer than average (due mostly to cut-rate prices on previous releases).
One Direction debuted Midnight Memories and took the top spot, selling 546,000 copies. The group has started at no. 1 with all three of its three releases, the first act to do so since The Monkees in 1967. Add to that, One Direction's releases have each sold more than its predecessor.
Garth Brooks is last week's other new release, selling 164,000 copies of his multi-disc cover set, Blame It On My Roots, and placing no. 3. The set got a slight advantage, selling for a rather low price at Walmart, but on the other hand, it was only available from Black Friday through Monday, three days shorter than everything else on the list.
STILL STRONG
Last week's no. 1, Eminem, stayed at no. 2 with The Marshall Mathers LP 2 selling another 199,000 copies during its fourth week. Looking at next week's releases however, it's quite possible that the rapper could return to the top spot again.
Christmas remains, surprise, a big deal this time of year. The Duck Dynasty crews' Duck The Halls agains holds steady at no. 4, selling 137,000 more copies. Kelly Clarkson jumped up a few spots with Wrapped in Red, moving another 131,000 copies and placing at no. 6. Lady Gaga took advantage of Black Friday, plus her Muppets television special, to sell 109,000 copies of ARTPOP and move up to no. 7. NOW 48 spends one more week in the Top 10, selling 77,000 copies and taking the last spot.
WELCOME BACK
Three performers used the sales bonanza to reemerge in the Top 10. Katy Perry and PRISM come up to no. 6 with 136,000 albums sold, and Miley Cyrus is back at no. 9 after Bangerz moved another 79,000 copies. And let's not forget one of the list's bestseller's of the year: Luke Bryan and Crash My Party, which came back to no. 8 with 109,000 in sales.
