Over on the Digital Songs chart, Katy Perry's "Roar" bows at No. 1 with a whopping 557,000 downloads. The song finished the week with a larger-than-expected sales sum. On Sunday, Aug. 18, forecasters had suggested the song was on course to sell 525,000-550,000 downloads by the close of that week's business (Aug. 18). That projection was increased from an original forecast of 400,000, made on the song’s release date, Aug. 12.
The debut for “Roar” marks the sixth-largest sales week for a digital song ever, Perry's own best sales week and the biggest for her label, Capitol Records.
The only other larger weeks were logged on the chart by Flo Rida's "Right Round" (a debut with 636,000 in 2009), Ke$ha's "TiK ToK" (610,000; 2009), Bruno Mars' "Grenade" (559,000; 2010) and Taylor Swift's "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" (a debut with 623,000; 2012) and "I Knew You Were Trouble" (582,000; 2012).
But wait, there's more: "Roar" also logs the third-biggest debut for a digital song. Only "Right Round" (636,000) and "We Are Never . . ." (623,000) started with bigger numbers.
"Roar" is the lead single from Perry's "Prism" album, which is due for release on Oct. 22.
A total of three debuts arrive in the top 10 of the Digital Songs chart this week, including Perry's "Roar." And all three of them start in the top five—the first time that's happened since last October. (On the Digital Songs chart dated Oct. 20, 2012, One Direction, Swift and Adele bowed at Nos. 1-3, respectively, with "Live While We're Young," "Red" and "Skyfall.")
Last week's No. 1 Digital Song, Thicke's "Blurred Lines" (featuring. T.I. and Pharrell), falls to No. 2 with 291,000 (down 16%).
At No. 3 is the second debut of the week: Lady Gaga arrives with "Applause." It sold 218,000 downloads in its opening frame and marks her 13th top 10 hit on the Digital Songs chart. It's her best sales week since "The Edge of Glory" debuted with 266,000 downloads at No. 2 on the May 28, 2011, chart.
"Applause" is the first single from Gaga's "ArtPop" album, which arrives Nov. 11.
A step below Gaga is Jay Z's "Holy Grail," featuring Timberlake, which slips two rungs to No. 4 with 178,000 (though it’s up by 7%).
Bryan captures the third top 10 debut, as his "That's My Kind of Night" enters at No. 5 with 164,000. It's the new radio-promoted single from his album "Crash My Party."
Miley Cyrus' "We Can't Stop" falls 3-6 (148,000; down 6%) while Avicii's "Wake Me Up!" is pushed backwards 6-7 despite a 22% gain to 138,000 downloads.
Imagine Dragons' "Radioactive" tumbles 4-8 (121,000; down 9%) while Lana Del Rey & Cedric Gervais' "Summertime Sadness" is steady at No. 9 (117,000; up 15%). Lorde's No. 1 Alternative airplay hit "Royals" surges into the top 10 (15-10) with 107,000 (up 39%).
Digital track sales this past week totaled 23.1 million downloads, up 4% compared with last week (22.1 million) and down 7% stacked next to the comparable week of 2012 (24.8 million). Year-to-date track sales are at 843.3 million, down 3% compared with the same total at this point last year (870.2 million).
http://www.billboard.com/biz/article...-digital-songs
