Country group Zac Brown Band nets its second No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 as "Uncaged" starts with a larger-than-expected 234,000 sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It earns the act its best sales week yet, trumping the 153,000 that "You Get What You Give" sold in its debut frame in 2010.

Some industry sources had thought the album was going to launch with perhaps 220,000, but the album did better that forecasted over the weekend. The number was aided by two significant TV performance on CBS' "The Late Show With David Letterman" (July 11) and NBC's "Today" (July 13).

Also amplifying "Uncaged's" number was Amazon MP3, which sale priced the set for the entire week at $3.99. While SoundScan does not break out how many copies are at a specific retailer, some sources suggest that Amazon may have contributed around 25,000 to 30,000 of "Uncaged's" debut frame.

"Uncaged" tallies the second biggest sales week this year for a country album. Only Carrie Underwood's "Blown Away" moved more in a week, when it arrived at No. 1 with 267,000 on the chart dated May 19. Further, in 2011, only one album sold more than 200,000 in a single week: Lady Antebellum's "Own the Night," which bowed with 347,000 on Oct. 1.

At No. 2 on the Billboard 200, the much buzzed-about R&B singer/songwriter Frank Ocean bows with his debut studio effort, "Channel Orange." The set sold 131,000 in its first week -- mostly from the iTunes Store. However, about 3,000 of that sum were physical CDs.

The set was initially exclusively released via iTunes on July 10 -- a week before its advertised street date of July 17. Since it dropped digitally, physical retailers were instructed by Ocean's label to start selling the CD version as soon as it arrives in stores. In turn, many brick-and-mortar retailers had the album on its shelves over the weekend.

Ocean's debut surpasses Usher's recent first-week with "Looking 4 Myself" (128,000) and almost matches the figure Chris Brown launched with "Fortune" a week ago (135,000). Ocean's bow is thus rather stunning. Consider how his album -- with comparably little promotion compared to Brown and Usher and basically only available at iTunes -- basically sold as well as two superstars with multiple hit radio singles and wall-to-wall promotion.

Zac Brown Band and Ocean are the lone debuts in the top 10 this week. The next highest arrival is at No. 12, where Hank Williams Jr. notches a career-high peak with the debut of "Old School New Rules" (25,000). The country veteran had previously gone as high as No. 16 -- twice. He hit No. 16 with both 2006's greatest hits set "That's How They Do It In Dixie" and his chart debut, 1965's "Your Cheatin' Heart."

Back in the top 10, Justin Bieber's "Believe" holds at No. 3 with 45,000 (down 35%), Brown's "Fortune" falls 1-4 with just under 45,000 (down 67%) and Maroon 5's "Overexposed" slips 4-5 with 44,000 (down 34%). Linkin Park's "Living Things" drops one rung to No. 6 with 37,000 (down 42%), One Direction's "Up All Night" rises four to No. 7 with 36,000 (up 1%) and Adele's "21" climbs a spot to No. 8 with 35,000 (down 14%).

With a 73rd week in the top 10, "21" has now spent more weeks in the top 10 than any other album by a woman in history. It surpasses the 72 week run of Alanis Morissette's "Jagged Little Pill." (Among all albums, the soundtrack to "The Sound of Music" has the most weeks in the top 10, with 109.)

Rounding out the Billboard 200's top 10 are Katy Perry's "Teenage Dream" (2-9 with 34,000; down 58%) and Kenny Chesney's "Welcome to the Fishbowl" (8-10 with 32,000; down 26%). "Teenage Dream" collapses after last week's rush up the chart, which was owed to a one-day 99-cent sale by Amazon MP3. A week ago, it rallied 21-2 with a 417% gain.

1. Zac Brown Band, 'Uncaged' [234,000] - DEBUT
2. Frank Ocean, 'Channel Orange' [131,000] - DEBUT
3. Justin Bieber, 'Believe' [45,000] {605,000}
4. Chris Brown, 'Fortune' [45,000] {179,000}
5. Maroon 5, 'Overexposed' [44,000] {335,000}
6. Linkin Park, 'Living Things' [37,000] {325,000}
7. One Direction, 'Up All Night' [36,000] - ???
8. Adele, '21' [35,000] {9,568,000}
9. Katy Perry, 'Teenage Dream' [34,000] {2,386,000}
10. Kenny Chesney, 'Welcome to the Fishbowl' [32,000] {922,000}

Teenage Dream

I thought this comparison only existed on music forums, but it's alarming. One can say that Frank had the whole 'coming out' thing, but that could have went either way and that's all he really had.

How much have Usher and Chris sold so far?

Frank outsold Usher

Not Mr. Caulfield clocking.

Happy Frank and Adele are both in the top 10.

3. Justin Bieber, 'Believe' [45,000]
7. One Direction, 'Up All Night' [36,000]

Woooooow at 1D's longevity!!

Kenny Chesney sold 32,000, not 26,000.

Bieber's album is doing a lot less than I thought it would, & he doesn't seem to be holding up well. I have a feeling he'll eventually stabilize & go platinum though.

"Uncaged" tallies the second biggest sales week this year for a country album. Only Carrie Underwood's "Blown Away" moved more in a week, when it arrived at No. 1 with 267,000 on the chart dated May 19. Further, in 2011, only one album sold more than 200,000 in a single week: Lady Antebellum's "Own the Night," which bowed with 347,000 on Oct. 1.



anyway congrats to ZBB

Who else thinks we will see 21 climb a bit after Marron 5 Linkin Park and JB falls below Adele XD

Hopefully Nas debuts at #1!

Yep, she will be in the Top Ten for a while longer yet.

Impressive sales for Frank.

One Direction's sales are actually a lot more stable that I would've thought considering not much is happening with them since WMYB is done.

On another note, does anyone know where to get weekly album sales for certain albums (I mean like how much it sold each week, I wanna see how Stronger started)

Idol chatter on USA today has weekly idol album and single sales

ZBB

one direction is going platinum in like 2 weeks if they keep the same numbers, their album's sales for this week is 935k

LIFE IS GOOD FOR NAS
Def Jam/IDJ Rapper Should Debut at #1 with 115-125k

July 18, 2012

Nas’ new Def Jam/IDJ album, Life is Good, is his 10th in an impressive career dating back to ‘94’s now iconic Illmatic. It should debut at #1 on next week’s HITS Album sales chart with between 115-125k, according to one-day figures provided by those music retailers who are still creating jobs, according to President Obama.

The quintessential N.Y. rapper’s last album, Untitled, debuted in July four years ago with 187k in first-week sales.

Razor & Tie’s latest edition of the Kidz Bop Kidz franchise is the 22nd in the long-running series since it launched in 2001, and has proven a big money-maker for the indie. This latest in what has become a cottage industry should do between 60-65k, which is even better than the last one. Eight of the titles in the franchise have gone gold.

Fearless Records San Diego-based punk rock band Pierce the Veil, formed by brothers Vic and Mike Fuentes, has previously released a pair of studio albums. Their third, Collide with the Sky, should do in the neighborhood of 25-30k its first week.

WaterTower’s Hans Zimmer soundtrack for Dark Knight Rises look to do between 20-25k, while Fallen Sparks/RED’s Matisyahu and Eleven Seven’s Hellyeah—a metal supergroup featuring Mudvayne’s Chad Gray and Greg Tribbett with members of Damageplan and Pantera drummer Vinnie Paul—should both do in the 14-17k range.

Album sales were down 4% vs. last week, down 1% vs. same week last year and down 3% year to date.

Track sales were down 3% vs. last week, up 9% vs. same week last year and up 6% year to date.

TEA sales were down 4% vs. last week, up 2% vs. same week last year and flat year to date.


I really thought Nas was going to do more lol.

Frank

Yay Frank