I don't know. For all the hype about "Norah saving the day" and kick starting album sales in 2007, and when you compare it to the 1 million copies her last album sold in it's first week, isn't her opening week figure a little dissapointing? (even though yeah, its a kick ass sales week for the most part)

KEEPING UP WITH JONES
Norah Nears 350k Mark, With McPhee at 100k, Celtic Woman Up Next

January 31, 2007

It took a month, but things are picking up out there in record retail land.

Let’s just hope it’s Not Too Late. Which just happens to be the name of Norah Jones’ eagerly awaited third album for Blue Note, and it hasn’t come a moment too soon... not just for EMI, but for the entire business. Based on one-day sales from retailers still solvent around the country indicate the album could go as high as 350k, and maybe even higher considering it’s an upper-demo title. The disc had already broken the pre-order sales record at Amazon.com with between 35-40k.

Hopefully, the 1-2-3 punch of the next two weeks, including the release of IDJ’s new Fall Out Boy album, Infinity on High, on Feb. 6, the Grammys on Feb. 11 and Valentine’s Day on Feb. 14 will kick-start the beleaguered biz.

American Idol album Katharine McPhee’s self-titled RCA debut is on target for 100k and a probable #2 finish to Jones, with plenty of TV exposure, including a stint on the popular TV Ugly Betty.

Angel/Manhattan’s new Celtic Woman CD, A New Journey, is from a live performance at Slane Castle in Ireland and follows the release of their successful Christmas album last October. With a simultaneous DVD release and an upcoming PBS special, the disc is expected to sell from 60-70k its first week.

Hidden Beach’s former Grammy winner Jill Scott, now distribbed by UMGD, returns with The Real Thing, which is on target to sell between 40-45k.

Columbia jazz crooner Harry Connick Jr.’s Oh My NOLA, a tribute to his hometown of New Orleans, is expected to attract 30-35k buyers.

Capitol U.K. pop-ska phenom Lily Allen, thanks to Starbucks visibility, will top 20k and could go as high as 25k.

Sony BMG’s Now for the Red States, Totally Country Vol. 6, bows with a target of 25k, while Vagrant’s emo standard-bearers Alkaline Trio are back with Remains, their first album since 2005’s Crimson and earmarked for between 15-20k in first week sales.

Next Tuesday (2/6), IDJ’s Fall Out Boy arrive with their follow-up to the multi-platinum debut From Under the Cork Tree.

The market was up 5% vs. last week, down between 15-16% vs. same week last year and now down over 15% year-to-date.

100k for katharine mcphee...hmmm...good i guess? at least it's set for #2 but i expected better sales

sales never died, and i'm sure katherine will sell still when the 2nd single comes b/c admit it she has better songs than OI.

lilly allen only 20k?
yay for norah, thought her music puts me to sleep i really like her. [/support her album/]



by the way why is she so big? 1mil for her first album? thats something.....

Katharine > Norah

all 30+ people and people who read the new yorker, consider her their own britney/madonna something....+these people buy records, they don´t download it

Yeah, I agree, although Katherine chose a bad 1st single.

350K is good compared to the sales figures these days. Norah well deserves the #1.

And they said Pretty Ricky was this week's #1, maybe they'll fall hard like Game did or hold on tough like High School Musical soundtrack. It all depends on the ever so important 2nd week.

Ok, maybe a bad example but.....yeah.

I am not so sure ages over 30 limits people from illegal downloading. Hillbillies who steal range in all ages from what I have seen. And unless they are taking the lossless versions, they are getting sub-digital quality for all of their work. Dumb people amuse me.

As for next week, I will probably get the new Fall Out Boy since I bought Cork Tree and Grave on their release dates. But I have been pretty let down by their two charted singles I have heard so far. Maybe they are saving their best for later.

ok, 350k is big, but compared to what "feels like home" did, just some 2 years ago, it´s not impressive at all....i´d expect more, but i think it´ll have a big 2nd and 3rd week to, unlike most popartists.

Oh, and I don't think 350k is good for Norah. We can't blame bad sales, or the time of the year, back in early February 2004 she sold almost 1.1 million, that's a HUGE decline.

...

So the newest Next Big Thing From Britain will end up selling less than Paris, Brooke or Vanessa in her opening week?

Heh.

my mom is 40, and sometimes reads the new yorker, i doubt she evens knows who she is

Whats the lossless version? i didnt know the quality is different from what you buy/download

Since I have yet to hear ANYTHING from Norah's latest album, 350K+ is excellent in my opinion.

the cd came out wayyy too soon i doubt people even know who she is. im yet to hear the song on the radio and Fuse is the only place i see the vid for smile.

Geez, I really hope Kath will sell more and debut #1.
But whatever! WTf? LILY ALLEN only 20k? Disaster!

Norah's decline seems massive, BUT (I don't even know why I'm bringing her into this with the psychos around here), Britney's Oops! sold 1.3 mill, and she basically had about a 500k-600k drop to I think it was 775k for the 1st week of Britney? I know if was somewhere in the 700k range. So basicall, if you take 500k - 600; away from Norah's 1.1 mill, 350k is ok.

CD sales STILL suck massively.

It's the time of year. January sales typically are not good.

Lily only 20k...? thats bad

Norah Nears 350k Mark, With McPhee at 100k,