Overall album sales in this past chart week (ending March 6) totaled 6.34 million units, down 2% compared to the sum last week (6.50 million) and up 1% compared to the comparable sales week of 2010 (6.27 million). Year to date album sales stand at 52.79 million, down 8% compared to the same total at this point last year (57.32 million).
Digital track sales this past week totaled 25.44 million downloads, down 4% compared to last week (26.48 million) and up 10% stacked next to the comparable week of 2010 (23.09 million). Year to date track sales are at 240.61 million, up 7% compared to the same total at this point last year (225.49 million).
THIRD week in a row that album sales have been up versus last year's
And, once again, digital track sales are up from last year's as well.
HANG ON LUPE
Atlantic’s Fiasco Headed for #1 Debut, Glee Vo. 5, Lavigne Also Bow
March 9, 2011
It’s Lupe Fiasco time.
The Chicago-born rapper—real name Wasalu Muhammad Jaco—arrives with his third Atlantic Records studio album, Lasers, which will debut at #1 next week with between 220-240k in sales, the second biggest of the year next to Adele and the best start of his career.
Lupe Fiasco’s Food & Liquor, his Grammy-winning 2006 debut, bowed at #8 with 81k sold, and went on to sell 350k. His second album, the multi-Grammy-nominated Lupe Fiasco’s Cool, debuted at #15 in Dec., 2007, selling 143k, going on to a total of more than 500k.
Columbia’s Glee, Vol. 5 hits this week, with an expected sales total in the 90-100k range. This one features the gang’s mash-up of “Thriller” and Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Heads Will Roll,” along with versions of Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now,” Katy Perry’s “Firework,” Justin Bieber’s “Baby” and Queen’s “Fat Bottomed Girls.”
RCA/RMG rocker Avril Lavigne returns with Goodbye Lullabye, her fourth studio album and first since 2007’s The Best Damn Thing, which appears headed for 85-90k
R.E.M.’s Collapse Into Now, the band’s last album under the $80 million Warner Bros. contract it inked in 1988, which many are calling a return to their classic mid-’80s form, looks to be in the 45-50k range.
RCA Nashville country singer-songwriter Sara Evans’ Stronger and Ice H20/EMI rapper Raekwon’s Shaolin vs. Wu-Tang, are both looking at between 40-45k in first-week sales.
The market was down 2% vs. last week, up 1% vs. same week last year and now down 8% year to date.
Of course the album Lupe is the least satisfied with will be the most commercially successful. But I'm still very happy for him. He had to petition just to get the damn album released, so these numbers are incredible.
With under 100k in the U.S. and 135k in Japan, Avril will be lucky to top 300k WW.
RCA/RMG rocker Avril Lavigne returns with Goodbye Lullabye, her fourth studio album and first since 2007’s The Best Damn Thing, which appears headed for 85-90k
RCA/RMG rocker Avril Lavigne returns with Goodbye Lullabye, her fourth studio album and first since 2007’s The Best Damn Thing, which appears headed for 85-90k
To think people were expecting Avril to do near 150k. "WTH" has done nothing, and she is not an immensely relevant name anymore.
Anyway, Lupe. With his, Adele, and Britney upcoming numbers, YTD % should get better. Wish there were some major releases in April to further help it.. otherwise we're waiting for GaGa to close the gap up.
But I'm still very happy for him. He had to petition just to get the damn album released, so these numbers are incredible. 
With his, Adele, and Britney upcoming numbers, YTD % should get better. Wish there were some major releases in April to further help it.. otherwise we're waiting for GaGa to close the gap up.