So, I’m sure you’ve all seen various news articles saying things about the state of the music industry in the previous year. Here are a few irrefutable facts as well as a listing of the top selling albums of the year. Music sales are up vs. the previous year for the first time in seven years. Despite a so-so fourth quarter, sales of prerecorded full-length albums were up 1% over 2010. Does this mean the CD is on the rebound? […]
The Popblerd Chart Report 12/30/11: Adele’s Biggest Week Ever
Well, folks: we’re about to wrap up the chart year. There’s only one week left, and industry watchers are on the edge of their collective seats, wondering if music sales will actually increase over the year before. As we headed into late fall, that looked like a sure thing, as sales of albums were trending at about 4% over 2010. However, a 4th quarter schedule devoid of blockbuster releases a la Taylor Swift and Kanye West last year has narrowed […]
The Popblerd Chart Report 12/8/11: Christmas Bubles For All
A big ho ho ho to Michael Buble, as the Canadian crooner holds at #1 on this week’s album chart with his album Christmas. The album sells a healthy 293,000 units, easily outdistancing second weeks for the many debuts that entered last week. With no immediate challenger in site, it’s pretty easy to assume that Buble will retain pole position on the chart for the remainder of the year, and while there’s no way in hell he’ll pass Adele to […]
Blerd Briefs: The Hall of Fame & Katy Perry’s Sixth #1?
Will G’N R reunite now that they’ve become the latest Rock & Roll Hall of Fame inductees? Find out who else got inducted in this week’s Blerd Briefs column.
Popblerd Chart Report 12/1/11: Buble Black Friday
The biggest shopping week of the year, a 7-day period filled with superstar releases. The possibilities were endless. Would Rihanna score her first ever #1 album? Would rock band Nickelback give all the haters a metaphorical middle finger with a chart-topping debut? Would Mary J. Blige add to an impressive list of first-week numbers? Ladies and gentlemen, the #1 album in the country is: Michael Buble’s Christmas. The Canadian crooner’s holiday album, which has been out for over a month, […]
The Popblerd Chart Report 11/17/11: Wait,Who?
Who is this dude and why does he have the #1 album in the country?
The Popblerd Chart Report 11/3/11: A Good Day for Coldplay (BTW, That Rhymed)
Coldplay scores the biggest debut for a rock album in nearly three years. How did the other albums that came out last week fare on the Billboard charts?
Duet or Don’t, Volume 1: The Wonder of Michael
Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder were Motown prodigies who went on to become Grammy-winning behemoths. Mike Duquette takes a look at their collaborations in the first volume of “Duet or Don’t”!
The Popblerd Chart Report 10/27/11: Casting Crowns Come Up Short
Adele racks up a 13th week at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, bouncing back into pole position with her album 21. It’s the longest run at the top for an album in 12 years-since the “Titanic” soundtrack held sway for 16 long, LONG weeks. Unlike the Celine Dion-led film memento, something in me doubts that we’ll be seeing Adele’s album in $2 discount bins within half a decade. Adele’s return to the top blocks contemporary Christian act Casting […]
The Popblerd Chart Report 10/20/11: People Still Like Evanescence, Apparently
Absence may not necessarily make the heart grow fonder, but being away apparently doesn’t mean your fans totally forget you. What brings me to this conclusion? The fact that after a lengthy absence, Evanescence bows atop the Billboard album chart with their self-titled third album. Amy Lee and…and…who the hell else is in Evanescence these days?…bow with 127,000 copies sold. It’s a far cry from the 447,000 that greeted their last album, The Open Door five years ago, but it’s […]
The Popblerd Chart Report 11/13/11: Scotty McCreery’s Teenage Dream
Television viewers voted Scotty McCreery as the 10th American Idol, and those same viewers likely contributed to the teenager’s debut at the top of Billboard’s album charts this week. Clear As Day starts off at pole position with a fairly impressive 197,000 units sold. It’s the biggest first week sales total for any “Idol” champ since David Cook in 2008. Also worth noting, after a year and a half without a new solo artist debuting at #1 on the album […]