You’d be forgiven if the news that INXS are calling it quits failed to turn many heads. The Australian band, for all intents and purposes, ceased to exist for many after lead singer Michael Hutchence’s lifeless body was found in a Sydney hotel room almost 15 years ago. There was no New Order-esque transition into something different, though not for lack of trying – assuming “ searching for a new frontman on a reality show ” and “ putting together a bizarre covers/tribute album with guest vocalists ” counts as “trying.” But I’m not going to say nor hear a bad word about […]
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 […]
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 9/29/11: Age Ain’t Nothin’ But A…
By debuting at #1 with Duets II, legendary crooner Tony Bennett sets a record-becoming the oldest living artist to score a number one album on Billboard’s Top 200 chart. At age 85, it’s hard to imagine anyone eclipsing that record anytime soon. Somewhat surprisingly, Duets II is also Bennett’s first-ever Number One album. You gotta love not only Bennett’s staying power, but also the fact that an artist like him, with no MTV or radio support, no publicity scandal or […]
Chart Stalker 9/15/11: Strait to…#3?
A country superstar he may be, but the legendary George Strait couldn’t topple Lil Wayne or Adele from their perches at the top of the Billboard album charts this week. His Here For A Good Time makes a pretty respectable debut with 91,000 units sold, but lands at #3 on the list, behind Weezy’s 219,000 (a pretty steep dropoff in The Carter IV‘s second week…blame it on bad word of mouth) and Adele’s 121,000. Adele’s numbers continue to be mind-blowing. […]
Chart Stalker 9/8/11: Weezy Reigns Supreme
Lil Wayne does it again. The pint-sized rapper has just rung up the second-biggest sales week of 2011 so far with his latest effort, Tha Carter IV. Ringing in with 964,000 copies sold, Weezy comes just a hair’s breadth away from matching the first week sales of his chart-topping magnum opus (and last *proper* album), Tha Carter III. How big is this number? Well, if the year was to end today, Wayne would have the fifth biggest selling album of […]
Chart Stalker: Throne Maintained; Weezy & Drake’s Domination
This week’s Billboard album chart has a familiar ring to it: Jay-Z and Kanye West hold the #1 spot for a second week with Watch The Throne. Featuring the hit single “Otis”, the hip-hop superstar summit rings up another 177,000 units in sales this week. It sells more than double the quantity of the week’s #2 album, which is–looky looky–Adele’s 21. Now riding the wave of a second hit single (“Someone Like You” hits the Top 40 this week), Adele’s […]
Chart Stalker 8/19/11: Are We Already Out of Throne Jokes?
Surprising no one, Jay-Z and Kanye West debut at the top of Billboard’s album charts this week with Watch The Throne. The highly anticipated wap cowabbowation (sorry, that was my RZA voice) scores 2011’s second-biggest first week, after Lady GaGa’s Born This Way (which is still holding on at #18). Unlike GaGa, Jay and ‘Ye didn’t benefit from special pricing at a digital account. Actually, it could be argued that Throne was a limited release. It was available for half […]
Chart Stalker 8/11/11: Spirit of ’75
Yet another boring week on the Billboard album charts. Adele spends a 12th week at the top of the charts with 21, although she only needed to sell 70,000 albums to do it. Country star Trace Adkins and singer/songwriter type Mat Kearney debut in the Top Five. The biggest news comes from hipster-pop band Foster the People, as their debut album, Torches, jumps into the Top 20 and “Pumped Up Kicks” looks to be one of the year’s surprise hits. […]
Chart Stalker 8/3/11: Who is Eric Church?
Simple answer: he’s the guy with the #1 album in the country right now. The North Carolina-bred country singer has scored two top 10 albums prior to the release of his latest album, Chief. Talk about truth in titles, Church finds himself the chief of the charts right now, moving 145,000 units and topping the country list as well as the overall Billboard 200. His previous album, Carolina, benefits from the release of the new album as well. The album […]