iTunes charts

iTUNES CHARTS: What does this Friday morning sales snapshot tell us about the big picture? For starters, the Grammy spike is sustained and spread around, with acts that performed on the big stage accounting for six of the top seven albums. What’s more, Macklemore and Ryan Lewis appear to have arrived as career artists, as “Thrift Shop” carries The Heist into the Top 10, while the Pitch Perfect phenomenon shows that a soundtrack can outstrip the movie from which it sprang. And look at the strong initial showing being made by the Aussie brother band Atlas Genius, whose “Trojans” is also #1 on KROQ. On the singles side, Baauer’s “Harlem Shake” is but the latest example of how quickly a track can explode behind a YouTube viral ignition. Finally, let’s welcome back Nelly to the leaderboard; the dude always had a way with a hook, and it looks like he has a shot to once again put points on the scoreboard, as he did so consistently during the oughts. (2/22a)