Soundscan Nixes Frank Ocean Amazon Sales

CROSSING THE OCEAN: Frank Ocean’s Def Jam/IDJ album Channel Orange debuted at #2 on HITS’ Album sales chart last week, moving a total of 131k, mostly from iTunes, but a handful of leaked hard copies, too. With the official physical release last week—minus Target, in protest of the digital exclusive—the album is on track to sell over 50k this week. SoundScan’s total will subtract the 15,000 or so from Amazon, who are selling the release at $2.99, given its arbitrary rule that a release has to be out a minimum of four weeks before including any sales below $3.49. Of course, that was after SoundScan had already counted sales of Lady Gaga’s Born This Way (99 cents), but before Madonna’s MDNA (given away with the price of a ticket, but ruled an "opt-in"). In order to deliver the most complete sales information, HITS will include all Amazon sales in its Frank Ocean chart total tomorrow to reflect IDJ’s aggressive digital and pricing policy in getting the critically acclaimed album out to as wide an audience as possible. (7/23p)