IT’S 1989 (AGAIN)
It’s no big surprise that Big Machine’s Taylor Swift has scored #1 honors in her second week atop the HITS Building Album Sales Chart with 403k (-69%). Yep, that’s still more than all of the Top 15 totals combined.
And just for some perspective, if the album were debuting this week, that number would make it 2014’s second-biggest bow of the year. The only thing bigger was her first-week number.
The story also remains the same for the #2 record this week, as NOW’s Now 52 pulls in another 60k (-39%).
As for the debuts, Bette Midler’s It’s the Girls bows at #3 with 39k and Columbia’s Calvin Harris rounds out the Top 5 with just under 35k for Motion.
Speaking of impressive bows, it’s worth shining a light on Azealia Banks, who hit #30 with 11k for Jeff Kwatinetz's Prospect Park via Dom Pandiscia's Caroline, after Broke With Expensive Taste’s surprise release took the internet by storm and sparked the birth of a slightly provocative hashtag… #BWET.
Sony Music Nashville’s Doobie Brothers are surely looking to spark a celebratory doobie after snagging 16k at #16 with their country-tinged Southbound.
Broken Bow’s Jason Aldean lands the #4 spot with another 35k (-18%) and Columbia’s Barbra Streisand makes a strong #11-8 jump with 28k (-3%), while Valory’s Brantley Gilbert (#10, 26k, +310% on a Google 99-cent sale), Warner Bros. Nashville’s Blake Shelton (#11, 21k, +159%) and RCA Nashville’s Miranda Lambert (#15, 17k, +269%) see massive post-CMAs bumps.
It's also turned out to be a fine week for dudes named Sam. MCA Nashville’s buzzing Sam Hunt drops a modest 58% in his second week, earning another 29k for Montevallo. Meanwhile, Capitol’s breakout sensation Sam Smith proves he’s someone to “stay with,” earning another 27k (+6%) and striding #13-9.
For the rest of this week’s stats, click here.
Streeting this week are albums from Roswell/RCA’s Foo Fighters, Columbia’s Pink Floyd and Pearl/RCA Nashville’s Garth Brooks. There’s no doubt that Taylor will enjoy the view from #1 for a third consecutive week; the Foos look to score the biggest bow, while Garth and Pink Floyd duke it out for #3.
