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Jay-Z's success has caused many in the industry to rethink the process of bringing a superstar release to market in 2013.

MAGNA CARTA? HOLY SHIT!!!!

Jay-Z’s Game-Changer Rules With 528k; Ciara, Skylar Grey Also Bow

You didn’t need a Samsung Galaxy phone to predict that Jay-Z would rule the week.

Following his feverishly discussed, virally argued, precedent-smashing rollout—which started with the July 4 giveaway of a million or so digital copies via the Magna Carta Holy Grail app—the rapper-mogul’s Roc-a-Fella/Roc Nation release clocked 528k on our Album Sales Chart with his “traditional” retail debut.

Just for context, that’s better than his last several releases, including 2009’s The Blueprint 3, which moved 465k, and 2012’s Kanye co-starrer Watch the Throne, which sold 476k.

We've discussed the campaign in detail elsewhere; suffice to say that the multiple moving parts worked together splendidly, and that this success has caused many in the industry to rethink the process of bringing a superstar release to market in 2013.

So what else happened on the chart this week? There were two other Top 10 debuts, for one thing. Epic’s Ciara nabbed the #2 spot with 57k, and KidinaKorner/Interscope artist Skylar Grey’s 24k was good for #8.

Roc Nation/Columbia’s J. Cole (following last week’s #1 with 38k, down 31% for a #3 finish), Republic Nashville’s Florida Georgia Line (#4, 33.3k, +8%), KidinaKorner/Interscope’s Imagine Dragons (#5, flat at 33.2k), Roc-a-Fella/Def Jam/IDJ’s Kanye West (#6, 28k, -29%) and Columbia’s Daft Punk (#9, 22k) were among the chart veterans filling out the Top 10.

It’s also worth noting that even as RCA’s Justin Timberlake falls to #11, his Vol. 2 of his 20/20 Experience and the combined Complete Experience set are scaring up mad pre-orders online. That’s three new albums in the marketplace at once.

Anyhoo, the greatest percentage gainer was Motown’s Chrisette Michele, whose 8k marked a 21% jump.

Streeting this week: Epic’s Sara Bareilles, who had seized the #1 spot on the iTunes albums chart at presstime, Cash Money/Republic rapper Ace Hood and Vanguard’s Matt Nathanson, among others.

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