ENTER THE FRAY
Denver-based The Fray follow up their successful Epic debut, How to Save a Life, with a self-titled sophomore effort that bows at #1 and amasses almost 190k in sales.
Amazingly, the group’s first album sold more than 2 million albums without ever cracking the Top 10.
That was more than enough to turn back last week’s topper, Bruce Springsteen’s Working on a Dream, as the Columbia album finishes at #2, with a little more than 100k, giving Rob Stringer’s Sony Music team the top two slots on the sales chart, and three of the Top 5, with Beyonce at #5.
Capitol Nashville country star Dierks Bentley’s Feel That Fire is the week’s other top debut, settling in at #3.
Big Machine’s Taylor Swift (#4), Roadrunner’s Nickelback (#6), J Records’ Jamie Foxx (#7), Razor & Tie’s debuting Kidz Bop 15 (#8), Geffen’s Keyshia Cole (#9) and Roc-a-Fella/IDJMG’s Kanye West (#10) complete the Top 10.
Virgin’s Red Jumpsuit Apparatus is the other top debut at #12, followed by Victory’s A Day to Remember (#21) and Curb’s Wynonna (#43).
The pre-Grammy hype helps a number of titles experience major increases, with Capitol’s Coldplay (#45-27, +60%) leading the way, while Columbia’s Best New Artist winner Adele (#24), J Records’ Leona Lewis (#38) and Arista’s Best R&B Album champ Jennifer Hudson (#45) all re-enter the Top 50.
Other Grammy-related movement is felt by Interscope’s Lady GaGa (#20-16, +46%), Atlantic’s Jason Mraz (#18-13, +39%), Cash Money/Universal Motown’s Lil Wayne (#27-22, +39%), Columbia’s John Legend (#41-32, +37%), Def Jam/IDJMG’s Ne-Yo (#28-23, +36%) and Capitol’s Katy Perry (#30-28, +27%).
A better picture of the post-Grammy spike will be available through the week and on next Tuesday’s chart.
Other double-digit gainers include Capitol Nashville’s Darius Rucker (#44-36, +21%), DGC/Interscope’s All-American Rejects (#42-35, +20%), Def Jam/IDJ’s Rihanna (#25, +18%), RCA/RMG’s Kings of Leon (#26, +18%) and both of Taylor Swift’s albums, Fearless her self-titled debut (#33), both up 17%.
Next week, look for new albums from Universal Republic’s India.Arie, Capitol’s Lily Allen, Universal Republic’s Lonely Island (featuring SNL’s Andy Samberg) and Capitol’s Bobby Valentino.
