BATS OUT OF HELL!
This week, it’s all about Upper West Side Afropop aficionados Vampire Weekend’s XL Recordings/Beggars Banquet album, Contra, the band’s sophomore effort, which bows at #1 with 121k in sales.
It’s the first-ever chart-topping debut for WMG’s indie distributor ADA.
Columbia’s Susan Boyle continues her Dream-come-true story, holding fast at #2 with another 81k added on to her still-climbing U.S. total, now approaching 3.3 million. Look for a boost on next week's chart following her performance this afternoon on Oprah, where she sang the album's one new, never-before-released song, "Who I Was Born to Be."
Kemosabe/RCA/RMG trash-talking Valley girl Ke$ha follows up her #1 debut for Animal with another 66k sold to land at #3, while Lady Gaga’s Interscope deluxe edition of The Fame (#4, +15%) and J/RMG’s Alicia Keys (#5) round out the best sellers.
Lady Gaga’s The Fame Monster EP (#6) is next, followed by Big Machine’s Taylor Swift (#7), Geffen’s Mary J. Blige (#8), Interscope’s Black Eyed Peas (#9) and Rhino’s Alvin & The Chipmunks The Squeaquel soundtrack (#10).
The two Gagas and the Peas give IGA ruler Jimmy Iovine three of the Top 10.
Music Works/EMI’s Omarion was the other top chart entry of the week at #17, along with Thrive’s Total Club Hits 4 (#23), their first through the recently inked distribution pact with Island Def Jam, and Capitol’s OK Go (#36).
Epic’s Michael Jackson This Is It (#25-13, +50%) and Number Ones (#35-26, +21%) are the week’s biggest double-digit gainers, followed by 19/RCA/RMG’s Adam Lambert (#41-34, +18%), Provident/Reunion’s Casting Crowns (#37-33, +14%), Blue Note/EMI’s Norah Jones (#32-29, +12%), SRC/Universal Motown’s Melanie Fiona (#45-40) and Hollywood’s Miley Cyrus (#48-43, +10%).
Hitting retail this week are Merge’s Spoon, Capitol/EMI’s 2010 Grammy Nominees album, Columbia’s Motion City Soundtrack and Columbia Nashville’s Gretchen Wilson.
