TEA

ANYONE FOR TEA? IGA retains the top spot for the same reasons it topped last week’s competition: The Great Gatsby soundtrack (93.9k in week two) and its hot-selling Lana Del Rey single (121k), along with Imagine Dragons’ hit album (25.2k) and single (141k)—plus the added firepower of Robin Thicke’s exploding “Blurred Lines” (206k; see next item). Doing the addition, we get a total with TEA of 145.3k on the two projects—which, for reference, trumps Vampire Weekend’s 135k chart-topping LP (XL Recordings), whose lead single hasn’t yet kicked in sales-wise. The John Janick-led label group also repeated at #1 in weekly overall share sans TEA. Universal Nashville, #1 in new-release share on the week (see 5/22 item below), is #3 overall but #7 with TEA included, as singles sales on Darius Rucker (88k) and Luke Bryan (60k) failed to give the total a significant boost. As for how Republic managed to hit #2 without a Top 15 album (highest charter: #18 Florida Georgia Line with 21.1k) and just one Top 15 single (the same group’s #4 “Cruise,” with 189k), it must have something to do with Charlie Walk’s ability to turn water into wine. As for the big picture, album sales were down 8% vs. last week, flat vs. same week last year and down 5% (or 6m units) year to date. Track sales were up 1% vs. last week, down 2% vs. same week last year and down 3% (or 14.1m units YTD). TEA sales were down 5% vs. last week, flat vs. same week last year and down 4% (or 7.4m units) YTD. (5/23a)