DLR Album Sales Watch (12/3/09)

Pop star Rihanna did not debut Top 3. Behind feel-good story of the year, Susan Boyle and controversial dancer Adam Lambert, Ri-Ri’s Rated R premiered at #4, selling a tad under 200,000 units. The dark Def Jam relationship-rebound release has been met with mixed reviews, from one of the label’s biggest stars.

Michael Jackson could be platinum after next week. The This Is It collection includes Jackson hits like the Hip Hop favorite “Human Nature” various demo and single versions of other hits throughout the last three decades. The work fell two places to #4 from last week.

50 Cent’s potential last album from Interscope remained in the Top 20 for its second (charted) week. Before I Self Destruct boasts two bonus films, and some of the best critically-received work the Queens superstar has delivered since The Massacre.

Speaking of, The Black Eyed Peas climbed four spots with The E.N.D. The Electro-Pop work may be a departure from even the group’s more recent two albums, but the Good Life-birthed outfit remains an underground Hip Hop success story.

Jay-Z bounced back into the chart-twenties again with Blueprint 3. The Atlantic Records-distributed effort is within 100,000 units ofBlack Eyed Peas, for overall 2009 sales. After that, all that remains is another 100,000-plus units in Eminem’s Relapse as 2009’s top-selling Rap album.

* Please note: figures below approximated to nearest thousandeth.

Top 200 Album Sales (Top 5 Hip Hop/R&B)

Rank Artist Album This Week Est. Total

Cash Money Records loves Black Friday. Birdman and Jay Sean both debuted within five places of each other, collectively scanning over 60,000 units. The young Pop star nearly topped the label co-founder, as both are stars of radio in 2009.

Another label founder, Damon Dash, found success in BlakRoc. With only three days on charts, the self-titled project from The Black Keys that found Hip Hop guests including Jim Jones, M.O.P. and Mos Def debuted at #125. This may be the most successful Dame Dash project since Beanie Sigel’s The B.Coming.

Rakim slid to #147 with The Seventh Seal. The album, released through Bay Area’s SMC Records, featured an appearance from Maino, and production from Jake One, Nottz and longtime affiliate Nick Wiz. The effort is SMC’s most successful project this year, who also released projects from Capone-N-Noreaga and The Jacka.

Pittsburgh’s Wiz Khalifa, a DXnext alum, made it to the Soundscan charts for the first time in his career. Deal Or No Deal, released on iHipHop/Rostrum Records, scanned just under 6,000 units. The project features former Young Money star Curren$y, and marks Wiz’s first nationally-distributed album.

Will Rihanna get a #1? Will Birdman continue Cash Money’s chart-assault?

Source: HipHopDX

Susan Boyle Rules Hot 200, Making Best-Selling Debut of the Year

Susan Boyle scores the best-opening week for any album in U.S. and becomes female solo artist with the highest sale debut, beating Eminem and Ashanti’s records respectively.

As it has been predicted, Susan Boyle takes the crown of Billboard Hot 200 from last week’s champ John Mayer with her debut album “I Dreamed a Dream” which garners more than 701,000 copies in its first week on sale. It becomes the best-opening week for any album in U.S., beating Eminem’s fastest-selling record with “Relapse” which sold around 608,000 units in May and becoming the best sale frame on the chart since AC/DC’s “Black Ice” debuted with 784,000 in October 2008.

Also, Susan is named female solo artist with the highest sale debut, topping over the previous record which was held by Ashanti with her 2002 first self-titled effort “Ashanti” which pulled in around 503,000 copies. According to SoundScan’s tracking history moreover, there is only one other artist who scored a bigger opening week. Snoop Dogg’s “Doggystyle” barked with 803,000 in its first week back in 1993.

Susan’s reign forces the other new releases to step aside. In the wake of controversy surrounding his performance at 2009 American Music Awards, Adam Lambert enters at No. 3 with his debut release “For Your Entertainment” which sells 198,000 copies. Overshadowing him at the second spot is Andrea Bocelli with “My Christmas” which stays firm since two weeks ago with 218,000 (up 18%). Rihanna’s “Rated R”, meanwhile, takes the fourth place with 181,000.

Rounding the Top 5 is Lady GaGa with her first mini album “The Fame Monster” which bows with 174,000. She also claims the sixth spot with her first album “The Fame” which jumps from No. 34 to No. 6 with 151,000 (up 429%). The total selling number of “The Fame” is combined from the sales of her debut set in addition to a two-disc deluxe “The Fame” package that contains both “The Fame” and the new “Monster” disc.

John Mayer, meanwhile, falls from the top spot to No. 13 this week, scanning additional 92,000 copies (down 68%).

Top 10 of Billboard Hot 200:

1. “I Dreamed a Dream” – Susan Boyle

2. “My Christmas” – Andrea Bocelli

3. “For Your Entertainment” – Adam Lambert

4. “Rated R” – Rihanna

5. “The Fame Monster” – Lady GaGa

6. “The Fame” – Lady GaGa

7. “The Time of Our Lives [Walmart EP]” – Miley Cyrus

8. “Fearless” – Taylor Swift

9. “Play On” – Carrie Underwood

10. “The Fall” – Norah Jones

Source: AceShowBiz