It seems that every week, there is a new Adele-related accolade to tout.
And this week is no different, as her 21 album hits its 17th week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 (95,000; down 9%). 21 has been No. 1 longer than any other album since since The Bodyguard soundtrack wrapped a 20-week run at No. 1 on the May 29, 1993, chart.
Could 21 hold on another week at the top? That all depends on how new albums from Tim McGraw (Emotional Traffic), Celtic Woman (Believe) and Kellie Pickler (100 Proof) — among others — sell this week. Also new to market: the 2012 Grammy Nominees compilation.
Elsewhere on this week’s chart, the Kidz Bop 21 album debuts at No. 2 with 59,000 sold. That entry grants the long-running series its 14th top 10 set and fourth to reach the runner-up slot. (The “Kidz” have yet to claim a No. 1 set on the Billboard 200.) The last “Kidz” set — Kidz Bop 20 — started at No. 2 as well, with 69,000 sold on the Aug. 6, 2011, chart.
The second-highest debut arrives at No. 7 by James Fortune & FIYA, who sees its Identity land with 18,000. It’s the best sales week and highest-charting album for the gospel singer — who also debuts at No. 1 on the Gospel Albums chart. On the latter tally, it’s his first leader after reaching No. 2 twice previously.
As for the rest of the top 10 this week, the Black Keys‘ El Camino holds at No. 3 (29,000; down 20%) while Drake’s Take Care is also stationary at No. 4 (29,000; down 8%). (Only a couple hundred sales separate the two titles this week.)
Rihanna’s Talk That Talk is up two slots to No. 5 (20,000; down 8%), Young Jeezy’s T M:103 Hustlerz Ambition is steady at No. 6 (19,000; down 19%), and Toby Keith’s Clancy’s Tavern zooms 22-8 with 17,000 (up 27%). The latter album’s physical CD was sale-priced for just $4.99 at Target stores last week. Also priced at only $4.99 last week: George Strait’s Icon greatest hits (118-66 with 6,000; up 63%) and Le’Andria Johnson’s The Awakening of Le’Andria Johnson (174-79 with 5,000; up 78%).
Rounding out the top 10 are Coldplay’s Mylo Xyloto (moving 8-9 with 17,000; down 13%) and Nickelback’s Here and Now (falling 9-10 with nearly 17,000; down 13%).
Right outside the top 10 is the third-biggest entry of the week, as Attack Attack’s This Means War bows at No. 11 (17,000). Right behind that is the surging Joyful Noise soundtrack, which zips 21-12 with not quite 17,000 (up 23%).
On the Digital Songs chart, David Guetta’s “Turn Me On,” featuring Nicki Minaj, blasts from No. 7 to No. 1, selling 198,000 downloads (up a whopping 44%). It’s the first No. 1 on the Digital tally for either artis, and should bode well for the song’s fortunes on the Billboard Hot 100. (News on the latter list will be released later on Wednesday.)
Last week’s No. 1, Adele‘s “Set Fire to the Rain,” slips to No. 2 with 185,000 (down 4%). Right behind her is a hard-charging Kelly Clarkson, which sees her “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” fly 11-3 with 175,000 sold (up 48%).
Tyga’s “Rack City” falls one spot to No. 4 (148,000; down 11%), Flo Rida’s “Good Feeling” slips 2-5 with 142,000 (down 21%), and Rihanna’s “We Found Love” holds at No. 6 with 140,000 (up less than 1%). LMFAO’s “Sexy and I Know It” slides three rungs to No. 7 (134,000; down 14%), Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa’s “Young, Wild & Free” drops three to No. 8 (134,000; down 11%), and Jessie J’s “Domino” hits the top 10 for the first time, climbing 16-9 (122,000; up 25%). Closing out the top 10 is Katy Perry’s “The One That Got Away,” which rebounds 14-10 with 117,000 sold (up 9%). The latter track benefits from an acoustic version of the song, which was released to digital retailers on Jan. 16.
Overall album sales in this past chart week (ending Jan. 22) totaled 5 million units, down 1% compared with the sum last week (5.1 million) and down 4% compared with the comparable sales week of 2011 (5.3 million). Year-to-date album sales stand at 16 million, up 3% compared with the same total at this point last year (15.5 million).
Digital track sales this past week totaled 27.9 million downloads, down 2% compared with last week (28.6 million) and up 6% stacked next to the comparable week of 2011 (26.4 million). Year-to-date track sales are at 89.2 million, up 7% compared to the same total at this point last year (83.6 million).
Next week’s Billboard 200 competes with the same week in 2011 when: Amos Lee’s Mission Bell rang the bell at No. 1, debuting with 40,000. Iron & Wine’s Kiss Each Other Clean started in the runner-up slot with 39,000. The previous week’s No. 1, the Decemberists’ The King Is Dead, fell to No. 10 with 29,000 (down 69%).
