The Week in Music Sales: Adele Returns to No. 1 on Billboard 200

Adele‘s 21 heads back the top slot (2-1) on the Billboard 200 albums chart for a third non-consecutive week, selling 98,000 (down 26%) according to Nielsen SoundScan. She bumps last week’s champ, Lupe Fiasco‘s Lasers, down to No. 3 (47,000; down 77%).

Debuting at No. 2 is rock band Rise Against with its sixth studio album Endgame, shifting 85,000. It easily marks the act’s best sales week and chart high. It surpasses its previous record frame, when its last set, 2008’s Appeal to Reason, debuted and peaked at No. 3 off a 65,000 start.

One other new album arrives in the top 10, as blink-182 drummer Travis Barker sees his (mostly) hip-hop collaborations set Give the Drummer Some enter at No. 9 with 28,000. On Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, it bows in the No. 2 slot. The set boasts a cavalcade of hip-hop heavyweights like Lil Wayne, Rick Ross, RZA, Fiasco, Snoop Dogg and Ludacris.

Just outside the top 10, Celtic Thunder‘s Heritage takes a St. Patrick’s Day-propelled 82-position leap to No. 11 (26,000; up 356%). It gives the ensemble its highest charting album yet and best sales frame.

Back in the top 10, the fifth volume of the Glee soundtrack series falls one slot to No. 4 (43,000; down 52%), Mumford & Sons‘ Sigh No More climbs two to No. 5 (41,000; down 10%) and Justin Bieber‘s Never Say Never: the Remixes rises three to No. 6 (34,000; down 15%). Avril Lavigne‘s Goodbye Lullaby descends three to No. 7 (32,000; down 64%), the Now 37 set is up two to No. 8 (30,000; down 7%) and Marsha Ambrosius‘ Late Nights & Early Mornings dips two to No. 10 (28,000; down 33%).

Overall album sales in this past chart week (ending March 20) totaled 5.71 million units, down 8% compared to the sum last week (6.22 million) and up 1% compared to the comparable sales week of 2010 (5.67 million). Year to date album sales stand at 64.72 million, down 6% compared to the same total at this point last year (69.08 million).

Next week’s Billboard 200 competes with the same week in 2010 when: Justin Bieber‘s My World 2.0 bowed at No. 1 with 283,000, Monica‘s Still Standing started at No. 2 (184,000) and the Now 33 compilation debuted at No. 3 (135,000). The previous week’s No. 1, Lady Antebellum‘s Need You Now, fell to No. 4 with 78,000 (down 16%).

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