The Week in Music Sales: Adele’s ’21’ Holds Atop Billboard 200; Goes Gold

Adele‘s 21 stands firm at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart for a second week, moving 168,000 copies (down 52%), according to Nielsen SoundScan.

With a little over 520,000 sold in two weeks, 21 has swiftly become the year’s best selling album — and the only set to shift more than a half-million units thus far. The album 21 is the biggest selling debut of 2011 and is now officially certified gold. Former Floetry member Marsha Ambrosius strikes out on her own, bowing at No. 2 with her debut solo set, Late Nights & Early Mornings (96,000). With her handsome start, she immediately surpasses both the sales peaks and chart highs of either of Floetry’s two studio albums. The duo’s first, Floetic, topped out at No. 19 and did 41,000 in its best frame. The follow-up, Flo’Ology, peaked at No. 7 with 77,000.

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Ambrosius has already scored a pair of top 30 hits from the new album on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart with its lead-off track, Hope She Cheats On You (With a Basketball Player) (No. 22), and current single, Far Away (No. 28).

Also starting in the top 10 is the Dropkick Murphys, its first top 10 album — Going Out Of Style — enters at No. 6 with career-high sales week of 43,000. The rollicking Irish-punk band has notched seven previous charting albums, going as high as No. 20 with its last studio release, The Meanest of Times in 2007.

Aaron Lewis, frontman for rock band Staind, also lands in the top 10 with his premiere solo effort, Town Line. The album opens at No. 8 with 38,000. Town‘s first single, Country Boy, featuring George Jones and Charlie Daniels, is at No. 39 on the Rock Songs airplay tally.

The previously mentioned Mumford & Sons hold at No. 3 with Sigh No More (54,000; down 24%), while Justin Bieber‘s Never Say Never: the Remixes falls two to No. 4 (53,000; down 48%). The Now 37 collection slips one spot to No. 5 (44,000; down 24%) while Bieber’s My World 2.0 falls 5-8 (33,000; down 22%). Rounding out the top 10 are Bruno Mars‘ Doo-Wops & Hooligans, down three to No. 9 (32,000; down 13%) and P!nk‘s Greatest Hits … So Far!!!, rising two to No. 10 (31,000; up 22%).

Over on the Digital Songs chart, remains in control, as Born This Way spends a fourth week at No. 1, selling 231,000 downloads (down 19%). Right behind it is Jennifer Lopez‘s On the Floor, rising 3-2 in its second week with 223,000 (up 31%). The Pitbull-assisted track climbs thanks to the premiere of the song’s video on the March 3 edition of American Idol.

Britney Spears is the lone new arrival to the top 10, as her Till The World Ends bows at No. 10 with 117,000 after only three full days of sales. The single, which hit digital retailers on Friday, March 4, is the second release from her upcoming Femme Fatale album, due March 29. The set’s first offering, Hold It Against Me, bowed at No. 1 on Digital Songs eight weeks ago with 411,000. This week, it falls 20-26 with 65,000 (down 19%).

As for the rest of the top 10, Cee Lo Green‘s F**k You (Forget You) falls one to No. 3 (200,000; down 21%) and Rihanna‘s S&M is up a rung to No. 4 (178,000; up 5%). Katy Perry‘s E.T. slips a spot to No. 5 (167,000; down 2%) and Ke$ha‘s Blow climbs four positions to No. 6 (164,000; up 27%). Dr. Dre‘s I Need a Doctor (featuring Eminem and Skylar Grey) moves 6-7 (149,000; down 5%), P!nk‘s F**kin’ Perfect holds at No. 8 (140,000; down 2%) and Adele‘s Rolling in the Deep descends two to No. 9 (121,000; down 2%).

Overall album sales in this past chart week (ending March 6) totaled 6.34 million units, down 2% compared to the sum last week (6.50 million) and up 1% compared to the comparable sales week of 2010 (6.27 million). Year to date album sales stand at 52.79 million, down 8% compared to the same total at this point last year (57.32 million).

Digital track sales this past week totaled 25.44 million downloads, down 4% compared to last week (26.48 million) and up 10% stacked next to the comparable week of 2010 (23.09 million). Year to date track sales are at 240.61 million, up 7% compared to the same total at this point last year (225.49 million).

Next week’s Billboard 200 competes with the same week in 2010 when: Ludacris‘ Battle of the Sexes topped the list upon its debut, starting with 137,000, bumping the previous week’s No. 1, Lady Antebellum‘s Need You Now, down to No. 3 (105,000; down 17%). Gorillaz‘s Plastic Beach also started high, coming in at No. 2 with 112,000.