HDD is taking a rest this week, so they just published the top 15 sales for the week. Traditionally, the last two weeks before Christmas are the biggest selling weeks of the year for albums. Albums make convenient last minute gifts and stocking stuffers. It’s no surprise that Taylor Swift, popular amongst many but including those young girls who have stockings that need stuffing, tops the chart this week. She moves 331K which is a good week any week of the year.
Buyers are also looking for something new to play on Christmas day while opening gifts and The Sing Off’s Pentatonix fits the bill this year. They have dominated Christmas album sales this year with their hip new take on Christmas classics with an original titling the album. The last time I remember an a capella group this successful was The Nylons.
Nicki Minaj, former American Idol judge during perhaps the worst year of judging that AI has ever had, has the debut of the week. Her “PinkPrint” is opening with about 201K, but she might be able to move ahead of Pentatonix on the BB200 chart with her single sales/streams. J. Cole is 4th in his second week (he was number one last week). D’Angelo makes it three Urban artist in a row debuting in 5th.
One Direction is firmly planted in the top 10 with their fourth album from this X-Factor five at sixth. Garth Brooks turned his back on iTunes and had a less than his usual stellar opening week, but continues to sell well for weeks at 7th. Sam Smith is having success on the singles front which is driving his CD sales. AC/DC is 9th and our old friend Frozen is back haunting the top 10 (after having been released for more than a year)
1 Taylor Swift “1989” 331K
2 Pentatonix “That’s Christmas to Me” 203K
3 Nicki Minaj “PinkPrint” 201K
4 J. Cole “2014 Forest Hills Drive” 111K
5 D’Angelo & the Vanguard “Black Messiah” 104K
6 One Direction “Four” 96K
7 Garth Brooks “Man Against the Machine” 83K
8 Sam Smith “In the Lonely Hour” 80K
9 AC/DC “Rock or Bust” 74K
10 Frozen Soundtrack 74K
…
12 Carrie Underwood “Greatest Hits: Decade #1” 64K
