It seems that Country has returned to its dominating ways. Q4 of 2010 was chock full of major Country artists releasing CDs so it’s no surprise that Country acts are still all over the HDD chart, but also holding 4 of the top 10 spots. Of course, holding number 1 spot since vanquishing Cowell’s British Songbird and Cat-Lady SuBo is the teen Country sensation Taylor Swift (she hasn’t been a teen since 2009, but it’s hard not to still think of her that way).
Holding down the number two and ten spots is Lady Antebelleum. Perhaps the most surprising thing about that is that it is their Christmas album that’s at number 2. What’s up with that? Who buys Christmas albums in January? Was there a big sale? Is the title “Merry Little Christmas” a Trojan title and it’s really full of non-Christmas music? Were people stocking up on Christmas albums like they were wrapping paper? Is Lady Antebellum popular with Eastern Orthodox people? I do not know.
Number three is held by Jason Aldean who seems to really have put together an album with legs. To be honest, he was way below my radar before he decided to duet with Kelly Clarkson at a Country awards ceremony (that format seems to have awards shows almost weekly, so don’t ask me which one). That duet appears on the album and is number 17 on the Country chart so our original recipe Idol is helping to move those units.
Finally, breaking through the country artists are a couple of rappers. Newcomer Nicki Minaj is at number 4 and old-timer Eminem is at number 5. Kid Rock continues the country tradition at number 6, Bruno Mars has the same place he had last week at number 7, R. Kelly has put his reputation behind him at number 8 and Katy Perry may not be able to sing but she can move albums so she’s still at number 9.
Now, where are those Idols (other then the aforementioned Miss Clarkson)? Crystal Bowersox seems to be sticking around with her album sitting at 43 (up from 48 last week) on the chart. Daughtry and Adam appear on the Now 36 album, now at 14 on the chart. And Jordin has a collaboration on the Big Time Rush album BTR at 44.
Only 40.05% of the vendors have reported in and the initial reports tend to come from the more country leaning vendors so we still have a lot of chart watching to do before the end of the day.
This is the daily numbers thread – the thread for Doo-Wops and Hooligans alike. Which are you?
CHART DATE: 01/10/2011
LAST UPDATE: 01/10/2011 13:51:50
NOW IN: 40.05%
LW TW artist / album label power index
1 1 TAYLOR SWIFT SPEAK NOW 28, 436
— 2 LADY ANTEBELLUM MERRY LITTLE CHRISTMAS 14, 613
11 3 JASON ALDEAN MY KINDA PARTY 14, 335
5 4 NICKI MINAJ PINK FRIDAY 13, 461
2 5 EMINEM RECOVERY 11, 931
18 6 KID ROCK BORN FREE 10, 309
7 7 BRUNO MARS DOO-WOPS & HOOLIGANS 10, 305
14 8 R. KELLY LOVE LETTER 10, 215
9 9 KATY PERRY TEENAGE DREAM 9, 245
28 10 LADY ANTEBELLUM NEED YOU NOW 9, 108
…
26 14 NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL MUSIC 36 VARIOUS ARTISTS 6, 835
…
20 37 GLEE CAST GLEE: THE MUSIC, VOL. 4 3, 281
…
48 43 CRYSTAL BOWERSOX FARMER’S DAUGHTER 3, 038
22 44 BIG TIME RUSH BTR 2, 974
