Well, this has been a topsy-turvy week on the charts and it just goes to prove the old adage that it’s not over over until the hairy dude sings. We started the week with the numbers indicating that NOW 56 (including “Beautiful Life” from our most recent Idol winner Nick Fradiani) would end the week in first with a chance that Idol’s Carrie Underwood might slide into first during her second week.
But that as all before Chris Stapleton’s star-making duet with Justin Timberlake on the CMAs on Wednesday. Suddenly, all bets were off and even Adele had to worry about a challenger on the singles front. Already, with 88% of reports in (who knows what HDD really means by that), Chris has charged to the top of the chart with only about 24 hours worth of sales. That would largely just be his digital total and once you whack his single sales on top of that, he’s getting the BB200 top. The record keepers should perk up because Chris must be flirting with records of “longest to get to number 1”. Usually, number ones are reserved for debut or slightly older albums. His sales increased a whopping 4000% overnight and his album is going from not being on the BB200 to topping it.
Eric Church also suddenly decided to drop an album Wednesday night at the CMAs, so that could play a factor as well (it’s currently sitting at 4th) behind Carrie at second and No2 56 at third. Disney released some compilation album of various stars singing various Disney songs as they do every couple of years (this year, one of the stars included is Tori Kelly singing “Colours of the Wind” from Pocohontas).
Hard rockers Def Leppard have a new self-titled album out this week, but the need to settle back to 6th (and probably further back on the combined chart). The Neighbourhood is an alt-rock band from California and they are set to debut with their second album at 8th. Taylor Swift along with Carrie Underwood are the lone hold-overs from last-week’s chart in the top 10 (Chris’s album is also not a debut). Her “1989” is at 8th, but should move up with her strong single sales.
Elvis may or may not have been dead for the last several decades, but that hasn’t stopped him from releasing new albums. This new one seems to be him singing over orchestral versions of his songs. Keeping a legacy alive or milking a cash cow? You decide. It’s the 9th best selling album at this point in the building chart.
Chris Jansen (Country) closes out the top 10 for now.
All of these country artist are pushing others out of the chart, so Pentatonix slips from 5th to 15th (last week’s number one didn’t even make the top 10). Meanwhile, their Christmas album was the best selling Christmas album last year and it seems poised to repeat that this year. The album moved up to 29th because it is never too early to start your Christmas shopping. Are there any big Christmas albums planned for this year.
Blake Shelton, a judge on The Voice and currently dating a judge on The Voice, is also in the top 50. His “Greatest Hits” album is sitting at number 13 on the building chart.
HDD Sales Chart (88%)
— 1 CHRIS STAPLETON TRAVELLER MERCURY NASHVILLE 61,499
2 2 CARRIE UNDERWOOD STORYTELLER 19/ARISTA NASHVILLE 47,558
— 3 NOW 56 VARIOUS ARTISTS NOW/UME 46,368 [Nick Fradiani]
— 4 ERIC CHURCH MR. MISUNDERSTOOD EMI NASHVILLE 37,412
— 5 WE LOVE DISNEY VARIOUS ARTISTS VERVE 21,015 [Tori Kelly]
— 6 DEF LEPPARD DEF LEPPARD MAILBOAT 18,212
— 7 THE NEIGHBOURHOOD WIPED OUT! COLUMBIA 16,958
8 8 TAYLOR SWIFT 1989 BIG MACHINE 14,830
— 9 ELVIS PRESLEY IF I CAN DREAM RCA 14,304
— 10 CHRIS JANSON BUY ME A BOAT WARNER BROS. NASHVILLE 14,210
…
4 13 BLAKE SHELTON RELOADED: 20 #1 HITS WARNER BROS. NASHVILLE 10,845
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5 15 PENTATONIX PENTATONIX RCA 9,504
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— 29 PENTATONIX THAT’S CHRISTMAS TO ME – DELUXE TRACKS RCA 5,649
…
35 50 HAMILTON ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST UPTOWN 2,451
