Chart Buzz: Eminem, Lady Gaga, Cities 97, Lorde
This week in CHART BUZZ: Eminem stays on top, so does Lorde. Lady Gaga? It’s a much different story.
Rap king Eminem is back on top of the board this week. With a whopping 120,000 copies sold, Eminem’s Marshall Mathers LP 2 soared to the number one slot on the Billboard 200 on its third week of release, pushing Lady Gaga’s ARTPOP down, way down. Gaga’s latest album, a disaster when compared with the success of 2011’s Born This Way, dropped 1-8 on week two. It’s the largest sales drop (82 percent) of the year, surpassing major declines from Kanye West’s controversial disc Yeezus (80.3 percent) and Justin Timberlake’s 20/20 Experience sequel (Part 2 of 2, 80.1 percent). Selling only a measly 42,000 copies on week two, Gaga’s closest followers are probably scrambling to find a way to get their queen back on the top. Those numbers are much smaller than Born This Way, despite the limited-time $1 Amazon offer that pushed its album sales beyond the one million mark. On the second week of Born This Way, it remained at the number one slot.
KTCS 97-FM should be elated to see their annual two-disc compilation of live sessions swinging to the number 10 slot on the Billboard 200. The charity disc – featuring performances from Fitz & the Tantrums, fun., Amos Lee, Delta Rae, Matchbox Twenty and Neon Trees – gives 100% of profits going to Minneapolis charities. The set – priced at $32.97 – was sold at Target stores in and around Minneapolis-St. Paul, and has since sold out. Because of licensing restrictions from the the artists’ record labels, they were only able to print up to 40,000 copies, making the disc one heck of a valuable collectors’ item. You might be able to find a few copies at the station’s website by clicking here. Good luck with that.
Lorde remains “lord” of the Billboard Hot 100. With her breakout hit “Royals,” the 17-year old singer-songwriter remains in control of the singles’ survey for a ninth week. The reign is, of course, keeping Eminem’s “The Monster,” featuring Rihanna, at bay. It sits at number two on the chart. “Royals” is also sitting at the top of the Radio Songs chart (in its sixth week at No. 1). But Eminem’s “The Monster” is showing major signs of an eventual takeover. It rocketed to number 2 on the Hot 100 in its third week of release. It currently sits at number 1 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs survey and is the greatest Airplay Gainer for the third week in a row, climbing 8-6 on Radio Songs with a 32 percent increase. Trailing behind are hits from Miley Cyrus (“Wrecking Ball,” No. 3), OneRepublic (“Counting Stars,” No. 4) and Avicii (“Wake Me Up,” No. 5).
week of December 7, 2013
(Billboard/Nielsen SoundScan)
Billboard Hot 100
1. Lorde – “Royals”
2. Eminem – “The Monster” (feat. Rihanna)
3. Miley Cyrus – “Wrecking Ball”
4. OneRepublic – “Counting Stars”
5. Avicii – “Wake Me Up!”
6. Imagine Dragons – “Demons”
7. Katy Perry – “Roar”
8. Pitbull – Timber (feat. Ke$ha)
9. Drake – “Hold On, We’re Going Home” (feat. Majid Jordan)
10. Passenger – “Let Her Go”
Billboard 200
1. Eminem – The Marshall Mathers LP 2
2. Five Finger Death Punch – The Wrong Side of Heaven and the Righteous Side of Hell: Vol. 2
3. Various Artists – Now 48
4. The Robertsons – Duck the Halls: A Robertson Family Christmas
5 . Various Artists – The Hunger Games: Catching Fire Soundtrack
6 . Daughtry – Baptized
7. Yo Gotti – I Am
8. Lady Gaga – ARTPOP
9. Kelly Clarkson – Wrapped in Red
10. Various Artists – Cities 97 Sampler / Live from Studio C: Vol. 25
