Posted: Nov Fri 2008 8:23 AM CST
Beyonce’s “I Am…Sasha Fierce” Debuts At No. 1
Beyonce Knowles, always the Survivor, has hit the top of the Billboard charts with the debut of her newest double-disc record, I Am…Sasha Fierce.
The Music World/Columbia recording sold 482,000 copies in the first week–astounding, especially in light of the industry’s shifting form.
The songs are meant to debut a more personal side of the star, who wrote more for this project than any before, as well as debuting her new alter ego, Sasha Fierce. “If I Were a Boy” and “Single Ladies (Put a Ring on It),” from the record, are already hit singles.
Her third No. 1 debut
It’s her third No. 1 debut so far. Her last record, B-Day, debuted with 541,000 copies sold in 2006, and Dangerously in Love, her first solo EP, debuted with 317,000 in 2003.
The rest of Billboard’s top 200 did some shifting, and showed a few incoming hit debuts. Nickelback’s Dark Horse debuted at No. 2, selling 326,000. The band originally snuck in to mass sales with All the Right Reasons in 2005, staying on the charts for an absurd 156 weeks and selling 6.97 million records so far.
“American Idol” king David Cook debuted this week as well, at No. 3. He sold 280,000 copies– more than twice what 2007’s Idol Jordin Sparks did (119,000). Sparks has since sold a quite respectable total of 956,000.
Fallen Taylor Swift
Last weeks chart topper, Taylor Swift’s Fearless, has fallen to No. 4. She sold only 217,000-but she’s young; she’ll bounce.
The multinational vocal group Il Divo has taken spot No. 5, with The Promise, which sold 162,000 this week. Their last record, 2006’s Siempre, sold 108,000 its first week for a No. 17 debut.
The hit teen romance flick, Twilight, saw its soundtrack sales rise 17 percent to 125,000…but it’s fallen on the chart from No. 5 to No. 6. The competition was nearly as fierce as Beyonce’s Sasha.
No. 7 to No. 10
The Now 29 compilation CD declined fell quickly from No. 3 to No. 7, selling 115,000 copies. Next down, the High School Musical 3 soundtrack sold 86,000 copies for only a one spot fall from last week.
Enya’s And Winter Came took a one spot fall as well, to No. 9, selling 83,000.
At the bottom of the top 10, AC/DC’s Black Ice sold 73,000 copies in it’s 5th week, for a total of 1.39 million so far. This is not bad, considering the fact that it’s available exclusively at Wal-Mart and Sam’s Club. Nothing like a good rock CD to go with your vat of olive oil.
Music biz as a whole
Other musical debuts for the week: Dido’s Safe Trip Home (No. 3) with 51,000, and Zac Brown Band’s The Foundation (No. 17) with 44,000.
Sales are up from last week by 6 % (a total of 9.45 million records moved) but down from last year at the same time… but 32 percent.
The music business is not what it once was-and the economy is not going to be bailing it out any time soon.
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