– SoundScan Breakdown By Dave House
With Black Friday giving retail an estimated 5.9 million in sales, a good percentage went toward entertainment where mostly every title on the chart had more than a significant increase from last week. If a title did show a decrease in sales from last week, it was probably no more than 20% which is still good. Overall, the numbers reflect the days of national music retail chains & should be taken into consideration when debating Soundscan sales during weeks when there isn’t an official retail blitz.
1. Rihanna “Unapologetic”
Total: 237K
This is a good album & great listen all the way through. Rihanna delivers for her core demographic & should should gain new fans with this offering.
2. Taylor Swift “Red”
Total: 2 mil
This Week: 185KPlease take note that it took an additional 4 Weeks to reach 1 million if you want to question my 1st week theory.
4. One Direction “Trilogy”
Total: 715K
Decrease: -67%
This Week: 175KOne Direction better be lucky that it was Black Friday or the #’s may have been worse.
5. Kid Rock “Rebel Soul”
Total: 146K
This album is straight Hot AC formatted. He does manage to sneak in a Flavor Flav sample “Yeaah Boy” phrase to show that he is still Hip Hop somewhat.
10. Keyshia Cole “Woman to Woman”
Total: 95K
This is a very mature album from an artist I “grew up with” in the business. This album is for the mature audience only & a great listen all the way through due to its top-notch production.
14. Pitbull “Global Warming”
Total: 64K
Appropriate album title from an artist who actually gets shows where they stick thermometers in a lake to check for “global warming”. Pitbull has come a long way since chilling with us up at 50 house in Connecticut wondering what’s next.
27. Nicki Minaj “Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded RE RELEASE”
Total: 726K
This Week: 36KNicki Minaj re-release should be a case study for music business. PERIOD. If the lesson of Nicki Minaj’s re-release doesn’t change the twisted perception of 1st week sales, retail & the relationship with record labels, consumer demand, & the quest for instant gratification then you & the institution you come from is what is wrong with the music business.
35. Adele “21”
Total: 10 million
This Week: 28KThis album has surpassed the big homey Eminem’s “Marshall Mathers” LP & we are a few months away from hearing how Adele has finally broken Bob Marley & the Wailers “Legend” sales of 11 million. Remember where & who you heard it from 1st, Dave House.
39. Kenny Chesney “Welcome to the FishBowl”
Total: 536K
This Week: 26KThis album will be toured throughout markets that never heard of Drake & Lil Wayne & will go platinum if not more
48. 2 Chainz “Based on a TRU Story”
Total: 405K
This Week: 22KThe Gold plaque will be given out soon if it hasn’t been shipped to DJ’s across the country already
57. Chris Brown “Fortune”
Total: 376K
This Week: 19KAll publicity is good publicity until next Wednesday.
59. Killers “Battle Born”
Total: 224K
Personal favorite band right now. Such a classic album. “Be Still” is my personal favorite track of this timeless instant classic.
62. Meek Mill “Dreams & Nightmares”
Total: 244K
This Week: 18KWill “Dreams & Nightmares” go gold or drop off the Top 200??
63. Miguel “Kaleidescope Dream”
Total: 198K
This Week: 17KMatter of time before Miguel says: “You know what, there isn’t enough Urban audience for me going forward” & unapologetically cross his career over for a wider audience. See Akon “Lonely” or Chamillionaire “Ridin’ Dirty”
77. Destiny’s Child “Playlist: The Very Best of Destiny’s Child”
Total: 19K
Columbia Records also released “Best of the Dixie Chicks” last week capturing both audiences for Black Friday.
91. Lionel Richie “Tuskegee”
Total: 1million
This Week: 13KLionel Richie sold his album DIRECTLY to his core demographic & went platinum. If you want to know where the music market is going its not through mass marketing. When an artist rapping like Inspektah Deck or Raekwon the Chef looking for Taylor Swift fans was the fall of a once powerful format. The promo of the “Tuskegee” project is another music business case study that should be analyzed.
92. Brandy “Two Eleven”
Total: 131K
This Week: 13KDespite a #1 single with the famous feature. Sales are dismal at best.
114. Jason Aldean “Relentless”
Total: 943K
This Week: 11KPlatinum album from a country artist that raps better than most rappers on this future classic album. All West Indians grew up on good country music. “Like Grandmaaaa & Grandpaaaa used to play”
135. Lecrae “Gravity”
Total: 150K
This Week: 9KWithout a major label, this album is selling just as much as “Two Eleven” & “Kaleidescope Dream”??? This is when you must salute national outlets like Music Choice & Sirius XM where the music channels are formatted for a niche marketing audience.
145. MGK “Laced Up”
Total: 100K
This Week: 9KJust read Lecrae “Gravity” paragraph & consider the fact of MGK’s publicity, major label, MMG tour, & Bad Boy co-sign and you will find the yellow brick road of where music business is going.
177. Eminem “Curtain Call”
Total: 3.6
This Week: 8KAnother title, another multi platinum offering
185. Michael Jackson “Thriller”
Total: 6 Million
This Week: 7KThis is one of those album you purchase, lost or scratched, then re-purchased. Nostalgic back order.
194. Bing Crosby “White Christmas”
Total: 1.9
This Week: 7KThis album was purchased for all the malls, bookstores, & dentist & doctor’s offices across the land.
198. Eminem “Recovery”
Total: 4.3
This Week: 7KThis album is at the bottom of the pile and still sold 7K, letting you know that this was a great week for music & this is how Soundscan used to look before they shut down Virgin in Times Square.
Now performing & recording artist must compete with a box of Corn Flakes, Pet Food, or a Dust Buster before a consumer would walk to the back of retail outlets such as Target or Walmart, only to discover a small music section department, where a consumer’s attention span for CD purchase is interfered with by playing sample video games, cool video game accessories, & big screen tv’s that show college sports or updates on the score. This week’s soundscan numbers reflect the music industry that “once was”.
THE END
#WHOOOOSHOUSE
Dave House is the Author of “Street Rules in the Office Volume1: The Beginner’s Guide to Focus in the Music Biz” is available in for purchase NOW!
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