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It's still early, but it looks like a battle for #1 between Jason Mraz and this week’s surprise chart-topper, Lionel Richie.
Wednesday, April 18, 2012

MRAZ VS. RICHIE FOR #1

Veteran Singer-Songwriter Out to End Richie’s Reign After a Single Week
It’s a relative newcomer vs. a veteran for the top spot on the HITS Album chart next week.

It's still early, but right now—based on one-day sales reports from whatever’s left of the music retailing community—it looks like a battle for #1 between Jason Mraz and this week’s surprise chart-topper, Lionel Richie. The big question not yet answered is how front-loaded are Richie's physical sales following his CBS prime-time special, Lionel Richie and Friends, last Friday. As always, the picture will become clearer by tomorrow's midweeks.

Atlantic Records singer/songwriter Jason Mraz’s Love is a Four Letter Word is his fourth studio album and first in four years, since 2008’s We Sing. We Dance. We Steal Things., which sold 73k in its first week. His latest looks to do even better, with estimates in the 90-100k range.

Columbia’s Train follows up their remarkable ’09 comeback, Save Me San Francisco, and its monster, ‘Grammy-winning hit, “Hey, Soul Sister,” with California 37, which looks headed for between 65-70k in first-week sales. It’s riding on the #2 Hot AC smash, “Drive By.”

Epic hip-hop signing Future makes his debut with Pluto, featuring guest appearances from Drake, T.I., R. Kelly, Snoop Dogg and producers Will-A-Fool, Sonny Digital and K.E. on tha Track, among others. The highly touted album, preceded by the singles, “Tony Montana” and “Magic,” is on target for 35-40k

Brushfire/Universal Republic’s Jack Johnson live album, Jack Johnson and Friends—Best of Kokua Festival, looks to be headed for 20-25k

Mercury/IDJ alternative rock group Neon Trees’ sophomore album, Picture Show, is headed for 15-20k, riding the heels of the hit single (and Buick Verano commercial), “Everybody Talks.”

Album sales were down 12% vs. last week, down 11% vs. same week last year and flat year to date.

Track sales were down 3% vs. last week, up 17% vs. same week last year and up 8% year to date.

TEA sales are down 9% vs. last week, down 3% vs. same week last year and up 2% year to date.

Commented NARM's Jim Donio about the results, particularly the performance of the Lionel Richie and the explosion of Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know" on the heels of his SNL appearance and it being covered on Glee: “The continuing power and influence of TV exposure on music discovery and sales is abundantly clear on this week’s charts."
 
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