Chart Watch: “Frozen” In Place At #1
The "Frozen" soundtrack returns to #1 on The Billboard 200. This is its sixth week on top. That's the longest that any soundtrack has held the top spot since "Titanic" stayed on top for 16 weeks in 1998. Both of these soundtracks spawned Oscar-winners for Original Song. The release of the "Frozen" DVD this week will almost certainly keep the soundtrack at #1 for a seventh week next week.
This is the album's 12th consecutive week in the top five. "Frozen" is the first soundtrack from a theatrically-released movie to spend 12 or more weeks in the top five since "City Of Angels" had a 16-week run from April to August 1998. (Just before that, "Titanic" spent 18 weeks in the top five from January to May 1998.)
Also this week, "Frozen" becomes the first album to sell 1 million copies in 2014. This is the third time in the Nielsen SoundScan era that the first album to sell 1 million copies in calendar year was a soundtrack. "Waiting To Exhale" was the first album to sell 1 million copies in 1996. "Titanic" was the first album to sell 1 million copies in 1998.
"Frozen" reached 1M in the week ending March 16. That's two weeks faster than the first album to cross the 1M mark in 2013—Justin Timberlake's "The 20/20 Experience," which achieved the feat in the week ending March 31.
"Frozen" is #1 on Top Soundtracks for the 16th week. The movie was in the top 10 at the box-office for the 16th weekend.
Luke Bryan
's "Spring Break 6...Like We Ain't Ever" enters The Billboard 200 at #2. It's his fourth album or EP to reach #1 or #2 in less than three years. The digital-only release also enters Top Digital Albums at #1.
The EP also enters Top Country Albums at #1, displacing Eli Young Band's "10,000 Towns." It's Bryan's fourth #1 on that chart. Bryan is the first artist to occupy the #1 spot on Top Country Albums with four albums or EPs in this decade. (Runners-up, with three #1 albums each: Taylor Swift, Lady Antebellum, Blake Shelton and Kenny Chesney.) Also, Bryan is the first artist to have two #1 country albums in 2014. "Crash My Party" spent its final week at #1 on the country chart in January.
Aloe Blacc
's third studio album, "Lift Your Spirit," debuts at #4. Blacc's "The Man, which borrows a key line from Elton John's "Your Song," is expected to crack the top 10 on the Hot 100 this week.
Pharrell Williams's "G I R L" drops from #2 to #5 in its second week. The album's Oscar-nominated smash "Happy" this week pulls ahead of "Dark Horse" by Katy Perry featuring Juicy J to become the best-selling song so far in 2014. (So movies gave us both the best-selling album and best-selling song so far this year.)
311
's 13th studio album, "Stereolithic," debuts at #6. This isn't the first time that an album title has been a made-up word that includes "stereo." Beck's sophomore album, in 1994, was titled "Stereopathethic Soulmanure." Some of you may be wondering about The Alan Parsons Project's "Stereotomy" (#43 in 1986). That's an actual word.
"Young Money: Rise Of An Empire" debuts at #7. It's the third Young Money compilation to crack the top 10. "We Are Young Money" and "Rich Gang" both peaked at #9.
Pharrell Williams
's aforementioned "Happy" is #1 on Hot Digital Songs for the fifth week, with sales of 364K. Will the smash log its fourth week at #1 on the Hot 100? You'll find out later today when we post my first of two Songs blogs.
Here's a recap of this week's top 10 albums.
The Top Five: The "Frozen" soundtrack rebounds from #3 to #1 in its 16th week (99K). This is its 14th week in the top 10 … Luke Bryan's "Spring Break 6...Like We Ain't Ever" debuts at #2 (74K). This is his sixth top 10 album or EP … Rick Ross's "Mastermind" drops from #1 to #3 in its second week (49K) … Aloe Blacc's "Lift Your Spirit" debuts at #4 (45K). This is his first top 10 album … Pharrell Williams's "G I R L" drops from #2 to #5 in its second week (45K).
The Second Five: 311's "Stereolithic" debuts at #6 (41K). It's the band's ninth top 10 album … "Young Money: Rise Of An Empire" debuts at #7 (31K) … Lorde's "Pure Heroine" dips from #7 to #8 in its 24th week (27K). This is its 18th week in the top 10 … Sara Evans's "Slow Me Down" debuts at #9 (27K). It's her fourth top 10 album … Eric Church's "The Outsiders" dips from #9 to #10 in its fifth week (23K). It has been in the top 10 the entire time.
Five albums drop out of the top 10 this week. Lea Michele's "Louder" dives from #4 to #32. Eli Young Band's "10,000 Towns" dives from #5 to #34. Beck's "Morning Phase" drops from #6 to #13. ScHoolboy Q's "Oxymoron" drops from #8 to #15. Ashanti's "Braveheart" dives from #10 to #42.
Ledisi
's sixth studio album, "The Truth," debuts at #14. It's her third album in a row to crack the top 15. "Turn Me Loose" reached #14 in August 2009. "Pieces Of Me" hit #8 in June 2011. Ledisi received a Grammy nomination as Best New Artist of 2007. She lost to Amy Winehouse. (It was a good year in that category. Taylor Swift, Paramore and Feist were the other nominees.)
Eminem
's "The Marshall Mathers LP 2" dips from #19 to #20 in its 19th week. The album tops the 2 million mark in U.S. sales this week. It's Eminem's eighth consecutive album to top the 2 million mark. That's his entire output, which consists of seven studio albums and his 2004 hits compilation, "Curtain Call: Greatest Hits." Eminem's best-selling album is his 2000 blockbuster, "The Marshall Mathers LP" (10,834,000). His poorest-selling album (excluding the current release, which is far from over) is 2009's "Relapse" (2,363,000).
The "Divergent" soundtrack debuts at #29. The movie, which stars Shailene Woodley and Kate Winslet, opens Friday (March 21)… KXM's "KXM" debuts at #31 … Juanes's sixth studio album, "Loco De Amor," debuts at #36. It's the Colombian singer's third album to crack the top 40 … Bruno Mars's "Doo-Wops & Hooligans" holds at #60 in its 177th week. The album logs its 16th week at #1 on Top Catalog Albums.
Bob Dylan's "30th Anniversary Concert Celebration" is #1 on Top Music Videos for the second week.
Coming Attractions: As noted above, "Frozen" is expected to remain at #1 next week, with sales in the 200K range. Look for Foster The People's "Supermodel" to debut around #2, with sales in the 55K range. Four other albums are likely to get off to fast starts: YG's "My Krazy Life" (45K), Skrillex's "Recess" (45K), The Pretty Reckless's "Going To Hell" (30K) and Enrique Iglesias's "Sex + Love."