Does anyone else have hope that Summer could bring us some *UP* weeks over 2007?

We've got the onslaught of Mariah Carey + Madonna in April.

Lil' Wayne, Ne-Yo, Rihanna (re-release) among others should keep May chugging along.

The market seems to be headed into a better place for album sales I think.

We won't see the massive decline as we did last year (15% I think?) but sales will still be down, probably double digits this year.

Its shocking that an album as widespreadly listened to, influential and popular as BLACKOUT can have sold less than 1,000,000 copies.

I guess the Itunes popularity of individual songs and the MASSIVE numbers of illegal downloads for the CD even before release didn't help, but this shows that public image meltdowns really ARE bad publicity. Despite this, her singles are doing very well and are having a stronger radio reception than she used to get.

my favourite Spears songs

1. TOXIC
2. GIMME MORE
3. PIECE OF ME
4. STRONGER
5. BORN TO MAKE YOU HAPPY
6. SLAVE 4 U
7. OVERPROTECTED
8. CRAZY
9. RADAR
10. BEFORE THE GOODBYE

I like to make lists for everything these days. I think i have a problem.

Anyways, favorite britbrit songs:
1. Toxic
2. Slave 4 U
3. Baby One More Time

TOXIC
...AND THEN WE KISS
GIMME MORE
STRONGER
CINDERELLA
BREAK THE ICE
EVERYTIME
BABY ONE MORE TIME
SLAVE 4 U
BORN TO MAKE U HAPPY

...

BREAKOUT is one of the most pirated albums.

I think it's time to accept that album sales are just dead and will decrease year after year until releasing albums (CD's) in stores becomes a thing of the past.

Mariah and Madonna, their last albums didn't see huge debuts. 400K for Mariah and 350K for Madonna. Yes, very good, but nothing huge. BUT, they managed to sale very well after that and I know Mariah sold something near 5M and Madonna something around 2.5M.

Mariah is going to have a huge first week this year though Im sure. No one being cautios of her return unlike last time, a number 1 first single unlike last time, and being the mentor on American Idol this week (at least I think she's the mentor. They are doing her number 1 songs), but either way, it's going to be a big factor. BUT, albums just don't have legs anymore. So even if E=MC2's first week sales are say, 600/700K, I don't think it could cross 3M total.

Madonna will probably have similar sales as her last album, though I don't think it'll sale as much in the end. She won't be able to match Hung Up.

The only artists who see big first week sales are the huge names and rap/hip-hop singers (though their sales fall harder than any other genre I believe). 50 Cent for example last year debuted to nearly 700K and last I checked was barely over 1M total, something like 1.2M. Similar case with Kanye West. Nearly a 1M first week total, and I still don't think it's hit 2M. T-Pain also had an album that debuted to 400K I believe, but I don't even think it hit 1M. Jay-Z is the same way. Not even Norah Jones could break this common trend. 400K debut, 1.4M total.

Mariah sold over 5 million with Emancipation. Madonna I think ended with 1.5 million or so? Kanye has indeed passed 2 million.

The thing is now the money is moving towards digital singles I think. A few years ago a single that sold 1 million copies was atypical, now it is abnormal if a big single doesn't sell at least 2 million and we've already had our first 3 million seller (which may hit 4 million by year's end).

Im thinking E=MC2 is good for 3.5 million
HARD CANDY could cross 2 million

but remember, album sales are down every year now. so even this would be relatively strong.
Digital single sales are much higher, and remember, from each of those 3.5 Million full albums sold, theres loads more "partial" albums sold, where people have downloaded 3-4 songs from the record they enjoyed the most.
That is revenue these artists didnt have a few years ago, so even though everything looks terrible, the singles business is still very strong, stronger than it was five years ago, and indeed, the album sales data wise looks weak, but the decline isnt as fiscally terrible as its made it out to be.

That said, illegal downloads really are destroying the industry right now.

No way. If Confessions only sold around 1.5 million here in the US, Hard Candy is not crossing 2 million. Album sales just keep going down and down, though I think the E=MC2 number looks about right.

Well 4 Minutes is MUCH bigger than Hung Up was in the U.S. (which is unfortunate, as Hung Up is one of the best pop songs of the last decade and 4 Minutes is sorta average).

Exactly.
This type of music is a lot more relevant to america than disco was.
Justin Timberlake and Timbaland also, unfortunately, sell like hotcakes.

With the current state of album sales, its tough predicting how much any album will sell. i think it could match her last album in sales tho.

But it has been getting decidedly mixed reviews for a while now. Plus, it is Madonna, she still has her core base but her constant "reinventing herself" has for lack of another way to put it made her in some ways no longer relevant. I'm not saying she should stick to pop or anything but this is her umpteenth reinvention and I think in itself it is becoming a gimmick (much like Timbaland's constant "hey's!" in the background of his songs).

4 Minutes is my song of the moment. I thought it was lame on first listen, but this pumped all the way up it's pretty great. I love the video as well and all it's ridiculousness.

CHART DATE: 04/14/2008
LAST UPDATE: 04/15/2008 12:49:55
NOW IN: FINAL


LW TW artist / album label power index % change
-- 1 LEONA LEWIS J RECORDS/RMG 208,688 --
SPIRIT
-- 2 JAMES OTTO WARNER BROS. NASHVILLE 59,071 --
SUNSET MAN
1 3 GEORGE STRAIT MCA NASHVILLE 55,906 -67%
TROUBADOUR
3 4 NOW 27 SBMG/COMMERICAL MUSIC GRP 46,566 -22%
VARIOUS ARTISTS
2 5 R.E.M. WARNER BROS. 43,427 -60%
ACCELERATE
-- 6 P.O.D. COLUMBIA 38,209 --
WHEN ANGELS & SERPENTS DANCE
4 7 ALVIN & THE CHIPMUNKS RAZOR & TIE 37,565 -29%
SOUNDTRACK
-- 8 RAY J KOCH 36,198 --
ALL I FEEL
9 9 RICK ROSS DEF JAM/IDJMG 35,409 -8%
TRILLA
6 10 DANITY KANE BAD BOY/ATLANTIC 28,780 -37%
WELCOME TO THE DOLLHOUSE
10 11 PANIC AT THE DISCO FUELED BY RAMEN 28,201 -24%
PRETTY. ODD.
13 12 JACK JOHNSON BRUSHFIRE/UNIV REPUBLIC 26,514 -16%
SLEEP THROUGH THE STATIC
24 13 RACONTEURS WARNER BROS. 25,785 +18%
CONSOLERS OF THE LONELY
18 14 TAYLOR SWIFT BIG MACHINE 25,389 -5%
TAYLOR SWIFT
32 15 JORDIN SPARKS 19/JIVE/ZLG 24,889 +31%
JORDIN SPARKS
38 16 DAUGHTRY RCA/RMG 24,755 +43%
DAUGHTRY
-- 17 NINE INCH NAILS NULL CORPORATION 23,879 --
GHOSTS I-IV
5 18 DAY26 BAD BOY/ATLANTIC 23,254 -50%
DAY26
8 19 COUNTING CROWS GEFFEN 22,520 -44%
SATURDAY NIGHTS SUNDAY MORNINGS
17 20 SARA BAREILLES EPIC 20,692 -23%
LITTLE VOICE
22 21 JONAS BROTHERS HOLLYWOOD 20,233 -11%
JONAS BROTHERS
15 22 FLO RIDA ATLANTIC 20,228 -28%
MAIL ON SUNDAY
28 23 HANNAH MONTANA 2 - MEET MILEY WALT DISNEY RECORDS 19,280 -7%
SOUNDTRACK
-- 24 MARIE DIGBY HOLLYWOOD 19,021 --
UNFOLD
20 25 ALAN JACKSON ARISTA NASHVILLE 18,478 -24%
GOOD TIME
27 26 SNOOP DOGG GEFFEN 18,079 -15%
EGO TRIPPIN'
33 27 HANNAH MONTANA WALT DISNEY RECORDS 18,065 -4%
BEST OF BOTH WORLDS CONCERT
21 28 ALICIA KEYS J RECORDS/RMG 17,879 -22%
AS I AM
19 29 MICHAEL JACKSON LEGACY 17,711 -28%
THRILLER - 25TH ANNIVERSARY ED.
30 30 COLBIE CAILLAT UNIVERSAL REPUBLIC 17,474 -10%
COCO
23 31 GNARLS BARKLEY ATLANTIC 17,456 -23%
ODD COUPLE
39 32 CARRIE UNDERWOOD ARISTA/RMG 17,085 +3%
CARNIVAL RIDE
34 33 AMY WINEHOUSE UNIVERSAL REPUBLIC 15,976 -12%
BACK TO BLACK
-- 34 ASHES DIVIDE ISLAND 15,784 --
KEEP TELLING MYSELF IT'S ALRIGHT
7 35 TRINA SLIP-N-SLIDE 15,492 -64%
STILL DA BADDEST
37 36 CHRIS BROWN JIVE/ZLG 14,889 -15%
EXCLUSIVE
41 37 MARY J. BLIGE GEFFEN 13,705 -11%
GROWING PAINS
42 38 ONEREPUBLIC INTERSCOPE 13,037 -15%
DREAMING OUT LOUD
40 39 KEYSHIA COLE GEFFEN 12,981 -19%
JUST LIKE YOU
11 40 VAN MORRISON LOST HIGHWAY/IDJ 12,835 -63%
KEEP IT SIMPLE
12 41 ROLLING STONES INTERSCOPE 12,823 -60%
SHINE A LIGHT (SOUNDTRACK)
47 42 GARTH BROOKS PEARL RECORDS 12,299 -14%
ULTIMATE HITS
48 43 JUNO RHINO 11,720 -17%
SOUNDTRACK
29 44 BLACK KEYS NONESUCH 11,697 -43%
ATTACK & RELEASE
45 45 TRACE ADKINS CAPITOL NASHVILLE 11,465 -22%
AMERICAN MAN: GREATEST HITS V2
-- 46 LINKIN PARK WARNER BROS. 11,445 --
MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT
49 47 BUCKCHERRY ELEVEN SEVEN MUSIC 11,381 -18%
15
50 48 ACROSS THE UNIVERSE INTERSCOPE 11,183 -16%
SOUNDTRACK
-- 49 PARAMORE FUELED BY RAMEN 11,050 --
RIOT!
-- 50 EAGLES EAGLES RECORDING COMPANY 11,049 --
LONG ROAD OUT OF EDEN

snack what i am about to do is 4 ur own good.

what did u do getluv

p.s. : DIGITAL NUMBERS ?!!?!?

ILLBOARD HOT DIGITAL SONGS - TOP 50
2 1 LEWIS*LEONA BLEEDING LOVE 223361 11 200614 1147964
1 2 MADONNA FEAT. JUSTIN TIMBERLAK 4 MINUTES 198427 -8 216751 644772
3 3 LIL WAYNE LOLLIPOP 189538 1 187756 706725
6 4 SPARKS*JORDIN NO AIR 153648 34 114320 1240374
7 5 RAY J FEAT YUNG BERG SEXY CAN I 125659 15 109010 799929
4 6 CAREY*MARIAH TOUCH MY BODY 122071 -28 169656 578192
5 7 USHER LOVE IN THIS CLUB 121384 4 116920 1027029
-- 8 DAUGHTRY WHAT ABOUT NOW 86074 999 919 159769
10 9 CYRUS*MILEY SEE YOU AGAIN 84517 22 69299 1290798
-- 10 UNDERWOOD*CARRIE PRAYING FOR TIME 65635 999 0 65635
187 11 KAMAKAWIWO'OLE*ISREAL IZ SOMEWHERE OVER THE RAINBOW/WHA 62329 698 7812 1132774
11 12 FLO RIDA LOW 58522 -14 68137 3605364
12 13 BAREILLES*SARA LOVE SONG 57710 -5 60819 2174951
18 14 RIHANNA DON'T STOP THE MUSIC 55810 8 51698 1694601
-- 15 AMERICAN IDOL FINALISTS TOP 8 SHOUT TO THE LORD (IDOL GIVES 55745 999 0 55745
9 16 ONEREPUBLIC STOP AND STARE 55455 -28 76679 952304
16 17 BEDINGFIELD*NATASHA POCKETFUL OF SUNSHINE 54573 -3 56451 363540
13 18 DANITY KANE DAMAGED 54449 -9 60144 325093
19 19 BROWN*CHRIS WITH YOU 48087 -7 51628 1479929
21 20 FIASCO*LUPE SUPERSTAR 46693 -3 48339 876526
20 21 FLO RIDA ELEVATOR 44487 -9 48620 525425
25 22 PANIC AT THE DISCO NINE IN THE AFTERNOON 43482 13 38346 322759
8 23 FALL OUT BOY BEAT IT 40835 -53 87812 216300
-- 24 LEWIS*LEONA BETTER IN TIME 40044 999 0 40044
30 25 MAYER*JOHN SAY 39788 17 33876 478395
23 26 WEBBIE INDEPENDENT 38205 -8 41738 735888
15 27 NAIM*YAEL NEW SOUL 35809 -39 58544 816302
22 28 LIL' MAMA SHAWTY GET LOOSE 35716 -16 42415 351460
28 29 BUCKCHERRY SORRY 33973 -7 36483 1071605
24 30 JONAS BROTHERS WHEN YOU LOOK ME IN THE EYES 33885 -14 39319 581315
29 31 CAILLAT*COLBIE REALIZE 33681 -4 35039 502369
27 32 PLIES BUST IT BABY (PART 2) 33193 -10 36740 112727
31 33 SWIFT*TAYLOR OUR SONG 32519 0 32426 1336976
26 34 TIMBALAND FEAT. ONEREPUBLIC APOLOGIZE 31929 -14 37092 3394772
49 35 SPEARS*BRITNEY BREAK THE ICE 31492 40 22484 202408
17 36 ADKINS*TRACE YOU'RE GONNA MISS THIS 30755 -44 55199 281435
32 37 THREE DAYS GRACE NEVER TOO LATE 30446 -6 32283 827929
40 38 SPARKS*JORDIN TATTOO 29956 16 25750 1533468
-- 39 LENNOX*ANNIE MANY RIVERS TO CROSS (IDOL GIV 29159 999 0 29159
34 40 LIFEHOUSE WHATEVER IT TAKES 28103 -10 31130 447720
41 41 SOULJA BOY TELL'EM YAHHH! 27367 7 25690 383868
36 42 ROSS*RICK BOSS 27203 -4 28421 205002
50 43 DAUGHTRY FEELS LIKE TONIGHT 26059 23 21222 322544
44 44 CHERISH KILLA 24992 2 24522 218148
35 45 LINKIN PARK SHADOW OF THE DAY 24890 -13 28652 1013031
68 46 METRO STATION SHAKE IT 24802 36 18298 96592
43 47 KEYS*ALICIA NO ONE 24768 -3 25420 2595848
38 48 SWIFT*TAYLOR TEARDROPS ON MY GUITAR 24668 -8 26890 1679807
42 49 UNDERWOOD*CARRIE ALL-AMERICAN GIRL 24539 -4 25659 426908
45 50 SWIFT*TAYLOR PICTURE TO BURN 24413 4 23366 393544

A FEW (ACTUALLY MORE THAN A FEW) BONUSES:
80 61 DEGRAW*GAVIN IN LOVE WITH A GIRL 18105 11 16243 137131
138 72 3 DOORS DOWN IT'S NOT MY TIME 17369 87 9307 97683
128 83 UNDERWOOD*CARRIE BEFORE HE CHEATS 15381 54 9977 2274153
-- 85 FERGIE FINALLY 15166 122 6838 85443
-- 86 LEWIS*LEONA YESTERDAY 14942 999 0 14942
-- 89 WILLIAMS*ROBBIE ANGELS 14340 999 412 86570
-- 93 AMERICAN IDOL FINALISTS TOP 8 DON'T STOP THE MUSIC 14040 999 0 14040
-- 100 LEWIS*LEONA I WILL BE 13127 999 0 13127
-- 101 MCBRIDE*MARTINA ANYWAY 12931 744 1533 350978
-- 102 AEROSMITH DREAM ON 12775 207 4155 629273
-- 105 RENT SOUNDTRACK SEASONS OF LOVE (FROM THE MOTI 11926 445 2187 596270
-- 110 CYRUS*MILEY GOOD AND BROKEN 11721 999 905 48018
-- 151 SNOOP DOGG CAN'T SAY GOODBYE 9147 999 601 12884
-- 158 UNDERWOOD*CARRIE LAST NAME 8867 45 6132 43391
-- 163 HEART & FERGIE BARRACUDA (IDOL GIVES BACK PER 8752 999 0 8752
-- 177 HEART NOTHIN' AT ALL 8299 136 3520 216213
-- 193 DUFFY MERCY 7832 42 5506 22944


And the key highlights on Hot 100 Airplay:

No. 1 - Usher (+9.7 million)
No. 2 - Mariah (+5.8 million)
No. 3 - Ray J (+12.6 million)
No. 4 - Jordin (+17.7 million)
No. 7 - Lil Wayne (+24.1 million)
No. 8 - Leona (+14.2 million)
No. 27 - Madonna (+2.7 million)

Other songs making big moves per BDS are Rick Ross #13 from 25 (+8.5 million), OneRepublic #15 from 28 (+7.9 million) and Danity Kane #45 from 63 (+6.4 million).

Going by its digital sales and increasing airplay I guess Bleeding Love will be back on top of the Billboard Hot 100.

yeah pretty much guaranteed. When's the last time a single moved back into #1?

Soulja Boy's "Crank That" moved back to #1 in September after Kanye West's "Stronger" jumped to #1 the week Kanye's album was released.

That's a big increase for No Air on the digital chart, and her album really bumped up as well this week. Despite having the worst album opening for an AI winner, it seems like she's slowly finding an audience and could have staying power..

Hits One Days

I see Jordin Sparks going platinum by the end of 2008.

It could be faster than that I think. No Air hasn't peaked yet I think, and has been lost in the shuffle of Madonna/Mariah Carey release albums. If her third single is a monster success, she could reach it sometime early in the 3rd quarter of the year...(so September)

She's at 656,300 albums or so sold thus far, and that's from a 25,000 week.