Green Day take the no. 1 spot on the Billboard 200 album charts this week, selling 250,000 copies of their latest album, 21st Century Breakdown. The album is only Green Day’s second no. 1 debut (the other was 2004’s career-reviving American Idiot), surprising when you consider how popular they were in their 90s heyday. However, when you factor in the news that neither American Idiot or 21st Century Breakdown are sold in Wal-Mart stores, due to the chain’s refusal to carry albums with parental advisory stickers on them, their chart-climbing prowess is all the more impressive.
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Steve Earle scored his highest ever chart position with Townes, his tribute album to songwriting mentor Townes Van Zandt. The album debuted at #19 with 18,000 copies sold. New rock band Parachute (fans of Coldplay much?) debuted at 39 with their first album, Losing Sleep, bolstered by the single “Under Control,” which can currently be heard in ads for Nivea beauty products.
The skinny:
According to Billboard, overall album sales this week totaled 5.82 million units, down 10.5% from last week (6.51 million) and down 21.6% compared to the same week in 2008 (7.43 million). Year to date album sales reached 136.4 million, down 13.3% compared to this time last year (157.3 million).
The top 10 albums in the country this week:
1. Green Day – 21st Century Breakdown
2. Hannah Montana: the Movie
3. Cam’Ron – Crime Pays
4. Lady GaGa – The Fame
5. Rascal Flatts – Unstoppable
6. Bob Dylan –Together Through Life
7. Taylor Swift – Fearless
8. Chrisette Michele – Epiphany
9. Rick Ross – Deeper Than Rap
10. Ciara – Fantasy Ride
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