The world continues to say “I Love You” to Adele (and she responds “I Know”) as Billboard predicts that she is closing in on 6M this week. She has the number one album for the fourth week in a row, as everybody, even JarJar Binks, could have predicted. It’s not even close. Adele is Chewbacca living in a land of Ewoks.
Speaking of Ewoks, Justin Bieber has pulled himself out of the Trash Compactor of Childhood Stars and just like young Skywalker, is having a successful adult career. “Purpose” looks to be two on the BB200 this week with continued strong sales while taking on the streaming chart like a Rancor on steroids.
When Pentatonix won NBC’s “The Sing-Off”, most people thought “That’s nice. They deserve it.”, but resigned themselves to the group disappearing like a bounty hunter into the mouth of a Sarlacc pit. If I had told you back then that they would have the best selling Christmas album two years running, would be third on the chart with their year old record in a Q4 which features Adele and Justin, and that their earlier fall release would still be in the top 20, you would have thought I had taken one too many Wampa hits to the head. Like the Rebel Alliance, their chances did not look good against the Empire, but they were persistent, found an opening and hit their targets. Pentatonix is firmly established.
One Direction is another group that defied the odds. Sure, they had a Sith Overlord in Simon watching over their careers, but if Simon could make everything he wanted a hit, he’d still have the X-Factor on US television. When they won, Boy Bands in the US were deader than a Taunton after a night searching for Luke. But, with a whole lot of charm, a sprinkling of good songs and a great deal of hard work, the boys have had 5 successful albums and are currently sitting at 5 on the chart this week so far.
Carrie Underwood is like a Jedi – calmly going about being a success. I’m sure she feels like Princess Leia at times. She looks out at the charts and there she is on the dais looking out at 10000 all male rebel fighters/fellow artists. Just her and Aunt Baru sporting the XX chromosomes in the Country world – and Aunt Baru is dead. Carrie’s latest album “Storyteller” sits at 16.
And there is original Idol winner, Kelly Clarkson. Like Han, her Christmas album remains frozen in Carbonite during the off-season, but it is re-animated each Christmas. “Wrapped in Red” is number 5. And Idol’s newest winner, will he Awaken the franchise or go down like an AT-AT walker? Nick Fradiana has a his coronation single as a track on the Now 56 album now at 10th.
No numbers for the latest Voice winner yet, but anbody’s lack of faith in him would be disturbing. Jordan is like Anakin in a pod racer. There was never really any doubt he would win and expect him to appear on the singles and album charts. He’s as reliable as R2-D2.
HDD also has nice update on the top selling albums YTD. I’ve got a good feeling about this as One Direction is at 15, Carrie Underwood is at 30 and Pentatonix is at 31.
May the Numbers be With You.
HDD Sales Chart (89%)
1 1 ADELE 25 XL/COLUMBIA 341,520
5 2 JUSTIN BIEBER PURPOSE DEF JAM 59,039
3 3 PENTATONIX THAT’S CHRISTMAS TO ME RCA 51,623
8 4 CHRIS STAPLETON TRAVELLER MERCURY NASHVILLE 25,593
9 5 ONE DIRECTION MADE IN THE A.M. SYCO/COLUMBIA 25,232
— 6 AUGUST ALSINA THIS THING CALLED LIFE DEF JAM 24,617
— 7 R. KELLY THE BUFFET RCA 22,752
2 8 COLDPLAY A HEAD FULL OF DREAMS PARLOPHONE 22,740
— 9 CAM UNTAMED ARISTA NASHVILLE 22,424
13 10 NOW 56 VARIOUS ARTISTS NOW/LEGACY 21,153 [Nick Fradiani]
…
15 15 ADELE 21 COLUMBIA 15,030
16 16 CARRIE UNDERWOOD STORYTELLER 19/ARISTA NASHVILLE 14,833
14 17 PENTATONIX PENTATONIX RCA 13,543
…
34 29 BLAKE SHELTON RELOADED: 20 #1 HITS WARNER BROS. NASHVILLE 7,486
…
36 34 ADELE 19 XL/COLUMBIA 6,446
…
— 50 KELLY CLARKSON WRAPPED IN RED RCA 3,838
