Billboard

Painting the charts Red: Taylor Swift. (Big Machine)

Charts: Taylor Swift back at No. 1, Wiz Khalifa and Ke$ha debut high

Taylor Swift’s “Red” reassumes its position on top of Billboard’s Top 200 albums chart this week, as the set added an additional 167,000 copies to its sales cume, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The album, which has been No. 1 for four non-consecutive weeks, has now sold 2.4 million copies, easily making it one of the … Continue Reading →

Alicia Keys: Is her album available through Citi Points? (RCA)

Charts: Alicia Keys debuts at No. 1 with 'Fire'

This… girl… is… on… FIYAH!!! Well, sort of. Alicia Keys debuts at No. 1 on this week’s Billboard Top 200 albums chart with that guy from the Citi Points commercial’s favorite album of 2012, “Girl on Fire.” The set sold 159,000 copies its first week in stores, according to Nielsen SoundScan, which is a steep … Continue Reading →

Rihanna: Shine on you crazy diamond. (Def Jam)

Charts: Rihanna scores her first No. 1, Kid Rock arrives at No. 5

Rihanna shines bright like a diamond on this week’s Billboard 200, as she scores her first No. 1 album — how has she not hit No. 1 before? — with “Unapologetic,” her seventh studio set. “Unapologetic” sold 238,000 copies its first week. That tally bests last year’s “Talk That Talk,” which arrived at No. 3 … Continue Reading →

Taylor Swift crowd surfs during this year's MTV Video Music Awards. (Mario Anzuoni/ Reuters)

Charts: Taylor Swift holds off Meek Mill, marking the only time those two artists will ever share a headline

Last week it was Kendrick Lamar, this week it’s Meek Mill. One of these days rappers will learn to not go up against Taylor Swift. Swift’s “Red” holds at No. 1 on this week’s Billboard 200, selling an additional 344,000 copies its second week in stores, according to Nielsen SoundScan. No big deal, with 1.5 … Continue Reading →

Gallery: Taylor Swift, Eminem and the rest of the 1-million sales week club

It is one of the music industry’s most exclusive clubs. It’s tough to get in, and once you’re in, it’s even tougher to stay. It’s the 1-million sales week club, and since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales data in 1991, only 18 albums have managed to sell more than 1 million copies in one week. … Continue Reading →

Taylor Swift, superstar. (Big Machine)

Charts: Taylor Swift sells 1 million more records than Kendrick Lamar

Seeing “Red,” painting the town “Red,” choose your clever metaphor — whatever it is, Taylor Swift went absolutely bananas this week with her fourth album “Red.” The set sold a stunning, life-affirming 1.21 million copies its first week in stores, according to Nielsen SoundScan, the biggest sales figure for any album in a decade. Let’s … Continue Reading →

No. 1 cowboy: Jason Aldean -- seen here performing at DTE Energy Music Theatre last month -- scores his first No. 1 album with "Night Train." (Adam Graham/ Detroit News)

Charts: Choo choo! Jason Aldean's 'Night Train' is No. 1

C’mon ride the train, hey ride it! Oops, wrong train. Loaded like a freight train, riding like an aeroplane… Sorry, wrong train again! OK, country star Jason Aldean pulls his “Night Train” into the Billboard Top 200 station at No. 1 this week, selling a robust 409,000 copies of his fifth album, according to Nielsen … Continue Reading →

Mum's NOT the word. Get it! Ugh. I'm sorry. (Glassnote Records)

Charts: Mumford makes everyone their Sons for a third straight week, Macklemore debuts high

Three is the magic number for Mumford & Sons, as the folksy Brits remain at No. 1 for a third week on Billboard’s Top 200 albums chart. The group’s “Babel” sold 96,000 copies its third week in stores, according to Nielsen SoundScan, bringing its three-week total to 865,000. It will likely hit platinum status by … Continue Reading →