Music Industry

Weekly Music Sales and Analysis: 30 July 2014

This week’s data once again arrived late and I could have posted it last night, but after three glasses of rum and a headache, I couldn’t be arsed.  I’m feeling much better today, thank you.

For some reason, the Canadian SoundScan report isn’t coming with year-over-year sales stats.  I should ask why (…..There. I just sent an email. Let’s see if I get a response.)

To no one’s great surprise, 5 Seconds of Summer’s self-titled full-length debut recorded entered the charts at #1 this past week, selling 20,000 copies.  That’s it for debuts on the album chart.  Seriously.

Over on the download chart, “Burnin’ It Down from Jason Aldean entered at #1 with 15,000 purchases.  And that’s all that’s worth reporting from Canada this week.

In the US, I can tell you that year-t0-date album sales are down 15% from 2013, pulled lower by a 19% drop in the sales of CDs and not helped by a 11% fall in digital album sales.  Digital tracks are softer by 13% from last year.

Yes, it was 5 Seconds of Summer debuting at #1 with a strong 259,000 units, the fourth-largest one-week sales total of the year.  Two other records debuted in the Top 10 this week:  Common’s Nobody’s Smiling (#6, 24,000 copies) and Crown the Empire’s The Resistance (#7, slightly less than 24,000 copies).

As for the biggest download, that’s Jason Aldean (184,000) and the biggest streamer is STILL “Fancy” from Iggy Azalea with 6.9 million listens.

All data courtesy of Nielsen SoundScan.

Alan Cross

is an internationally known broadcaster, interviewer, writer, consultant, blogger and speaker. In his 40+ years in the music business, Alan has interviewed the biggest names in rock, from David Bowie and U2 to Pearl Jam and the Foo Fighters. He’s also known as a musicologist and documentarian through programs like The Ongoing History of New Music.

Alan Cross has 38031 posts and counting. See all posts by Alan Cross

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