This week on the Billboard 200 albums chart, Wale celebrated his first No. 1, as “The Gifted” opened atop the list. The set sold 158,000 copies in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It was one of four debuts in the top 10 this week, with Skillet’s “Rise” earning the second-highest bow at No. 4.
Outside the top 10 on the Billboard 200 there were a number of movers and shakers, as usual. Let’s take a look at some of them:
— Soundtrack, “Pitch Perfect” – No. 20 – The soundtrack vaults 38-20 on the Billboard 200 with the chart’s largest percentage gain, rising by 67% to sell 16,000 copies. Its cumulative sales now stand at 753,000. The sales rise is owed to the movie’s premium cable premiere on June 22 on HBO. Additionally, its fluke hit single “Cups” (by lead actress Anna Kendrick), continues to make airplay gains. This week, it rises 29-24 on the Hot 100 Airplay chart with 45.4 million audience impressions (up 12%, according to Nielsen BDS). The song also jumps 17-13 on the overall Billboard Hot 100 chart.
— Bob Marley and the Wailers, Legend: Remixed – No. 89 – Bob Marley and the Wailers’ iconic greatest hits album, Legend, has received the remix treatment. The reworking of the set, dubbed Legend: Remixed, debuts at No. 89 with 5,000 sold. On the Reggae Albums chart, it becomes Marley’s 16th No. 1 — extending the record for the most No. 1s in the chart’s 18-year history.
Meanwhile, the original Legend album gets a boost up the Billboard 200 as well. It climbs 86-26 with the greatest unit gain on the chart (12,000 sold for the week — up by 7,000). It increases in sales thanks to the publicity generated by Legend: Remixed and promotion of the original Legend itself.
— The Beatles/Soundtrack, Help! – No. 83 – The Beatles’ 1965 film “Help!” debuted worldwide on Blu-ray and on iTunes on June 25, thus, its soundtrack climbs back onto the list. It re-enters at No. 83 with 5,000 sold for the week, with a gain of 1,418% in sales compared to the previous week. iTunes heavily promoted the film’s digital bow in its store, and also prominently featured the band’s catalog. In turn, the fab four’s greatest hits album 1 zooms back onto the chart at No. 37 with 9,000 (up 300%). It’s the highest chart rank for the former No. 1 album since the Oct. 15, 2011 chart, when it was at No. 30.
— Kacey Musgraves, Same Trailer Different Park – No. 56 – The country singer’s album earns its fourth weekly sales gain out of the past six weeks as the set rises 63-56 with 7,000 sold (up 1%). Its current single, “Blowin’ Smoke,” is bulleted at No. 28 on the Country Airplay chart with 8 million in audience (up 1%). It also reaches a new peak on the overall Hot Country Songs chart, stepping 34-31.
— Lorde, The Love Club (EP) – No. 86 – The EP grabs its fifth straight sales gain in as many weeks, jumping 104-86 with 5,000 sold (up 20%). Its red-hot single “Royals” is making headway at radio, too. It rises 20-16 on the Alternative airplay chart. On Rock Digital Songs, in just its third week on the list, the cut climbs 15-11 with 24,000 downloads sold — up 31%. It’s the youngest title — in terms of number of chart weeks — within the top 20 on the Rock Digital Songs chart.
