This week on the Billboard 200, rock band Avenged Sevenfold claimed its second No. 1 album as “Hail to the King” started atop the list with 159,000 sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It was one of four new arrivals into the top 10, including Big Sean’s new “Hall of Fame” at No. 3.
Outside the top 10 on the Billboard 200 there were a number of movers and shakers. Let’s take a look at some of them…
— Imagine Dragons, “Night Visions”: This week, Imagine Dragons’ “Night Visions” celebrates its one-year anniversary on the Billboard 200. The album, which debuted and peaked at a year ago at No. 2, has never left the top 50 of the tally, and has spent the past 28 straight weeks locked in the top 20. This week, it rises 19-16 with another 24,000 sold (up 16%).
“Night Visions” opened in the runner-up slot with 83,000 copies, stuck behind the also-debuting “North” by Matchbox Twenty at No. 1. The latter marked the band’s first chart-topper, selling 95,000 in its first week.
While “Night Visions” has been (so far) denied the coveted No. 1 position, it has proved to be the stronger performer in the long run. “North” fell off the chart after 23 weeks and has sold 302,000. Comparably, “Night Visions” has moved four times as many copies (1.4 million).
— Macklemore & Ryan Lewis/Mary Lambert, “The Heist”/”Letters Don’t Talk” (No. 13): Mary Lambert, who sang the album’s current single “Same Love” with the duo and Jennifer Hudson on the MTV Video Music Awards (Aug. 25), debuts on Heatseekers Albums this week with her EP “Letters Don’t Talk.” The set arrives at No. 34 with 1,000 copies sold (up 181%) — its best sales week since its September 2012 release. Meanwhile, “The Heist” rises 20-13 with 25,000 and a gain of 34%.
— Ellie Goulding, “Halcyon” (No. 48): The album zooms from No. 139 to No. 48, following an expanded reissue of the album last week. On Aug. 27, a new version of the set, dubbed “Halcyon Days,” reached retailers. In turn, the combined sales of it and the original “Halcyon” album gain by 191% to 8,000 copies. The deluxe set includes Goulding’s new single “Burn,” which is simmering under the threshold of Mainstream Top 40.
— Mandisa, “Overcomer” (No. 29): One-time “American Idol” contestant Mandisa logs her second-largest sales week yet as her new album, “Overcomer,” bows at No. 29 with 12,000. It also starts at No. 1 on the Top Christian Albums chart, marking her second leader on that tally — and first since her 2007 debut “True Beauty.” Between “True Beauty” and “Overcomer,” she charted with two studio albums, a Christmas set and a remix collection.
— Taylor Swift, “Fearless” (No. 71): Deep discounting by both Amazon MP3 and Google Play on an array of titles push big gains this week. Among those priced at $2.99 at the retailers were Taylor Swift’s “Fearless,” which flies with a 157% gain to No. 71.
— Third Day, “Miracle” (No. 123): Family Christian stores trigger large increases for a number of albums this week, courtesy of a Labor Day weekend sale promotion. They include: Third Day’s “Miracle” (No. 123; up 223%), Casting Crowns’ “The Acoustic Sessions” (No. 144; up 306%) and Britt Nicole’s “Gold” (No. 147; up 173%).
— Belle and Sebastian, “Third Eye Centre” (No. 145): The second compilation collection (a debut at No. 145) from the pop band sold well on vinyl, as 22% of its 3,000 first-week were LPs. In turn, the b-sides and rarities set also lands at No. 3 on the Vinyl Albums chart.
