There was drama at the top of the chart last week—a heavyweight slugfest pitting a former champ coming out of retirement against a brash, talented newcomer. When all was said and done, the upstart—Macklemore & Ryan Lewis—outpointed old warrior Justin Timberlake. Together, “Thrift Shop” and “Suit & Tie” moved 666k units, dominating an otherwise unexceptional week, the Macklemore & Lewis track gaining 22%. Also up, slightly, was The Lumineers’ indefatigable “Ho Hey,” +1%.
1. Macklemore & Ryan Lewis, “Thrift Shop” – 341k
2. Justin Timberlake, “Suit & Tie” – 315k
3. Taylor Swift, “I Knew You Were Trouble” – 221k
4. will.i.am f/Britney Spears, “Scream & Shout” – 185k
5. The Lumineers, “Ho Hey” – 156k
6. Swedish House Mafia, “Don’t You Worry Child” – 141k
7. Bruno Mars, “Locked Out of Heaven” – 135k
8. Phillip Phillips, “Home” – 122k
9. Justin Bieber f/Nicki Minaj, “Beauty and a Beat” – 106k
10. Alicia Keys, “Girl on Fire” – 93k
Remember when the bible used to say “bubbling under”? We miss that. Anyhoo… The week’s top debut was “They Love Me” from Lil Wayne f/Drake & Nicki Minaj at #18, with 79k. The biggest gainer was Ke$ha’s “C’mon,” up 55% to 66k, putting it at #24. [HitsDailyDouble]