One rock band replaces another atop the Billboard 200 as Fall Out Boy’s Save Rock and Roll debuts at No. 1, bumping last week’s champ, Paramore’s Paramore, down to No. 12. Fall Out Boy bows with 154,000 sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan, the quartet’s third-biggest sales week ever. Only the No. 1 arrival of Infinity on High in 2007 (260,000) and a busy Christmas frame for From Under the Cork Tree in 2005 (157,000) were larger.
Fall Out Boy had been in a race for No. 1 this week with Kid Cudi, whose new album Indicud debuts at No. 2 with 136,000. Initially, industry sources had forecast both albums—released last Tuesday (April 16)—to sell around 150,000. However, Kid Cudi fell behind a bit once the weekend hit, and Fall Out Boy pulled ahead by the end of the tracking week on Sunday, April 21.
As for Paramore, its self-titled album tumbles from No. 1 to No. 12 in its second week, moving 27,000 copies with a 74% drop in sales. It’s the second No. 1-debuting album to fall straight out of the top 10 in its second week this year. Previously, Chris Tomlin’s Burning Lights collapsed 1-22 on the Feb. 2 chart.
Back inside the top 10 this week, Justin Timberlake’s The 20/20 Experience is steady at No. 3 (76,000; down 22%), as is Blake Shelton’s Based on a True Story at No. 4 (42,000; down 31%).
Rock band Yeah Yeah Yeahs tally their first top 10—and highest-charting album ever—as Mosquito bows at No. 5 with 38,000 sold. It’s not the best sales week for the group, however. 2006’s Show Your Bones started with 56,000 when it debuted (and peaked) at No. 11.
Mosquito is the third and final top 10 arrival this week, as the next-highest entry belongs to Christian rap artist Andy Mineo, who starts at No. 11 with his debut studio set, Heroes for Sale (28,000).
As for the rest of the top 10: the Band Perry’s Pioneer is a non-mover at No. 6 (37,000; down 35%), Brad Paisley’s Wheelhouse slips 2-7 (34,000; down 66%), and Lil Wayne’s I Am Not a Human Being II is stationary at No. 8 (31,000; down 27%). Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ The Heist returns to the top 10 (16-9 with 30,000; up 14%) as its latest single, “Can’t Hold Us,” continues to make waves. It rises 17-12 on Pop Songs this week (aka Mainstream Top 40 airplay on Billboard.biz) while its video premiered April 17.
Closing out the top 10 is P!nk’s The Truth About Love, which rises four slots with 28,000 (down 1%).
Over on the Digital Songs chart, P!nk remains at No. 1 with “Just Give Me a Reason” (featuring Nate Ruess), selling another 262,000 (down 7%). Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ “Can’t Hold Us” is steady at No. 2 with 245,000, but earns the largest percentage gain in the top 10: It’s up by 17%.
Rihanna’s “Stay” (featuring Mikky Ekko) climbs 4-3 (162,000; down 8%), Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ “Thrift Shop” rises 5-4 (147,000; down 12%), and Timberlake’s “Mirrors” ascends 8-5 (142,000; up 12%).
Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise” slides 3-6 (129,000; down 28%), Bruno Mars’ “When I Was Your Man” dips 6-7 (128,000; down 23%), Icona Pop’s “I Love It” (featuring Charli XCX) is up 10-8 (127,000; up 9%), and Imagine Dragons’ “Radioactive” remains at No. 9 (nearly 127,000; up 2%).
Daft Punk earns the highest debut of the week, as its new “Get Lucky” (featuring Pharrell Williams) bows at No. 10 with 113,000. It’s the best sales week for any single by the electronic/dance duo. “Get Lucky” arrives with only three days of sales, as it was released Friday, April 19. The latest tracking week ended at the close of business on Sunday, April 21.
Overall album sales in this past chart week (ending April 21) totaled 5.40 million units, down less than 1% compared with the sum last week (5.42 million) and down 6% compared with the comparable sales week of 2012 (5.7 million). Year-to-date album sales stand at 90.5 million, down 5% compared with the same total at this point last year (95.6 million).
Digital track sales this past week totaled 23.7 million downloads, down 7% compared with last week (25.5 million) and down 8% stacked next to the comparable week of 2012 (25.9 million). Year-to-date track sales are at 434 million, down 2% compared with the same total at this point last year (444.5 million).
Next week’s Billboard 200 competes with the same week in 2012 when: Jack White debuted at No. 1 with his solo debut album, Blunderbuss (138,000), while the previous week’s leader, Lionel Richie’s Tuskegee, fell to No. 3 (78,000; down 31%). [Billboard.biz]