As reported last night (July 16), Jay-Z’s “Magna Carta Holy Grail” album bounds in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, marking the rap titan’s 13th leader. The set sold 527,000 copies in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan, the second-largest sales frame of the year. (2013’s biggest week still belongs to Justin Timberlake’s “The 20/20 Experience,” which bowed with 968,000.)
Jay-Z extends his record for the most No. 1 albums among solo acts. He’s second among all artists to the Beatles, who have 19 leaders.
Entering at No. 2 this week behind Jay-Z is Ciara, with her self-titled fourth album. It starts with 58,000 sold, an improvement over the 37,000 that greeted her last set, 2010’s “Basic Instinct.” Overall, “Ciara” is the singer’s fourth album to reach the top three on the Billboard 200. Her only set to miss the region was “Basic Instinct,” which debuted and peaked at No. 44.
One more new entry arrives in the top 10 this week: Skylar Grey’s Interscope Records debut set, “Don’t Look Down.” The singer bows at No. 8 with 24,000. The singer/songwriter shot to fame as the guest vocalist on such songs as Diddy-Dirty Money’s “Coming Home” and Dr. Dre’s “I Need a Doctor.”
Grey previously charted as Holly Brook and notched a top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hit in 2006 as the guest vocalist on Fort Minor’s “Where’d You Go.” Under the name Brook, she issued one album, “Like Blood Like Honey,” which hit No. 35 on the Heatseekers Albums chart in 2006.
As for the holdover titles in the top 10 this week: J. Cole’s “Born Sinner” slips from No. 1 to No. 3 with 39,000 (down 32%), while Imagine Dragons’ “Night Visions” is steady at No. 4 with 32,000 (down 9%). Florida Georgia Line’s “Here’s to the Good Times” is also a non-mover at No. 5 with 31,000 (down 3%).
Kanye West’s “Yeezus” slides 3-6 with 29,000 (down 26%), Wale’s “The Gifted” drops 2-7 with 28,000 (down 44%), and Daft Punk’s “Random Access Memories” descends 7-9 with 23,000 (down 18%). Rounding out the top 10 is Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ “The Heist,” moving down two rungs to No. 10 with 22,000 (down 5%).
Over on the Digital Songs chart, Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines,” featuring Pharrell and T.I., upholds the No. 1 spot. It sold 384,000 downloads for the week, down by 9%.
Miley Cyrus’ “We Can’t Stop” is also steady at No. 2 for another week, shifting another 216,000 downloads (up 3%).
The chart’s highest debut is from Jay-Z’s “Holy Grail,” featuring Timberlake, which bounds in at No. 3 with 196,000.
Imagine Dragons’ “Radioactive” is No. 4 for another week, selling 179,000 (down 3%). Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise” falls 3-5 with 158,000 (down 18%), Daft Punk’s “Get Lucky,” featuring Pharrell Williams, slips 5-6 with 157,000 (down 12%).
Bruno Mars’ “Treasure” falls 6-7 with 131,000 (down 9%), Anna Kendrick’s “Cups” is stationary at No. 8 with 121,000 (up 3%), and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ “Same Love,” featuring Mary Lambert, is also a non-mover at No. 9 with 118,000 (up 4%). Closing out the top 10 is Macklemore and Lewis’ “Can’t Hold Us,” featuring Ray Dalton, which falls three rungs to No. 10 with 113,000 (down 13%).
Overall album sales in this past chart week (ending July 14) totaled 4.84 million units, down less than 1% compared with the sum last week (4.86 million) and down 13% compared with the comparable sales week of 2012 (5.6 million). Year-to-date album sales stand at 151.7 million, down 6% compared with the same total at this point last year (161.8 million).
Digital track sales this past week totaled 22.8 million downloads, down 7% compared with last week (24.4 million) and down 9% stacked next to the comparable week of 2012 (25.1 million). Year-to-date track sales are at 729.4 million, down 3% compared with the same total at this point last year (749 million).
Next week’s Billboard 200 competes with the same week in 2012 when: Nas’ “Life Is Good” debuted at No. 1 with 149,000. The “Kidz Bop 22” album was the chart’s second-highest bow, coming in at No. 3 with 64,000.
