Billboard requires a JavaScript enabled browser to get the full experience

Adele's '21' Claims 14th Week Atop Billboard 200

by Keith Caulfield, L.A.  |   January 04, 2012 11:00 EST
Lauren Dukoff

Artists in this Article

The Black Keys
Young Jeezy
Rihanna
Adele
Florence + the Machine
LMFAO
Foster the People

Related Articles

Drake, Lil Wayne Make Fashion Statements in 'The Motto' Video

Drake, Lil Wayne and Tyga flaunt their Young Money success -- and some eyebrow-raising fashion choices -- in the music video for "The Motto," which premiered online on Wednesday night (Dec. 21).

Adele's '21' Aiming for 14th Week at No. 1, LMFAO Headed For First Top 10 Album

Adele's latest continues to dominate the charts.

LMFAO's Redfoo Escapes DJ Set Fire in Honduras

The musician's set was cut short when the venue's electrical system caught fire on Wednesday night.

Katy Perry, Russell Brand To Divorce

After 14 months of marriage, Katy Perry and Russell Brand are getting a divorce.

As predicted, Adele's "21" album jumps back to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, marking its 14th non-consecutive week at the top of the tally.

The set sold 144,000 copies last week (down 64% according to Nielsen SoundScan) and continues to be the album with the most weeks at No. 1 since the "Titanic" soundtrack sailed with 16 weeks at No. 1 in 1998.

 

Adele Rules 2011 With Top Selling Album & Song

 

Among all albums by women, "21" now ties Whitney Houston's self-titled 1986 debut for the third-most weeks at No. 1. Only Houston's own soundtrack to "The Bodyguard" (20 weeks in 1992-1993) and Carole King's "Tapestry" (15 weeks in 1971) have earned more among the ladies.

Last week's No. 1 album, Michael Buble's "Christmas," drops to No. 24 with 21,000 (down 96%). It's the fourth album to fall from No. 1 to outside the top 20 in the past year, following Mac Miller's "Blue Slide Park" (1-23), Amos Lee's "Mission Bell" (1-25) and Cake's "Showroom of Compassion" (1-24).

A sudden drop for Buble's holiday effort isn't surprising -- even if it did spend five straight weeks at No. 1. Once Christmas has passed, holiday albums all suffer greatly.

As is often the case in the week after Christmas, few albums post a sales gain. The entire top 25 this week all decline. So, those sets with the smallest fall in sales often post big positional leaps up the tally.

Keeping in tradition with hip-hop and rock albums generally performing well post-Christmas (as iTunes gift cards are redeemed for what kids really wanted), Drake's "Take Care" moves 5-2 (72,000, down 45%) and Young Jeezy's "TM103: Hustlerz Ambition" is steady at No. 3 (67,000; down 71%).

Lady Antebellum's "Own the Night" rises 6-4 (54,000; down 51%) while LMFAO's "Sorry for Party Rocking" reaches the top 10 for the first time, zipping 16-5 with 49,000 (down 34%).

Florence + the Machine also jump into the top 10 with "Ceremonials" (20-6 with 47,000 -- down 25%). It's the first time the album has been in the region since its debut week on the tally -- Nov. 19, 2011.

Florence, LMFAO and Lady Antebellum's albums were all discounted to $6.99 in the iTunes Store last week and prominently promoted, which is no doubt the main reason for their moves up the chart. In terms of download album sales, "Ceremonials," "Sorry" and "Own" are up by 35%, 81% and 377%, respectively.

 


Adele 'Artist of the Year' Q&A: 'My Career Isn't My Life'


 

The Black Keys' "El Camino" rises 9-7 (45,000; down 51%), Coldplay's "Mylo Xyloto" moves 12-8 (44,000; down 48%) and Rihanna's "Talk That Talk" falls 7-9 (42,000; down 58%). Rounding out the top 10 is the "Now 40" compilation, holding at No. 10 with 41,000 (down 53%).

Adele almost nabbed two top 10 sets this week, as "19" bounds 17-11 with 35,000 (down 50% overall, but up 225% in downloads). It was also included in iTunes' limited-time $6.99 sale, which ran from Dec. 29 through Jan. 1.

iTunes' promotions also impact a number of sets outside the top 10, as Foster the People's "Torches" and Michael Jackson's "Number Ones" both see mighty jumps. The former rises 35-14 with 32,000 sold (down 24% overall but up 94% in download sales) while the King of Pop's hits set zooms 156-27 with 19,000 (up 79% overall and 681% in downloads). Also, Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger," which received front-of-store placement and $7.99 sale pricing, bounds 39-17 with 25,000 (down 40% overall, but up 232% in downloads).

Over on the Digital Songs chart, unlike the albums tally, all but three songs on the 75-position list sport sales increases. In fact, the top 33 songs all sold at least 100,000 last week.

LMFAO's "Sexy and I Know It" continues to party at No. 1 with 417,000 sold (up 6%) -- the tune's biggest sales week yet. LMFAO also has the No. 4 download this week with "Party Rock Anthem" rising four slots (296,000; up 38%). It's not unusual to see older hits -- like "Anthem" -- climb in sales in the week after Christmas, as consumers fill up newly-gifted electronic devices with the year's most popular tunes.

Rihanna's "We Found Love" (featuring Calvin Harris) rises 3-2 (319,000; up 16%), Katy Perry's "The One That Got Away" falls 2-3 (308,000; up 4%) and Bruno Mars' "It Will Rain" slips 4-5 (280,000; up 5%). Adele's "Set Fire to the Rain" marches 7-6 (267,000; up 23%), Flo Rida's "Good Feeling" moves 6-7 (257,000; up 18%) and Jay-Z and Kanye West's "Ni**as In Paris" descends 5-8 (244,000; up 8%). Adele's "Someone Like You" (10-9 with 215,000; up 18%) and Snoop Dogg & Wiz Khalifa's "Young, Wild & Free" (11-10 with 210,000; up 16%) round out the top 10.

Overall album sales in this past chart week (ending Jan. 1, 2012) totaled 7.71 million units, down 49% compared to the sum last week (15.11 million) and down 1% compared to the comparable sales week of 2010 (7.42 million). 2011 finishes with 330.57 million album sold, up 1% compared to 2010's tally of 326.15 million. It is the first year where there has been a gain in album sales since 2004.

Digital track sales this past week totaled 46.42 million downloads, up 21% compared to last week (38.25 million) and up 10% stacked next to the comparable week of 2010 (42.07 million). 2011 concluded with 1.27 billion tracks sold, up 8.5% compared to 2010's sum (1.17 billion).

Next week's Billboard 200 competes with the same week in 2011 when: Taylor Swift's "Speak Now" was No. 1 for its sixth and final week atop the chart, selling a rather low 52,000 (down 32%). The chart's highest debut came in at No. 48 by the "More Music From 'Country Strong'" sequel soundtrack (9,000).

Up for Discussion

Connect with

More Features

All features

All of Billboard.com's Great Lists

Billboard chart app

Billboard archives

Thanks For Joining Billboard

Log in to create your profile, speak your mind and connect with listeners like you.

Why Join ?

Don't just hear it. Live it. Go deeper than a casual listen: Voice your feelings, build a profile around your favorite music, connect with people who share your passions and discover new ones. Sign up for free.

Complete Your Registration at Billboard.com!

Haven't Joined Yet ?

For the full Billboard experience, you need to be a member. Sign up. It's free.

Join Billboard

Forgot your password?

Enter the e-mail address you used to sign up and we will email you the password .

Email Sent !

Your password has been sent to the email address you provided. Please sign in below :

Log In

Forget your password ?

Action Successful

We'd love to hear your feedback on the new Billboard.com!

Whether it's a feature request or a bug

We want to hear from you. Please use this form to anonymously give us your input.