A look at the most notable jumps and drops on this week’s Billboard 200 albums and Hot 100 singles charts.
The Billboard 200
— Lil Wayne: The CD version of Weezy’s “I Am Not a Human Being” arrived in stores last week, prompting the album’s jump from No. 16 to No. 1 in its third week on the list (125,000; up 443% according to Nielsen SoundScan).
— Michael W. Smith: Family Christian stores’ sale pricing of “It’s a Wonderful Christmas” for $5 helps lift it with a 180% gain (moving it 179-54) with a 125-position leap, the biggest on the chart. The singer’s It’s a Wonderful Christmas tour begins on Nov. 26 and runs through Dec. 19.
— “The Social Network”: As stock of the soundtrack reaches more retailers (including iTunes), the set rebounds with a 39% gain (up 39 positions — the second-biggest leap on the list — to No. 70; 6,000, up 39%). It bowed two weeks ago primarily from digital downloads via its label’s Web site and Amazon’s MP3 store.
— David Archuleta: Sorry Archie fans, the former “American Idol” runner-up sees his sophomore studio set — somewhat unfortunately titled “The Other Side of Down” — experience the chart’s largest percentage drop on the tally, as it collapses 13-71 with a 74% decline in sales in its second week (moving from 24,000 to 6,000). Two more albums on the list this week post drops of 70% or larger: Faith Evans’ “Something About Faith” (down 71%, falling 15-63) and Guster’s “Easy Wonderful” (down 71% as well, dropping 22-90).
— Kings of Leon: The band’s last studio set “Only By the Night” vaults up 34 rungs to No. 116 with a 33% increase, a week before their new album, “Come Around Sundown,” reached retail. The latter set is in the hunt for a possible No. 1 debut next week on the Billboard 200.
— Joe Satriani: The guitar legend’s “Black Swans and Wormhole Wizards” magically disappears right out of the top 50 and it tumbles 124 spots to No. 169 — the largest drop on the chart — in its second week on the list (down 67%). As we’ve seen before, certain acts with a dedicated (but limited) fanbase often watch their albums tumble hard in their second week. We also see 100-position drops from KT Tunstall’s “Tiger Suit” (43-152) and Jars of Clay’s “The Shelter” (78-179).
The Billboard Hot 100
— Far*East Movement: The Los Angeles-based quartet moves to the top spot of the Billboard Hot 100 with its debut single “Like a G6” (2-1). The act knocks out fellow newbie Bruno Mars, who falls to No. 2 after four weeks at No. 1 with his premiere single as lead artist, “Just the Way You Are.” Among multi-member acts, Far*East Movement is the first to take its initial Hot 100 chart appearance to No. 1 since D4L hit the top with “Laffy Taffy” in January 2006. Though “G6” is pushed down to No. 2 on Hot Digital Songs by Taylor Swift’s new arrival, it shifts 223,000 (up 1%), according to Nielsen SoundScan, for its best single-week sum to date.
— Taylor Swift: A week after opening at No. 2 on Hot Digital Songs and No. 8 on the Hot 100 with “Speak Now,” Taylor Swift claims her third chart-topper on the former list — all occurring this year — as “Back to December” debuts with 242,000 downloads. “December” starts as the Hot Shot Debut at No. 6 on the Hot 100, extending Swift’s record for most top 10 debuts in the history of the chart to seven. Her latest track is the third pre-release single from her “Speak Now” album, which is being released Oct. 25. One more title, “Mean,” was issued on Oct. 19, so expect another high Swift debut next week. Swift has topped Hot Digital Songs with “Today Was a Fairytale” in February and “Mine” in August. She has yet to top the Hot 100, however, having peaked at No. 2 with “You Belong With Me” and “Today Was A Fairytale.”
— P!nk: The singer’s “Raise Your Glass” make a toast-worthy Hot 100 jump (51-11) with the chart’s top gain for both airplay and digital sales. The song jumps 42-16 on Hot 100 Airplay (44.5 million listener impressions, up 66%, according to Nielsen BDS) and 59-6 on Hot Digital Songs (129,000, up 392%). It’s her beset weekly sales sum since “So What” moved 128,000 on the chart dated Jan. 17, 2009.
— Mike Posner: Increased pop airplay (23-18 on Mainstream Top 40) for “Please Don’t Go,” along with its video’s premiere in the iTunes Store, sends it up the Hot 100 (54-34) and forward 63-41 on Hot Digital Songs (38,000, up 53%). His debut album, “31 Minutes to Take Off,” also re-enters the Billboard 200 at No. 168 (3,000; up 34%).
— Kanye West: Both of last week’s top two debuts, “Mine” by Swift (8-45) and West’s “Runaway” (12-38) tumble down the Hot 100 as second-week download sales expectedly drop (down 71% and 68%, respectively). Swift’s track takes a steeper Hot 100 fall as airplay is limited for the album track. West’s song, however, could easily stabilize and rebound on the Hot 100 as audience impressions improve by 82% to 9.7 million, according to Nielsen BDS, from airplay on 123 stations.
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