Nicki Minaj is two-for-two for No. 1 albums, as her sophomore set “Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded” starts at the top of the Billboard 200 with 253,000 copies. Her first album “Pink Friday,” which debuted at No. 2 with 375,000 in December 2010 but eventually climbed to No. 1 with the help of her single “Super Bass” in early 2011.
Adele, therefore, climbs No. 3 to No. 2 with the next tallest sales tally, with “21” moving 153,000, a 26% sales increase over last week.
Rascal Flatts” new album “Changed” bows at No. 3 with 130,000, besting their last album”s No. 6 start (though it moved 165,000).
Lionel Richie”s “Tuskegee” slips No. 2 to No. 4 (95,000, -52%) while One Direction”s “Up All Night” rises No. 6 to No. 5 (92,000, +88%). The latter band performed on “Saturday Night Live” and at the Kids” Choice Awards on the previous weekend.
Of Monsters And Men”s first album “My Head Is An Animal” bows at No. 6 with 55,000 copies, helped by the popularity of single “Little Talks.”
“The Hunger Games” soundtrack falls No. 5 to No. 7 (50,000, -22%).
Madonna”s newest No. 1 album “MDNA” now flies down to No. 8 with 48,000. That”s an 86.7% decline, the biggest second-week decline for an album. Lady Gaga”s “Born This Way” held the previous record, when it fell 84.27% in sales between its first and second week on the chart last year. Oof.
Marvin Sapp”s “I Win” enters the chart at No. 9 with 37,000; the gospel singer”s previous “Here I Am” made it to No. 2 in 2010, with 76,000.
Shinedown”s “Amaryllis” declines No. 4 to No. 10 (36,000, -66%).
Sales this wee are up 4% compared to the previous week, and up 9% compared to the same week last year. Sales for the year are up 1% so far.