Justin Bieber”s “Believe” has the best-selling single sales-frame from a debut this year as the new album bows at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 today. The set – his fourth chart-topper – moved 374,000 copies, which also happens to be Bieber”s best sales frame yet.
The 18-year-old pop star”s other No. 1s include 2010″s “My World 2.0,” 2011″s “Never Say Never: The Remixes” and 2011″s Christmas album “Under the Mistletoe.”
However, the biggest single sales from this year so far doesn”t belong to Bieber: it belongs to Adele”s “21,” which logged 730,000 copies the week after the Grammys in February.
Meanwhile, Kenny Chesney”s “Welcome to the Fishbowl” is the second of four major entries on the album sales chart, as it begins at No. 2 with 193,000. His last album “Hemingway”s Whiskey” took No. 1 in 2010, but moved 183,000.
Fiona Apple returns to the chart at No. 3 with “The Idler Wheel…”, her first new album in seven years. Her previous “Extraordinary Machine” peaked at No. 7 with 94,000, while this new effort moved 72,000.
Smashing Pumpkins” new “Oceania” enters at No. 4 with 54,000 copies, which is their return after a five year leave-of-absence. The rock act”s 2007 album “Zeitgeist” made it to No. 2 with 145,000.
The “Rock of Ages” soundtrack bounds up No. 9 to No. 5 with a 34% sales increase to 49,000.
Usher”s “Looking 4 Myself” dips down No. 1 to No. 6 (62%, 48,000). Adele”s previously mentioned “21” falls out of the top 5 for only the second time, as it moves No. 3 to No. 7 (47,000, -24%). One Direction”s “Up All Night” falls No. 6 to No. 8 (41,000), Luke Bryan”s “Tailgates & Tanlines” ascends No. 13 to No. 9 (28,000, +4%) and Rush”s “Clockwork Angels” tumbles No. 2 to No. 10 (27,000, 74%).
Album sales are up 2% compared to last week and up less than 1% compared to the same week last year. Sales are down 3% so far.