Arcade Fire set the Billboard 200 chart ablaze this week as their new album “Reflektor” took the top spot after selling selling 140,000 copies.
It’s the Grammy-winning Canadian band’s second No. 1 album, although 2010’s “The Suburbs” debuted to the higher sale figure of 156,000.??
Five other new albums debuted in this week’s top 10.
Sliding to second place was last’s week’s No. 1 entry, Katy Perry’s “PRISM,” which moved another 92,000 units. The set’s second-week 68% sales decline is the lowest for a No. 1 album since the August release of the Civil Wars’ self-titled album slid 66% in its second week.
Kelly Clarkson leads the week’s deluge of holiday-themed albums, as her new “Wrapped in Red” debuted at No. 3 with 70,000 copies sold. It’s the former American Idol’s sixth time in the top 10.
Also riding the Holiday train was the Robertsons” “Duck the Halls: A Robertson Family Christmas,” featuring the cast of A&E’s “Duck Dynasty” crooning seasonal faves alongside country vets George Strait, Luke Bryan, Josh Turner and Alison Krauss.?? The set debuted at No. 4 with 69,000 sold.
Meanwhile, Drake’s “Nothing Was the Same” slid from No. 3 to No. 5, after selling 38,000.
At No. 6 was newbie country singer Thomas Rhett”s “It Goes Like This,” which debuted to 36,000 in sales.
Toby Keith’s latest, “Drinks After Work,” is the country star’s 14th top 10 album. It sold 35,000 copies, followed by two holdovers. Lorde’s “Pure Heroine” dropped from No. 5 to No. 8 with 34,000, while Miley Cyrus’ “Bangerz” twerked on down to No. 9 with 33,000 sold.
Linkin Park rounded out the top 10 with their new remix joint “Recharged,” which sold just under 33,000 in its debut week. It’s long-running L.A. band’s eighth time in the top 10. Their first remix album, “Reanimation,” debuted and peaked at No. 2 back in 2002.
This week’s total album sales added up to 4.7 million units, up 5% from last week (4.5 million), but down a significant 14% from the same week in 2012 (5.5 million). To date, 2013’s total album sales total 228.7 million, a 7% decrease from this same point in 2012 (245.9 million).