Carrie Underwood”s “Blown Away” takes the pot on this week”s album sales chart, as the country star”s new set moved 267,000 copies. The Billboard 200 has hosted three Underwood No. 1 albums now, as her 2007 “Carnival Ride” and 2009 “Play On” both also took the top.
The 267k sum the second-largest sales frame this year, behind Madonna”s “MDNA” arrival with 358,000.
Norah Jones” “… Little Broken Hearts” debuts at No. 2 with 110,000. She”s hit the summit three times before, peaked at No. 3 once (her last, 2009 effort “The Fall”).
The newest “Now” album – “Now 42” – bows at No. 3 with 95,000, which are 95,000 people who haven”t figured out how to download “Somebody I Used to Know” on its own.
Adele”s “21” makes a shocking slip from No. 2 to No. 4 with 77,000 (-8%).
B.o.B”s sophomore set “Strange Clouds” starts at No. 5 with 76,000. His former “The Adventures of Bobby Ray” bowed at No. 1 in 2010, with 84,000.
Lionel Richie”s “Tuskegee” dips No. 3 to No. 6 (64,000, -18%), Jack White”s “Blunderbuss” moves No. 1 to No. 7 (56,000, -60%) and One Direction”s “Up All Night” descends No. 4 to No. 8 (45,000, -10%).
The soundtrack to TV show “Smash” debuts at No. 9. It contains mostly covers of songs by the show”s stars Megan Hilty and Katharine McPhee.
At No. 10 bows Marilyn Manson”s “Born Villain” with 39,000. The rocker”s last album, 2009″s “The High End of Low,” made it to No. 4 with 49,000 in its first week.
Sales for the week are up 7% compared to the previous week and down 7% compared to the same week last year. Sales for the year are down 1% compared to last year so far.
Here is this week’s top 10 chart in a nutshell:
1. Carrie Underwood, “Blown Away”
2. Norah Jones, “… Little Broken Hearts”
3. Various, “Now 42”
4. Adele, “21”
5. B.o.B, “Strange Clouds”
6. Lionel Richie, “Tuskegee”
7. Jack White, “Blunderbuss”
8. One Direction, “Up All Night”
9. “Smash” Soundtrack
10. Marilyn Manson, “Born Villain”