Daft Punk has gotten lucky.
The French DJ duo’s new album “Random Access Memories” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart this week, scoring the second-largest sales week for the year. The album led a quartet of new albums in the top four spots.
“Random” sold 339,000 copies in its first week, ranking as Daft Punk’s best sales week ever. Surprisingly, it’s also their first No. 1 album. Only Justin Timberlake’s “The 20/20 Experience” sold more copies in one week, when it bowed to 968,000 back in March.
Former Hootie and the Blowfish frontman Darius Rucker saw his latest solo effort, “True Believers,” debut in the second spot, moving 83,000 units. His 2010 album “Charleston, SC 1966,” also bowed at No. 2, but with a much higher sales week of 101,000. While Rucker has never hit the top spot of the Billboard 200, Hootie & the Blowfish topped it twice in the ’90s.
Brooklyn indie rock vets The National took third with their brand new “Trouble Will Find,” which sold 75,000. It’s their biggest sales week ever, beating 2010’s “High Violet,” which debuted to sales of 51,000.
Meanwhile, rapper French Montana’s debut set “Excuse My French” sol 56,000 copies for fourth place.
Rapper French Montana is the fourth new set in the top four, as his debut album “Excuse My French” starts with 56,000 at No. 4. It also lands atop both Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums and Rap Albums.
The Jay-Z-driven “The Great Gatsby” soundtrack is still selling strong, sliding from No. 4 to No. 5 with 54,000 sold.
Thirty Seconds to Mars’ “Love Lust Faith + Dreams” debuted in the sixth spot, selling 53,000. It’s the group’s first time in the top 10 album.
Vampire Weekend’s “Modern Vampires of the City” was No. 1 last week and slipped all the way to No. 7 after a 64% drop to 48,000 sold. George Strait’s “Love Is Everything” likewise fell six spots, from 2-8 (43,000 sold).
Justin Timberlake’s juggernaut “The 20/20 Experience” dropped 7-9 with 42,000 sold.
Lady Antebellum’s “Golden” rounds put the top ten, after selling 34,000 copies.
Overall album sales for the week amounted to 5.19 million units, up 2% from last week (5.11 million), but down 2% compared to the same week last year. So far, 2013 album sales stand are down 5% from last year at this point.