Jill Scott earns her very first No. 1 album on The Billboard 200 with “The Light of the Sun,” as the new set starts with 135,000 copies sold last week. The R&B singer”s previous charting best was 2004″s “Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds, Vol. 2,” which peaked at No. 3. Her last studio album before a foray into acting was 2007″s “The Real Thing: Words and Sounds, Vol. 3” which made it to No. 4.
Meanwhile, Bon Iver has a big week as the self-titled sophomore set enters at No. 2 with 104,000. These numbers easily best his former highs: his 2009 EP “Blood Bank” debuted and peaked at No. 16 with 23,000. Mastermind Justin Vernon”s first album under the moniker, “For Emma Forever Ago,” never made it higher on the chart than No. 64.
Read our review of “Bon Iver” here.
That all keeps Adele”s “21” at bay for a second week at No. 3 with 101,000, a sales decline of 12%. Jackie Evancho”s “Dream With Me” slips No. 2 to No. 4 (77,000, -52%).
Justin Moore”s second album “Outlaws Like Me” bows at No. 5 with 65,000. The country singer”s self-titled Valory debut earned a No. 10 start in 2009.
Eminem and Royce 5″9””s Bad Meets Evil project “Hell: The Sequel” descends from the top spot at No. 1 to No. 6 (63,000, -63%). Read our review of the set here.
The Beat Goes On interviewee Pitbull has his new “Planet Pit” bow at No. 7 with 55,000, a charting best, beating out the No. 8 start of his last “Rebelution” (2009).
Lady Gaga”s “Born This Way” slips No. 4 to No. 8 (49,000, -27%). Read our thoughts about her faltering sales numbers here.
And Lady Gaga parodist “Weird Al” Yankovic”s new “Alpocalypse” enters at No. 9 with 44,000, making it a new charting highwater mark: the comedian”s 2006 album “Straight Outta Lynwood” made it to No. 10.
Jason Aldean”s “My Kinda Party” rounds out the top tier, falling No. 5 to No. 10 (40,000, 22%).
Album sales this week are down 6% compared to last week and down 2% compared to the same sales week last year. Sales for the year are up less than 1% compared to last.