As expected, Madonna”s new album “MDNA” takes the top of the Billboard 200 album sales chart this week, bowing with 359,000 copies. This makes it eight No. 1 albums for the legendary pop star, whose last was 2008″s “Hard Candy.” That effort started with a lower number, too, with 280,000 copies.
Madonna remains the runner-up as far as solo female artists with the most No. 1s: only Barbra Streisand has more, with nine.
Lionel Richie says “Hello” again with his new set “Tuskegee,” which bows at No.2 with 199,000. That”s his best sales week since SoundScan started tracking sales data in 1991. His last album, 2009″s “Just Go,” only made it to No. 24; the last time he charted higher than No. 2 was with 1986″s “Dancing on the Ceiling,” which made it to No. 1. “Tuskegee” is a country covers set.
Adele remains in the top tier at No. 3, down from No. 2, with 121,000 copies, a 7% sales dip.
Shinedown earns its best sales and chart week ever with the debut of “Amaryllis” at No. 4 with 106,000. Their previous bests were with “The Sound of Madness” in 2008, which started at No. 8 with 50,000.
“The Hunger Games” soundtrack drops from No. 1 to No. 5 (64,000, -64%) while One Direction”s “Up All Night” slips No. 4 to No. 6 (46,000, -16%).
Katy Perry”s deluxe reissue “Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection” makes the title fly up No. 31 to No. 7 with 33,000, and increase of 190%.
The Used”s “Vulnerable” enters the chart at No. 8 with 32,000; their last album “Artwork” from 2009 made it No. 10, but with 35,000.
Bruce Springsteen”s “Wrecking Ball” falls No. 6 to No. 9 (28,000, -26%) and the “Now 41” compilation slides No. 8 to No. 10 (25,000, -18%).
Album sales are up 13% compared to last week and down 7% compared to the same week last year. Sales for the year are up less than 1% for the year so far.