Download the newest pmaCAST Episode, The Funk In Your Trunk episode featuring Janelle Monae, Beyonce, Erykah Badu, Kanye West, Solange and more
The results are in. The blogosphere has gone abuzz. Thats right, as predicted, Kanye West’s Graduation entered at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top 200 Album Charts, topping the surprisingly bitter-sweet (okay, but still crappy) Curtis by an obnoxiously bitter-sweet (I hate him but he’s entertaining) 50 Cent. Something no one expected, though, are the numbers — Curtis still moved an-impressive 691,304 copies in the six days since its release last Tuesday, but Graduation sold an amazing 956,936, giving Kanye the best first-week album sales in more than two years. Don’t Like Like I Never Told Ya!
Its amazing how the top two albums sold over 1.5 million copies combined, rap albums of all things. There is more at work here than just two arguably talented artists releasing albums at the same time, it turns out that the 50 Cent initiated feud turned out to be a goldmine. How can someone — in 2007, a year where record sales are down the crapper — sell so many records? Obviously, people wanted to see 50 Cent retire (or break his promise), or they really, really like Kanye. And, completely by accident, 50 just might have found a way to save the wounded music business.
VULTURE — The solution is clear: If a record label wants to sell one artist’s albums, it needs to promise to make another similar, more loathsome artist pay a serious and/or hilarious price. If Jive Records (owned by parent label Sony BMG) wants Britney Spears’s terrible new album to sell in November, it should promise never to release or promote another album by Avril Lavigne (another Sony artist) ever again if Britney goes platinum in her first week. Hell, we’d buy her album. Want Usher’s next CD to sell 5 million copies? Say you’ll make R. Kelly plead guilty to his child-pornography charges (although please don’t, since we’re dying to find out what happens in the next 50 chapters of Trapped in the Closet). Be creative! If the Strokes go gold, the White Stripes have to hire a bass player. We can’t think of any reason why this wouldn’t work. Problem solved. SOURCE
mp3: Kanye West ft. Dwele – Flashing Lights
mp3: Kanye West ft. Lil Wayne – Barry Bonds
{ 12 comments… read them below or add one }
How long before their rivalry turns to murder, 2Pac and Biggie style?
And how the hell do those NOW compilations ALWAYS rank so highly on the charts?
Good for him, Graduation is a really fun album to listen to. Hip-hop album of the year, dare I say it! (Unless of course Wu-Tang’s 8 Diagrams is a knockout, or Lupe every gets around to collaborating with Pink Floyd.)
Next prediction: tomorrow, iTunes sales will apply rocket fuel to Kanye’s “Stronger,” finally sending it to No. 1 on the Hot 100. To be fair, 50’s “Ayo Technology” could end up in the Top 10 thanks to iTunes, too
When was the last time an artist sold 960K in a week?
If I’m not mistaken, it was Fitty! The Massacre moved 1.14 million copies in its first four days of release back in March ‘05.
“Told Jay I did a song with Coldplay / Next thing I know he got a song with Coldplay / back of my mind, I’m like, ‘damn, no way’ / Translate Español, ‘No way, Jose!’”
Very deep lyrics. They’ll probably wind up shooting each other.
I don’t think Chris Martin is synonymous with Coldplay in the same way Damon Gough is with Badly Drawn Boy or Chris Carrabba is with Dashboard Confessional.
And though I’m no rhymery expert, I don’t think Chris Martin rhymes with Chris Martin as nicely as coldplay rhymes with coldplay. So he might be justified there.
Wow. To almost crack that million in a week line is crazy…I would have had money on West taking it, but not like this.
Shocked about Chesney selling below Fiddy.
I’m happy for Kanye. Graduation is one of the best albums of the year
Lmao I wanna see 50 weasle out of this one.
Now lets see how Britney does, she should do the same with Celine Dion