Believe it or not, until this week Bruno Mars never had a #1 album on the Billboard 200 Chart. His first attempt to reach #1 was with his 2010 release of Doo-Wops & Hooligans. Although his debut album topped out at #3, his sophomore release, Unorthodox Jukebox, has finally reached the #1 spot.
Last week during the ‘Backstage’ segment on the FOX 26 Morning News, we previewed the news that Bruno Mars was in the running for earning his first #1 album thanks to a major price slash of Unorthodox Jukebox via Amazon.com. The online retailer had set the price on a number of albums, including Bruno Mars’ Unorthodox Jukebox and Ryan Lewis’ The Heist, for only $1.99.
Billboard reported that Unorthodox Jukebox sold 64,000 downloads over the last week. That is 46,000 more than the 18,000 Bruno had been averaging over the past two months. Atoms for Peace’s Amok, consisting of Radiohead’s Thom Yorke, producer Nigel Godrich, Red Hot Chili Peppers’ Flea, drummer Joey Waronker and percussionist Mauro Refosco, took the second place spot with 50,000 copies sold.
Mumford and Son, who held the #1 spot last week, slid down to third place with 43,000 copies of their album Babel sold. Ryan Lewis’ The Heist took fourth place after selling 42,000 downloads (+89%) thanks to Amazon’s discount pricing.
Due to Atoms for Peace, Mumford and Sons, and Ryan Lewis placement on the Billboard 200 this week, this is the first time three albums from #2 to #4 on the Billboard chart had all been distributed by independent distribution companies since SoundScan started recording the chart in 1991.
Both Atoms for Peace’s Amok and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis’ The Heist are distributed by Alternative Distribution Alliance, while Babel from Mumford & Sons is distributed through RED Distribution.
Are we seeing a new trend in the music industry?
The Top 10 Albums on the Billboard 200 are as follows:
- Unorthodox Jukebox by Bruno Mars sold 64,000 units
- Amok by Atoms for Peace sold 50,000 units
- Babel by Mumford and Sons sold 43,000 units
- The Heist by Ryan Lewis sold 42,000 units
- Zion by Hillsong United sold 34,000 units
- Now 45 by Various Artists sold 33,000 units
- The Lumineers by The Lumieers sold 30,000 units
- All That Echoes by Josh Groban sold 29,000 units
- Unapologetic by Rihanna sold a little less than 29,000 units
- 21 by Adele sold 27,000 units
