Katy Perry’s “Prism” Album Cover
Katy Perry’s new “Prism” album debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 this week, selling 286,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The most recent tracking week ended Sunday, Oct. 27.
It’s the largest sales week this year for an album by a woman and the second-largest for a pop effort. Among women, she surpasses Miley Cyrus’ “Bangerz” for the year’s biggest sales week. (“Bangerz” bowed at No. 1 with 270,000 three weeks ago.) Among pop sets, only Daft Punk’s “Random Access Memories” had a larger frame this year, when it debuted with 339,000.
“Prism” also tallies the debut largest week for a female pop artist’s album since Madonna’s “MDNA” bowed at No. 1 with 359,000 on the April 14, 2012, chart.
“Prism” is Perry’s second No. 1 album, following her last release, 2010’s “Teenage Dream.” “Prism” also captures Perry’s biggest sales week yet, stepping ahead of her previous high-water mark, when “Teenage” launched with 192,000.
While Perry’s “Prism” brightens the top of the chart, the rest of the albums on the tally sold far fewer copies. In fact, “Prism” outsells the Nos. 2-9 albums combined. In turn, overall album sales fell to a historic low this past week: 4.49 million albums were sold, falling below the SoundScan-era (1991-present) low that was set in the week ending Sept. 15 (4.54 million).
Meanwhile, last week’s No. 1 album, Pearl Jam’s “Lightning Bolt,” falls to No. 2 with 46,000 in its second week. It’s down by 72%.
Perry’s “Prism” is one of four albums to bow in the top 10 this week. The next-highest arrival is Fifth Harmony’s “Better Together” EP, which starts at No. 6 with 28,000. The six-song set marks the highest-charting effort from an act born from the U.S. edition of “The X Factor.” The five-piece vocal act formed during the second season of “The X Factor” in 2012.
Only one other U.S. “X Factor” act, Emblem3, has reached the top 10. That trio’s debut set, “Nothing to Lose,” debuted and peaked at No. 7 on the Aug. 17 chart.
DJ Khaled’s new album “Suffering From Success” also starts in the top 10 this week, bowing at No. 7 with 27,000 sold. It’s the hip-hop DJ’s fifth top 10 effort, and follows 2012’s “Kiss the Ring,” which launched at No. 4 with 41,000.
AFI’s “Burials” rounds out the arrivals in the top 10, as it debuts at No. 9 with 25,000. It’s the third top 10 album for the band, whose last studio set, 2009’s “Crash Love,” debuted and peaked at No. 12 with 52,000. It previously logged top 10s with 2006’s No. 1 “Decemberunderground” and 2003’s No. 5 hit “Sing the Sorrow.”
As for the rest of the holdovers in the top 10, Drake’s “Nothing Was the Same” is up one slot to No. 3 with 44,000 (down 24%) while Cyrus’ “Bangerz” dips 2-4 with 43,000 (down 40%).
Lorde’s “Pure Heroine” climbs 7-5 with 40,000 (down 16%), and Justin Timberlake’s “The 20/20 Experience (2 of 2)” rises 11-8 with 26,000 (down 28%). Luke Bryan’s “Crash My Party” is the last of the non-debuts in the top 10 this week, as it ascends 12-10 with nearly 25,000 (down 3%).
Over on the Digital Songs chart, Lorde’s “Royals” returns to No. 1, selling 222,000 downloads (down 13%). It replaces Eminem’s “Rap God,” which opened atop the list last week, but falls to No. 9 this week with 106,000 (down 61%).
Avicii’s “Wake Me Up!” rises 4-2 with 158,000 (down 14%) while Lady Gaga’s “Do What U Want” (featuring R. Kelly) debuts at No. 3 with 156,000. It’s the second single from Gaga’s upcoming “ARTPOP” album, which is due Nov. 11. The album’s first single, “Applause,” debuted 11 weeks ago at No. 3 with 218,000. This week, “Applause” dips 10-15 with 80,000 (down 9%), and has sold a total of 1.6 million.
With the arrival of “Do What U Want,” R. Kelly earns his highest-charting single on the 9-year-old Digital Songs chart. He previously rose as high as No. 13 with his featured role on Young Jeezy’s “Go Getta” in 2007.
OneRepublic’s “Counting Stars” vaults 9-4 with 152,000 (up 48%), logging its best sales week yet. The song concurrently rises 38-30 on the Pop Songs airplay chart (known as Mainstream Top 40 on Billboard.biz).
Cyrus’ “Wrecking Ball” is stationary at No. 5 with 136,000 (down 17%) while Taylor Swift’s new “Sweeter Than Fiction” bows at No. 6 with 114,000. Justin Bieber’s latest release in his Music Mondays series, “Hold Tight,” launches at No. 7 with 111,000.
Perry’s “Roar” slides 3-8 with a little more than 111,000 (down 41%), while Ylvis’ “The Fox” descends 8-10 with 100,000 (down 5%).
Overall album sales in this past chart week (ending Oct. 27) totaled 4.5 million units, down 4% compared with the sum last week (4.7 million) and down 28% compared with the comparable sales week of 2012 (6.3 million). Year-to-date album sales stand at 223.4 million, down 7% compared with the same total at this point last year (240.4 million).
Digital track sales this past week totaled 19.89 million downloads, up less than 1% compared with last week (19.85 million) and down 6% stacked next to the comparable week of 2012 (21.1 million). Year-to-date track sales are at 1.054 billion, down 4% compared with the same total at this point last year (1.098 billion).
Next week’s Billboard 200 competes with the same week in 2012 when: Swift’s “Red” held firm at No. 1 for a second week, selling 344,000 (down 72%). Meek Mill’s “Dreams & Nightmares” was the top debut, bowing at No. 2 with 165,000.