I'm posting this primarily for those interested in behind the scenes news. Please do not re-post on any other site. Thanks.
By David Farrell Tue, 04/05/2016 - 08:30
Another week, another nosebleed. Overall album sales are down 5% over last week, and down 21% year-to-date over 2015.
CD sales plummeted 11% in the last week, and on a YTD basis are down 15%.
Digital album sales showed some kick, rising 5% over the previous week, but on a YTD basis are off by 28%.
Vinyl LPs continue to do brisk business. The format is up 26% year-to-date over 2015, but declined 8% over the prior week.
Skewing the numbers are digital tracks, which posted an 11% gain in the week, but overall the numbers are down 23% on a YTD comparison.
Total streams rose slightly in the week--up 0.8% over last week--to 747 million. Year-to-date, streams are up 83.5% over the same period in 2015.
Former boy band member Zayn Malik's debut solo album Mind of Mine (Sony) goes straight to number one, selling 11,000 copies in the week. The former One Direction singer scored the same achievement in the UK and the US where he makes chart history as the first Brit singer to have a number one debut with a debut release.
Here in Canada he is the first artist to enter at the top of the album chart with a debut album since Yoan in April 2015. All the albums that he has been on as either a solo act or as a member of One Direction have debuted in the same spot.
-- Data courtesy of Nielsen SoundScan and BDS.