On the Charts: Taylor Swift Enjoys One Last Week On Top As Indie Rockers Invade
The Big News: Taylor Swift‘s Fearless enjoyed what’s likely to be its last week at Number One, selling another 62,000 copies to top another week of poor overall sales. Beyoncé’s I Am… Sasha Fierce and Nickelback’s Dark Horse remained entrenched at Number Two and Three. Kanye West’s 808s & Heartbreak rose up one spot to four thanks to 39,000 in sales and the Twilight soundtrack rounded out the top five. Only one debut managed to crack the top 10, as Mariah Carey’s Ballads compilation arrived at 10.
Debuts: With sales slumping yet again, it was an indie rock party in the upper echelon of the charts. Andrew Bird’s Noble Beast bowed at 12, while Animal Collective’s acclaimed Merriweather Post Pavilion scored 13th place with 24,000 copies. By comparison, AC’s previous album Strawberry Jam debuted at Number 72 in 2007. Bon Iver and his Blood Bank EP landed at 16 and Antony & The Johnsons’ Crying Light hit the chart at 65.
Last Week’s Heroes: The Top 10 essentially stayed the same from last week, with only David Cook’s self-titled exiting and Mariah Carey’s Ballads entering. The Notorious soundtrack suffered the largest drop, falling from four to nine thanks to a 32 percent sales drop. Bottom line? Taylor Swift enjoyed her two-month vacation atop the charts, but the fun ends next week as Bruce Springsteen and his five-star Working on a Dream seem like a lock to claim Number One.