The numbers are in, and for Paramore, “it’s not a dream anymore.” The band’s “Brand New Eyes” topped Mariah Carey’s “Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel” in opening week sales, scoring 175,000 to Carey’s 168,000. Far and away the band’s best sales week, the “Brand New Eyes” opening figure, despite the lack of early buzz for lead single “Ignorance,” shows that the band’s heavy presence on MTV and on the “Twilight” soundtrack immensely paid off.
But where music industry analysts went wrong was assuming the battle for the top spot on the Billboard 200 was just going to be between Paramore and Mariah Carey. As it turns out, neither topped the chart.
Instead, veteran Barbra Streisand opened at number one with “Love is the Answer.” Thanks to strong late-week activity, the album topped with 180,000. It marks Streisand’s ninth chart-topper.
The top ten was full of debuts; behind Mariah Carey was fourth place Breaking Benjamin with “Dear Agony.” The album net first week sales of 134,000, a career best for the band.
Alice in Chains’ “Black Gives Way to Blue” starts at fifth with 126,000, while Miranda Lambert’s “Revolution” was good for eighth with 66,000. Selena Gomez & The Scene’s “Kiss and Tell” opens in ninth, narrowly behind the Lambert album in sales.
Jay-Z’s “The Blueprint 3” (89,000, 6th) and Pearl Jam’s “Backspacer” (58,000, 10th) completed the top ten.