Though initial data predicted a nailbiter in the album sales race between Susan Boyle’s holiday-themed “The Gift” and Taylor Swift’s holdover sensation “Speak Now,” when the final receipts were counted, Boyle’s album won by a mile.
Hits Daily Double’s final data, which is usually quite similar to the Nielsen Soundscan data published weekly by Billboard, reveals that Boyle’s album moved a strong 321,506 copies in its first week (Update from Billboard: The official total is 318,000). Though down substantially from her debut “I Dreamed a Dream,” the figure is impressive insofar as it proves Susan Boyle was not a stunt-driven flash in the pan. She has developed a legitimately strong fanbase.
Swift’s album follows at a strong 209,512, beating out Kid Cudi’s new entry “Man on the Moon II,” which opens to the tune of 176,298 sales.
Other top ten debuts will include “Now 36” (87,872 ), Bon Jovi’s greatest hits release (87,077) and Reba McEntire’s “All the Women I Am” (64,604). Final data might also reveal that Cee Lo Green’s “Lady Killer,” which moved just over 34,000 first week units, is also a top ten album this week.