Update: While the difference between Billboard’s final sales data and Hits Daily Double’s preliminary information was not numerically significant, it was very contextually significant.
According to Billboard, “Midnight Memories” moved 546,000 copies in its inaugural week. That marks a slight gain over the 540,000 mark reached by last year’s “Take Me Home;” at 530,000 Hits Daily Double’s number suggested the boy band lost steam since last year.
“Midnight Memories” bows as the act’s third Billboard 200 number one in as many tries.
The weekly top ten:
1) One Direction – Midnight Memories – 546,000
2) Eminem – MMLP2 – 199,000
3) Garth Brooks – Blame it All on My Roots – 164,000
4) The Robertsons – Duck the Halls – 137,000
5) Katy Perry – Prism – 136,000
6) Kelly Clarkson – Wrapped in Red – 131,000
7) Lady Gaga – ARTPOP – 116,000
8) Luke Bryan – Crash My Party – 109,000
9) Miley Cyrus – Bangerz – 79,000
10) Various – NOW 48 – 77,000
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Unless Billboard’s authoritative data differs significantly from the weekly Hits Daily Double report, One Direction’s “Midnight Memories” will debut short of the mark set by last year’s “Take Me Home.”
Despite benefiting from Black Friday shopping, “Midnight Memories” garnered an estimated 530.4K sales in its opening week. Last year’s “Take Me Home” debuted to the tune of 540K.
Though the decline is disappointing, the album still dominated the weekly sales race. Eminem’s “MMLP2” and Garth Brooks’ “Blame it All On My Roots,” the next best performers, each moved just shy of 200,000 copies.
Benefiting from Black Friday, Kelly Clarkson’s “Wrapped in Red” and Katy Perry’s “Prism” returned to the top five on the strength of massive weekly sales gains. Up by 215% and 237%, respectively, the Clarkson and Perry albums finished fourth and fifth with roughly 133K in weekly sales.
