Update 2: Kelly Clarkson’s “Piece by Piece” debuts atop the weekly Top Album Sales and Billboard 200 charts.
The Top Album Sales victory is attributable to the song’s opening week sales total of 83,000. By far the lowest for a Clarkson studio album, the total easily bests the 58,000 moved by the “50 Shades of Grey” soundtrack this past week. That album claims the runner-up position.
The race on the consumption-driven Billboard 200 was closer, but it, too, fell in favor of “Piece by Piece.” With Track Equivalent Albums (10 single sales = 1 album sale) and Streaming Equivalent Albums (1500 single streams = 1 album sale) added to the calculation, “Piece by Piece” claims a consumption unit total of 97,000. The aforementioned “50 Shades of Grey” follows with 96,000.
The top ten of this week’s Billboard 200:
1 – Kelly Clarkson – Piece by Piece – 97K total units (83K from sales)
2 – 50 Shades of Grey – 96K total units (58K from sales)
3 – Taylor Swift – 1989 – 77K total units
4 – Drake – If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late – 73K total units (38K from sales)
5 – Ed Sheeran – x – 63K total units
6 – Big Sean – Dark Sky Paradise – 58K total units
7 – Maroon 5 – V – 50K total units
8 – Sam Smith – In the Lonely Hour – 50K total units
9 – Brandi Carlile – The Firewatcher’s Daughter – 43K total units
10 – Meghan Trainor – Title – 38K total units
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Update: Kelly Clarkson’s “Piece by Piece” was this past week’s best-selling album.
Hits Daily Double’s data, which will differ only slightly from that officially reported by Billboard, says the album debuted with a first week sales total of 80,502.
Per the same report, “50 Shades of Grey,” the week’s next-best seller, moved ~57,129 weekly copies. The typically slight disparity between the Hits and Billboard data will not be enough to change hierarchy. Clarkson’s album will indeed debut atop the Billboard Top Album Sales chart, and the “50 Shades” soundtrack will indeed claim the runner-up position.
The Billboard 200 race, which is based on total “album equivalent” consumption data, is a considerably closer one.
Hits gives the slight edge goes to “Piece by Piece.” According to the publication, the album’s sales, Track Equivalent Album data (10 single sales = 1 album sale) and Streaming Equivalent Album data (1500 single streams = 1 album sale) combine to form a consumption unit total of 96,002.
Hits lists the “50 Shades of Grey” consumption total at 95,129.
Because the disparity between the Hits and Billboard data could exceed 1,000, the race is presently too close to call. Billboard will reveal the winner Wednesday morning.
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The lowest opening week sales total ever for a Kelly Clarkson studio album was still enough for victory.
Thanks to what Hits Daily Double reports as 80,502 sales, Clarkson’s new “Piece by Piece” wins the weekly sales race. Billboard’s more authoritative sales figure might differ slightly from the Hits number, but the disparity will not be enough to strip the song of its ranking. It will claim the #1 spot on Billboard’s Top Album Sales chart.
Sales of ~57,129 will power “50 Shades of Grey” to the #2 position in the pure sales race. Set to receive greater Track Equivalent Album (10 single sales = 1 album sale) and Streaming Equivalent Album (1500 single streams = 1 album sale) boosts than “Piece by Piece,” the “50 Shades” soundtrack will put up a more threatening fight on the consumption-driven Billboard 200 chart.
Other top weekly sellers include Taylor Swift’s “1989” (~42,189), Drake’s “If You’re Reading This It’s Too Late” (~38,914), Brandi Carlile’s “Firewatcher’s Daughter” (~37,429) and Big Sean’s “Dark Sky Paradise” (~36,784).
2011’s “Stronger,” Clarkson’s previous studio release, moved 163,000 copies in its first week of release.