American Songwriter Reads the Charts: The Eminem Show

Eminem’s Relapse was the number one album in the country last week, and this week finds the Detroit rapper holding on to his number one spot. Eminem’s first album since returning from semi-retirement sold 211,000 copies during its second week in stores. According to the chart wizards at Billboard.com, Relapse is now the 5th best-seller of the year (racking up 819,000 copies); Taylor Swift’s Fearless is currently the top selling album of 2009 with 1,173,000 sold. (Interesting chart trivia: In 2009, only two albums have moved a million units — Fearless and the Hannah Montana movie soundtrack. In 2008, only Jack Johnson’s Sleep Through the Static

exceeded the million unit mark.)

Indie rockers Grizzly Bear have done their mommas proud — their third album, the strangely named Veckatimest, debuted at no. 8, selling 33,00 copies. That’s the best chart debut, and highest sales week, the Grizzlies have ever had. According to Billboard, 40% of those sales came from digital downloads.

Need to increase your sales? Why not try the Cracker Barrel method. It worked for Dolly Parton’s last record, and now it’s done wonders for country music duo Montgomery Gentry, who released their latest album, For Our Heroes, exclusively through the restaurant chain’s Country Stores. The album sold 26,000 copies in its first week, netting them a # 11 debut.

Marilyn Manson might want to bite the head of a bat or something. His latest, The High End of Low, debuted at #4. But with only 49,000 copies claimed, it was the lowest opening week sum for any Manson album since 1999. Be careful what you name your album, people.

The skinny:
According to Billboard, overall album sales this week reached 5.75 million units, down 12.4% from last week, and down 20.4% compared to the same week last year. Total album sales so far are at 14.87 million, down 14% from the same time last year.

The top 10 albums in the country:

1. Eminem – The Relapse
2. Green Day – 21st Century Breakdown
3. Hannah Montana: The Movie
4. Marilyn Manson – The High End of Low
5. Lady GaGa – The Fame
6. Kenny Chesney – Greatest Hits II
7. Wisin and Yandel – La Revolucion
8. Grizzly Bear – Veckatimest
9. Taylor Swift – Fearless
10. Rascall Flatts – Unstoppable