As expected, Michael Jackson has completely and utterly torn up the Billboard charts this week, breaking several records in the process. I’ve selected some of the most awe-inspiring numbers thanks to last night’s Billboard.biz report:
• Based on preliminary sales numbers from Nielsen SoundScan, the entire top nine positions on Billboard’s Top Pop Catalog Albums chart will house Jackson-related titles…
• Collectively, Jackson’s solo albums sold 415,000 this past week.
• Additionally, the 415,000 albums sold just last week is nearly 40% more than what Jackson’s catalog had sold the the entire year up through June 21 (297,000).
• On the Top Digital Albums chart, Jackson has a record six out of the top 10 slots, including the entire top four.
• With the Black Eyed Peas‘ The E.N.D. moving back to the No. 1 slot on the Billboard 200 chart with 88,000, this week marks the first time that a catalog album has sold more than the No. 1 current set on the Billboard 200 albums chart.
• Catalog albums are ineligible to appear on the Billboard 200 albums chart, though they can chart on the all-encompassing Top Comprehensive Albums list. On the latter chart, Jackson’s Number Ones, Essential and Thriller are at Nos. 1-3, followed by the Black Eyed Peas’ The E.N.D. at No. 4.
• Jackson places a record 25 songs on the 75-position Hot Digital Songs chart (21 solo hits and four with his siblings), smashing the mark of 14 charting titles established by David Cook in the June 7, 2008 issue.
• Moreover, Jackson becomes the first act to sell more than 1 million song downloads in a week.
• Besides “Thriller,” Jackson places five other songs in the top 10 including “Man In The Mirror” (No. 3, 165,000), “Billie Jean” (No. 4, 158,000), “The Way You Make Me Feel” (No. 6, 136,000), “Beat It” (No. 7, 134,000) and “Don’t Stop ‘Til You Get Enough” (No. 8, 125,000).
Absolutely incredible.
