Weekly Register: ACM Awards Around The Corner

Country album sales are down 13 percent week over week, as last week saw strong debuts from Luke Bryan and Sara Evans, while overall album sales are up 3 percent from last week, with several Top 10 debuts from YG, Foster The People, Skrillex, The Pretty Reckless, Enrique Iglesias and Taking Back Sunday.
Walmart’s exclusive 2014 ACM Awards Zinepak by Various Artists is this week’s top debut at No. 5 (No. 28 overall), selling 12k units. The album features several artists set to perform at the upcoming ACM Awards on Sunday, April 6, including Entertainer of the Year nominees Bryan, Miranda Lambert, Blake Shelton, George Strait and Taylor Swift. Fan voting for the coveted Entertainer of the Year Award will close on April 6. Another noteworthy debut this week is MusicRow’s Rising Women on the Row performer Jo Dee Messina’s Me (Dreambound Records), selling 2.5 k units.
Eric Church’s The Outsiders (EMI Nashville) returns as the top Country album (No. 14 overall), selling 18k units this week (476k RTD). Church’s “Give Me Back My Hometown” has reigned at No. 1 on MusicRow’s Chart for two consecutive weeks. The top overall album remains Frozen: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack by Various Artists, selling 202k this week, and 1.6 million RTD. Meanwhile, the top overall debut is YG’s My Krazy Life, appearing at No. 2, with 61k units sold.
YTD, overall album sales are down 15.5 percent, while Country album sales are down 12.5 percent. The same week last year, Justin Timberlake’s The 20/20 Experience debuted at No. 1 overall, selling 968k units, while Kacey Musgraves’ Same Trailer, Different Park held the top Country debut, with 43k units sold.

Tracks

Florida Georgia Line feat. Luke Bryan’s “This Is How We Roll” endures as the top Country track (No. 10 overall), selling 78k units this week (614k units RTD). Dan + Shay’s “Show You Off” is the top Country debut at No. 30, selling 13k units. Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” continues to enjoy the No. 1 spot overall, selling 370k units this week (3.3 million RTD). The top overall debut is Calvin Harris’ “Summer” at No. 26, with 45k units sold.
YTD, overall track sales are down 11.5 percent, while Country track sales are down 16.2 percent. The same week last year, Pink’s “Just Give Me A Reason” was the top overall track, selling 241k units, while Darius Rucker’s “Wagon Wheel” held the top Country position, selling 75k units.
Next week’s numbers will include Michael W. Smith’s Hymns, Johnny Cash’s Out Among the Stars, Jerrod Niemann’s High Noon and Elton John’s Goodbye Yellow Brick Road [Deluxe].