Weekly Register: Big Debuts By Rascal Flatts, Black Keys

Nashville is well represented on today’s (May 21) sales charts. Turn Blue, the new album from Music City-based rock stars The Black Keys claimed the No. 1 slot overall by moving 164k units, and Country mainstays Rascal Flatts sold 61k of Rewind to debut at No. 1 Country and No. 5 overall.
Icon Dolly Parton moved a very respectable 37k units of her latest Blue Smoke to slide in to No. 2 Country and No. 6 overall.
Further representative of the numerous genres thriving in Nashville is CCM stalwart Michael W. Smith’s Sovereign debuting with 16k.

Also noteworthy is new product from late superstar Michael Jackson. Xscape sold 157k.
To show how sales have entered free-fall in the last 12 months, consider that this week last year the No. 1 Country debut was George Strait’s Love Is Everything selling 120k.
Here’s a look at the digital percentage of total album sales of each of these new releases: The Black Keys (58% digital), Michael Jackson (34%), Rascal Flatts (30%), and Dolly Parton (15%).
Keeping Track of Tracks
Luke Bryan broke the 1 million download mark with his hit “Play It Again,” selling 85k this week.
The Voice contestant Jake Worthington scored the top Country debut track with 48.5k of “Heaven.”
Brantley Gilbert’s “Small Town Throwdown” featuring BMLG labelmates Justin Moore and Thomas Rhett entered with 29k.