I saw this:

 

 

 

 

and was wondering, what do yall think was the most competitive week?

/or just any other?

Roar vs. Applause, you should've been there

That week was PACKED  but then again, this was tracking during the buying frenzy for Christmas 2000, at the height of CD sales

That one week in 1998 when Mariah, Garth Brooks, Whitney Houston, Ice Cube, and Jewel all released.

 

Or late 1990 when Madonna, George Michael, and Whitney Houston were all blocked by MC Hammer  Despite them being three of the biggest pop stars and having their previous albums spend multiple weeks at #1.

27 minutes ago, Joyride said:

Roar vs. Applause, you should've been there

Billboard 200

Just now, MALAMENTE said:

Billboard 200

just realized, I'm just dumb like that

Damn. Music was selling. 

And that’s why peaks are irrelevant girlies

Perhaps…
 

it’s giving Taylor 
 

55 minutes ago, Joyride said:

Roar vs. Applause, you should've been there

Didn't Applause peak at #4? Roar mopped the floor with it. How was it competitive?

Oops smashing like that 

possibly but iirc the late 90s/early 00s were when pure sales were at their height. many mainstream artists were doing insane numbers, wasn't RoL the biggest first week for a female album and it still missed the top spot to titanic?

The other weeks with the entire Top 10 above 300k (I think those, including the one in the OP, were the only ones).

 

January 9, 1999

01 670,227 FLESH OF MY FLESH BLOOD OF MY BLOOD DMX
02 586,642 DOUBLE LIVE Garth Brooks
03 513,000 'NSYNC 'NSync
04 489,000 SPIRIT Jewel
05 424,000 THESE ARE SPECIAL TIMES Celine Dion
06 360,000 NUMBER 1'S Mariah Carey
07 342,000 BACKSTREET BOYS Backstreet Boys
08 339,000 AMERICANA Offspring
09 311,000 COME ON OVER Shania Twain
10 310,000 VOLUME 2...HARD KNOCK LIFE Jay-Z

 

January 8, 2000

01 698,000 AND THEN THERE WAS X DMX
02 640,000 ALL THE WAY...A DECADE OF SONG Celine Dion
03 562,000 MILLENNIUM Backstreet Boys
04 527,000 SUPERNATURAL Santana
05 503,000 CHRISTINA AGUILERA Christina Aguilera
06 480,000 BABY ONE MORE TIME Britney Spears
07 408,000 STILL I RISE 2Pac & Outlawz
08 397,000 FAITH-A HOLIDAY ALBUM Kenny G
09 368,000 RAINBOW Mariah Carey
10 355,000 COME ON OVER Shania Twain

 

January 5, 2002

01 865,030 WEATHERED Creed
02 540,900 NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL MUSIC 8 Various
03 442,600 SCARECROW Garth Brooks
04 423,700 BRITNEY Britney Spears
05 394,000 A DAY WITHOUT RAIN Enya
06 385,000 SILVER SIDE UP Nickelback
07 379,088 HYBRID THEORY Linkin Park
08 342,600 STILLMATIC Nas
09 330,000 8701 Usher
10 323,300 M!SSUNDAZTOOD Pink

1 hour ago, Zaynsus said:

The other weeks with the entire Top 10 above 300k (I think those, including the one in the OP, were the only ones).

 

January 9, 1999

01 670,227 FLESH OF MY FLESH BLOOD OF MY BLOOD DMX
02 586,642 DOUBLE LIVE Garth Brooks
03 513,000 'NSYNC 'NSync
04 489,000 SPIRIT Jewel
05 424,000 THESE ARE SPECIAL TIMES Celine Dion
06 360,000 NUMBER 1'S Mariah Carey
07 342,000 BACKSTREET BOYS Backstreet Boys
08 339,000 AMERICANA Offspring
09 311,000 COME ON OVER Shania Twain
10 310,000 VOLUME 2...HARD KNOCK LIFE Jay-Z

 

January 8, 2000

01 698,000 AND THEN THERE WAS X DMX
02 640,000 ALL THE WAY...A DECADE OF SONG Celine Dion
03 562,000 MILLENNIUM Backstreet Boys
04 527,000 SUPERNATURAL Santana
05 503,000 CHRISTINA AGUILERA Christina Aguilera
06 480,000 BABY ONE MORE TIME Britney Spears
07 408,000 STILL I RISE 2Pac & Outlawz
08 397,000 FAITH-A HOLIDAY ALBUM Kenny G
09 368,000 RAINBOW Mariah Carey
10 355,000 COME ON OVER Shania Twain

 

January 5, 2002

01 865,030 WEATHERED Creed
02 540,900 NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL MUSIC 8 Various
03 442,600 SCARECROW Garth Brooks
04 423,700 BRITNEY Britney Spears
05 394,000 A DAY WITHOUT RAIN Enya
06 385,000 SILVER SIDE UP Nickelback
07 379,088 HYBRID THEORY Linkin Park
08 342,600 STILLMATIC Nas
09 330,000 8701 Usher
10 323,300 M!SSUNDAZTOOD Pink

damn imagine selling 300K only in usa and still not getting that top 10 entry 

On 1/21/2024 at 10:44 PM, Zaynsus said:

The other weeks with the entire Top 10 above 300k (I think those, including the one in the OP, were the only ones).

 

January 9, 1999

01 670,227 FLESH OF MY FLESH BLOOD OF MY BLOOD DMX
02 586,642 DOUBLE LIVE Garth Brooks
03 513,000 'NSYNC 'NSync
04 489,000 SPIRIT Jewel
05 424,000 THESE ARE SPECIAL TIMES Celine Dion
06 360,000 NUMBER 1'S Mariah Carey
07 342,000 BACKSTREET BOYS Backstreet Boys
08 339,000 AMERICANA Offspring
09 311,000 COME ON OVER Shania Twain
10 310,000 VOLUME 2...HARD KNOCK LIFE Jay-Z

 

January 8, 2000

01 698,000 AND THEN THERE WAS X DMX
02 640,000 ALL THE WAY...A DECADE OF SONG Celine Dion
03 562,000 MILLENNIUM Backstreet Boys
04 527,000 SUPERNATURAL Santana
05 503,000 CHRISTINA AGUILERA Christina Aguilera
06 480,000 BABY ONE MORE TIME Britney Spears
07 408,000 STILL I RISE 2Pac & Outlawz
08 397,000 FAITH-A HOLIDAY ALBUM Kenny G
09 368,000 RAINBOW Mariah Carey
10 355,000 COME ON OVER Shania Twain

 

January 5, 2002

01 865,030 WEATHERED Creed
02 540,900 NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL MUSIC 8 Various
03 442,600 SCARECROW Garth Brooks
04 423,700 BRITNEY Britney Spears
05 394,000 A DAY WITHOUT RAIN Enya
06 385,000 SILVER SIDE UP Nickelback
07 379,088 HYBRID THEORY Linkin Park
08 342,600 STILLMATIC Nas
09 330,000 8701 Usher
10 323,300 M!SSUNDAZTOOD Pink

Nice

 

Britney on 2 of em

 

 

Lists like these make me wonder what kind of WW album week sales, used to be

14 minutes ago, Rev8 said:

Nice

 

Britney on 2 of em

 

 

Lists like these make me wonder what kind of WW album week sales, used to be

They were huge. That's how acts amassed like 6-7 million sales in a couple of weeks or within their first month - if the album was super big. 

 

Those US sales - in a weaker form of course - also happened in the other big music industries. No album in the German top 10 for example sold less than 100k  in the busiest week in those years. 

 

artists truly could retire on just 1 album and be set for life - forever - if they were songwriters. 

 

Something like JLP for example grossed over $550 million in retail. Someone like Alanis - as the songwriter - probably made someting in the region og $80-100 million from that 1 album. 

On 1/21/2024 at 10:44 PM, Zaynsus said:

The other weeks with the entire Top 10 above 300k (I think those, including the one in the OP, were the only ones).

 

January 9, 1999

01 670,227 FLESH OF MY FLESH BLOOD OF MY BLOOD DMX
02 586,642 DOUBLE LIVE Garth Brooks
03 513,000 'NSYNC 'NSync
04 489,000 SPIRIT Jewel
05 424,000 THESE ARE SPECIAL TIMES Celine Dion
06 360,000 NUMBER 1'S Mariah Carey
07 342,000 BACKSTREET BOYS Backstreet Boys
08 339,000 AMERICANA Offspring
09 311,000 COME ON OVER Shania Twain
10 310,000 VOLUME 2...HARD KNOCK LIFE Jay-Z

 

January 8, 2000

01 698,000 AND THEN THERE WAS X DMX
02 640,000 ALL THE WAY...A DECADE OF SONG Celine Dion
03 562,000 MILLENNIUM Backstreet Boys
04 527,000 SUPERNATURAL Santana
05 503,000 CHRISTINA AGUILERA Christina Aguilera
06 480,000 BABY ONE MORE TIME Britney Spears
07 408,000 STILL I RISE 2Pac & Outlawz
08 397,000 FAITH-A HOLIDAY ALBUM Kenny G
09 368,000 RAINBOW Mariah Carey
10 355,000 COME ON OVER Shania Twain

 

January 5, 2002

01 865,030 WEATHERED Creed
02 540,900 NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL MUSIC 8 Various
03 442,600 SCARECROW Garth Brooks
04 423,700 BRITNEY Britney Spears
05 394,000 A DAY WITHOUT RAIN Enya
06 385,000 SILVER SIDE UP Nickelback
07 379,088 HYBRID THEORY Linkin Park
08 342,600 STILLMATIC Nas
09 330,000 8701 Usher
10 323,300 M!SSUNDAZTOOD Pink

Not come on over being here twice  a smash

15 minutes ago, Sailor Moon said:

Not come on over being here twice  a smash

It was also in the Top 10 during Christmas week in 1998 selling 300k+ 

 

January 10, 1998

1 | Sevens | Garth Brooks | 684,000
2 | Let's Talk About Love | Celine Dion | 624,000
3 | Higher Ground | Barbra Streisand | 402,000
4 | You Light Up My Life | LeAnn Rimes | 368,000
5 | Tubthumper | Chumbawamba | 362,000
6 | Come on Over | Shania Twain | 317,000
7 | Reload | Metallica | 286,0000
8 | Butterfly | Mariah Carey | 283,000
9 | Spiceworld | Spice Girls | 274,000
10 | Harlem World | Mase | 271,000

On 1/21/2024 at 5:44 PM, Zaynsus said:

The other weeks with the entire Top 10 above 300k (I think those, including the one in the OP, were the only ones).

 

January 9, 1999

01 670,227 FLESH OF MY FLESH BLOOD OF MY BLOOD DMX
02 586,642 DOUBLE LIVE Garth Brooks
03 513,000 'NSYNC 'NSync
04 489,000 SPIRIT Jewel
05 424,000 THESE ARE SPECIAL TIMES Celine Dion
06 360,000 NUMBER 1'S Mariah Carey
07 342,000 BACKSTREET BOYS Backstreet Boys
08 339,000 AMERICANA Offspring
09 311,000 COME ON OVER Shania Twain
10 310,000 VOLUME 2...HARD KNOCK LIFE Jay-Z

 

January 8, 2000

01 698,000 AND THEN THERE WAS X DMX
02 640,000 ALL THE WAY...A DECADE OF SONG Celine Dion
03 562,000 MILLENNIUM Backstreet Boys
04 527,000 SUPERNATURAL Santana
05 503,000 CHRISTINA AGUILERA Christina Aguilera
06 480,000 BABY ONE MORE TIME Britney Spears
07 408,000 STILL I RISE 2Pac & Outlawz
08 397,000 FAITH-A HOLIDAY ALBUM Kenny G
09 368,000 RAINBOW Mariah Carey
10 355,000 COME ON OVER Shania Twain

 

January 5, 2002

01 865,030 WEATHERED Creed
02 540,900 NOW THAT'S WHAT I CALL MUSIC 8 Various
03 442,600 SCARECROW Garth Brooks
04 423,700 BRITNEY Britney Spears
05 394,000 A DAY WITHOUT RAIN Enya
06 385,000 SILVER SIDE UP Nickelback
07 379,088 HYBRID THEORY Linkin Park
08 342,600 STILLMATIC Nas
09 330,000 8701 Usher
10 323,300 M!SSUNDAZTOOD Pink

Whew people would really BUY music for Christmas. It's crazy because shortly after in January 1999, Britney's BOMT debuted #1 with only 121k sales.

Thanksgiving 1999 week where Shania's "Come On Over" had its biggest sales week in its 110th week with 355k sold at #10 

 

It crossed 10 million in its 96th week - imagine having your biggest sales week after reaching Diamond status

 

 

Edited January 23, 20242 yr by naval23

I'm not gonna say it's not a competitive week, but basing purely on units is not a good criteria.

Like 300k nowadays is clearly not the same as 300k back in the 2000s 

And the fact that physical sales were GP driven, not by stans