US Album Sales In 2008 Hit The Lowest Since 1995, 2009 Said To Be Even Worse!

A Nielsen SoundScan presentation at a NARM (National Association Of Recording Merchandisers) conference earlier this week revealed that US album sales last year were the lowest since 1995 – and that 2009 is even worse, with sales off a further 13% year-on-year. Add to that the fact that a fortnight ago saw the lowest weekly sales tally of the SoundScan (post 1991) era, and you get some idea of the problems facing the US industry.

On a more positive note, sales last week bounced back, climbing 10.9% week-on-week, with four debuts in the Top 10. The most notable of these is Big Whiskey And The GrooGrux King, which debuts at number one for the Dave Matthews Band, on sales of 424,000 copies – the third highest weekly sale for any album thus far in 2009.

The album is the fifth straight number one for the South African Matthews and his US bandmates. Their first studio set since 2005’s Stand Up, its sales were down only 8.82% on that album’s first week tally.

After two weeks at number one, Eminem’s Relapse dips to number two, with sales of 141,000 leaving it just 38,000 light of a million sales in 20 days.

Alternative rockers 311’s Uplifter sold 60,000 to debut at number three. That is the highest chart placing yet for the Nebraska band, who have been issuing albums since 1990 – but its first-week sales are inferior to 2005’s Don’t Tread On Me (a number five debut), 2003’s Evolver (number seven), 2001’s From Chaos (number ten), 1999’s Soundsystem (number nine) and 1997’s Transistor (number seven).

Also new to the Top 10: rock ‘supergroup’ Chickenfoot (whose members include Sammy Hagar and Joe Satriani), in at number four with their self-titled debut on sales of 52,000; and New York rockers Taking Back Sunday’s third Top 10 entry, New Again, a number seven debut on sales of 48,000.

Among British acts, Elvis Costello has the highest-placed album, thanks to a surprisingly brisk first-week sale of 27,500 copies of his new album, Secret, Profane & Sugarcane, enough to earn it a number 13 debut. Only two of Costello’s 29 Top 200 entries have gone higher – 1979’s Armed Forces (number 10) and 1981’s Get Happy (number 11). The album had a very different reception in the UK last week, debuting at number 71 – a position beaten by all but one of his 27 previous UK Top 75 entries (2004’s The Delivery Man), though he has had several albums fall short of the Top 75 too, including 2008’s Momofuku, 2006’s Allen Toussaint collaboration, The River In Reverse, and 1997’s Extreme Honey.

Paolo Nutini also returns to the chart, debuting at number 57 with second album, Sunny Side Up on sales of just over 9,000. Nutini’s debut album, These Streets, debuted and peaked at number 48 in 2007, with sales a little more than twice as high at 18,500.

The only other UK acts in the top half of the chart are: Eric Clapton & Steve Winwood, whose concert recording Live From Madison Square slips 47-48 (10,000 sales); Viva La Vida Or Death & All His Friends, down 68-71 for Coldplay (7,000 sales); Adele’s 19, down 73-83 as it completes a full year of chart service (6,800 sales); Yusuf’s Roadsinger, down 76-88 (6,400 sales); and Seal’s Soul, down 82-93 (5,600 sales).

On the Hot 100 singles chart, Black Eyed Peas’ Boom Boom Pow spends its 10th week at number one, and once again sells more than 200,000 downloads, lifting its career sales to more than 2.5m.