Hard Candy SoundScan/Billboard 200 Discussion

[thebigham]

Hard Candy SoundScan

SDV: 741

5/17: 1 MADONNA HARD CANDY 279,522 280,273

5/24: 3 MADONNA HARD CANDY 94,177 -66.3% 374,450

5/31: 8 MADONNA HARD CANDY 53,302 -43% 427,752

6/07: 9 MADONNA HARD CANDY 38,632 -28% 466,384

6/14: 11 MADONNA HARD CANDY 31,791 -18% 498,175

6/21: 14 MADONNA HARD CANDY 26,925 -15% 525,100

6/28: 31 MADONNA HARD CANDY 19,149 -32% 544,249

7/05: 36 MADONNA HARD CANDY 14,294 -25% 558,543

7/12: 46 MADONNA HARD CANDY 11,867 -17% 570,410

7/19: 57 MADONNA HARD CANDY 10,524 -11% 580,934

7/26: 63 MADONNA HARD CANDY 9,027 -14% 589,961

8/02: 69 MADONNA HARD CANDY 8,613 -5% 598,574

8/09: 85 MADONNA HARD CANDY 7,259 -16% 605,833

8/16: 95 MADONNA HARD CANDY 6,326 -13% 612,159

8/23: 110 MADONNA HARD CANDY 5,758 -9% 617,917

8/30: 116 MADONNA HARD CANDY 5,131 -11% 623,048

9/06: 130 MADONNA HARD CANDY 4,905 -4% 627,953

9/13: 118 MADONNA HARD CANDY 4,754 -3% 632,707

9/20: 146 MADONNA HARD CANDY 3,893 -18% 636,600

9/27: 148 MADONNA HARD CANDY 3,853 -1% 640,453

10/4: 160 MADONNA HARD CANDY 3,769 -2% 644,222

10/11: 178 MADONNA HARD CANDY 3,330 -12% 647,552

10/18: 183 MADONNA HARD CANDY 3,575 +7% 651,127

10/25: 153 MADONNA HARD CANDY 3,776 +6% 654,903

11/01: 149 MADONNA HARD CANDY 3,838 +2% 658,741

11/08: 156 MADONNA HARD CANDY 3,515 -8% 662,256 - 26 weeks

[thebigham]

Let's review...

Posted at Pulse:

Confessions On A Dance Floor SoundScan Sales:

Billboard Top 200 Position / SoundScan Sales / % Change / Total Sales / Week # / Weeks On Chart

SDV: 1,051

1 349,556 NEW (350,607) 1 - 1

4 210,065 -40% (560,672) 2 - 2 - Thanksgiving week

8 105,367 -50% (666,039) 3 - 3

13 96,759 -8% (762,798) 4 - 4

15 123,927 +28% (886,725) 5 - 5 - Christmas week

17 158,086 +28% (1,044,811) 6 - 6 - NYE week

21 57,991 -63% (1,102,802) 7 - 7

15 47,064 -19% (1,149,866) 8 - 8

20 28,367 -40% (1,178,233) 9 - 9

24 25,600 -10% (1,203,833) 10 - 10

40 19,938 -22% (1,223,771) 11 - 11

60 18,261 -8% (1,242,032) 12 - 12

59 23,724 +30% (1,265,756) 13 - 13 -Grammys impact

50 25,655 +8% (1,291,411) 14 - 14

56 20,320 -21% (1,311,731) 15 - 15

53 18,100 -11% (1,329,831) 16 - 16

60 16,824 -7% (1,346,655) 17 - 17

67 15,558 -8% (1,362,213) 18 - 18

75 14,288 -8% (1,376,501) 19 - 19

73 12,778 -11% (1,389,279) 20 - 20

82 13,169 +3% (1,402,448) 21 - 21

102 12,280 -7% (1,414,728) 22 - 22

93 9,764 -20% (1,424,492) 23 - 23

107 8,572 -12% (1,433,064) 24 - 24

115 7,865 -8% (1,440,929) 25 - 25

117 9,579 +22% (1,450,508) 26 - 26

117 7,797 -19% (1,458,305) 27 - 27- CT starts on last day of tracking week

120 8,112 +4% (1,466,417) 28 - 28- First full-week impact of CT tour starting

111 8,536 +5% (1,474,953) 29 - 29

124 7,675 -10% (1,482,628) 30 - 30

140 7,512 -2% (1,490,140) 31 - 31

135 6,750 -10% (1,496,890) 32 - 32

141 6,558 -3% (1,503,448) 33 - 33

135 6,392 -3% (1,509,840) 34 - 34

138 6,439 +1% (1,516,279) 35 - 36

145 5,782 -10% (1,522,061) 36 - 36- USA tour ends last day of tracking week

174 4,837 -16% (1,526,898) 37 - 37

American Life SoundScan Sales:

ISSUE RANK SALES DROP SUBTOTAL

-----------------------------------

S.D.V. 469 469

05/10 #1 240,821 241,290

05/17 #8 90,886 -62% 332,176

05/24 #15 57,925 -36% 390,101

05/31 #26 33,509 -42% 423,610

06/07 #49 24,302 -27% 447,912

06/14 #51 20,548 -15% 468,460

06/21 #72 15,764 -23% 484,224

06/28 #93 13,557 -14% 497,781

07/05 #89 11,556 -15% 509,337

07/12 #103 10,490 -9% 519,827

07/19 #125 8,600 -18% 528,427

07/26 #139 7,302 -15% 535,729

08/02 #150 7,138 -2% 542,867

08/09 #188 5,876 -18% 548,743

08/16 DNC

08/23 DNC

08/30 DNC

09/06 DNC

09/13 DNC +16% 572,500

09/20 DNC

09/27 DNC 3,930

10/04 DNC 4,542 +15.6% 586,179

10/11 DNC 3,192 -29.7%

10/18 DNC 2,686 -15.9% 592,057

10/25 DNC 2,348 -12.6% 594,405

11/01 DNC 2,412 +2.7% 596,819

11/08 DNC 1,811 -24.9% 598,630

11/15 DNC 1,752 -3.3% 600,382

11/22 DNC 1,654 -5.6% 602,036

11/29 DNC 1,631 -1.4% 603,667

12/06 DNC 1,763 +8% 605,430

12/13 DNC 2,394 +35.8% 607,824 (Thanksgiving week)

12/20 DNC 1,775 -26% 609,599

12/27 DNC 2,647 +49% 612,246

01/03 DNC 3,993 +51% 616,239

01/10 DNC 4,192 +5% 620,431 (Christmas week)

01/17 DNC 1,619 -61% 622,050

01/24 DNC 999 -38% 623,049

[iasonas]

The grammys didn't have any effect?

[thebigham]

I think Week 13 was Grammy week.

Our forum with all the COADF sales is gone so I don't have easy access to that info.

[mtzlplk]

40 19,938 -22% (1,223,771) 11 - 11

60 18,261 -8% (1,242,032) 12 - 12

59 23,724 +30% (1,265,756) 13 - 13

50 25,655 +8% (1,291,411) 14 - 14

56 20,320 -21% (1,311,731) 15 - 15

+30% and +8% could've been Grammy weeks...

[dimfanis]

+30% and +8% could've been Grammy weeks...

yes, those were the Grammy weeks. Overall the effect was minimal.

[Guest marsha]

Hopefully Billboard will have article on SS 1st day sales. They did for who-shall-not-be-named. She sold 157,000 her first day.

157K for who-shall-not-be-named? I hope figures-shall-not-be-predicted will happen

[Guest nothingfails0603]

I am curious if this album will make the r&b albums chart or not. If it does, it'll be her first since Immaculate (or did Bedtime chart also?). With her doing BET and working with urban producers, it seems fitting this album would chart r&b considering her 80's albums did. I know Justin's FutureSex/LoveSounds charted r&b and I think Nelly's Loose did as well.

[Alexz]

Oh, R&B is the new Pop then

[thebigham]

I forgot to post this.

Billboard.com:

First Day Sales Put Madonna On Track For 7th No. 1

April 30, 2008, 6:40 PM ET

Keith Caulfield, L.A.

Madonna is on track to net her seventh No. 1 album on next week's

Billboard 200 with "Hard Candy," based on first-day sales measured by

the Nielsen SoundScan Building Chart released Wednesday afternoon

(April 30).

Unweighted sales for the Warner Bros. album from the Building Chart's

panel of reporters through the close of business Tuesday, April 29,

stood at 100,000.

Among all female artists, only Barbra Streisand has earned more No. 1s

-- with eight. Currently, Madonna, Mariah Carey and Janet Jackson are

all tied for the second most, with six apiece.

Late last year, Chris Brown's "Exclusive" posted a first day number of

107,000 and finished the week with 294,000. However, sources closes to

the Madonna project indicate that with much of "Hard Candy's" first-day

figure driven by iTunes sales, its full sales week could end up closer

to the range of 225,000-250,000.

Madonna's last studio effort, 2005's "Confessions on a Dance Floor,"

started at No. 1 with 350,000.

Billboard estimates the merchants who report to Nielsen SoundScan's

Building Chart -- Trans World Entertainment, Best Buy, Circuit City,

iTunes, Starbucks,Borders, Target, Anderson Merchandisers, and

Handleman Co. -- comprise about 80% of all U.S. Album sales.

Leading the charge for "Hard Candy" is first single "4 Minutes,"

featuring Justin Timberlake, which peaked at No. 3 on The Billboard Hot

100 and spent two weeks at No. 1 on Hot Digital Songs. The download has

sold 1 million copies to date, according to Nielsen SoundScan,

including 185,000 for the week that ended April 27.

Madonna first rang the Billboard 200's bell when "Like a Virgin"

reached No. 1 in late 1984. Since then, she's claimed No. 1s with "True

Blue" (1986), "Like a Prayer" (1989), "Music" (2000), "American Life"

(2003) and "Confessions."

She also owns a whopping five sets that peaked at No. 2 -- "I'm

Breathless" (1990), "The Immaculate Collection" (1990), "Erotica"

(1992), the soundtrack to "Evita" (1996) and "Ray of Light" (1998).

On the Wednesday Building Chart, Lyfe Jennings' new "Lyfe Change"

(Columbia) was in second place with 25,000. Other new titles appearing

in that preliminary list's top 10 include the Roots' "Rising Down" (Def

Jam), Portishead's "Third" (Mercury), Def Leppard's "Songs From the

Sparkle Lounge" (Island/UMe), Augustana's "Can't Love, Can't Hurt"

(Epic) and Mudcrutch's self-titled album (Reprise).

[Catboy]

I think it was already posted

[thebigham]

Yes, but I want it in the SS thread becuase they are SS sales.

[thebigham]

Madonna's SoundScan Debuts

Hard Candy Madonna ???,??? #? 5/17/08

The Confessions Tour Madonna 40,352 #15 2/17/07

I'm Going To Tell You A Secret Madonna 25,475 #33 7/8/06

Confessions On A Dance Floor Madonna 349,556 #1 12/03/05

Remixed and Revisted Madonna 20k #115 12/13/03

American Life Madonna 240,821 #1 05/10/03

GHV2 Madonna 150,300 #7 12/01/01

Music Madonna 419,601 #1 10/07/00

Ray Of Light Madonna 370,683 #2 03/21/98

Soundtrack: Evita (2-CD) Madonna 92,300 #6 11/30/96

Something To Remember Madonna 110,000 #6 11/25/95

Bedtime Stories Madonna 145,000 #3 11/12/94

Erotica Madonna 167,000 #2 11/7/92

[mtzlplk]

please, let it not be lower than AMERICAN LIFE....

[Candylipsgirl]

please, let it not be lower than AMERICAN LIFE....

How can that be?

I am surely mixed up.

AL single was a disaster on radio. And had nothing going for it. Horrible 2nd video...

I guess Madonna is losing fans....for this CD

Im really NOT very impressed with such small numbers.225k-275k?

I think sales of 300-350 is NOT SPECTACULAR for Madonna- and it cant muster that> With a HIT SINGLE

and Justin/timbaland.

Im really worried now regarding the longevity of this album in the USA. Im very skeptical about its future. HOPE IM WRONG.

But most likely another 1 million and then done. We wont see double platinum for about 100 years.

[Guest missy bi_tch]

How can that be?

I am surely mixed up.

AL single was a disaster on radio. And had nothing going for it. Horrible 2nd video...

I guess Madonna is losing fans....for this CD

Im really NOT very impressed with such small numbers.225k-275k?

I think sales of 300-350 is NOT SPECTACULAR for Madonna- and it cant muster that> With a HIT SINGLE

and Justin/timbaland.

Im really worried now regarding the longevity of this album in the USA. Im very skeptical about its future. HOPE IM WRONG.

But most likely another 1 million and then done. We wont see double platinum for about 100 years.

get some sleep... get over it...

you want analbum, a world tour and madonna....u got them all

be thankful, let's not be anxious over the numbers and positions, we leave that to those other stars who live their every waking hour fighting their last breath to #1

[Zezwer]

get some sleep... get over it...

you want analbum, a world tour and madonna....u got them all

be thankful, let's not be anxious over the numbers and positions, we leave that to those other stars who live their every waking hour fighting their last breath to #1

But don't you want her to still be relevant?

well well... we're all different...

[dimfanis]

But don't you want her to still be relevant?

well well... we're all different...

well, relevant is very objective. The Eagles sold millions with their last record. Are they relevant??

Madonna will be fine. Her relevance will always be questioned no matter what. It doesn't matter all that much if she sells 200K or 400K the first week with this record. Really.

Charts and Billboard positions are fun but in the long run are waste of time and energy. I remember being dissapointed back in the day when the True Blue album stayed "only" 5 weeks at No 1 (I wanted it to break the Thriller record) or when the Like A Prayer stayed in the top 10 for like 15 weeks as oppsoed to matching True Blue's 30+ weeks. You know what I mean? We as fans are never happy and we want more and more and more ...

Just relax and enjoy the music in the new record. I'm sure the videos and the remixes will be fierce. A greatest hits record is coming at the end of the year (hopefully with news songs) and she's also touring. Madonna is not going anywhere ...

[Guest danielal]

man, nr 1 on amazon with HArd Candy and the Limited Edition chrting alsop very high

and on US iTunes now nr 1 with L Edition and the regular also up there

all these for a long time

something is not right here

so in those 100 k first week sales did they include all the iTunes and Amazon pre-orders?

cause if they dis so and predict 225-250 k then Hard Candy will sell what 15 k a day? Like un the Uk?

Wow but isn'tlike US 5 times bigger than K in popilation?

Only 15 k per day for Madonna in US in a country of 300 million? Wow end of story if they predicted well

in those 100 k first week sales did they include all the iTunes and Amazon pre-orders?

[thebigham]

^They did include pre-orders at Amazon and iTunes..

[thebigham]

HITS:

WEAKEND CHARTS: MADONNA WILL ROLL IN BATTLE OF DIVAS

Will Top Both Mariah Carey and Leona Lewis, But 25k’ll Get You Into Top 10

May 2, 2008

Hard Candy is sweet indeed.

Madonna’s final studio album for Warner Bros. before embarking on her deal with promoter Live Nation will debut at #1 on next week’s HITS Album Sales chart with a total of between 270-290k.

She’s easily the topper in a three-way battle of the dueling divas which also includes Mariah Carey’s previously #1 Island/IDJ album E=MC2 at 85-90k and J/Syco Music newcomer Leona Lewis’ Spirit at 80k.

Hard Candy is actually one of six newcomers in the Top 10, which would ordinarily be good news. Unfortunately, it takes a little under 30k in sales to get there.

Columbia R&B star Lyfe Jennings will bow in the Top 5 with between 70-75k for his third album Lyfe Change, as will The Roots’ Def Jam album, Rising Down, with a first-week number that appears to be between 65-70k.

Def Leppard’s Universal album Songs from the Sparkle Lounge is up next with 50-55k, boosted perhaps by their appearance on Dancing with the Stars this week.

Island trip-hop pioneers Portishead are back with Third, their first studio album in 10 years, showing surprising strength at 45-50k, good for a Top 10 debut.

SBMG/Commercial Music Group’s Now 27 keeps going along at 28-30k, followed by Big Machine/Universal Republic country star Taylor Swift (26-30k).

Reprise’s Tom Petty reunion of his early Florida band Mudcrutch rides some critical kudos and a series of intimate performances at the Troubadour to a bow inside the Top 10 at 26-28k, where it will duke it out with Rhino’s Juno soundtrack.

[Guest danielal]

I don't want to tire anyone here but something is again strange here. I'm from Europe and I really don't get it

So Hard Candy does 100 k in US for its first day (including here all the pre-orders from Amazon and iTunes)

So if it sells an average 15 k per day then it will do what the official sources predicy

1. But doesn't Hard Candy do 15 k per day in UK, a country 5 times smaller than US? WTF?

2. Now how come Payollah Crazey's E(wwww)= M(ore) (Cows)2 did close to 150 k in its first day when its pre-orders were less bigger than Hard Candy, which did only 100 k in its first day?

So it's like her fans didn't pre-order her album but then went to buy in its first day likecrazy? I'm not saying she didn't do those numbers but it's strange if u think about it

How come an album that has less pre-orders sells more in its first day? It's not normal

[Bitch]

I don't want to tire anyone here but something is again strange here. I'm from Europe and I really don't get it

So Hard Candy does 100 k in US for its first day (including here all the pre-orders from Amazon and iTunes)

So if it sells an average 15 k per day then it will do what the official sources predicy

1. But doesn't Hard Candy do 15 k per day in UK, a country 5 times smaller than US? WTF?

2. Now how come Payollah Crazey's E(wwww)= M(ore) (Cows)2 did close to 150 k in its first day when its pre-orders were less bigger than Hard Candy, which did only 100 k in its first day?

So it's like her fans didn't pre-order her album but then went to buy in its first day likecrazy? I'm not saying she didn't do those numbers but it's strange if u think about it

How come an album that has less pre-orders sells more in its first day? It's not normal

Agree actually. Was thinking that same thing; it's not right…

[Skin]

This shit has to get into the 300,000 range. IT HAS TO!

[Guest nothingfails0603]

what I am worried about is that the album might not even make 1 million. We're living in times where album sales are so bad that if an album can reach one million and not be a fall release, it's fucking Thriller.

Madonna hasn't had long legs on an album since Music. AL was off the charts in three months, and even tho COADF lasted 37 weeks, it was pretty much "over" as a serious chart presence as soon as the Christmas season ended. Can Madonna reach a million with less than 300k opening? Look how long it took Rihanna to reach 1 million and that album has been loaded with smash hits.

[Skin]

what I am worried about is that the album might not even make 1 million. We're living in times where album sales are so bad that if an album can reach one million and not be a fall release, it's fucking Thriller.

Madonna hasn't had long legs on an album since Music. AL was off the charts in three months, and even tho COADF lasted 37 weeks, it was pretty much "over" as a serious chart presence as soon as the Christmas season ended. Can Madonna reach a million with less than 300k opening? Look how long it took Rihanna to reach 1 million and that album has been loaded with smash hits.

Sadly thats the market we live in though. The bulk of ones sales takes place 1st week now for most artists and sadly Madonna did nothing to promote for the first week at all. It shouldnt fall as fast as Confessions though since 4 Minutes is still getting lots of play, but unlike Confessions Hard Candy does not have the Christimas bounce to fall back on.

[Guest nothingfails0603]

Sadly thats the market we live in though. The bulk of ones sales takes place 1st week now for most artists and sadly Madonna did nothing to promote for the first week at all. It shouldnt fall as fast as Confessions though since 4 Minutes is still getting lots of play, but unlike Confessions Hard Candy does not have the Christimas bounce to fall back on.

that's the main reason I think the lack of promotion has been so disheartening. With the right promotional push, this album could easily match Confessions in the US, could even be her biggest since Music, but she just doesn't care. The music industry has changed and only a few albums have the legs that even Erotica had now. I think if Madonna had promoted her little butt off this week and whored the album, I think we would see a better turnout. Mariah knows a bad first week spells trouble for the album (Glitter and Charmbracelet anyone) and Janet knows that the first week is pretty much the only good week the album has (think 20 and Damita's openings), but Madonna still has the "I'm Madonna, my name will sell this album" mentality, and it really doesn't for any artist anymore.

[Guest Danny86]

With the right promotional push, this album could easily match Confessions in the US, could even be her biggest since Music, but she just doesn't care.

I know this is going to be considered as "loon talk", but why should Madonna care if Hard Candy is Platinum or Double Platinum? She got so much from touring and LN contract that album sales are just drops in the ocean for her.

I think somebody said it in another thread that Hard Candy was promoted well (especially online and on mobiles) - if somebody wants to get the new Madonna album, they can get it. Does Madonna really have to catch the audience of Oprah/AI/whatever tv show who only buy a CD when it's being promoted on their favourite show?

[Guest nothingfails0603]

I know this is going to be considered as "loon talk", but why should Madonna care if Hard Candy is Platinum or Double Platinum? She got so much from touring and LN contract that album sales are just drops in the ocean for her.

well, her and Mariah are practically neck and neck in US sales. Should Madonna concede and just let Mariah effortlessly take Barbra over? It's not like Garth Brooks, whose sales aren't going to be touched for some time, so he took a break from the industry because nobody else is going to reach 120 million in America anytime soon.

Madonna and Mariah have been the biggest rivals for ten years now, and if Madonna just goes "here Mariah, take over", it'll just bring more lambs to the board to start shit.

[thebigham]

Projections:

W1: 270k

W2: 135k - probably enough to be #1 for a 2nd week

W3: 67k

Total: 472k after 3 weeks.