It looks like Adele could do it, too, as her sophomore album is expected to shift an additional 200,000 unites by Sunday, preventing Bruce Springsteen's new album, Wrecking Ball, from the top spot.
Already, the album has sold 2.1 million copies so far in 2012 alone; the second best-selling album of 2012 is Whitney Houston's Whitney: The Greatest Hits, with a little over half a million in sales. Since 21 debuted on the charts in January of last year, the album has sold eight million copies.
So, again, it was the Adele show on the charts this past week. The only other noticeable change comes from Kid Cudi and Dot da Genius, whose collaboration album, WZRD, debuted at number three with 66,000 sold -- just over half of what the second-place album, Houston's greatest hits, claimed this week.
The remainder of the Top 10 of the Billboard 200 sees steady sales of Adele's first album, 19, holding at number seven, and The Bodyguard soundtrack, which rose one spot to number five. Not as exciting as Adele chart run, but no less spectacular, Houston sees a special week of album sales herself, with nine albums all charting within the Top 100 of the Billboard 200 this week. The Beatles previously accomplished a similar feat, placing eleven albums in the Top 100 in October 2009.
On the Billboard Hot 100 chart, fun. moves up two to number one with its very first offering on the chart, "We Are Young," featuring Janelle Monáe. Interestingly, the band is the first multi-member rock band to reach the top with its first entry since Nickelback's "How You Remind Me" in December 2001. "We Are Young" also comes as the first chart-topper by a rock band since Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" four years ago.
The remainder of the Hot 100 top ten is rounded out by Kelly Clarkson's "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" at number two, Adele's "Set Fire To The Rain" at three, the Wanted's "Glad You Came" at number four and Katy Perry's "Part Of Me" at number five. Last week each of the aforementioned tracks saw themselves in the top five too, but in a different order.
"Starships" by Nicki Minaj moves four spots to number six and reappears at number eight with David Guetta for "Turn Me On." Gotye's "Somebody That I Used To Know," featuring Kimbra, finds itself in the top ten for the first week, moving up seven to number nine. Rihanna, a regular in the top ten for the majority of her career, sees her biggest hit to date, "We Found Love," continue its fall from the top, dropping from number six to number ten. However, the track's producer, Calvin Harris, finds himself on the Hot 100 for the first time as a solo artist with "Feel So Close," moving eight to number thirty four. It peaked on the Official UK Singles Chart in September 2011 during its first week on the chart at number two.
Next week, expect Springsteen fans everywhere to be upset by the reigning queen, Adele, when it comes to album sales. Fun. may hold at number one for a second week on the Hot 100, but if Gotye's momentum keeps up, he could be strong competition. With increased promo surrounding the release of Teenage Dream: The Complete Confection, Katy Perry's "Part Of Me," the lead single from the set, to be released March 26, could return to the top of the singles chart, too, especially if radio play continues to increase.
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