Related Stories
One “American Idol” displaced another on the U.S. album chart this week, as Adam Lambert’s “Trespassing” supplanted Carrie Underwood’s “Blown Away” in the No. 1 slot.
Lambert’s RCA/19 release tracked 77,000 copies in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan data for the week ended May 20. It’s the first No. 1 album for the 2009 “Idol” runner-up, but it came amid a week of flat sales stats. “Trespassing” is the lowest-selling No. 1 entry since singer-songwriter Amos Lee’s “Mission Bell” reached No. 1 with a 40,000-unit debut week in February 2011. “Trespassing” doesn’t come close to matching the numbers for Lambert’s major label bow: In December 2009, his “For Your Entertainment” entered at No. 3 with 198,000 sold. It’s a further measure of music’s late-spring slumber that in its 65th week, Adele’s “21″ (Columbia) managed to hold at No. 2, reaping 63,000 with a 36% decline. In its third week, Underwood’s “Blown Away” (RCA/Arista Nashville) took the No. 3 post with 54,000 (down 55%). Despite a 24% dip, Norah Jones’ “Little Broken Hearts” (Blue Note) rose one rung to No. 4 with sales of 45,000. Three more new titles — all sporting film or TV connections — entered in the lower reaches of the top 10. Satiric rock twosome Tenacious D, fronted by actor Jack Black, took their second top-10 round with “Rise of the Fenix” (Columbia), which bowed at No. 5 with 44,000. Their sophomore album “The Pick of Destiny” peaked at No. 8 in 2006. The moody rock duo Beach House scored its first top-10 set with “Bloom” (Sub Pop), which entered at No. 7 with 41,000 shifted. The group features vocals by keyboardist Victoria Legrand, niece of film composer Michel Legrand. Still matriculating on the charts, Fox’s “Glee” cast claimed the No. 8 pole with “Glee: The Music, The Graduation” (Columbia), which racked up sales of 39,000 out of the box. The week’s top-10 holdovers include the “Now 42″ hits compilation (No. 6, 42,000 sold, off 36%), Lionel Richie’s collaborative “Tuskegee” (No. 9, 39,000, down 45%) and boy band One Direction’s “Up All Night” (No. 10, 34,000, 15%). Fresh titles from John Mayer and the Tedeschi Trucks Band are top contenders for next week’s post-Memorial Day chart.
