Bruce Springsteen’s “Magic” (Columbia) sold 335,000 copies in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
It is the Boss’ eighth No. 1 album, and his third consecutive release to debut atop the sales chart. Springsteen and the E Street Band began a tour Oct. 2 on the day the album was released on CD and digitally. It was released on vinyl a week earlier, an uncommon move for a major-label artist but one that made the album and its songs potentially eligible for this year’s Grammy Awards.
There were nine other debuts in the top 20, most of which were driven by hit singles.
Matchbox twenty sold 131,000 copies of its “Exile on Mainstream,” (Atlantic) selling 131,000 copies. Compilation disc contains a half-dozen new tracks, including “How Far We’ve Come,” an AC radio hit.
The country’s No. 1 single “Crank That (Soulja Boy)” led to Soulja Boy’s “souljaboytellem.com” (ColliPark Music/Interscope) selling 117,000 copies and an openign at No. 4.
R&B singer J. Holiday used his “Bed” to help generate 105,000 sales of “Back of My ‘Lac” (Capitol). It came in at No. 5.
Annie Lennox’s first album in four years, “Songs of Mass Destruction” (Arista) sold 78,000 copies, about half as many of her last disc, “Bare,” in its first week. Album is at No. 9.
Trey Songz’ second album “Trey Day” (Song Book/Atlantic) opened at No. 11, selling 73,000. Faith Hill’s “The Hits” (Warner Bros.) and Brooks & Dunn’s “Cowboy Town” (Arista Nashville) were separated by just a few hundred copies at Nos. 12 and 13. They sold 69,000 copies each.
[Check it Out: Variety]