‘Frozen’ Earns Its Biggest Sales Week Yet, Tops Billboard 200 a Seventh Time
Thanks to the March 18 release of "Frozen" on DVD and Blu-ray, its soundtrack has scored its best sales week yet.
Thanks to the March 18 release of “Frozen” on DVD and Blu-ray, its soundtrack has scored its best sales week yet. The album spends a seventh week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, selling 202,000 copies in the week ending March 23 (up 104 percent), according to Nielsen SoundScan. That easily trumps its previous high-water mark, when it shifted 165,000 in the week ending Jan. 5. A week ago, it was No. 1 with 99,000 copies sold.
The “Frozen” album’s sales are red hot, owed to buzz generated by the fast-selling home video version of the film. Disney said that 3.2 million units of the DVD and Blu-ray were sold during its first day of release.
READ THE FULL COVER STORY OR SUBSCRIBE TO BILLBOARD HEREIt’s unusual for an album to log its best sales week so far into its chart life. “Frozen,” which was released Nov. 26, 2013, is currently in its 17th week on the chart. Generally, albums start big and then taper off as the weeks tick by.
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For example, the last album that was as old as “Frozen” to sell more than 200,000 in a week was Adele’s “21,” a little over two years ago. In the wake of the 2012 Grammy Awards — where Adele performed and won multiple trophies — “21” sold 730,000 copies (in the week ending Feb. 19). The set had debuted at No. 1 a year earlier, shifting 352,000 copies in the week endingFeb. 27, 2011.
Though “Frozen” just reached DVD and Blu-ray, it’s also still in movie theaters. It ranked as the No. 13 highest-grossing film at the U.S. and Canada box office during the March 21-23 weekend (according to Box Office Mojo). Through March 23, it has earned $397 million — the third-highest-grossing film of 2013.
With the soundtrack’s additional 202,000 sold, its total sales rise to 1.6 million. Its breakout hit single, Idina Menzel’s “Let It Go,” recently reached the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 and won the Academy Award for best original song.
While “Frozen” continues to be all the rage at the top of the chart, the top 10 also welcomes six new entries.
Rapper YG leads the debut-parade with “My Krazy Life,” starting at No. 2 with 61,000 sold. It’s the first studio album for the artist, who arrived on the Billboard charts in 2010 with the single “Toot It and Boot It.” It reached No. 67 on the Billboard Hot 100. He later followed it up with “My Hitta” in 2013 (No. 19 peak on the Hot 100 and No. 5 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs) and his current hit, “Who Do You Love.” The latter has reached the top 20 on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs tally and No. 78 on the Hot 100.
Rock trio Foster The People struts onto the Billboard 200 with its second album, “Supermodel,” bowing at No. 3 with 54,000. It follows the trio’s first album, “Torches,” which debuted and peaked at No. 8 in 2011. It has gone on to sell 1 million copies.
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Foster The People’s latest single, “Coming of Age,” recently peaked at No. 4 on the Alternative Songs chart. It has yet to reach the Billboard Hot 100, where the group’s breakthrough hit “Pumped Up Kicks” climbed to No. 3.
EDM superstar Skrillex logs his best week ever as his first full-length album, “Recess,” debuts at No. 4 with 47,000. It’s his first top 10 album, surpassing the No. 14 peak of the EP “Bangarang” in January 2012.
Eighty-seven percent of “Recess'” first-week sales were from downloads. It only sold 6,000 physical copies.
Rock band The Pretty Reckless also scores its biggest week yet, as its second album, “Going to Hell,” bows at No. 5 with 35,000. The group, fronted by singer/actress Taylor Momsen, had previously gone as high as No. 65 with 2011’s “Light Me Up,” selling 9,000 in its first week. The new album was led by the hit single “Heaven Knows,” which is spending its third week at No. 1 on the Mainstream Rock Songs chart.
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Pharrell Williams’ “G I R L” dips 5-6 with 34,000 (down 24 percent), and Rick Ross’ “Mastermind” slides 3-7 with 27,000 (down 44 percent).
Enrique Iglesias nabs his third top 10 album with “Sex and Love” as it enters at No. 8 with 24,000. It follows his previous top 10s “Euphoria” (No. 10 in 2010) and “Escape” (No. 2 in 2001).
Lorde’s “Pure Heroine” falls one rung to No. 9 with nearly 24,000 (down 13 percent).
Taking Back Sunday closes out the top 10 with its latest, “Happiness Is,” bowing at No. 10 with 22,000. It’s the fourth top 10 album for the rock act, and first since 2009’s “New Again” hit No. 7.
Over on the Digital Songs chart, Pharrell’s “Happy” continues to rule the list, selling 370,000 downloads (up 2 percent).
John Legend’s “All of Me” and Jason Derulo’s “Talk Dirty” (featuring 2 Chainz) are both non-movers at Nos. 2 and 3, respectively. They sold 224,000 (up 4 percent) and 188,000 (down 5 percent).
Menzel’s “Let It Go” surges 5-4 with a 37-percent gain to 167,000.
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Katy Perry’s “Dark Horse,” featuring Juicy J, slips 4-5 with 150,000 (down 9 percent). Aloe Blacc’s “The Man” rises 8-6 with 126,000 (up 30 percent). During the tracking week, Blacc appeared on NBC’s “The Voice” and ABC’s “Good Morning America.”
The Chainsmokers’ “#SELFIE” descends a slot to No. 7 with 101,000 (down 9 percent), and Bastille’s “Pompeii” falls 7-8 with 98,000 (down 7 percent). DJ Snake & Lil Jon’s “Turn Down for What” is steady at No. 9 with 89,000 (up 6 percent).
Florida Georgia Line snares its second top 10 hit on the Digital Songs chart, as “This Is How We Roll” (featuring Luke Bryan) climbs 12-10 with 78,000 (down 2 percent). It follows last year’s No. 2 hit “Cruise.”
Overall album sales during this past chart week (ending March 23) totaled 4.7 million units, up 3 percent compared with the sum last week (4.6 million) and down 22 percent compared with the comparable sales week of 2013 (6.1 million). Year-to-date album sales stand at 57.1 million, down 15 percent compared with the same total at this pointlast year (67.5 million).
Digital track sales this past week totaled 21.6 million downloads, down 1 percent compared with last week(21.8 million) and down 13 percent stacked next to the comparable week of 2013 (24.8 million). Year-to-date track sales are at 290.5 million, down 11 percent compared with the same total at this point last year (328.2 million).
Next week’s Billboard 200competes with the same week in 2013 when: Justin Timberlake’s “The 20/20 Experience” held at No. 1 with 318,000 (down 67 percent) after debuting in the previous frame with 968,000. Lil Wayne’s “I Am Not a Human Being II” started at No. 2 with 217,000.