http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/cont...art_alert/e3i16f6b174a96cefa9339b671b7e262b92
Michael Jackson Continues To Shake Up Charts
In the first full week following Michael Jackson's death on June 25, his catalog of solo albums shifted 800,000, according to Nielsen SoundScan. That's up a whopping 90% compared with the previous week, when his solo sets moved 422,000 . . . His "Number Ones" greatest-hits album is the top-selling set in the United States this week, with 339,000 sold. His classic "Thriller" album is the second-biggest seller, with 187,000 . . . We also have news about the latest albums from Brad Paisley, Rob Thomas, Wilco, Jeremih and Killswitch Engage, and updates on Halestorm, Tim McGraw, Toby Keith and Miley Cyrus.
FLASH POINTS
• Michael Jackson's catalog of solo albums sold a whopping 800,000 copies in the United States in the tracking week that ended at the close of business Sunday night (July 5), according to Nielsen SoundScan. That's an increase of 90% compared with the previous week, when his combined albums sold 422,000.
• A jump in sales was expected, since this was the first full week of sales since Jackson's passing on June 25. Additionally, after most physical retailers swiftly sold out of available Jackson albums, Sony Music Entertainment and Universal Music Group were able to replenish brick-and-mortar stores with CDs last week to meet customer demand.
• In turn, physical albums accounted for 82% of Jackson's sales last week-656,000 physical albums versus 144,000 digital albums. In the week previous, when Jackson's albums moved a total of 422,000, physical albums accounted for 43% of that sum (181,000) while digital albums made up the other 57% (241,000).
• Jackson's "Number Ones" collection is the top-selling album in the United States, with 339,000 (up 215%), and will also be No. 1 on Billboard's Top Comprehensive Albums chart. "Thriller" will be No. 2 with 187,000 (up 86%) while the third-place set will be the newly released "Now 31" various-artists compilation, which will start with 169,000.
• Also, Jackson will again dominate the Top Pop Catalog Albums chart. It tallies albums that are more than 18 months old, have fallen below No. 100 on the Billboard 200 and don't have a current radio single. Catalog albums are ineligible to appear on the Billboard 200, though they can chart on the Top Comprehensive Albums list.
• Last week, Jackson had a record eight albums out of the top 10 on the Top Pop Catalog Albums chart, while a Jackson 5 compilation also found its way into the upper tier. This week, the entire top 10 is all Jackson, all the time. He alone has albums at Nos. 1-6 and Nos. 8-10 while a Jackson 5 title ("The Ultimate Collection") resides at No. 7.
• On Billboard's Hot Digital Songs chart, Jackson will hold down five of the top 10 slots, with "Man in the Mirror" leading as his top-selling digital song of the week (159,000; down 3%). Overall, it ranks as the second-best selling song of the week, next to the Black Eyed Peas' "I Gotta Feeling" (215,000; up 6%).
• Jackson's total song download sales this week-including his works with the Jackson 5 and the Jacksons-stand at 2.2 million downloads. Last week, the collected total was 2.6 million.
