Weekly Register: Rucker’s ‘Southern Style’ Reigns For Second Week

This week was lackluster for new releases, and both the overall tracks and overall albums charts saw significant dips.

On a brighter note, Neilsen’s country albums tally saw Darius Rucker’s Southern Style reign supreme for a second consecutive week, moving 17k units. Rucker sold 52k during the project’s debut week.

Also in the Top 5 this week are Sam Hunt’s Montevallo (15k), Now That’s What I Call ACM Awards: 50 Years (11k), Luke Bryan’s Spring Break…Checkin’ Out (10k), and Florida Georgia Line’s Anything Goes (7.4k)

Top country debuts this week went to Will Hoge at No. 15 (3.7k), Kristian Bush at No. 16 (3.7k), and Pokey LaFarge at No. 28 (1.4k).

Also worth noting is Lee Brice who jumped from No. 21 to No. 7 this week, selling 7.1k (an upward swing of 179 percent), on the strength of a Google Album of the Week promo, on sale for $2.99.

The Original Soundtrack from the movie Furious 7 topped the overall album chart, selling 111k this week. The top debut on the overall album chart was All Time Low at No. 2, selling 80k. All Time Low was the only debut in the top 10 this week.

Compared to last week, overall album sales were down 1.7 percent, while overall digital sales were up 2.6 percent. Country album sales were down 13.2 percent, while country digital sales were down 7.5 percent.

This time last year, the top overall album was Frozen, which sold 133k that week. On the country charts one year ago, Martina McBride’s Everlasting topped the country album chart, selling 21k.

Tracks

Sam Hunt’s “Take Your Time” tops the country tracks tally this week, with 55k units moved. Little Big Town’s “Girl Crush” moved 43k this week, followed by Zac Brown Band’s “Homegrown” (40.5k), Thomas Rhett’s “Crash and Burn” (40k), and Cole Swindell’s “Ain’t Worth The Whiskey” (35k).

Wiz Khalifa earns a second week at No. 1 on the overall tracks chart with “See You Again,” which sold 464k. The top overall and country debut this week is Thomas Rhett’s “Crash and Burn” (40k). The track debuted at No. 4 on the country tracks chart and at No. 31 overall.

Year-to-date, overall track sales have fallen 9.7 percent, while country tracks have fallen 16.5 percent.

This time last year, Pharrell Williams’ “Happy” topped the overall track chart, selling 257k, while Luke Bryan’s “Play It Again” topped the country tracks chart, selling 108k.