This week, Kanye West’s got more than love on the lockdown.
In a typically stuffed Thanksgiving week of releases, West’s 808s & Heartbreak lorded over Ludacris and the Killers and the seemingly forever waited new Guns N’ Roses.
The rap superstar’s 808 and Heartbreak sold 450,000 for the week ended Sunday, nearly 200,000 more copies than the next best debut, Guns N’ Roses’ Chinese Democracy. Critics often joked that China would have democracy before this album came out, but after a decade-and-a-half, Axle Roses best exclusive sold 261,000 copies at No. 3.
Clearly that’s $14 million well spent, eh, Axl?
Guns’ last studio debuts, Use Your Illusion I and II, opened in the top spots 17 years ago, selling 685,000 and 770,000, respectively.
Among the week’s other major newcomers, Ludacris’ Theater of the Mind sold 213,000 at No. 5, breaking the rapper’s string of three straight chart-toppers. (This is Luda’s lowest chart debut since his independently released 2000 debut, Incognegro.)
No related posts.
thanks for the update Ben!
Definitely think the recession/Kanye’s new style affected his sales. Still quite impressive numbers. I think 50 can top it with Before I Self Destruct, though. As far as Luda goes; glad to see him save face with 200k+.
This is why 50/Em/Dre got their albums pushed back to 2009… http://hiptics.com/2008/11/15/the-real-reason-50-cents-new-album-before-i-self-destruct-got-pushed-back/
Interscope wants higher than 450k the first week.