Carly Rae Jepsen’s “Call Me Maybe”remains number one for another week on the Billboard Hot 100. However, on the Billboard 200 albums chart, somewhat unexpectedly,Usher overtakes Adele for the number-one album in the country with Looking 4 Myself– even without a strong lead single to drive sales.
Even with “Climax” topping the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart for a ninth week now, Looking 4 Myself moved only 128,000 units this last week, according to Billboard. That’s less than half of Usher’s previous studio album, Raymond v. Raymond, which also charted at number one.Looking 4 Myself is followed closely by Rush‘s new release, Clockwork Angels, which sold 103,000. Unlike Usher’s multiple number-one albums, Rush has yet to land at the top of the albums chart until now.
Adele checks in at number three with 21, selling 63,000 copies, while country singer Josh Turner comes in at number four with Punching Bag, which sold 45,000 copies.Ed Sheeran, the latest British import, debuts at number five with +, moving 42,000 units. Sheeran’s + debuted at number one on the official U.K. Albums Chart near the end of 2011.
The other top-ten British entry is One Direction, whose Up All Night stays firm at number six. Neil Young and Crazy Horse’s Americana falls three to number seven, and Alan Jackson’s Thirty Miles West falls even further, from number two to eight. The Rock of Ages soundtrack jumps six spots, entering the top ten this week at number nine, thanks to the film’s release to theaters last Friday. At number ten is Waka Flocka Flame’s Triple F Life, which moved 33,000 in its first week on the chart.
Meanwhile, on the singles chart, “Call Me Maybe” marks the third single from a trio of new artists that have led sales this year, following Gotye’s “Somebody That I Used To Know” and fun.’s “We Are Young.” This is the first time in nearly 35 years that such a feat has occurred, with Bill Conti’s “Gonna Fly Now,” Alan O’Day’s “Undercover Angel” and “Shaun Cassidy’s “Da Doo Ron Ron” succeeding one another at the top of the chart from July 2 to July 16, 1977.
“Somebody That I Used To Know” follows “Call Me Maybe” at number two this week, withMaroon 5′s “Payphone” close behind at number three. Katy Perry’s “Wide Awake”jumps five spots to number four this week, seeing a big push from the release of the corresponding official music video and ongoing promotional trailers for her upcoming movie, Katy Perry: Part Of Me.
Fun.’s “We Are Young” lands at number five this week, followed by “What Makes You Beautiful” by One Direction and “Starships” by Nicki Minaj. Rihanna’s “Where Have You Been” and Justin Bieber’s “Boyfriend” both remain static this week, at numbers eight and ten, respectively, with Flo Rida’s “Wild Ones” sandwiched between them.
With early reports already pouring in, Justin Bieber’s new album Believe, which was released this week, should easily take the top spot on the Billboard 200 when the charts are refreshed next Wednesday. Katy Perry’s “Wide Awake” will continue to climb, especially on the heels of her announcement to The Hollywood Reporter that she is starting her own record label. But even that spotlight won’t help her overtake “Call Me Maybe” next week, as the song will continue to reign for at least one more sales period.
