Music Thread #1 For 6/30/10: Another Big Sales Week For Eminem, Drake Goes Gold

Photo from Billboard

The music industry's savior saves again!

As reported earlier today, Eminem's "Recovery" debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart with a massive 741,000 copies sold in its first week according to Nielsen SoundScan. It's the biggest sales week for a single album since October 2008, when AC/DC's "Black Ice" debuted with 784,000 in its first week.

Seriously, that is just a phenomenal and encouraging number, showing that, once again, artists (even rap artists) can survive the leak and still have people go to the shelves at Target, Wal-Mart, Best Buy or wherever, or online without going to Limewire.

Of course being an establish name helps for sure, but it's not like Eminem will be having singles that's for the clubs and the radio specifically. "Not Afraid" certainly doesn't fit those locations from the other singles out nowadays from "prominent rappers/R&B singers", that's for sure.

Get this stat:

"Recovery" is the hip-hop king's sixth straight No. 1 debut -- and sixth overall chart-topper. His only set to miss the top spot was his "Slim Shady LP" debut, which bowed and peaked at No. 2 in 1999. Among hip-hop acts with the most No. 1 albums, only Jay-Z has earned more, with 11.

"Recovery's" debut week sales surpasses the first week of Eminem's last set, "Relapse," which began at No. 1 in 2009 with 608,000. It also beats the opening of 2005's "Curtain Call: The Hits" which entered at No. 1 with 441,000 in 2005.

And we can't forget the legal download sales!

Eminem's new album also wows digitally, as downloads made up 255,000 of its first week. That's the second-biggest digital week for an album in history. Only Coldplay's "Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends" notched a larger frame, when it debuted with 288,000 downloads in the summer of 2008.

Of course, Em replaced last week's, who pushed pass the "Gold" line unsurprisingly:

Last week's Billboard 200 albums chart No. 1, Drake's "Thank Me Later," falls to No. 2 with 157,000 (down 65%). The chart's second-highest debut comes from Miley Cyrus' "Can't Be Tamed," which enters at No. 3 with 102,000. Cyrus' last proper full-length studio album was 2008's "Breakout," which started at No. 1 with 371,000. Since then, she's charted with three different "Hannah Montana" releases and the "Time Of Our Lives" EP.

Sadly though, the Roots only got 51,000 sold the first week. 51K........what is wrong with our times.

Even fact, Ozzy Osbourne sold more than the still under-appreciated Philly, as he brought home 81,000 to be #4 after Eminem, Drake, and Cyrus's tame debut for ironically "Can't Be Tamed."

Still, despite the massive week for the Detroit spitter, 2009 at this time was still better than in 2010 for disc purchases:

Overall album sales in this past chart week (ending June 27) totaled 6.06 million units, down 1% compared to the sum last week (6.13 million) and down 3% compared to the comparable sales week of 2009 (6.22 million). Year to date album sales stand at 148.4 million, down 11% compared to the same total at this point last year (165.9 million).

This is one week, alone with last week, where the RIAA probably won't get whinny and mean, and sue poor people who can't afford their outrageous lawsuits.