'Juno' climbs up the pop chart

Alicia Keys and Radiohead swap places at the top of this week’s U.S. album chart, but it’s the soundtrack to indie-film-that-could “Juno” that’s making the biggest waves on the tally.

The album jumps from its No. 8 post last week to No. 3, thanks to a 78% increase in sales, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The soundtrack moved a total of 68,000 copies this week, bringing its total to 143,000 copies sold.

Most of “Juno’s” soundtrack sales have come from online outlets, where the album has been available since December. It sold another 40,000 copies from non-traditional outlets last week, which includes all digital retailers, and has sold a total of 110,000 digital albums.

Billboard notes that the indie rock-focused compilation has become the highest-charting album for Rhino, a Warner Bros. imprint traditionally home to reissues and box sets.

Radiohead’s “In Rainbows” vacates the top spot, suffering a 44% decline in sales as it slips to No. 2. After selling 69,000 copies this week, “In Rainbows,” which was released online in October, has sold a total of 191,000 copies as an actual CD.

In two weeks in stores, “In Rainbows” still has not sold what Radiohead’s last album, 2003’s “Hail to the Thief,” moved in its first week (300,000 copies).

Keys’ “As I Am” returns to No. 1 despite a decline in sales, selling 70,000 copies this week on a 38% dip in sales. It opened at No. 1 when it was released about two months ago. That's 10,000 copies more than the all-time low figure for a No. 1 album, which was posted during the same week last year by the “Dreamgirls” soundtrack.

This week’s top debut comes from electronic-tinged pop artist Sia, whose Starbucks release “Some People Have Real Problems” enters at No. 26 after selling 20,000 copies. Further down, English singer/songwriter Kate Nash lands at No. 36 with her “Made of Bricks.”

(Photo courtesy Fox Searchlight)

Comments

[Frankie R.]

Sometimes I wonder if this website just pushes the living daylights out of JUNO for Best Pic...it's like you're shoving JUNO down the Academy's throat to vote for it for Best Pic and all...just STOP! It's a cutesy fluff piece not worthy of a Best Pic nom...good lord..no more Little Miss Sunshine like films please...

[-Todd Martens]

Hi Frankie,

Naw--just running down the weekly album sales. Although I find it worth noting how well it's selling online.

But if you're in the need for some anti-'Juno' writing, check out this piece from the Chicago Sun-Times' Jim DeRogatis:

http://blogs.suntimes.com/derogatis/2008/01/why_juno_is_antirock.html#more

[Michael]

Kate Bush?????
No, dude! Kate Nash!

[-Todd Martens]

That was an awfully embarrassing typo. Ugh. Thanks, Michael. It's been corrected from the earlier version.

[Liz Wetzel]

Frankie R., is it the movie or is it you?

This movie does not appeal to the jaded and the cynical.

[Frankie R.]

Over-hyped movies like JUNO do not appeal to me. It's becoming like Little Miss Sunshine (the worst movie ever to be nominated Best Pic). I found JUNO to be cutesy fare and better than LMS but it has become over-exposed and over-hyped...just read Roger Ebert's orgasmic ads on JUNO...enough to make one puke! I'm not that jaded but I do have my cynicism intact...JUNO is just not worthy of Best Pic...it really feels like JUNO is being shoved down our throats..ENOUGH!

[Bill]

Hurray, just the movie to make everyone happy!
For under-aged young females - have sex and bear no guilt or responsibility. Just throw your baby into another home and eveything will end well.

Guys, stop thinking no gals will go for you! Find an under-age girls, like Juno; get them pregnant. And guess what? You'll encounter no problems from the public or her parents. The babies are easily adopted and once that's being taken care of, the girls will very likely accept long term relationships with you.

Juno is a real cool film with a great message that sexual promiscuity can be so cool. Judging from the raves and hypes about this film, you can be sure that real-life imitation will be the surest form of flattery for Cody Diablo , Ellen Page, and Jason Reitman!