Are Madonna's first-week sales numbers a disappointment? Blame Mariah.

While Madonna scored yet another No. 1 album, it may not have been the blockbuster opening that some were expecting.

She sold 280,000 copies of "Hard Candy," according to Nielsen SoundScan, in its first week in stores. First things first: With the days of the CD as the music format of choice seemingly numbered, any album that sells in the six-figure range is a bonus for the music biz these days.

And those who rolled their eyes at yet another blog alluding to the death of the CD, ask Madonna herself, who last year signed a $120-million deal with a touring company in Live Nation. And this summer, fans will get to see that deal start to pay off. Madonna will be generously coming to a whopping  16 North American markets, according to Billboard.

Great Diva Sales Race of 2008

Yet it's also hard not to note that Madonna's "Hard Candy" sold about 180,000 fewer copies than Mariah Carey moved two weeks ago. She's still significantly ahead, though, of the 181,000 copies sold by Janet Jackson's "Discipline" when it debuted in March.

But back to Carey. Her "E=MC2" scored the highest debut of the year when it opened at No. 1 after selling 463,000 copies. In just three weeks on the chart, "E=MC2" has sold more than 740,000 copies.

Album sales may be down across the board, but Madonna would certainly be expected to be closer to Mariah than, say, Leona Lewis on the diva totem pole. Newcomer Lewis entered at No. 1 a few weeks ago, her debut, "Spirit," selling 205,000 copies.

To compare "Hard Candy's" stats to Madonna's last record: In 2005 her Euro-influenced "Confessions on a Dance Floor" opened with 350,000 copies, according to Billboard. It's rare these days for an artist to actually top the first-week sales of a prior album, but if anyone could do it, it would certainly be Madonna. And Mariah just did it.

So it's easy to view Madonna's sales tally as a disappointment, a sign that she's losing her grip on the pop marketplace. But don't.

CD sales just an added bonus

Billboard downplays Madonna's sales dip, noting that "Confessions" opened during the holiday season. The trade also fairly points out that Mariah may have benefited from appearances on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and "American Idol."

On one hand, Madonna is a bigger international brand than Mariah will ever be, and she was just inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

But on the other, the marketing campaign for "Hard Candy" was one based less on promotion than on partnerships. The album may not have been endorsed by Oprah, but the marketing campaign leading up the release of "Hard Candy" has been far from what anyone would call subtle. There are the Sunsilk commercials, the branding promotions with Verizon, the odd YouTube video and the video gift to gossip blogger Perez Hilton.

Additionally, Madonna's lead single, "4 Minutes," has been inescapable. It's still a top-10 hit, and her second single, "Give It 2 Me," has just debuted in the top 100. But even more important, "4 Minutes" has given Madonna something she didn't have at all with "Confessions on a Dance Floor," and that's a hit on U.S. radio. 

But if there's a problem -- if this is a problem -- with "4 Minutes," it's that it is as much a Justin Timberlake or Timbaland single as it is one from Madonna. It's also a song that will spur download sales, but not necessarily album sales.

For instance, as fun and silly as it may be, "4 Minutes" also could have appeared on Timbaland's 2007 album "Shock Value," or Timberlake's "FutureSex/LoveSounds." It's a song fit for an iTunes playlist as much as it is a new Madonna album.

Indeed, by lining up today's top producers and superstars -- Timberlake, Timbaland, Pharrell Williams, Kanye West, etc. -- Madonna has created an album that may sound swell stacked up with everyone else on the radio, but it also risks the danger of failing to set itself apart.

But "Hard Candy" doesn't really need to stand alone in order to be a success. The end result is an album seemingly built to sell millions of single-track downloads, ring tones, videos and bits of whatever digital accessories exist. And for pop music as business plan, that may prove to be one of Madonna's smartest moves yet, whether intentional or not.

Photo:  Madonna performing in Paris on May 6 / Associated Press

Comments

[Gina]

Well Madonna definitely has the better record. And I have both (I downloaded Mariah's and in all fairness it's pretty good, it's definitely not bad).

Some of you folks are borderline retarded and act as if only Madonna or Mariah is popular when the reality is both continue their enormous popularity. Mariah has an edge over Madonna in the states but Madonna continues to enjoy a very successful career in the States as well. On the other hand, Madonna's international appeal is more substantial than Mariah Carey's.

Personally I think Madonna is clearly the more significant of the two in almost every way. Even without having a voice as dynamic as Mariah Carey's, Madonna's records are always more memorable and always sound better, at least to these ears.

[Ally]

Really enjoying reading all of the cool posts on here. Here is my opinion. Madonna's first week sales are a reflection of the current state of the music industry, which im sure will better in time, no a reflection of so-called declining popularity or anything else. Iam a die hard Madonna fan but even i have to say that with the industry in the predicament it's in, im pleased Mariah can still achieve such high sales. However, in terms of 'Hard Candy', by the time the 'Sticky and Sweet' world tour is said and done, ive no doubt this album could sell at least 8-10 million copies. People music DOES still sell and Madonna will be around selling records for years to come, like she has always done. Props to Mariah on her first week sales also.xx

any feedback or opinions are welcome, contact me at:

alan_james_deacon@hotmail.co.uk

[tameka]

gina, madonna's record is terrible. I've heard it. the hag needs to retire. mariah sings better and sold more but neither one of them are the best. have you seen madonna lately. she looks so scary. her face is screwed up. why did she screw up her face like that. her body is just as bad. i'm not buying "emc2" but there is definitely no way I would buy "hard candy"

[Eddie]

Madonna is way farther better than Mariah, She always sounds the same shit

[Donita]

No way I am going to buy the same old shit Mariah's produced in every album.

E=Mc2 sucks..just hype!

[Henry Allen]

for all of you who are saying that madonna's concert ticket sales are more important than mariah's album sales that just goes to show how dumb you are about the music business. When madonna goes on tour most of the money she makes goes to the 200 person crew it takes to put her shows together! Mariah made her money where it counts A multiplatinum royalty is more important to a singer than concert tickets and if you just want to compare the two Madonna has a long way to go to catch up to Mariah. Madonna is a slut with no voice at all! Mariah has sold more records in less time! Thats why Madonna always has something negative to say about Mariah because she is jealous and by the way Mariah wrote 17 of her 18 pop number ones. You know the pop number ones that just broke elvis presleys record which is something madonna will never do so all you madonna fans can kiss my ass and Mariahs ass too!!!!!

[Candy Boy]

Madonna's Hard Candy reached #1 in 37 different
countries.....enough said!

[Gage Kristofer]

MADONNAS NEW CD IS A MESS. IM A HUGE FAN, BUT OBVIOUSLY SHE DIDNT PUT MUCH INTO THIS ONE. THE LYRICS ARE HORRIBLE, AND IM DISAPPOINTED. IM GOING TO SEE KYLIE IN LONDON, AND HER X CD IS MUCH BETTER.

[mimifan]

Mariah Carey is a godess and a force to be reckoned with. She on top of her game despite what madonna fans say. She just made history when touch my body became her 18th US number 1.