Billboard Magazine

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A WEEKLY ROUNDUP OF NOTABLE CHART ACHIEVEMENTS The Ultimate Christmas Album Wish List For every mega -selling Christmas albums every season are usually those to be reliable this year in the Christ- signature one-off holiday hits with album by the likes ofJosh Groban by acts that skew toward older women mas market. Case in point, three of the"Step Into Christmas," "Wonderful (Noel) andMichael Buble(Christmas),while retaining some youthful appeal year's biggest holiday sets are by coun- Christmastime" and "Last Christ- there are countless misfires. Anyone (Andrea Bocelli, Sting, Enya). try acts: Scott McCreery (Christmas mas," respectively. McCartney might kit remember Christmas on Death Row? It's likely that we won't see a holiday With Scotty),Lady Antebellum(On be the real winner in that bunch. He WE GO TOGETHER We canvassed a cross section of in- effort from Adele for some time, as a This Winter's Night) andBlake Shelton recently released a new cover of "The dustry sources for their thoughts onnew studio record from (Cheers, It's Christmas). Christmas Song" for the Hear Music d John Travolta are what acts could produce a blockbusterthe diva isn't even on Other country stars compilation Holidays Rule. Perhaps e Billboard 200-toge Over The Christmas bows at No. 8 Christmas album inthevein of Groban the radar at the present. that sources think are that experience has warmed him returning Travolta to the list and Buble. The responses ranged from And itwould make sense Counter primed for a Christmas to the idea of dropping a full-length the first time since 1979, when Travolta Fever hit No.161. the expected(Adele)to the surprising that if she dropped a new KEITH , set:Carrie Underwood, Christmas set? (Kid Rock). studio project in 2013, CAULFIELD Zac Brown Bandand Beyonce, Katy Perry, Kelly Adele:Suggested by multiple re-rushing out a Christmas Lionel Richie.True, the Clarkson:While R&B-tinged Christ- This issue marks the first spondents, the chart -topping super-set for December of the mas albums aren't generally huge sell- of Billboard's 2013 chart year: lattermost isn't quite The just -finished span (Dec. star is the most obvious candidate for same year might be too country, but after the ers, Beyonce could be an exception to 3, 2011 -Nov. 24,2012) will be much of a demand. success of Tuskegee, who the rule. Her music crosses over to mul- recapped in the Dec. 22 Year Music issue. All of Billboard' Taylor Swift: Though knows where his coun- tiple formats and genres -proof of her year-end charts will be avails the country/pop singer does have a six - try/pop collaborations will take him. wide acceptance is the fact that she's on Billboard.com and Billboard. biz on Dec.14. song holiday EP to her name (The Tay- The Eagles:Any album by the vet- been chosen to play the Super Bowl lor Swift Holiday Collection), she has eran band is an event record, and a halftime show on Feb. 3. yet to release a full-length Christmas holiday set would be no different. The Efforts by Perry and Clarkson effort.But it'snot like the EP hasn't source who suggested the acthalf-joked may generate fewer returns, but it sold well -it's moved a handsome thatitwould be a hugewin for Walmart, was theorized that the former -Bill- 893,000 throughthe week ending Nov. as the retailer carried the band's last board's 2012 Woman of the Year - 11 (according to Nielsen SoundScan). studio album (Long Road Out of Eden) could produce an appealing set of That number is all the more impres- exclusively for its first two years. The poppy Christmas tunes that would sive considering its CD has been ex- album bowed atop the Billboard 200 have a broad appeal. Thinkthe Wait- clusive to Target since its release in with 711,000 and has sold 3.4 million to resses'"Christmas Wrapping." 2007. (Physical sales represent 87% of date. Also in the group's corner: Its stray ABBA:Truly, a left -field can- its overall sum.) For the 2008 season, Christmas tune, "Please Come Home didate, but a fun one. One source The Cities 97 Sampler male a Christmas set. She appeals to essen- the set was widely available digitally, for Christmas," is a favorite around the mused that if A BBA ever regrouped, its annual appearance on th tially every demographic and her name but then from 2009 through last year, holidays and consistently charts on Bill- and if it did a holiday set, it would be Billboard 200, as the series' 24th volume d is instantly recognizable around the it became locked to iTunes. board's Holiday Airplay tally. a monster seller on a global scale. No. 16 (35,000 sold). world. And as we've seen previously, Imagine what a full-length holiday Other icons who could reap the After all, ABBA's greatest -hits album set (featuring Jason Mrothers) was compiled from those artists (like Adele) that can con- album from Swift would sell? Millions Christmas benefits of long, wide-Gold has moved 5.4 million in the in -studio performances at Cl nect with an older demographic often easily, right? Much like Adele, she'd ranging careers:Elton John, Paul United States, and the stage musical Minneapolis. move major holiday units. It's no sur- cross all demographics, but would McCartney, George Michaeland"Mamma Mia!" continues to pack in

prise that the best-selling Christmas also hit country fans, who have proved Billy Joel.The first three all have had audiences around the world.

IVIarIcet WatchA Weekly National Music Sales Report are roundetl. nielsen CHART 'iorrWIre'def'Inl br're'of retail store and rack Weekly Unit Sales Year -To -Date sales reports collected and provided hi11 SoundScan

DIGITAL 5161191. 13 EAT ALBUMS ALBUMS* TRACKS 2011 2012 CHANGE 2011 2012 CHANGE "Barry Manilow makes his This Week 6,756,000 2,499,00022,034,000 OVERALL UNIT SALES YEAR-TO-DATE SALES BY ALBUM CATEGORY landmark 50th visit to the Adult Last Week 5,446,000 1.901,000 21,322,000 Albums 268,939,000 258,054,000 -4.0% Current 145,081,000 130,128,000 -10.3% Contemporary chart, as "Santa Claus Is Coming to Town" jingles Change 24.1% 31.5% 3.3% Digital Tracks 1.099.556,000 1,162,360,000 5.7% Catalog 123,858,000 127,926,000 3.3% in at No. 22. With the arrival of This Week last Year 7,043,000 2172,000 21,727,000 Store Singles 2,113,000 3,059,000 44.8% Deep Catalog 97,443,000 102,199,000 4.9% "Santa," Manilow passes Johnny Mathis (49 entries) and becomes Gunge -4.1% 15.1% 1.4% Total 1,370,608,000 1,423,473,000 3.9% lust the fifth artist to make at .Digital album sales are also counted within album sales. Albums WTFA' 378,894,600 374,290,000 -1.2% least 50 visits In the AC chart's Includes track equivalent album sales (TEA) with 10 track downloads equivalent 51 -year history. Elton John leads Weekly Album Sales (Million Units) to one album sale. with 68, followed by Barbra 30 CURRENT ALBUM SALES Streisand (64), Neil Diamond '11 14%1 million' (58) and Elvis Presley (53). DIGITAL TRACKS SALES Manilow first appeared on AC 25 '12 130.1 million the week of Nov. 30,1974, with '11 1.1 billion' "Mandy." Seven weeks later, it - 20 1 became his first of 13 No. ls. In 20 2012 '12 1.21111/16W the chart's archives, only John CATALOG ALBUM SALES (16) and the Carpenters (15) 15 '11 have logged more leaders. "My 123.9 milliod life has been one big miracle," SALES BY ALBUM FORMAT '12 million Manilow told Billboard earlier 10 this year. 6.8M CD 178,101,000 153,458,000 -13.8% Digital 87,608,000 100,693,000 14.9% 'digg2stlue=tInn7du=ZTlr;:s1C:ItZealtbhV').eirTIrs'ArdrsTg: Read Chart Beat Vinyl 3,170,000 3,721,000 17.4% top half of theBillboard 3081,thowe remain as current. Titles older than18 every week at 0 Srinttahr: catskV. BeeP ca aloglea'subset of catalog for tides out more than Other 60,000 180,000 200.0% billboard.com/chartbeat. F MAMJANJ JASOND J

Go to www.billboard.biz for complete chart data 41