The holiday sales rush for the Australian chart sales is over. Sales have returned to average with the number one album back to selling under 10,000 units.
Timbaland's 'Shock Value' is still the biggest seller with sales of 8,980 including 315 digital sales. That is down from 23,563 units last week.Radiohead's controversial 'In Rainbows' debuted at No. 2 on soft figures. It sold 6,547 units including 365 downloads. Radiohead released the album via its own site last year as a pay-what-you-like download. It is estimated that the title was downloaded 1.4 million times worldwide. Radiohead went down the innovative release route after falling out with major label EMI Records. This CD version of 'In Rainbows' is out through XL Recordings and distributed in Australia by Melbourne independent Remote Control.
The post-Christmas sales have also but the chart positions back into perspective. The 'gift' albums such as Eagles 'Long Road Out Of Eden', Tina Arena 'Songs Of Love & Loss', Human Nature's 'Get Ready' and Michael Buble's 'Call Me Irresponsible' took the biggest tumbles. Eagles went from No. 2 to No. 10, Tina Arena dropped from No. 8 to No. 12, Human Nature dropped from No. 7 to No. 17 and Michael Buble dropped from No. 9 to No. 25.
The shuffle was good for Alicia Keys and Santana who both returned to the Top 10. Alicia's 'As I Am' jumped from No. 17 to No. 6 and Santana 'Ultimate Santana' jumped from No. 16 to No. 7.
Justin Timberlake's 'FutureSex/LoveSounds', Delta Goodrem's 'Delta', Matchbox Twenty's 'Exile On Mainstream' and 'Guy Sebastian's 'The Memphis Album' all maintained steady positions and should sustain a good run on the chart for early 2008.
Matchbox Twenty, Santana and Guy Sebastian all have tours in the first quarter of 2008, so I would expect that these three albums will still be performing solidly into March.
Timbaland has the number one song again this week. 'Apologize' sold 11,661 units, 9,737 of which were downloads.
Justin Timberlake once again had the number one DVD. 'FutureSex/LoveShoe: Live Fro Madison Square Garden' sold 4,146 units nationally.
