On the Charts: Springsteen Takes First In Week Where "Transformers" Empties Wallets

The Big News: The big news was small sales. In a particularly weak week, Bruce Springsteen's Magic reclaimed the top spot after spending the prior seven days looking at the backside of Kid Rock's Rock N Roll Jesus, which dropped from first place to number two. Magic sold a meager-for-chart-topping 77,247 copies. Rascal Flatts remained at number three, while Josh Groban's Noel leapt from ten to four. Jimmy Eat World had the best debut of the week, as their Chase the Light entered at number five with 62,267. Overall, a combined 7.93 million albums were sold last week. Where did all the buyers go? Well, the Transformers DVD sold an estimated 8.3 million copies since its debut last week, more than all albums combined.

Debuts: After Jimmy Eat World, the week was devoid of any noteworthy debuts. Santana's umpteenth greatest-hits collection Ultimate Santana, on the strength of an appearance by Nickelback's Chad Kroeger, joined the charts at number eight with 56,475. Angie Stone's Art Of Love & War narrowly missed the top ten, coming in at eleven with 44,611 copies. R.E.M.'s R.E.M. Live debuted at seventy-two, and a whole bunch of Christmas album debuts scattered the charts.

Last Week's Chart Heroes: Kid Rock battled it out like he was at a Waffle House, but still fell to Bruce by a mere 243 copies, thanks in part to a fifty-five percent sales decline. LeAnn Rimes' Family had the biggest drop, parachuting without the parachute from four all the way down to twenty-three. Let's face it, the only chart hero this week is Transformers director Michael Bay.

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Song Stories

“Youth Knows No Pain”

Lykke Li | 2011

“Like on 'Youth Knows No Pain' — we are the ones that should demonstrate, because we can take it,” Likke Li said. “We can pierce ourselves, take Ecstasy, dance all night and still go to work at our McDonald's jobs.” Despite the hedonistic sentiment in the song, the Swedish singer also admitted in hindsight her youth had repercussions. “I remember when I was 18-19 and feeling that I know it all,” Li said. “I always feel that I know it all. But that song is about realizing you don’t, and reflecting, ‘Boy, if I only knew what would follow.’”

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