Decemberists' 'King Is Dead' Is No. 1 on Billboard 200

Autumn de Wilde

The Decemberists claim their first No. 1 album as "The King Is Dead" debuts atop the Billboard 200 with a career-high 94,000 sold in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. That easily beats its initial first week estimate of around 70,000.

While it's a best-ever week for the group, it's still a so-so figure for the top-selling album. However, after the past two weeks, any number at No. 1 that's north of 60,000 is welcome.

Last week, Cake's "Showroom of Compassion" broke the SoundScan-era (1991-present) record low for a No. 1 album with only 44,000 sold. That record was set just one week earlier, when Taylor Swift's "Speak Now" shifted 52,000 atop the list.

This week, Cake's sales flatten, dropping off a cliff from No. 1 to No. 25 in its second week (15,000; down 67%). That's the largest fall from No. 1 since Incubus' "Light Grenades" bombed from No. 1 to No. 37 in its second week (Dec. 23, 2006).

The Decemberists' last release, 2009's "The Hazards of Love," debuted and peaked at No. 14 with 19,000 in its premiere frame, per SoundScan. Their new album's first week was aided -- in part -- by Amazon MP3's offering of it on street date (Jan. 18) as its $3.99 daily deal. Digital downloads account for a whopping 65% of its first week (a percentage share that includes sales from other digital retailers, like iTunes).
Read more »