seems a real chance that prince could get his a number one album in the us with this album, it would be his first since batman in 1989...it would need a media blitz in the uk to give him his sixth number one album here though....his profile is very low here and has been for a number of years but musicology did get to number 3 in the uk so you never know...i have a feeling this album is going to do very well for him everywhere
[Edited 2/8/06 2:47am]
[Edited 2/8/06 2:47am]


UPDATE:
ITS FINAL : prince debuts at #1

LW TW artist / album label power index % change
-- 1 PRINCE UNIVERSAL 184,450 --
3121
1 2 HIGH SCHOOL MUSICAL WALT DISNEY RECORDS 153,202 +14%
SOUNDTRACK
2 3 JAMES BLUNT CUSTARD/ATLANTIC/ATL G 112,186 -10%
BACK TO BEDLAM
20 4 BARRY MANILOW ARISTA/RMG 73,959 +127%
THE GREATEST SONGS OF THE...
4 5 NE-YO DEF JAM/IDJMG 69,200 -10%
IN MY OWN WORDS
-- 6 B.G. KOCH 62,046 --
THE HEART OF THA STREETZ VOL.2
-- 7 BEN HARPER VIRGIN 56,018 --
BOTH SIDES OF THE GUN
8 8 JOHNNY CASH ISLAND/IDJMG 54,170 -3%
I WALK THE LINE: THE LEGEND...
-- 9 TEDDY GEIGER COLUMBIA/CRG 53,453 --
UNDERAGE THINKING
18 10 ALAN JACKSON ACR/ARISTA NASHVILLE 51,193 +36%
PRECIOUS MEMORIES
6 11 CARRIE UNDERWOOD ARISTA/RMG 49,055 -24%
SOME HEARTS
13 12 MARY J. BLIGE GEFFEN 45,386 +3%
THE BREAKTHROUGH
10 13 JACK JOHNSON & FRIENDS...CURIOUS BRUSHFIRE/UNIVERSAL 43,649 -14%

TIME TO PAY UP DOUBTERS
[Edited 3/30/06 2:09am]

I highly doubt that the album will get to Nr. 1. Sure wouldn't mind if it did though. The better the album scores the more we see/hear from the man.

blackbob said:

I really doubt that. How many sales did Musicology have in its first week in the US without the ticket CDs?

Krid said:

musicology sold around 170,000 copies in the first week in the us, coming in at number 3, concert giveaways didnt count until a few weeks after the album was released so i think he does have a good chance.

More like heading for is number fifty-one. But that'll be alright, ol' bugger.

blackbob said:

Really? If that's true... a no.1 entry seems very well possible...

Actually, all nay-saying aside, Prince does have a shot at no.1 with 3121. I've been watching the Billboard charts for the last 16 years, so I have some vague idea of what I'm talking about.

Musicology did have a few thousand giveaways included when it debuted at no.3, but the difference between nos.3 and 4 that week were so wide that Prince would have been no.3 without the giveaways. That's a fact, I can provide the exact numbers later if anyone wants to doubt it. He earned that no.3 debut fair and square. At the time, he was held out of the top two by Usher's "Confessions" juggernaut and Mario Winans' album.

There have been very few big releases so far in 2006, and there aren't any scheduled before March 21st. Look at the current chart this week: Barry Manilow's album of 50s covers entered at number one!!! He sold 151,000 copies, which is good but not spectacular. With the current hype and all the push that's likely coming in the next month, I'd say Prince has a very good shot at 130-175,000 copies sold in the first week. So he may very well have a shot at scoring his first number one album since 1989. Hate all you want, but it's definitely a possibility.

i think prince could very well sell 200k in the first week with this album in the us, the buzz with this album is far better than musicology and his profile is higher than it was two years ago so i think it has a very good chance.

Chances are really big this time that he will get a number one album with 3121...
Because of the more commercial singles....
I wonder what black sweat and beautiful/love and blessed will do chartwise
for the album...
Black sweat could become a huge club and r&b hit...
[Edited 2/8/06 5:24am]

As far as UK chart position goes, Musicology debuted at number 3 on the back of Radio2 coverage I think. The single got played and they featured the album as record of the week on a number of shows.

Without this level of support, 3121 won't get that high. If singles aren't released to radio until after the album release he'll be lucky to go Top20.

So far I've not heard Te Amo, Black Sweat or BL&B anywhere in the UK. A Brit Awards appearance would help!

For the first time in years, I really think Prince can go to number 1 with 3121. The SNL episode from Saturday is supposed to be re-aired on March 25th, the first week 3121 is in stores so that's going to help if people forget about the Fury performance. Another way this can happen is if there is a song that is on the radio, hopefully by March 21st, Black Sweat can be a regular song on radio and in the clubs and Universal AND Prince have to do their part in promoting the CD. If they don't God only knows what'll happen but I think they'll do their part. How amazing would it be to see Prince finally top the charts.
[Edited 2/8/06 5:50am]

To be honest, so far, i feel the promo for this record has been far less than "musicology". If they dont start promoting Prince in Europe its gonna be a major flop. There is zero coverage of anything 3121 in the UK so i dont see it having any success here.

however, im not aware of the US situation, tho it seems promo is thin there too. We've only had one performance.

blackbob said:

I agree. Also, Prince has the advantage of reaping the rewards of his record setting concert tour that brought him back into the public consciousness. Universal will make sure the album debuts well because they have a vested interest in his catalog publishing performance.

I wonder if the new greatest hits compilation will hinder or help 3121 sales.

blackbob said:

You have that backwards. The free cd's he handed out during the first few weeks of the tour did not count as sales until the album was officially released.
[Edited 2/8/06 7:23am]

lovemachine said:

nope..any albums given away before the album's release DID NOT go into the total of first week sales .

(he whips out his Musicology history out of his back pocket)


MUSICOLOGY

total sales/ Chart/ retail sales/ concert sales
week 1 191,000 / 3/ 177,000 / 14,000
week 2 171,000 3 99,000 72,000
week 3 150,000 3 77,000 73,000
week 4 68,000 7 54,000 14,000
week 5 50,000 16 50,000 -
week 6 71,000 8 41,000 30,000
week 7 96,000 4 40,000 56,000
week 8 72,000 5 32,000 40,000
week 9 81,000 6 29,000 52,000
week 10 92,000 5 26,000 66,000
week 11 61,000 15 25,000 36,000
week 12 19,000 64 19,000 -
week 13 74,000 8 17,000 57,000
week 14 79,000 8 18,000 61,000
week 15 60,000 15 15,000 45,000
week 16 73,000 7 14,000 59,000
week 17 73,000 9 13,000 60,000
week 18 99,000 3 12,000 87,000
week 19 79,000 7 11,000 68,000
week 20 87,000 9 11,000 76,000
week 21 63,000 13 10,000 53,000
week 22 56,000 12 9,000 47,000
week 23 8,000 122 8,000 -
week 24 7,000 152 7,000 -
week 25 7,000 165 7,000 -
week 26 6,000 197 6,000 -
1,893,000 827,000 1,066,000
[Edited 2/8/06 7:35am]

newpower99 said:

Yes and as I pointed ou the cd's that were given away before the album was released didn't count. The original poster thad that backwards.

I think 3121 without question has a chance to debut at #1. The biggest factor will be competition, and as others have mentioned, there do not appear to be any big releases that might keep a stranglehold on the #1 spot on the horizon.

I would say the sales will range between 140k and 220k, depending on promotion, the success of Black Sweat, tour news, etc. Anything in that range could potentially get you to #1 depending on what else is happening on the charts.

sure it could happen. if every remaining fan out their bought 3-5 copies to check for purple tickets and give away as gifts.

As long as it has fury... it will do well!

i definitely think he's got a good chance at #1.

but im concerned about the singles: TAC flopped big time and I am feeling like Black Sweat is losing steam already.
They better ramp it up soon! 2 flop singles isnt a good sign..

But, Ive said it before... I really love BS and Fury, so I could care less about "hit" or no hit.....

blackbob said:

Ummm...check your facts. Diamonds and Pearls (1991) is his last US #1.

Rather than just being possible, I think a number one debut is the most likely scenario. "Musicology" sold enough to hit number three and that was with Prince coming back from the dead for most people.

With his reputation restored from the mega-successful 2004 tour along with the "SNL" buzz, radio and video play, additional appearances that are forthcoming and the purple ticket giveaways, "3121" is positioned nicely.

Peace, David

ImYours said:

Umm...you might wanna check your facts, I'm afraid. Diamonds & Pearls debuted and peaked at no.3 in 1991. His only number one pop albums in the US are Purple Rain (24 weeks), Around The World In A Day (3 weeks), and Batman (6 weeks). "Diamonds & Pearls" the song also peaked at number three on the Billboard Hot 100 in early 1992.

Diamonds & Pearls was a number one R&B album, but that's a different chart from the Billboard 200.

3121 will almost certainly debut at #1.

Will it be released at the same time here in Canada. I wasn't able to watch the video on the MTV site because it said that the video Black Sweat wasn't released in Canada yet. Is this true? But thank God for VH1. In Canada we love Prince, Eh!

Barry Manilow has this weeks #1 Album with about 150k of sales.



...nuff said
[Edited 2/8/06 14:59pm]

MickG said:

It's funny cause it's true and funnier cause I'll probably do it...

blackbob said:

Blackbob, when is Arcade Fire's Funeral gonna hit number 1?

Here are my predictions, based on years of chart watching science :

Week 1 : No. 3
Week 2 : No. 1
Week 3 : No. 2
Week 4 : No. 1