Album Sales Week Of 2/15/11 (Saigon, Showbiz & KRS-One, East Coast Avengers + Industry News)

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

.

It’s crazy how much of a drop there is between the top slot (Saigon) and second-in-line (Showbiz & KRS-One).  This is either means that Sai’s album was amazing and well promoted or every other album was poorly promoted or lackluster.

Saigon “The Greatest Story Never Told” – 11,275 (45% digital)  [Read Review]

Showbiz & KRS-One “Godsville” – 188  (100% digital)

East Coast Avengers Present…DC The Midi Alien “Avenger Airwaves” – 181  (67% digital)

Frank Nitt “Jewels In My Backpack” – 106  (86% digital)

Blu “Amnesia” [maxi-single] – 104  (100% digital)

Torae “Heart Failure” – 98  (100% digital)

.

In industry news, the 53rd annual Grammys were held last Sunday.  The award winners caused a stir and prompted exec Steve Stoute to pen an open letter, which was published in ad-space taken out in The New York Times.  Stoute’s letter insisted that high-profile acts were used to reel-in viewers, but their contributions to the culture were not respected because the awards ended up in the hands of lesser-known acts.  For instance, Arcade Fire beat out Eminem for Album of The Year (on a side note, I can think of a lot of other album more deserving than Recovery).  The gist of the letter wasn’t that we should ignore talented  acts that receive less shine, but that NARAS shouldn’t use high caliber artists to promote their show and then deem them irrelevant when it comes time to hand out awards.

The Hollywood Reporter spoke to Tom Silverman (New Music Seminar/Tommy Boy Records), Shirley Halperin (The Hollywood Reporter music editor), Jeff Rabhan (Chair of NYU’s Clive Davis Department of Recorded Music), and two bloggers about Stoute’s letter and their perceptions of the Grammys.  Silverman’s point is undeniably valid, as he asserts, “weird winners have tickled the Grammys for decades. I remember when a late career album by Jethro Tull won best Heavy Metal/Hard Rock album beating Metallica‘s classic And Justice for All in 1989.”  I’m also co-signing Rabhan for stating; “There’s that age-old joke about the Grammys: that they’re a total sham and completely unrepresentative of the modern world, unless I win, in which case it’s the most important award there is.”

You can read the full article here