Looks like Sade (the band)’s commercial appeal is every bit as timeless as Sade (the lead singer)’s voice: Soldier of Love, the soul act’s first album since 2000, sold a whopping 502,000 copies in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. That’s more than enough to secure Sade the top spot on the new Billboard 200 albums chart — indeed, it’s the strongest debut anyone has managed since Susan Boyle notched 701,000 last fall. Lady Antebellum, for instance, bowed with a bit less (481,000) last month; this week their Need You Now sold 208,000, falling for the first time to No. 2.
R&B crooner Jaheim scored a No. 3 debut with a very nice 112,000 copies sold of his Another Round. Speaking of rounds, something tells me the next few are on Jaheim! (Sorry, that was a very lame joke.)
Country’s Josh Turner might not know who Rick Astley is, but that shocking fact didn’t stop 85,000 people from buying his Haywire, enough for a No. 5 finish. Turner’s hit single “Why Don’t We Just Dance” no doubt helped boost those sales.
One spot below at No. 6, we find Christian pop-rapper tobyMac, who sold 79,o00 copies of his Tonight.
The next-highest chart debut doesn’t come til way down at No. 17, where Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds landed after selling 35,000 copies of their Live in Las Vegas.
The Valentine’s Day soundtrack, meanwhile, barely squeaked in at No. 20 with 29,000 copies sold, even as its namesake film rocked the box office.
One album that fared better on V-Day: Michael Bublé‘s months-old Crazy Love, which racked up 48,000 in new sales in the week leading up to the holiday — nearly double what he did the previous week — placing him at No. 11.
What do you think of this week’s sales figures? Did you buy the Sade album, or any of this week’s other debuts? Do you think Sade will stay at No. 1 next week? Sound off in the comments.
(Follow the Music Mix on Twitter: @EWMusicMix.)
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Sade rocks! Heard the new album and thought it was great.
The Sade CD is a bore! 10 years off and they come back with something that sounds exactly like their last release. Sorry, but that’s just some lazy BS.
I bet if it was something completely different, you would have complained that they sold out too.
I agree with you completely, sounds just as slow and lame as her previous. Boring slow R&B crap. It is a shame because of her great voice, it can be put to soooo much better use and music!
well the music on her new album is better than the trashy music that top the charts now a days
You might be judging from the first listen. But give it 2 or 3 times and you will like the album. There’s such a strong richness and emphasis on the band’s music and full sound. It’s heavy on midtempo to slow ballads, but I love all of the songs on the new album. Now Stronger than Pride sounded boring to me when I heard it in 1988. But her later albums were better.
Your not a fan. Sade Dc is the best soul/RnB album to come out since Alicia Keys As I Am.
Your not a fan. Sade Dc is the best RnB album to come out since Alicia Keys As I Am.
i love sade .. warming up to it .. another plus for us baby boomers
And younger too.
Don’t forget about us Gen. Xer’s. Our parents raised us on Sade’s music. Now I’m obsessed. Can’t wait to see her again in concert when she tours the States.
@Dumbledore – It’s nothing like their previous record. SOL is raw and more emotionally heart-felt. An excellent album! Bore huh? I guess all the rave reviews got it wrong? Sorry lad you should clean your ears!
I can’t believe Lady Gaga is still in the top 10 — her album came out in 2008!!!!!!!
I waited 10 years for this album and was not disappointed at all. It is amazing. Lyrically, it is just so intense & profound… I have not stopped playing since I got it. Incredible. It’s nice to see someone at #1 who actually deserves to be there.
Sade is just incredible. incredible. What a musically gifted talent and voice Sade is, and her words are just magnetic. My generation needs to hear real music instead of the BS Gaga, Beyonce, Cyrus, Swift nonsense they have out there now.
Welcome back to real music..Amen!
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Sade is amazing. The album is VERY good.
Wow, two christian artists in the top 10. So much for that constant persecution complex/culture war, eh?
I still like ‘Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel’ by Mariah…it’s a gem that was underrated some. However, it’s still on the charts and two new songs are getting airplay and notice: ‘Angels Cry’ and ‘Up Out of My Face’.
Congrats on Sade…voted Best New Artist by the Grammys back then, guess they got it right this time.
Technically, this is Sade’s first studio album since 2000 – but there was also a best-selling live album from 2002.
Ay Lars, is you still lovin dat “real girl”? Larz be up on dem plastic womens he he he
Doesn’t Sade’s 2002 “Lovers Live” count as a release?
You don’t even have a name! You just got letters, what you know bout countin?
Love Sade, but this album isn’t as good as the others “Soldier of Love” the song is great, and there are a few other good ones, but there are some really lame ones too.
Nothing can top “Promise” or “No Ordinary Love”.
But still, a halfway decent Sade album is better than most of the crap out there!
Like these “surprise” hit movies targeted to women, Sada’s album roaring to the top of the chart highlights that there is a segment of entertainment consumers – here, grown ups of the 80s/90s vintage – who are not being catered to and they will run, not walk, to the store if there is something that caters to their tastes.
Is you crayzee Susan? Keepon insulting Sade wile de rest of us enjoys her music! You aint nothin no way.
peas are good
You aint never lied ruta
Last evening I went to the frig booefrat and stepped in something. Looking down I saw the entrails of my housecat’s leftovers. Maybe she heard us talking about the leftovers go in the frig! I had to peel it off my foot and clean up. Good kittie, though for getting those house mouse.