Taylor Swift takes back No. 1 on Billboard 200 ahead of Wiz Khalifa

Taylor Swift

Credit: AP Photo

Taylor Swift’s album “Red” started at No. 1 and has found its way back to No. 1 on the Billboard 200 as the holiday sales season marches on. The effort moved 167,000 copies, an uptick of 22% over last week. That makes it four non-consecutive weeks at the summit for the album.

Wiz Khalifa’s sophomore set “O.N.I.F.C.” begins right behind at No. 2 with 141,000. His debut album “Rolling Papers” also bowed at the runners-up slot in 2011, but with 197,000.

Rod Stewart’s “Merry Christmas, Baby” keeps the No. 3 spot warm with 127, 000 (+9%) as One Direction’s “Take Me Home” holds on to No. 4 (107,000, +16%). Michael Buble’s “Christmas” ascends No. 7 to No. 5 (106,000, +61%).

Ke$ha’s new “Warrior” debuts at No. 6 with 85,000. Her first album “Animal” bowed at No. 1 in its first week on the chart in Jan. 2010 with 152,000, but also bowed during an extremely slow release week.

Blake Shelton’s “Cheers, It’s Christmas” moves No. 9 to No. 8 with 68,000 (+29%), Phillip Phillips’ “The World from the Side of the Moon” slips No. 5 to No. 9 (65,000, -12%) and Florida Georgia Line’s first album “Here’s to the Good Time” bows at No. 10 with 63,000. The latter duo’s sales were helped by successful single “Cruise.”

Album sales are up 12% compared to last week and down 14% compared to the same sales week last year. Sales are down 4% for the year so far.

Katie Hasty
Managing Editor

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After five years as a columnist and editor at Billboard, Katie Hasty joined HitFix in 2009 for music and film reporting out of New York. The Midwest native has worked as a writer, music promoter and in A&R since 1999 and performs with her band Numbers And Letters.