Adele And Gotye Have Best Selling Album, Single Of 2012
Remember how Adele‘s 21 and Gotye‘s “Somebody That I Used To Know” were deemed to be the to-date best selling album and single, respectively, of 2012 last July? Well, both toughed it out through the end of the year and warded off all pop competitors to remain on top on Billboard‘s final 2012 tallies.
The publication notes that 21 sold another 4.41 million copies in ’12 (down just a bit from 5.82 million in 2011), thus marking the first time since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991 that the same album is tops two years in a row.
Elsewhere, Gotye’s Kimbra-featuring smash “Somebody That I Used To Know” racked up a total of 6.80 million digital sales, with Carly Rae Jepsen‘s “Call Me Maybe,” the top tune on iTunes for the year, nipping just behind with 6.47 million overall.
According to Billboard, overall album sales were down 4% in 2012 compared to the year before. On the flip side, digital song sales were up 5% (with 1.336 billion sold altogether — a new record).
But it wasn’t all doom and gloom for albums. Many music buyers kicked it old school, as vinyl sales, at least, were up (18% in ’12) for the fifth consecutive year.
Top Albums Of 2012
1. Adele, 21 (4.41 million) 2. Taylor Swift, Red (3.11 million) 3. One Direction, Up All Night (1.62 million) 4. Mumford & Sons, Babel (1.46 million) 5. One Direction, Take Me Home (1.34 million) 6. Justin Bieber, Believe (1.34 million) 7. Carrie Underwood, Blown Away (1.20 million) 8. Luke Bryan, Tallgates & Tanlines (1.10 million) 9. Lionel Richie, Tuskegee (1.07 million) 10. Jason Aldean, Night Train (1.02 million)
Top Digital Songs Of 2012
1. Gotye feat. Kimbra, “Somebody That I Used to Know” (6.8 million) 2. Carly Rae Jepsen, “Call Me Maybe” (6.47 million) 3. fun. feat. Janelle Monae, “We Are Young” (5.95 million) 4. Maroon 5 feat. Wiz Khalifa, “Payphone” (4.76 million) 5. Nicki Minaj, “Starships” (3.98 million) 6. One Direction, “What Makes You Beautiful” (3.89 million) 7. fun., “Some Nights” (3.84 million) 8. Kelly Clarkson, “Stronger (What Doesn’t Kill You)” (3.82 million) 9. PSY, “Gangnam Style” (3.59 million) 10. Maroon 5, “One More Night” (3.46 million)
