Digital Sales Beatout Physical Sales for First Time

Digital music purchases accounted for 50.3 percent of all music sales in 2011, marking the first time digital sales have outpaced physical album sales, according to data released by Nielsen SoundScan. Digital sales were up by 8.4 percent from 2010, while physical album sales declined by 5 percent.

Adele, the top-selling artist overall for 2011, was also the best-selling digital artist, with her album 21 moving 1,801,000 digital copies (out of a cross-format 5,824,000 total) and her singles “Rolling in the Deep” and “Someone Like You” selling 5,813,000 and 3,750,000 downloads, respectively.

Other big sellers in the digital album format include Lady Gaga, Mumford & Sons, Jay-Z and Kanye West’s Watch the Throne, Lil Wayne and Coldplay.

Adele Has Top Album and Single of 2011

Although it was predicted months ago, Adele’s album “21″ and her “Rolling in the Deep” single finish 2011 as the United States’ top-selling album and song, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Her hit album sold 5.82 million copies all of 2011, while “Rolling” moved 5.81 million downloads.

TOP FIVE SELLERS IN 2011
Albums:
1. Adele, “21″ (5.82 million)
2. Michael Buble, “Christmas” (2.45 million)
3. Lady Gaga, “Born This Way” (2.1 million)
4. Lil Wayne, “Tha Carter IV” (1.92 million)
5. Jason Aldean, “My Kinda Party” (1.58 million)

Digital Songs:
1. Adele, “Rolling in the Deep” (5.81 million)
2. LMFAO, “Party Rock Anthem” (5.47 million)
3. Katy Perry, “E.T.” (4.83 million)
4. Maroon 5, “Moves Like Jagger” (4.11 million)
5. Pitbull, “Give Me Everything” (3.87 million)

“21″ is the biggest-selling set of any year since 2004, when Usher’s “Confessions” sold 7.98 million. “21″ also sells more than twice the amount of 2011′s second-largest album — Michael Buble’s “Christmas,” with 2.45 million. 2004 was the last year where the top selling set sold at least two times as much as the runner-up. “Confessions” was way ahead of Norah Jones’ “Feels Like Home,” which was the No. 2 seller of 2004 with 3.84 million.

Overall digital song sales grew 8.5% in 2011 as sales increased to a record 1.27 billion downloads last year, compared with 2010′s then-record 1.17 billion.

Rihanna Finds Milestone with “We Found Love”

Rihanna’s single “We Found Love” stayed on top of the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart on Thursday for the 8th straight week, making it the singer’s longest-running No. 1 single of her career.

The singer’s single overtook Adele’s “Rolling in the Deep,” which stayed at No. 1 for seven weeks earlier this year, and beat her previous top-selling singles, 2007′s “Umbrella” and 2010′s “Love The Way You Lie” featuring Eminem.

“We Found Love” is the lead single from Rihanna’s sixth studio album “Talk That Talk,” and the singer will wrap her last concert on her “Loud” tour in London on Thursday.

Britney Spears Engaged to Boyfriend

It seems that the princess of pop, Britney Spears, has gotten engaged to her longtime beau Jason Trawick.

Trawick reportedly popped the question on Thursday night (Dec. 15) during a romantic dinner with Spears. Although Spears has not officially announced the engagement, she posted on Twitter Friday morning, “OMG. Last night Jason surprised me with the one gift I’ve been waiting for. Can’t wait to show you! SO SO SO excited!!!! Xxo.”

Spears first met Trawick in 2006 when he acted as her agent at William Morris Endeavor Entertainment. Spears and Trawick officially became a couple in mid-2010.

Thursday also doubled as Trawick’s 40th birthday, and Spears posted on Twitter that she bought him a new “Confederate Bike” for the occasion. “He looked so cool in the video, that I had to get him a new motorcycle,” Spears wrote, referencing Trawick’s cameo in her “Criminal” video.

Adele Makes Billboard History, Top 2011 Artist

British singer Adele made Billboard history on Friday when she became the first female singer to be named top artist, have the top album, “21,” and score the top single, “Rolling in the Deep,” all in one year.

Adele said, “I think one of the things that sets me apart from other artists who have had the same kind of success is that my life isn’t speculated about by the media.”

“I’m incredibly private but I’m also incredibly honest, and I think that creates a kind of ‘meet in the middle’ respectable ground,” said the singer.

Adele, who earned six Grammy nominations last week, was also named top female,.

Michael Buble Holds #1 Spot

Michael Bublé’s holiday album, Christmas, will easily hold on to the #1 slot on the Billboard 200 thanks to sales of just under 480,000, coming to a total of more than 1.5 million.

Black Keys came at #2 and sales of 206,000 for El Camino. Late British R&B singer Amy Winehouse was back in the top 10 thanks to her first posthumous collection, Lioness: Hidden Treasures, which hit #5 on sales of 114,000.

Other top 10 debuts include the latest “Glee” cast album (#9, 58,000) and nü-metal veterans Korn’s dip into the dubstep sound, Path of Totality (#10, 55,000). The rest of the top 10: Adele, 21 (#3, 187,000), Justin Bieber, Under the Mistletoe (#4, 158,000), Andrea Bocelli, Concerto: One Night in Central Park (#6, 79,000), Drake, Take Care (#7, 73,000) and Nickelback’s Here and Now (#8, 66,000).

Katy Perry Ties Billboard Record

Katy Perry joins Janet Jackson and George Michael to tie for the record for having six top-five hits from a single album on the Hot 100 chart in Billboard history.

Thanks to Katy’s latest Teenage Dream single, “The One That Got Away,” jumping five spots from #9 to #4, she tied the two pop stars.

It’s been a while since anyone matched George and Janet. Michael did it in the mid-’80s with his album Faith, which included hits like the title track, “I Want Your Sex” and “Father Figure.” Jackson followed him several years later with Rhythm Nation 1814, which launched hits like “Love Will Never Do (Without You),” “Escapade” and “Black Cat.”

This is hardly Perry’s first Billboard record. She previously tied with Michael Jackson and his Bad album when she notched five #1 singles from her 2010 album. Those five chart-toppers are “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.),” “California Gurls,” “Teenage Dream,” “Firework” and “E.T.” And now, she’s set her latest record with “The One That Got Away.”

“This song shows a very different side of me that I haven’t shown with my past singles on this record,” Perry has previously said about the Teenage Dream midtempo track. “I think that everyone can relate to this song. I wrote this song about when you promise someone forever, but you end up not being able to follow through. It’s a bittersweet story — hopefully, the listener learns from hearing it and never has to say they had ‘The One’ get away.”

Kiss from Madonna has Nicki Minaj Giddy

Nicki Minaj tweeted on Wednesday to let her fans know she was on set with the one and only Madonna, as they were busy shooting the music video for, “Give Me All Your Love,” the first single off Madonna’s next album.

Minaj gushed about the shoot, even relaying one major detail that she hopes will make the final cut. She tweeted, “OH MY f’ingggg Gahhhh!!!!! MADONNA jus kissed me!!!!! On the lips!!!!!!! It felt sooooo good. Soooo soft!!!! *passes out* aaahhhhh!!!!!!!!!”

M.I.A. also will appear on the track. The rapper confirmed she recorded with the Queen of Pop late last month in New York, after speculation about a collabo between the three women hit a fevered pitch in November. M.I.A. also tweeted about chilling with Madonna on set. “Madonna killed it! A legend! said she’d have me, i said ill have her too, we had a 3sum M.N.M. MEGAFORCE @TheMegaforce thanku,” she wrote to the video director team.

A version of the demo first leaked in early November.

Adele on Top of Rolling Stone’s Album and Single List

Rolling Stone magazine named Adele’s album “21″ and single “Rolling In The Deep” the best of 2011.

Adele recently received six Grammy nominations and was chosen by Rolling Stone editors for her multi-platinum selling sophomore album, which was officially the U.K’s best selling album of the 21st century and 2011′s best-selling album in the United States.

” ’21′ was this year’s most stunning pop success, transmuting the young Brit’s personal sorrow — the collapse of an 18-month relationship — into a 13-million-selling smash that leapt across borders and oceans and united everyone from teeny-boppers to baby boomers to hip-hop-heads,” said Rolling Stone editors.

Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “Watch The Throne,” came second on the album list, followed by Paul Simon’s “So Beautiful or So What” at No. 3, Fleet Foxes “Helplessness Blues” at No. 4 and Radiohead’s eighth studio album “The King of Limbs” rounding out the top five.

Adele’s song “Rolling In The Deep,” was named the best single of 2011 by the magazine, as editors described it as the “breakup scorcher to beat all breakup scorchers.”

Jay-Z and Kanye West’s “Ni**as in Paris” clocked in at No. 2, while Britney Spears’ “‘Til The World Ends” made No. 3 on the list, Foo Fighters’ “These Days” at No. 4 and Paul Simon’s “Rewrite” at No. 5.

The full list will be available on newsstands and online on December 9.

Michael Buble Reigns on Top of Billboard Charts Again

Michael Bublé’s success with his recently released Christmas album has given him the #1 spot on the Billboard 200 albums chart for a second week thanks to sales of 293,000. During a cycle when most of the top 20 saw steep double-digit sales dips, Bublé’s holiday musical contribution was up 29 percent as it passed the 1 million mark.

With some former top 10 dwellers falling out of the upper echelon (Coldplay, Daughtry), a flood of Christmas albums creeps up the ranks, including “America’s Got Talent” winner Jackie Evancho’s Heavenly Christmas (up 17 spots to #15, 37,000), Bocelli’s My Christmas (up 33 to #17, 35,000) and perennial faves Mannheim Steamroller’s Christmas Symphony (up 51 to #17, 35,00).

Bublé keeps his winning streak going on the iTunes albums chart, holding on to the #1 spot, with Drake, Adele, Rihanna, Coldplay and Bieber right behind. Rounding out the top 10 are Nickelback, the Killers’ (RED) Christmas charity EP, She & Him’s A Very She & Him Christmas and the “Glee” cast’s Glee: The Music, the Christmas Album, Vol. 2.

Bublé may lose his spot for a bit next week when he faces competition from the Black Keys’ El Camino, as well as new albums from the Roots, Robin Thicke, T-Pain and a posthumous collection from Amy Winehouse .

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