Madonna made headlines when she accused UK radio honchos of being "ageist" as a result of refusing to play her single "Living for Love." And she was correct: The BBC went as far as to say it was aiming for a younger demographic by not playing Madge's music. After one week of sales however, it seems that the region as a whole is ageist...or just less interested in the pop star's products than it once was. Rebel Heart finished at no. 2 on the Albums Charts, behind Sam Smith's In The Lonely Hour.
The failure to chart at no. 1 (mind you, it could potentially bounce back next week) makes this the first Madonna album not to do so in the UK since 1994's Bedtime Stories. Eleven of the performer's other albums have landed at no. 1.
So what's the explanation? Is Sam Smith just riding an Adele-like wave of popularity at the moment that allows him to triumph over pop icons? Yes and no. Yes, in that Smith's popularity in his homeland has allowed him to stay near the top of the Album Charts more than 41 weeks after his debut album first dropped there, similar to how Taylor Swift hasn't yet fallen out of the Top 5 on the Billboard 200 with 1989 yet. However he hasn't been a constant no. 1 by any stretch. Last week he placed at no. 2 behind the debut effort of Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds.
The jump this week was most likely thanks to interest generated on the singles charts, where Smith is once again at no. 1. He and John Legend's collaboration "Lay Me Down," a contribution to the Comic Relief charity, topped the downloads chart and the effects of that popularity spread to the albums chart as well.
However, it can't be denied that Madonna's sales have dropped significantly in the UK. Her 2012 release MDNA debuted with more than 56,000 albums sold. Rebel Heart only sold 37,000 copies in its first week. She can blame the radio but a blockbuster act shouldn't need too much single promotion to sell.
She can take solace knowing that the album is predicted to debut at no. 1 in the United States. Her homeland has her back.
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