Chart Moves: Thirty Seconds to Mars Makes Post-Oscar Gain, Von Trapp Singers Debut on Billboard 200

Author: Keith Caulfield
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Chart Moves: Thirty Seconds to Mars Makes Post-Oscar Gain, Von Trapp Singers Debut on Billboard 200

This week on the Billboard 200 albums chart, Rick Ross claimed his fifth No. 1 album, while Pharrell Williams bowed at No. 2 with his second album, "G I R L." Outside the top 10, there were a number of movers and shakers. Let's take a closer look at some of them…

-- Drive-By Truckers, "English Oceans" (No. 16): The band nabs its highest-charting album, and surpasses the opening-week sales of its last set, as its new release arrives at No. 16 with 18,000. The group's last album, “Go-Go Boots” in 2011, bowed with just under 18,000.
 
-- Thirty Seconds to Mars, "Love Lust Faith + Dreams" (No. 25): The band, led by Oscar-winner Jared Leto, saw this album (up 1,335%) promoted by the iTunes Store for $4.99 for multiple days in the week ending March 9. The store also offered a free download of the set's song "City of Angels."

-- Soundtrack, "American Hustle" (No. 52): The album's arrival in Starbucks stores pushes its sizable 153% sales gain this week (7,000 sold). An estimated 79% of its sales stem from the retailer in the week ending March 9.

-- Various Artists, "Bob Dylan: The 30th Anniversary Concert" (No. 80): A deluxe reissue of the 1993 album -- commemorating a 30th-anniversary tribute concert to Dylan in 1992 -- returns to the chart with 4,000 sold. A highlights version of the concert began airing on PBS on March 1.

-- Pink Martini & the Von Trapps, "Dream a Little Dream" (No. 115): The album features four of the great-grandchildren of Captain Georg von Trapp, whose story was the basis of "The Sound of Music." The set even boasts a guest turn from Charmian Carr, who played Liesl von Trapp in "The Sound of Music" film.

On the "Dream a Little Dream" album, the von Trapp singers are Sofia, Melanie, Amanda and August von Trapp. They are the grandchildren of Werner von Trapp (who was the inspiration for the character Kurt in the "The Sound of Music").

This is the first appearance for the von Trapp singers on the Billboard 200. Their family's fictionalized story, however, has been incredibly successful on the charts. The original cast album of the stage show "The Sound of Music" spent 16 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200, while the movie soundtrack topped the chart for two weeks. The latter album recently returned to the chart last December, following NBC TV's live staging of the show starring Carrie Underwood. The NBC soundtrack also charted, hitting No. 17 on the tally.

-- Prince and the Revolution, "Purple Rain" (No. 123): Google Play has been giving away select songs in its store, including this album's "Let's Go Crazy," helping prompt a 47% sales gain. The album itself was also discounted to $5.99.

-- Newsboys, "God's Not Dead" (No. 166): Venue sales of the album (and the one at No. 118) at tour stops along the Winter Jam 2014 tour are the driver of its 22% gain. The band will also be featured in the upcoming "God's Not Dead" film, due in theaters on March 21.