Decemberists Looking Set To Earn Billboard Number One With ‘The King Is Dead’
Saturday, 22 January 2011
Written by James Conlon
Folk minstrels turned Americana veterans The Decemberists are looking likely to earn their first ever Number One on the Billboard albums chart this week. The Portland-based band are on track to knock Cake from the top spot with their latest release, ‘The King Is Dead’.
The Decemberists are likely to sell around 70,000 copies of their latest album by the end of this sales week (January 22nd). Although that figure is relatively low for a Number One, in comparison to the band’s last album ‘Hazards of Love’ (which sold 19,000 in its first week) it is an achievement.
The American albums chart has had an unprecedented period of low sales over the past two weeks, as two artists have consecutively earned the top spot with a record low number of albums sold. Taylor Swift earned the Number One place a fortnight ago with ‘Fearless’, despite only selling 52,000 copies that week. The record was then beated when Cake’s ‘Showroom of Compassion’ earned Number One despite only selling 44,000 copies.
Rising to the peak of the albums chart would be a perfect start to the year for The Decemberists, who are currently midway through an extensive North American tour. The band are set to embark on a UK and Irish tour this March.
The Decemberists will play the following tour dates:
March 4, Vicar Street, Dublin, Ireland
March 5, ABC, Glasgow,
March 7, Birmingham Institute, Birmingham,
March 8, Bristol Academy, Bristol
March 10, Manchester Academy, Manchester
March 11, Leeds Academy, Leeds
March 16, Hammersmith Apollo, London
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