Soundscan Surprises, Week of 2/9

Back-catalog sales numbers of note from Nielsen SoundScan.

The definition of “back catalog” is: “at least 18 months old, have fallen below №100 on the Billboard 200 and do not have an active single on our radio.”

Big week for blond white people. Lady Gaga performed at the Pepsi Zero Sugar-branded Super Bowl halftime show, and despite everyone’s pleas, she did NOT drag Tony Bennett out on stage to sing a duet. But all her records saw a huge spike. Fame sold a whopping 16,808 copies, which is more than Metallica’s black album on its best week. Fame was an incredible record, and generally speaking the back catalog doesn’t lie—no one remembers Artpop, or the Fame Monster 8-track CD (why).

Something’s going on with Eminem! Well two things: 1) he called Trump a bitch on his verse on Big Sean’s “No Favors,” from his latest album, I Decided; and 2) some superfans discovered that if you play “My Name Is” backwards you can hear him saying, “It’s Eminem.” Personally I think the bigger burn on that verse was Eminem telling Trump he would “make his whole brand go under,” but what do I know about rap battles.

Finally, did you know there’s Christian hip-hop? Me neither. It’s called NF. Short for Nate Feuerstein, which is short for Nathan Feuerstein. I don’t see any reason why you can’t be a rapper called Nathan Feuerstein, but whatever. Enjoy:

1. LADY GAGA FAME 16,808 copies

2. LADY GAGA BORN THIS WAY 6,375 copies

8. EMINEM EMINEM SHOW 3,611 copies

12. EMINEM CURTAIN CALL 2,847 copies

17. BENNETT*TONY & LADY GAGA CHEEK TO CHEEK 2,338 copies

21. EMINEM MARSHALL MATHERS LP 2,186 copies

27. LADY GAGA ARTPOP 1,998 copies

34. EMINEM RECOVERY 1,872 copies

35. EMINEM SLIM SHADY 1,849 copies

57. LADY GAGA FAME MONSTER (8 TRK) 1,501 copies

110. NF MANSION 1,117 copies

(Previously.)