Soundscan Surprises, Week of 2/2

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.”

Sales numbers were pretty crappy last week on the back catalog, I must say. George Michael is still in the number one spot, even though he (“his estate”?) sold nineteen per cent fewer records than last week (and even though he is still dead). The Avalanches, whoever they are, had a vinyl reissue of their debut album. New Edition is still riding the BET wave, Blind Melon (Blind Melon!!!!!!!) is celebrating the 20th Anniversary of Soup, their second album, which was released eight weeks before the death of their lead singer Shannon Hoon, from a drug overdose. Lee Strobel is an ex-Atheist who found God and is now a Christian apologist (he used to be an investigative journalist AND a lawyer, the worst kind of scum!). His book, The Case for Christ, is now a film. And Invitation is his…worship album slash story of his case for God sold more copies than Al Green’s Greatest Hits last week. Go figure. Anyway Metallica is back near the top, God bless Metallica.

3. METALLICA METALLICA 3,830 copies

6. NEW EDITION ALL THE NUMBER ONES 3,289

7. NEW EDITION HEART BREAK 3,260

117. STROBEL*LEE INVITATION NARRATED BY LEE STR 1,009 copies

143. AVALANCHES SINCE I LEFT YOU 952 copies

173. BLIND MELON SOUP 865 copies

(Previously.)