Billboard Chart: Katy Perry's 'Roar' knocks 'Blurred Lines' out of the top spot
Katy Perry has the eye of the tiger, alright.
Entertainment Weekly reports that the singer's new single "Roar" has finally conquered Robin Thicke's "Blurred Lines" after spending two weeks at the #2 spot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart. This marks Perry's eighth #1 hit. While “Roar” has topped the Digital Songs chart for three straight weeks, many are unaware of just how staggering the sales figures for the single truly are. In its first week, the song sold 557,000 copies; in its second, 392,000 units. This week, “Roar” was certified platinum with 448,000 additional downloads, a 14 percent increase that is likely due to increased radio rotation coupled with her high-profile VMA performance.
Only two other female artists have ever surpassed 400,000 downloads over a two-week period: Lady Gaga (for “Born This Way”) and Taylor Swift (for “I Knew You Were Trouble”). In addition, “Roar” is Perry’s seventh No. 1 this decade, which earns her the title as one of only two artists to score seven chart-topping hits since January 2010. The other? Rihanna.
Yet Perry isn't the only person with cause to celebrate. Eminem's "Berzerk" sold 362,000 copies in its first week, placing at No. 3 on the chart (behind "Blurred Lines") and becoming the rapper's 15th top ten single. Meanwhile, the VMA controversy didn't help Miley Cyrus’ “We Can’t Stop” climb any higher. In fact, the single dropped from third place to fourth. However, the song moved up 27 percent on the Streaming Songs chart, 4 percent on Radio Songs, and 10 percent on Digital Songs.In addition, her new single “Wrecking Ball” also sold 201,000 downloads.
In other chart news, New Zealand singer-songwriter Lorde scored her first Top 10 single with her debut release, “Royals,” which jumped from No. 12 to No. 8 this week. This represents a significant crossover for Lorde from the Alternative Songs chart, where the 16-year-old became the first woman to top the chart since 1996.
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