Minaj ousts Madonna from top of Billboard chart

By Piya Sinha-Roy | Reuters9 mins ago

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rapper Nicki Minaj shot straight to the top of the Billboard 200 album chart on Wednesday with her sophomore album "Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded," usurping the crown from Madonna, who suffered the biggest second week sales drop in chart history.

Sales for Madonna's 12th studio album "MDNA" fell a staggering 86.7 percent to just 48,000 copies sold this week, dropping from No. 1 to No. 8 on the chart.

The percentage drop in "MDNA" sales trumps Lady Gaga's 2011 album "Born This Way," which fell from 1.1 million copies in its opening week to 174,000 in week two, an 84 percent decline.

"Roman Reloaded" is Minaj's second album to top the chart, selling 253,000 copies in its first week according to Nielsen SoundScan, despite receiving poor reviews from critics.

Madonna recently teamed up with Minaj on her Superbowl song "Give Me All Your Luvin'" and another track on the "MDNA" album, and Minaj has openly revealed her admiration for the Queen of Pop, calling Madonna one of her inspirations.

Pop darling Adele's Grammy-sweeping album "21" returns to the No. 2 spot on the chart, selling 153,000 copies in its 59th week. Total U.S. sales of the album have surpassed 8 million copies so far.

Country music band Rascal Flatts saw their 9th studio album, "Changed," enter at No. 3 with 130,000 copies, while newcomers Of Monsters and Men, a British folk-rock band, saw their debut album "My Head is an Animal" come in at No. 6 with 55,000 copies.

Gospel singer Marvin Sapp was the fourth new e! ntry in the top ten as "I Win" took the No. 9 position with 37,000 copies sold in its opening week.

Indie trio fun. climbed back to the top of the Digital Songs chart this week with their youth anthem "We Are Young," ousting last week's chart-topper, "Boyfriend" by Justin Bieber, which fell to No. 3, below Gotye's break-up melody "Somebody That I Used To Know," featuring Kimbra, which clocked in at No. 2.

(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte)

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