Album Sweep: January 11, 2014...

It's time for this week's incredibly short "album sweep" recapping the records making their first appearance on Billboard magazine's Top 200 Albums chart. As it's tracking the week of Christmas, there are crazy few new sets coming out, and only four sell enough to make the chart, as Beyonce enjoys a third week at #1 selling another 310,000 copies, pushing her over the million mark in the US in just three weeks. On full price. Wow. ( as usual, I've included links to buy anything highlighted when possible)...

Well the top entry on the chart down at #68 was a deep-discount holiday collection from NFM records titled 100 Christmas Hits, which isn't even available anymore. So there.

One of the two movie tie-ins making its way on the chart this week is from the Ben Stiller rework of The Secret Life Of Walter Mitty. While the actual score soundtrack by Theodore Shapiro was also released, it's the Music From and Inspired By The Motion Picture collection that debuts at #123. It contains selections from Of Monsters and Men, Jack Johnson, David Bowie (with Kristen Wiig), and Swedish indie folk singer Jose Gonzalez...

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Pop/folk singer/songwriter Jewel returns at #135 with her Christmas set Let It Snow: A Holiday Collection. It's her second seasonal album; she went to #32 in 1999 with Joy: A Holiday Collection...

The last new entry on the chart at #188 is the soundtrack to the movie American Hustle starring Bradley Cooper and Jennifer Lawrence. It has 70s-ready selections from the Electric Light Orchestra, Elton John, and the Bee Gees...


That's it for now. Both of the soundtracks are worth a second listen.