BY KEVIN JACKSON—-
THE latest Billboard Reggae Album Chart reveals that only eight albums have sold over 1,000 copies, reflecting another poor year in the American market for Jamaican acts.
Figures compiled by sales tracker Soundscan show dismal numbers for most of the albums and EPs on the 50-strong table.
Count Me In by American band Rebelution has so far sold 51,339 copies, the best of the lot. The set has been on the chart for 76 weeks and is currently number five, selling just over 419 copies last week.Amid the Noise & Haste, the Grammy- nominated set from SOJA, another American band, has been in the chart over 67 weeks. It is number 17 with sales of 32,140.
British singer Joss Stone’s Water for Your Soul album has moved some 27,473 copies since it hit the chart 17 weeks ago. It is number four.
VP Records’ Reggae Gold 2015 and Soca Gold 2015 compilations have registered 21,253 and 11,891 copies, respectively.
Bob Marley & the Wailers’ in-concert Easy Skanking in Boston ’78, released last year by Island Records, has been on the chart for 40 weeks. It has sold 15,994 copies and is at number 16.
Hotting Up by Hawaiian band Iration is at number eight with 10,970 copies sold since its release 13 weeks ago.
After topping the chart for three weeks, Jah Cure’s bum Cure (VP Records) has sold 10,042 copies. It was released in July.
The number one album is Anthems by Christian reggae group Christafari, which debuted at number one last week with sales of 2,499 copies.
Iba Mahr’s debut album, Diamond Sox, debuts at number nine with 136 copies sold, while Carlene Davis’s Dripping Blood album falls to number 10. To date, Dripping Blood has sold 4,235 copies.
After six weeks, Rumours, the debut Atlantic Records album from singer Kranium, has sold a disappointing 934 copies.
Strictly Roots by Morgan Heritage has been on the chart 31 weeks and has only sold 4,621.
Romain Virgo’s Lifted EP, released one month ago, is at number 22. It has so far sold 280 copies, while Etana’s I Rise album has been on the chart for 55 weeks with sales of 3,861.
Maxi Priest’s Easy to Love album, with 6,894 in sales, sits at number 30 after 68 weeks. Junior Reid’s Living Legend album shows 221 copies sold, while Zion Awake by Luciano has returns of 1,051 copies at number 43.
Singer Duane Stephenson’s Dangerously Roots album is at number 46 with 2,321 copies sold, while hot deejay Popcaan is number 49 after 73 weeks with his album Where We Come From, which has so far sold a measly 4,784 copies.
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