Little Mix’s ‘DNA’ album cover

The US charts were unusually busy this week with a flurry of new debuts and major moves that finally shook up the previously stagnent top 10 lineups of both the Billboard 200 and the Billboard Hot 100. From Little Mix to Robin Thicke and The-Dream, there was much to discuss on the commercial front.

Firstly, Little Mix’s DNA album entered the Billboard 200 at #4 this week with 50K copies sold. Despite little promotion by the foursome, the record has become the highest debut ever for a British female group’s first album by topping Spice Girls’ Spice, which cracked the chart at #6 in 1997.

Secondly, Robin Thicke – haven’t seen that name on The Lava Lizard in a while, huh? – soared into the top 10 of the Billboard Hot 100 with his latest single, “Blurred Lines”. The song is now ranked as the crooner’s biggest hit after vaulting from #11 to #6 with the assistance of T.I. and Pharrell.

Finally, sales predictions for The-Dream’s IV Play were right on the money as the album debuted this week with just 23k sold – the lowest of opening figures of his career to date. Where did the record rank on the Billboard 200? A lowly #16.

See the other leading releases in the top 10 of both Billboard 200 and the Hot 100 below:

Billboard 200

1. Daft Punk – Random Access Memories – 93K (total: 432K)

2. Alice in Chains – The Devil Put Dinosaurs Here – 61K (debut)

3. John Fogerty - Wrote a Song for Everyone – 51K (debut)

4. Little Mix – DNA – 50K (debut)

5. Blake Shelton - Based on a True Story… – 42K (total: 588K)

6. Darius Rucker – True Believers – 41K (124K)

7. Various Artists – The Great Gatsby – 36K (total: 322K)

8. Imagine Dragons – Night Visions – 33K (total: 999K)

9. Justin Timberlake – The 20/20 Experience – 31K (total: 1.92 M)

10. Vampire Weekend – Modern Vampires of the City – 29K (total: 211K)

Billboard Hot 100

1. Macklemore & Lewis – “Can’t Hold Us (Ft. Ray Dalton)”

2. Justin Timberlake – “Mirrors”

3. Daft Punk – “Get Lucky (Ft. Pharrell Williams)”

4. Pink – “Just Give Me a Reason (Ft. Nate Ruess)”

5. Florida Georgia Line – “Cruise”

6. Robin Thicke – “Blurred Lines (Ft. T.I. & Pharrell)”

7. Selena Gomez – “Come & Get It”

8. Imagine Dragons – “Radioactive”

9. Icona Pop – “I Love It (Ft. Charli XCX)”

10. Rihanna – “Stay (Ft. Mikky Ekko)”

Watch the video for Thicke’s “Blurred Lines” below:

Thoughts?