It’s been a big week or so for Eminem. Coming off the heels of his much-improved Recovery, Em nabbed himself the spot as the best selling artist of 2010, beating out Sade’s Soldier of Love and Drake’s debut, Thank Me Later. That and a massive performance with Jay-Z on the roof of the Ed Sullivan Theater could have made 2010 a landmark year for Detroit’s favorite son (sorry, Jack White). Once again, though, the Great White Hope proved himself to have something else in the tank, as thanks to record-breaking sales, Em’s now the best selling first-week artist over the last two years.
Recovery, which was expected to sell over 600,000 units, eventually sold over 741,000, according to the AOL Radio Blog. That’s 20% more than Relapse, which cranked out a still rather impressive 608,000. In fact, according to Nielsen SoundScan, Recovery sold over 131,000 more units than the remaining of the Top 10. The album, the rapper’s sixth No. 1, and its sales are all that more impressive as record sales continue to dwindle. In an industry where CD sales fell 12% in 2009 and illegal downloads make up some 95% of all music downloads, moving over 741,000 copies is a feat worth celebrating.
If you were one of those lucky near-million fans, catch Em and Jay-Z’s four Detroit and NYC shows this September or one of Em’s other gigs this summer, including a stop at T in the Park, this summer.
Jay-Z and Eminem 2010 Tour Dates:
09/02 – Detroit, MI @ Comerica Park
09/03 – Detroit, MI @ Comerica Park
09/13 – New York, NY @ Yankee Stadium
09/14 – New York, NY @ Yankee Stadium
