So we learned this week that Of Monsters and Men have sold over 100,000 copies of their début album, ‘My Head Is An Animal’ (with a total of over 95,000 copies sold in North America and over 11,000 in Iceland). The LP famously charted at sixth place on the lauded Billboard Top 200 chart with a total of 55,000 copies sold in its first week of release. This must be a crazy sensation for the band, especially coming from a place where a decently successful alt. act would consider shifting even 3,000 copies of an album a Grand Success. For fun and pleasure, we thought we’d try comparing the OMM début’s peak Billboard position to that of some other records we love or thought would provide an interesting perspective.
It should be noted that the Billboard 200 only accounts for albums sold in the United States, and that ‘My Head Is An Animal’ is yet to be released in many nations where Björk and Sigur Rós, for instance, sold extremely well (not to mention Oasis). And of course shifts in global record sales might mean that there are fewer copies behind a high chart position now than there were back when Oasis were really, really, really cool. Regardless, this is mighty impressive. Have they conquered America—a task majestically failed by both Oasis AND Blur (but sort of achieved by The Spice Girls)? Will they return to Iceland in a diamond encrusted helicopter fuelled by unicorn tears? Will they run for president of Iceland in 2012? Will Grapevine ever publish a review of their album?
Who knows! But it’s exciting. It sure is. Congratulations, Of Monsters and Men. You’re in for a heckuva ride.
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