A week ago, we published an article questioning the methods by which Billboard was calculating sales when it came to Madonna's album MDNA.
The magazine counted units that were given away with tickets sold for the singer's tour even though they recently set a new rule that new albums must sell for $3.95 or more to be included in sales totals. In the end, we concluded that the free albums most like wouldn't have made a difference in whether MDNA would have been number 1.
We were wrong.
According to the Hollywood Reporter, Madonna only sold 179,000 copies of the album through physical and digital retailers with 185,000 given away with tickets. If those free copies had not been counted, the number one album last week would have been Lionel Richie's Tuskegee which sold 199,000 copies.
There's no putting the toothpaste back in the tube on this one. Madonna has been credited with the number 1 album last week but the record should come with an asterisk.
To make matters worse, MDNA is projected to sell only 46,000 copies in its second week giving it a record breaking drop of 88% according to Forbes magazine. Had those free albums not been counted, the drop would have been perceived as less and the Material Girl would not own this rather dubious distinction.
According to sales prognosticators Hits Daily Double, the sales should put Madonna at around 8 or 9 on this week's chart. Richie's Tuskegee, meanwhile, took a much smaller 48% drop with projected sales of 103,000, most likely giving him number 4.
