Ke$ha Takes Out Susan Boyle (Finally!), Claims the #1 Spot

​It took six weeks and over 3 million records sold, but Susan Boyle has finally bowed out of the #1 spot. Please welcome your new chart overlord, Ke$ha. Her Animal moved a modest 152,000 copies, good enough to rule an early January slate. In pointed contrast to Boyle's defiantly non-tech savvy audience, a whopping 76% of her sales came from digital downloads--never a good omen for long-term chart dominance, as it suggests a healthy shadow economy in terms of illegal downloads and the like.

But at least this week, "the complete and painless assimilation of the white female rapper into pop music" has really arrived. Otherwise, it's just dull monotony--the same old Boyle (#2), Lady Gaga (#3), Alicia Keys (#4), and Mary J. Blige (#5) holiday hangover. Alvin and the Chipmunks: The Squeakquel is at #6 (44,000), to give you an idea. At least Gucci Mane finally broke the 200,000 record barrier this week--with cumulative sales of 203,200, he's at #37. Further proof that it's never never a good idea to go to jail in a month you have an album out, I guess. [Billboard]