Vampire Weekend - Contra - Debut At Number 1 On Billboard Album Chart
Three years ago, Vampire Weekend were a New York band hawking a CD-R at small, local shows. Now, they make records that debut at Number 1 on the Billboard 200 album charts.
The album, of course, is Contra, the quartet's sophomore album. Vampire Weekend's self-titled debut peaked at Number 17.
The album, according to Billboard, is only the twelfth independently distributed album to top the charts since Soundscan numbering was introduced in 1991. Contra sold 124,000 copies in its first week of release.
The chart position solidifies Vampire Weekend's status as superstars and prevents Ke$ha from holding the top spot for a second week in a row. Her Animal dropped to Number 3; Susan Boyle's I Dreamed A Dream remained at Number 2.
Contra's achievement (notes Rolling Stone) gives Vampire Weekend something that both Weezer and The Killers don't have: a Number 1 album.
--Conrad Doucette
