06.25.2008 7:46 am
Coldplay sales score biggests and bests…but don’t forget Lil Wayne
Exactly when did music sales make a comeback?
Maybe it was a week ago, when we learned rapper Lil Wayne sold over a million copies of his “The Carter III” CD. Now comes word that Coldplay’s latest, “Viva La Vida,” sold over 720,000 copies, making it the new No. 1 CD on the Billboard 200.
This makes for the biggest consecutive best-selling two weeks in three years.
Also, “Viva La Vida” is the biggest album pre-order in iTunes history, and the highest first-week album sales ever on the iTunes store. Certainly, that omnipresent Apple ad had a lot to do with that, as well as the fact the title track is the band’s first Hot 100 single.
“Viva La Vida” is the year’s second-biggest debut, following Lil Wayne.
Kevin C. Johnson has covered the St. Louis' music and nightlife scene for the past decade. 
Love me some Coldplay and Mr. Gwyneth Paltrow. Coldplay will be performing this Friday morning on the Today Show’s summer concert series.