Over The Counter: Itunes, Wal-mart Aid 'high School Musical' Encore

On March 14, Disney Channel's "High School Musical" became the first full-length movie to be sold via digital download when it went on sale at Apple's iTunes Music Store for $9.99.

Only time will tell what historical implications that event could represent to the fields of TV or digital distribution, but one of the immediate dividends appears to be the return trip to No. 1 the "High School Musical" soundtrack makes on The Billboard 200.

The made-for-TV film did not appear on Disney Channel during the tracking week that ended March 19, its most recent play prior to that frame being March 10, so it appears the movie's digital sales launch helped pave the album's 3% gain (142,000 copies).

While most music videoclips and episodes of half-hour or hourlong TV shows sold on iTunes cost $1.99, the "High School Musical" movie download carries a $9.99 tag. Even with the heftier price, it ranked third among videos sold by iTunes at press time.

Digital sales have been meaningful to the soundtrack, too, accounting for 8.6% of the 812,000 copies sold to date. However, as the album has become more readily stocked in stores, the share represented by downloads diminishes, accounting for just 2% of this week's total.

No doubt a $9.72 sale price at Wal-Mart contributed to the soundtrack's 3% gain. Consequently, the mass-merchant segment realizes a 9% lift over prior-week sales (95,000 copies). Department stores own 66% of the current total, compared with 62% a week ago.

The soundtrack is one of the music industry's biggest surprises from first-quarter 2006, and its relentless growth only adds to its awe. Not only has the "Musical" album continued to reach higher sums in each week since it first led the big chart—a distinction very few chart-topping albums can claim—but it has literally grown every single week since it hit stores Jan. 10.

That streak should continue for at least one more week. Disney Channel is scheduled to repeat the movie two more times in the tracking period that ends March 26, activity that next issue's charts will reflect.

TWICE THE PANIC: Not one, but two songs drive Panic! at the Disco, which this week parlays a 24% sales spike into a 41-29 leap on The Billboard 200.

Its "A Fever You Can't Sweat Out" thus achieves not only its best rank to date, but also its biggest sales week: 29,000. Prior peaks were No. 39, in the Feb. 11 issue, and the 23,000 units that were registered by last issue's charts.

For once, we see a robust chart jump that does not seem tied to discount pricing. Panic's album was not featured in advertised sales campaigns at any of the price-driven chains during the tracking week, nor was it deeply discounted by any of the conventional music chains whose ads are tracked by Billboard's charts department.

Unique, too, is that Panic's train is literally running on two different tracks. Radio is lapping up the unforgettably titled "The Only Difference Between Martyrdom and Suicide Is Press Coverage," which bullets 14-13 on Modern Rock, while music video channels carry a different tune, with MTV, MTV2 and Fuse picking up "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" (yet another memorable song title).

According to digital sales, video channels seem to be a bigger influence than radio. "Sins Not Tragedies" has sold 106,000 downloads to date, including 20,000 during the tracking week (48-26 on Hot Digital Songs, up 41%). Nielsen SoundScan has download sales to date for "Martyrdom" at 97,000, with 9,500 bought in the current frame.



EYES SMILING: If you are wondering why Celtic Woman wins The Billboard 200's Pacesetter trophy with a 56% spike, then I figure you were not among those seeking Irish-styled pubs on March 17.

St. Patrick's Day delivers a lift each year to Irish music, best-seen on Top World Albums at billboard.biz. Irish fare owns 11 of the chart's 15 slots, including the top three, as the list's unit volume grows by almost 50%. ••••