The Civil Wars may never tour again, given that the members of the folk-rock duo have been estranged for months, but their second studio album still topped the Billboard 200 chart this week, selling 116,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
That was a bittersweet achievement for the duo, Joy Williams and John Paul White, who have won three Grammy Awards over the last two years. Last November, the pair canceled a European tour and âwent on hiatus,â saying in a statement they could not work together because of âinternal discord and irreconcilable differences of ambition.â
But the core tracks of the album, also titled âThe Civil Wars,â (Sensibility Music/Columbia), had been recorded by the duo in Nashville just before they split up, and the producer Charlie Peacock finished them last winter with studio musicians. Ms. Williams said in a recent interview the duo had no plans to reunite for a concert, much less a tour. âI wish more than anything I could give clear answers about if this band is going to stay on hiatus or not,â she said. âI don't know what's going to happen with the band.â
Last week's No. 1 album, Robin Thicke's âBlurred Lines,â (Interscope Records), fell to No. 3 on the chart with sales of 65,000. In second place, with 82,000 albums sold, was âNow That's What I Call Music! 47,â a compilation of recent pop hits. Jay Z's âMagna Carta ⦠Holy Grailâ (Roc Nation) remained in the Top 10 at No 4. No. 5 was the soundtrack of âTeen Beach Movieâ (Disney). The rock band Asking Alexandria's latest album, âFrom Death to Destinyâ (Sumerian), entered the chart at No. 6 in its first week of release. Imagine Dragons' âNight Visionsâ (Interscope Records) was at No. 7, thanks in part to a sale on iTunes.
The gospel singer Tye Tribbett scored his first Top 10 album with âGreater Thanâ (EMI Gospel/Motown Gospel), which sold 30,000 copies, enough to place it ninth on the chart. Florida Georgia Line's juggernaut album âHere's to the Good Timesâ (Republic Nashville) remained at No. 10.
Over on the singles chart, Mr. Thicke reigned as king of the Top 10 for the 10th week in a row, as âBlurred Lines,â his smash hit with T.I. and Pharrell Williams, remained in the first slot. The rest of the Top 10 also remained unchanged from the previous week, with Miley Cyrus's âWe Can't Stopâ at No. 2, Imagine Dragons' âRadioactiveâ at No. 3, Daft Punk's âGet Luckyâ at No. 4 and Jay Z's âHoly Grailâ at No. 5.
The next five hits were, in order, Anna Kendrick's âCups (Pitch Perfect's When I'm Gone)â, Bruno Mars's âTreasure,â Zedd's âClarity,â Capital Cities' âSafe and Soundâ and Maroon 5's âLove Somebody.â