Dream Theater's newest cd makes highest chart/sales numbers in band's career

From Mike Portnoy's Facebook:

DT CRACKS US TOP 10!!! -AND REGISTER FOR MP APPEARANCES
From Mike Portnoy
Just got this below email from our A&R guy at Roadrunner....

Dream Theater's Black Clouds & Silver Linings entered the US Billboard Charts today at #6!!

This is truly amazing....that after almost 25 years together, this band is still growing and progressing and doing bigger and better numbers than ever.....I can't think of many bands that can claim that...

Plus - a progressive metal album with four songs over 12 minutes in the US Top 10???
(wedged between Jonas Brothers, Eminem and Hannah Montana!)
Hell must've frozen over!!!!
(this must be a first of its kind.....)

See the statistics below.....

Thank you everybody!
MP

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from Monte Conner (Roadrunner Records):

We did 40,285 units in the first week to come in at #6 (!!!)

That is DT’s highest US chart number ever, beating “Systematic Chaos” which charted at #19 back in May 2007 and until now was the band’s highest chart debut.

That is also DT’s highest first week units total ever - handily beating “Awake” which did 36,160 first week back in October 1994 (#32 on the chart). “Awake” was the first (and very heavily anticipated) DT album in the wake of the band’s previous breakthrough album “Images And Words” - with its smash hit “Pull Me Under” - and yet here we are 15 years later totally crushing it.

Previous DT highs:
Systematic Chaos: 35,689 (#19) – May 2007
Awake: 36,160 (#32) – October 1994

FYI, 4,783 of those sales were digital (over 10%), and we have actually scanned 40,591 to date because there were pre-release street violations of 306 units last week.

AND lastly, we are the #2 debut of the week. Below is the Top 10:

1
BLACK EYED PEAS
E.N.D. (ENERGY NEVER DIES) \

2
JONAS BROTHERS
LINES VINES & TRYING TIMES

3
SPEKTOR*REGINA
FAR

4
MATTHEWS*DAVE BAND
BIG WHISKEY & THE GROOGRUX KIN

5
EMINEM
RELAPSE

6
DREAM THEATER
BLACK CLOUDS & SILVER LININGS

7
TRANSFORMERS: REVENGE OF THE F
SOUNDTRACK

8
LADY GAGA
FAME

9
GINUWINE
MAN'S THOUGHTS

10
HANNAH MONTANA
HANNAH MOVIE SNDTRK

So there you have it. To achieve all of this 25 years into the band’s career is simply a monumental feat, not to mention it was done in a poor economy, where it is hard to find a real record store and where sales are down 52% since 2001 and probably down close to 20% this year from 2007.

Congrats to all!!!!!!!!!

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http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/news/D ... 20355.aspx

Legendary progressive metal masters Dream Theater’s latest album, Black Clouds & Silver Linings has taken the band to new heights. The album debuted at #6 on Billboard’s Top 200 album chart, with first week sales totaling 40,285. Both numbers mark the highest ever first week figures for the band, who are enjoying the greatest success of their 25 year career. 12% of the week’s sales were digital, ranking Black Clouds & Silver Linings at #21 on the Digital Albums chart.

Drummer Mike Portnoy had this to say, “This is truly amazing. After almost 25 years together, Dream Theater is still growing and progressing and doing bigger and better than ever. I can't think of many bands that can claim that. We are truly thankful to have this incredible support from fans who believe in the band as a musical force.”


Such a monumental debut places Dream Theater, a band known for lengthy epics and the true “album” format, in the cozy Top 10 company of Jonas Brothers, Black Eyed Peas and Regina Spektor, a truly remarkable feat. Portnoy continues, “An album with four songs over 12 minutes in the US Top 10? Hell must've frozen over! This is one small leap for Dream Theater, and one giant leap for music in general.”


Black Clouds & Silver Linings is the band’s tenth studio album and follow up to the band’s 2007 Roadrunner Records debut, Systematic Chaos. In addition to the standard version CD, the album is also available on vinyl LP, as well as a three-disc Special Edition CD that includes the full album, a CD of instrumental mixes of the album and a CD of six cover songs. A limited deluxe collector’s edition boxed set is also available. “This is as smart and well played as metal and hard rock gets, an album just humming with live possibilities and headphone trips waiting to happen,” wrote Dennis Cook in is 6/23/2009 review at Jambase.com, while Shawn S. Lealos said in his 6/16/09 review at 411Mania.com: “Dream Theater has created their masterpiece.”

Dream Theater is currently breaking records in Europe, playing to festival crowds of over 80,000 adoring fans. The band made their debut appearance in Israel last month, rocking a crowd 10,000 strong to their knees. The band’s own Progressive Nation tour returns stateside on July 24 in Miami, and will feature Dream Theater as headliner, Zappa Plays Zappa, Bigelf and Scale The Summit. The tour—which marks the second incarnation of Progressive Nation--wraps on August 29th in Los Angeles.

As only the 10th Top 10 debut in Roadrunner’s 30 year history, Black Clouds & Silver Linings is landmark album for the label as well.

Chris Daughtry covers Lady Gaga's "Poker Face"

Wow, what an amazing acoustic version of the song. Chris' voice can make anything sound meaningful.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bqT4VnnEU0M