UNIVERSAL CITY, CA - DECEMBER 11: Mumford & Sons performs at the 22nd Annual KROQ Almost Acoustic Christmas Concert - Show - Day 2 at Gibson Amphitheatre on December 11, 2011 in Universal City, California. (Photo by Jerod Harris/WireImage)
Photo: Michael Loccisano/2012 Getty Images
The sophomore album from England’s Mumford & Sons just obliterated the year’s best debuts by a wide margin. Babel sold 600,000 copies in its first week, dusting Justin Bieber’s until-now-2012-winning 374,000 for Believe and Madonna’s second place 359,000 for MDNA. Perhaps more remarkably, Babel notched the strongest week for a rock record since 2008, when AC/DC dropped Black Ice to the tune of 784,000 sold. Adele’s 21 still has the year’s biggest week, courtesy of the 730,000 copies it sold right after the Grammys in February.