It’s frustrating to know that when an album like the National’s High Violet does well on the Billboard charts, it happens at a time when record sales plummeting to figures from 1991. That was the year Nielsen Soundscan began tracking album sales. And, apparently, those numbers hadn’t been that low in nearly 20 years. That was, of course, until this past week, when just about 5.3 million records were sold.

It’s not much of a surprise when you look at how Justin Bieber’s multi-chart-topping My World 2.0 only sold a bit more than 60,000 copies and still came in at number 1. It also just missed breaking the record for a number 1 album with least copies sold. But that title is still held by the Dreamgirls soundtrack, which just broke 60,000 sold back in 2007, according to Billboard.

Also, as Joseph Plambeck of the New York Times‘ Arts Beat section points out, there were no “major” albums released this week. And I can only guess that these numbers will be ridiculously bloated in June with albums coming from the likes of Diddy, Drake, Eminem, and many other big names. Ah well, I’ll take this in stride if this translates into more meaningful records like High Violet sitting in the Top 5. Also, props to the Dead Weather for sitting pretty high, too.

The Billboard Top 10 for the last week with copies sold rounded off:

1. Justin Bieber – My World 2.0 – 60,000

2. Lady Antebellum – Need You Now – 54,000

3. The National – High Violet – 51,000

4. AC/DC – Iron Man 2 – 48,000

5. The Dead Weather – Sea of Cowards – 45,000

6. Carole King and James Taylor – Live at the Troubadour – 44,000

7. Usher – Raymond v. Raymond – 43,000

8. Charice – Charice – 43,000

9. Godsmack – The Oracle – 43,000

10. As I Lay Dying – Powerless Rise – 38,000