A retail ‘Revelation’ for Journey

The lesson for Journey: Don’t stop believin’, especially if you have Wal-Mart on your side.

The classic-rock band’s new album, “Revelation,” debuts this week at No. 5 on the national sales chart with 105,000 copies sold, all of them through Wal-Mart or Sam’s Club or the band’s website. The deal with Wal-Mart is another example of a veteran music act partnering with a retailer to reconnect with its fan base.

“This is all new to me,” Journey guitarist Neal Schon said Wednesday from Germany, where the band was touring. “We finally found a way to get the word out there about our new music and that’s been the problem in the past. Wal-Mart is creating a buzz for the album using the store itself.”

The first-week sales of “Revelation” were a 1,600% increase over their last album, “Generations” in 2005.

In addition to in-store promotion, the release is getting ink in the retailer’s advertising circular, which reaches 85 million households in the U.S.

The album is a three-disc package with new music, new recordings of old hits and a concert DVD. It retails for $11.88.

Also new on the chart this week: Disturbed scores its third No. 1 album with “Indestructible” (282,000 copies sold); Weezer’s third self-titled album is at No. 3 (126,000 copies); “The Declaration,” the newest from Long Island, N.Y., native Ashanti, is at No. 6 (86,000 copies); and “Perfectly Clear,” the career excursion into country by Jewel, is at No. 8 (48,000).

--

[email protected]