Hunger Games soundtrack record_"THE HUNGER GAMES": SONGS FROM DISTRICT 12 AND BEYOND breaks first-week sales record of a soundtrack on the iTunes Store in the US. The soundtrack also debuted at #1 on the iTunes album charts and Billboard Top 200 with sales in excess of 175,000 units. It is the first soundtrack to debut at #1 on the Billboard Chart since November 2009.
The companion album to the Lionsgate® (NYSE: LGF - News) film is dominating the charts with impressive digital and physical sales, stirring up excitement fitting of the film, which broke multiple box office records when it opened on March 23rd, 2012.
The album is firmly entrenched at the top of multiple charts. Within hours of its midnight release "THE HUNGER GAMES": SONGS FROM DISTRICT 12 AND BEYOND reached #1 on the iTunes Top Albums chart, where it’s remained ever since.

Further number ones abound from the release: #1 Soundtrack Album on iTunes, and tracks from the soundtrack to land on The iTunes Top 100 include Maroon 5's "Come Away to the Water," and the #1 iTunes track from Taylor Swift Featuring The Civil Wars' "Safe & Sound." The collection's second track from Grammy Award winning Big Machine recording artist Taylor Swift, "Eyes Open", also reached #1 on the iTunes Top 100 Songs Chart. Simultaneously, "Eyes Open" has exploded onto Top 40 and Hot AC stations from coast to coast and is quickly becoming a breakout hit.
As an added bonus fans receive a free download of "Deep in the Meadow (Lullaby)" performed by the legendary Sting on www.thehungergamesmovie.com/lullaby. Sting powerfully carries the song with his inimitable presence and prowess, crafting an unforgettable gem for listeners.
Various critics and tastemakers have lauded the soundtrack already with rave reviews. People Magazine declares, "THE HUNGER GAMES has assembled a soundtrack that is a blockbuster," while Newsday writes, "THE HUNGER GAMES: Songs from District 12 and Beyond works as a soundtrack and a serious, cohesive album."
Produced by 12-time Grammy® winner T Bone Burnett, "THE HUNGER GAMES": SONGS FROM DISTRICT 12 AND BEYOND features 17 brand-new and exclusive tracks by many of music's top artists who've drawn from the themes of The Hunger Games to craft their songs. Each song comes to life vibrantly mirroring the depth and beauty inherent in the story.
About THE HUNGER GAMES
Every year in the ruins of what was once North America, the Capitol of the nation of Panem forces each of its twelve districts to send a teenage boy and girl to compete in the Hunger Games. A twisted punishment for a past uprising and an ongoing government intimidation tactic, The Hunger Games are a nationally televised event in which “Tributes” must fight with one another until one survivor remains.
Sixteen year old Katniss Everdeen volunteers in her younger sister’s place to enter the games, and is forced to rely upon her sharp instincts as well as the mentorship of drunken former victor Haymitch Abernathy when she’s pitted against highly-trained Tributes who have prepared for these Games their entire lives. If she’s ever to return home to District 12, Katniss must make impossible choices in the arena that weigh survival against humanity and life against love.
THE HUNGER GAMES is directed by Gary Ross, with a screenplay by Gary Ross and Suzanne Collins and Billy Ray, and produced by Nina Jacobson’s Color Force in tandem with producer Jon Kilik. Suzanne Collins’ best-selling novel, the first in a trilogy published by Scholastic that has over 26 million copies in print in the United States alone, has developed a massive global following. It has spent more than 180 consecutive weeks/more than three consecutive years to date on The New York Times bestseller list since its publication in September 2008, and has also appeared consistently on USA Today and Publishers Weekly bestseller lists.
To experience The Hunger Games online, please visit:
Official Website: http://www.thehungergamesmovie.com/
Official Facebook Page: http://www.facebook.com/thehungergamesmovie
Official Twitter Page: http://twitter.com/thehungergames
Capitol Couture: www.capitolcouture.com
About Universal Republic Records
A division of Universal Music Group, the world’s largest music company, Universal Republic is home to an all-star roster of multi-platinum, award-winning legends and superstar artists such as 3 Doors Down, Amy Winehouse, Black Sabbath, Colbie Caillat, Eddie Vedder, Enrique Iglesias, Florence + the Machine, Godsmack, Owl City, The Rolling Stones, The Voice (NBC-TV), Gotye, Of Monsters & Men, Mayer Hawthorne, among many others.
It is comprised of innovative imprints and digital business ventures including, Republic Nashville (The Band Perry), Cash Money (Lil Wayne, Drake, Nicki Minaj), Indie Pop (Dev, The Cataracs), Lava Records (Jessie J, Black Veil Brides), SRC (Akon, Melanie Fiona), Aware Records (Mat Kearney), Brushfire (Jack Johnson, G. Love), Tuff Gong (Damian Marley, Stephen Marley), Downtown (Miike Snow), among others.
About Lionsgate
Lionsgate is a leading global entertainment company with a strong and diversified presence in motion picture production and distribution, television programming and syndication, home entertainment, family entertainment, digital distribution. New channel platforms and international distribution and sales. The Company has built a strong television presence in production of prime time cable and broadcast network series, distribution and syndication of programming and an array of channel assets. Lionsgate currently has 15 shows on more than 10 networks spanning its prime time production, distribution and syndication businesses, including such critically-acclaimed hits as the multiple Emmy Award-winning "Mad Men", "Weeds" and "Nurse Jackie" along with the Golden Globe-winning drama "Boss" and the syndication successes "Tyler Perry's House Of Payne", its spinoff "Meet The Browns", "The Wendy Williams Show" "Are We There Yet?" and the upcoming "Anger Management."
Its feature film business has been fueled by such recent successes as THE LINCOLN LAWYER, TYLER PERRY'S MADEA'S BIG HAPPY FAMILY, THE EXPENDABLES, MARGIN CALL, THE LAST EXORCISM and the critically-acclaimed PRECIOUS, which won two Academy Awards®. With the January 2012 acquisition of Summit Entertainment, the Company now has the two leading young adult franchises – the blockbuster TWILIGHT SAGA, which has grossed more than $2.5 billion at the worldwide box office, and the HUNGER GAMES franchise, whose first film will be released on March 23. Recent Summit hits include RED, LETTERS TO JULIET, KNOWING, the STEP UP franchise and the Academy Award winning Best Picture THE HURT LOCKER.
Lionsgate's home entertainment business is an industry leader in box office-to-DVD and box office-to-VOD revenue conversion rate. Lionsgate handles a prestigious and prolific library of approximately 13,000 motion picture and television titles that is an important source of recurring revenue and serves as the foundation for the growth of the Company's core businesses. The Lionsgate and Summit brands remain synonymous with original, daring, quality entertainment in markets around the world.

source: yahoo