FOXX BY A HAIR!
In a sign of the times, neither album broke 100k, but at least there are still 10 records in the Top 10 this week, if just.
Shady/Aftermath /Interscope’s favorite rapper Eminem (#3) and Arista/RMG country sweetheart Carrie Underwood (#4) remain in place, with the amazing (and still dead) Johnny Cash turning Golden Globe fever into platinum sales by going #9-5 and rounding out the Top 5 with his Island/IDJ retrospective.
RoadRunner/IDJ’s Nickelback (#6), Jive/ZLG’s teen idol Chris Brown (#7) and Bad Boy/Atlantic’s Notorious B.I.G. (#8) were the Top 10 holdovers, while Custard/Atlantic British sensation James Blunt crashed the party, going #15-9 and registering a 13% boost with his Back to Bedlam, thanks to multimedia exposure for his smash, “You’re Beautiful,” now being used on a ubiquitous TV spot. Island/IDJ Grammy sweetheart Mariah Carey (#10) rounds it out as one of five UMG records representing in the Top 10.
The big news this week is Neil Diamond’s Rick Rubin-produced 12 Songs album for Columbia, which rode the Jewish Elvis’ Oprah appearance last week into a more than 200% increase in sales, landing at #29, with more than 23k units flying out the doors of retail like they were copies of "Cherry Cherry."
Other major gains were posted by the Grammy-nominated Green Day, whose Reprise album keeps on attracting Idiot fans, this week moving #34-19 with a 15% gain. A&M/Interscope R&B crooner Keyshia Cole showed even more movement, going #44-21 with a 29% rise, fueled by Urban play for multiple cuts. VP/Atlantic’s Sean Paul (#43-33, +12%) and Wind-up’s Walk the Line soundtrack both keep a-rollin’ (#42-35, +9%).
Hasidic toaster Matisyahu’s “King Without a Crown” is helping power his Epic Live at Stubbs up the chart (#38), in advance of his eagerly awaited new studio album, while Atlantic’s Death Cab for Cutie re-emerges as “Soul Meets Body” puts the best-laid Plans back in play at #41.
Look for Capitol’s Yellowcard, Columbia’s Il Divo, Atlantic’s P.O.D., Sony BMG’s 2006 Grammy Nominees album and UTV’s Now #1s to debut on the chart next week.
