EMINEM, NELLY VIE FOR RIAA’S BEST-SELLING ALBUM OF THE YEAR

Doug Morris’ UMG is rockin’ the RIAA’s house with the two best-selling albums of the year.

Eminem’s The Eminem Show on Aftermath/Interscope continues as 2002’s top record with more than 6 million shipped, according to the latest RIAA gold and platinum certifications.

Nelly’s Nellyville on Fo’ Reel/Universal, was right behind, with more than 4 million in sales. The St. Louis rapper’s previous album, Country Grammar, was certified eight times Platinum.

L.A. Reid’s red-hot Arista label has the next two biggest sellers in Pink, whose M!ssundaztood has topped the 4 million mark, followed closely behind by Avril Lavigne’s debut effort, Let Go, which has been certified triple-platinum less than two weeks after crossing the double-platinum mark.

The Dixie Chicks continued their strong comeback by scoring gold, platinum and double-platinum honors for the Open Wide/Columbia/CRG album Home, their first album in three years. The disc follows two hugely successful multi-platinum albums: Their 1998 debut Wide Open Spaces and their 1999 follow-up Fly, have sold 11 million and 10 million copies, respectively, making them one of a handful of acts to have received RIAA Diamond awards for back-to-back releases.

Other certifications include Toby Keith, who scored the first multi-platinum album of his career as Pull My Chain broke the 2 million sales barrier. His third and most recent album for DreamWorks Nashville, Unleashed, was certified Platinum in August.

Linkin Park’s WB remix album, Reanimation, has been certified both gold and platinum, following on the heels of the band’s blockbuster debut, Hybrid Theory, certified eight times platinum.

Industry veteran James Taylor's October Road (Columbia) and Coldplay's A Rush of Blood to the Head (Capitol) have sold more than half a million copies apiece. This is Taylor's 15th gold album and the second for the English quartet, whose debut, Parachutes, was previously certified platinum.

A pair of classic Frank Sinatra albums on Capitol, In the Wee Small Hours and Come Fly With Me, were certified for sales of more than 500,000 copies.

Also receiving gold albums were Hawaiian native Israel "Iz" Kamakawiwo'ole for his 1993 sophomore release, Facing Future, while J Records created yet another superstar in Mario, who received his first gold album for his self-titled debut. Florida's New Found Glory struck gold with Sticks and Stones on Drive Thru/MCA, while Artemis Records newcomer Khia moved more than half a million copies of her debut, Thug Misses.

The RIAA awarded a total of eight multi-platinum, six platinum and 20 gold albums in September.