IT'S CREED FOR THE HOLIDAYS
"Say what you like about a very bizarre 2001, this was a good week for the music business," said Virgin Megastore's Vince Szydlowski, who's decided to change his name because people have such problems pronouncing it. "From now on, call me Sam Szydlowski."
What Vince is babbling about is a monster sales week that begins with Wind-up's Creed continuing its reign at #1 and remains healthy all the way through #50.
"Despite no single blockbuster, consumers are in the stores and buying titles across the board," said Syndlosvenosovich, while inadvertently placing a stapler in his left nostril.
Rounding out this week's Top Five are Virgin's Now Volume 8 at #2, UTV's Now Christmas at #3, Jive's Britney Spears at #4 and American Gramaphone's Mannheim Steamroller at #5, which edged out Capitol's Garth Brooksor is that Chris Gaines?
Now Christmas and Mannheim Steamroller are joined by Columbia's Barbra Streisand at #16 as the top holiday-music sellers, which probably won't be selling that much come December 26.
The top debuts of the week belong to Interscope's America: A Tribute to Heroes at #14 and Flip/Interscope's New Old Songs by Limp Bizkit at #23.
"And there's 'no doubt' about next week's chart," guffawed Sydlowibieweski, whose sense of comedy is equaled only by his retail acumen. What he's trying to say is to look for a solid debut from Interscope's No Doubt next week.
In even better news, next week's magazine will be our last of 2001. Be thankful for small favors.
