HATS OFF TO ALAN JACKSON
Alan Jackson's poignant and stirring "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)" is connecting with audiences, but retailers were caught off-guard with just how deep that bond goes, as his Drive rides home with more than 400k buyers and debuts at #1, despite stock shortages that kept the record from motoring home with a lot more people.
"Alan Jackson is a multi-Platinum artist with a song that touches people, and that equals sales," said Fred Meyer's Brant Berry—who knows a thing or two about touching people. Brant, stop it!
Jackson's sales were more than enough to finally unseat Wind-up's Creed from its two-month run at the top. The Creedsters came down off the cross, while still passing the 125k mark. The Top Five is rounded out by Linkin Park (Warner Bros.) at #3, Nickelback (Roadrunner/IDJ) at #4 and Arista's Pink, who's coming back up, jumping 14-5. No small thanks to her "Get the Party Started" appearing in tons of NBA promos and playing inside the arenas during the games. Do the words "Who Let the Dogs Out?" ring a bell?
Other action of note includes the never-ending tale that is Mercury Nashville's O Brother Where Art Thou? ST climbing back into the Top 10 and the Strokes (RCA) cracking the Top 50 for the first time following their Saturday Night Live appearance 1/19.
Next week, look for Nothing/Interscope's Nine Inch Nails to hammer down a solid debut.
