NO “SWEAT”: PRINCE IS KING OF THE CHARTS
Prince’s Universal Records debut 3121 is his first album ever to bow at #1, and the first to top the charts since Around the World in a Day 21 years ago, with an impressive 184k in sales.
That total is more than enough to beat back Walt Disney Records’ resurgent High School Musical soundtrack, which boasts a robust 153k, representing a 14% increase.
Custard/Atlantic’s James Blunt’s 112k is good enough for #3, while Arista/RMG’s Barry Manilow climbs back into the Top 5, moving #20-4 with a 127% rise in sales, thanks to his performance and his songs being sung by contestants on last week’s American Idol. Def Jam/IDJ’s Ne-Yo rounds out the chart leaders at #5.
The other three newcomers to the Top 10 include Koch rapper B.G. (#6), Virgin’s Ben Harper (#7) and Columbia/CRG’s Teddy Geiger (#9), fueled by Top 40 play and a featured role on Clear Channel’s online developing artist program NEW! for his impressive bow.
Island/IDJ’s Johnny Cash compilation at #8 and ACR/Arista Nashville’s Alan Jackson gospel album at #10, with an impressive 36% gain, are the other Top 10 entrants.
Debuts in the Top 50 include Capitol Nashville’s Kenny Rogers (#17), Reprise’s My Chemical Romance CD/DVD package (#31), Epitaph punk-rockers From First to Last (#35), Sony BMG Latino’s premier NOW compilation (#36) and Rhino/WEA’s Chicago XXX (#39).
Sales increases are registered by VP/Atlantic’s Sean Paul (+8%), A&M/Interscope’s Keyshia Cole (+8%), Fueled by Ramen’s Panic! at the Disco (+8%) and Universal’s Chamillionaire (+10%).
Next week, look for Tim McGraw’s Greatest Hits Volume 2 on Curb and Atlantic rapper T.I. to battle it out for the #1 spot, with debuts from Def Jam’s Ghostface Killah, Geffen’s Rob Zombie, Interscope’s Yeah Yeah Yeahs! and Rap-A-Lot’s Do or Die. Also, the repackage of the Shakira album on Epic should see significant gains, thanks to the inclusion of the smash single, "Hips Don't Lie," which she'll perform on this week's American Idol.
