Wednesday 23 November 2005

Madonna dances straight to No. 1

For the sixth time in her career, Madonna finds herself with an album in the No. 1 position on The Billboard 200. Her latest, "Confessions on a Dance Floor" (Warner Bros.), sold nearly 350,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, to bow on top of the chart. "Confessions" is Madonna's third album in a row to top the chart, with "Music" and "American Life" preceding it. The new disc's first single "Hung Up" works its way into the top 10 on the Billboard Hot 100 this week.

Carrie Underwood's debut album "Some Hearts" (Arista) also makes a big entry at No. 2 with nearly 315,000 copies. The fourth season "American Idol" winner previously reached No. 1 on the Hot 100 with "Inside Your Heaven" and has enjoyed crossover success with both pop and country listeners. "Some Hearts" also takes over the top slot on the Country Albums chart where hers is the first album from an contestant to become No. 1 on that tally.

In its second week, Kenny Chesney's "The Road and the Radio" (BNA) falls 1-3, on sales of 191,000 copies, down 59% from its debut week. Reissued last week in a "platinum edition," Mariah Carey's "The Emancipation of Mimi" (Island) rebounds 15-4 on a 341% increase to sales of 185,000 copies and is the chart's greatest sales gainer.

With nearly identical sales that round to 169,000, the Sony BMG/ Zomba/ EMI/ UME hits compilation "NOW! That's What I Call Music Vol. 20" falls 3-5 (-24%), while the 50-heavy G-Unit/Interscope soundtrack to "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" dips 2-6 (-47%).

Big & Rich's sophomore studio album, "Comin' to Your City" (Warner Bros.), moved 157,000 to debut at No. 7, followed by Green Day's live CD/DVD combo "Bullet in a Bible" (Reprise) at No. 8 (92,000). Nickelback's "All the Right Reasons" advances 5-9 in its seventh week with 91,000 (-1%), while Martina McBride's "Timeless" re-enters the top 10 with a 12-10 move with 82,000 (+58%).

Outside the top tier, Ginuwine debuts in the No. 12 spot with "Back II Da Basics" (Epic) and the 30th Anniversary Edition of Bruce Springsteen's "Born to Run" enters The Billboard 200 at No. 18. The original peaked at No. 3 on the chart in 1975.

Other top 50 debuts are Pitbull's "Money is Still a Major Issue" (Diaz Brothers, No. 25), Jimmy Buffett's "Live at Fenway Park" (Mailboat, No. 41) and Wilco's "Kicking Television: Live In Chicago" (Nonesuch, No. 47). At 13.1 million units, overall U.S. album sales were up 10% over the previous week, but about 10% lower than the same week last year. Sales for 2005 lag behind 2004 by about 14% at 492 million units.

(Billboard)



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