The New Billboard 200 Thread.

[ROC]

Pretty Ricky, Shins Grab Top Album Chart Spots

January 31, 2007 - Retail

by Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.

After several slow weeks at retail where no title cracked the 100,000-copy plateau, Pretty Ricky and the Shins achieve the feat with their new albums this week. Pretty Ricky's "Late Night Special" (Atlantic) opens at No. 1 after selling 132,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, while the Shins' "Wincing the Night Away" (Sub Pop) shifts a career-best 118,000.

Pretty Ricky's start easily beats the 56,000-copy opening frame for 2005's "Bluestars," which debuted at No. 16 on the Billboard 200. The new album's lead single, "On the Hotline," is top 10 on the Rhythmic Top 40 radio chart and the Urban radio tally.

The Shins had never been higher than No. 86 on The Billboard 200 prior to this week, nor had Sub Pop been higher than No. 79 (with the Afghan Whigs' "Black Love" in 1996). "Wincing the Night Away" also opens at No. 1 on Top Independent Albums, Top Digital Albums and the Top Tastemakers chart. First single "Phantom Limb" is top 20 on Billboard's Modern Rock chart.

Last week's No. 1, Daughtry's self-titled RCA debut, slips back to No. 3 despite a 23% sales increase to 80,000. At No. 4, the "2007 Grammy Nominees" CD (Commercial Music Group) debuts with 77,000, surpassing the No. 14 debut and peak of last year's edition.

John Mellencamp celebrates his highest debuting album ever, as "Freedom's

Road" (UMe/Universal) opens at No. 5 on The Billboard 200. The set -- his first top 10 album in 10 years -- moved 56,000 in its first week. Sony's "Dreamgirls" soundtrack slips 2-6 on a 14.6% drop to 56,000, while Akon's "Konvicted" (SRC/Universal) is down 5-7 thanks to a 2.3% decrease to 50,000.

Robin Thicke's "The Evolution of Robin Thicke" (Interscope) achieves a new peak with a 16-8 climb (+53%, 45,000). The album benefited from extra attention on MTV and MTV2's "Sucker Free" and "Discover & Download" programming. Disney's "Jump In!" soundtrack falls 3-9 (-23%, 44,000), and Justin Timberlake's "FutureSex/LoveSounds" (Jive) drops 6-10 (-7%, 39,000) to round out the top 10.

Other new debuts this week include Saliva's "Blood Stained Love Story" at No. 19 (Island, 31,000), the Grateful Dead's "Live at the Cow Palace" at No. 48 (Rhino, 15,000) and the Good, the Bad & the Queen's self-titled debut at No. 49 (Virgin, 15,000). Elsewhere, Regina Spektor's "Begin to Hope" (Sire) grows 34-20 with the biggest percentage gain on The Billboard 200 (up 48%). She was featured on CBS' "Sunday Morning" on Jan. 21.

Album sales are up 4.9% from last week's total but down 14.5% from the same week a year ago at 8.49 million units.

Edited March 14, 2007 by ROC (Again)

[GoGo Yubari]

Awesome. Good for The Shins and Sub Pop's gotta be psyched about that since this is their highest charting record, well, ever.

[ROC]

EDIT: Wait, never mind.

I'm still stunned, though, but I think it helped that Sub Pop had a very passive reaction to the leaks, knowing smartly enough that the true fans would be there to buy it the opening week regardless.

Edited January 31, 2007 by ROC

[GoGo Yubari]

I should buy some old, cheaper Shins CDs to see if I'd like their full albums as much as I like hearing their singles occasionally. This sounds like a plan.

[Ananas]

The upside for this is that Sub Pop has a hit record. The downside is that the band that has the hit record just finished their deal with the label. Oh well, they'll always have The Postal Service. For now.

[ROC]

I should buy some old, cheaper Shins CDs to see if I'd like their full albums as much as I like hearing their singles occasionally. This sounds like a plan.

[GoGo Yubari]

I should buy some old, cheaper Shins CDs to see if I'd like their full albums as much as I like hearing their singles occasionally. This sounds like a plan.

Actually, I think the new album should be around $10 in most stores right now. That's how much they had it for at Target when I bought it.

... wow, that is insane. I'm going to have to heavily consider buying it, then.

[ROC]

I should buy some old, cheaper Shins CDs to see if I'd like their full albums as much as I like hearing their singles occasionally. This sounds like a plan.

Actually, I think the new album should be around $10 in most stores right now. That's how much they had it for at Target when I bought it.

[Bob Roberts]

Damnit, Nas needs to release "Can't Forget About You" like, now. I think that can be a big single for him and help push him to Platinum.

[ROC]

Better 'Late' Than Never: Jones Debuts At No. 1

February 07, 2007 - Retail

by Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.

After a three-year absence from The Billboard 200, Norah Jones earns her third No. 1 on the chart with "Not Too Late" (Blue Note), which sold 405,000 first-week copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Jones' last album, "Feels Like Home," shifted 1.02 million in its first week in February 2004; her 2002 debut, "Come Away With Me" also reached the top.

Right behind Jones is "American Idol" star Katharine McPhee with her self-titled RCA debut, which sold 116,000 copies. Counting the 10 artists who have finished in either first or second place in the five seasons of "Idol," all but two have started in the top 10 with their debut album.

Fellow "Idol" contestant Chris Daughtry remains at No. 3 with the self-titled RCA debut from his band Daughtry. The album sold 77,000, a small 4% decline over last week. New at No. 4 is Celtic Woman's "A New Journey" (Manhattan/EMI) with 71,000. It gives the group its third No. 1 on Billboard's Top World Albums chart as well as its best sales week and highest charting Billboard 200 set.

Last week's No. 1, Pretty Ricky's "Late Night Special" (Atlantic), plummets 53% in sales to 62,000 and drops to No. 5. Akon's "Konvicted" (SRC/Universal) inches up 7-6 on an 11.7% jump to 56,000, while the Shins' "Wincing the Night Away" (Sub Pop) slides 2-8 in its second week on a 55% decline to 53,000.

Robin Thicke's "The Evolution of Robin Thicke" (Star Trak/Interscope) is down 8-9 despite a 15.5% gain to 52,000. Rounding out the top 10 is the "2007 Grammy Nominees" album, which falls 4-10 on a 39% slide to 48,000.

Harry Connick, Jr.'s "Oh, My Nola" (Columbia) arrives at No. 11 with 44,000 and also opens at No. 1 on the Top Jazz Albums chart, his ninth chart-topper there. Right behind at No. 12 is Jill Scott's "Collaborations" (Hidden Beach), which sold about 100 fewer copies than "Oh, My Nola."

In a week filled with debuts, Madonna's "The Confessions Tour" CD/DVD (Warner Bros.) begins at No. 15 with 40,000, while the "Totally Country Vol. 6" compilation (BMG Marketing) starts at No. 18 with 37,000. U.K. phenom Lily Allen lands at No. 20 with her Capitol debut, "Alright, Still," which sold 34,000, and the "WOW Gospel 2007" compilation (Verity) is new at No. 21 with about 100 copies fewer than Allen's disc.

Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's self-released sophomore album, "Some Loud Thunder," debuts at No. 47 with 19,000. The group's self-titled 2005 debut never appeared on the big chart but went on to sell 126,000 U.S. copies without the benefit of a label.

Album sales are up 10% from last week's total at 9.37 million units but down 14.6% from the same week in 2006.

[ROC]

Fall Out Boy Hits 'High' Note With No. 1 Debut

February 14, 2007 - Retail

FALL OUT BOY

by Katie Hasty, N.Y.

With its new single firmly planted near the top of the Billboard Hot 100, pop/rock outfit Fall Out Boy scores its first No. 1 on The Billboard 200 with the Island set "Infinity on High." The album sold 260,000 copies in its debut week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Fall Out Boy's last album, "From Under the Cork Tree," topped out at No. 9 in 2005.

After bowing at No. 1 last week, Norah Jones' "Not Too Late" (Blue Note) drops to No. 2 with 236,000 and a 42% sales slip. With only a 1% sales slide, Daughtry's self-titled RCA debut stays at No. 3 for a third week, selling 76,000 copies. Akon's "Konvicted" (SRC/Universal) climbs 6-4 with a 15% jump to 65,000. The album previously peaked at No. 2.

"High School Musical" star Ashley Tisdale opens at No. 5 with her Warner Bros. solo debut, "Headstrong," which sold 64,000. She previously became the first female artist to debut with two singles on the Hot 100 at the same time, with a pair of tracks culled from the film's soundtrack.

Robin Thicke's "The Evolution of Robin Thicke" (Star Trak/Interscope) continues to gain sales traction, sliding up 9-6 with a 17% sales increase to 61,000. The "2007 Grammy Nominees" compilation enjoys a 28% boost, moving 10-7 with only a couple dozen copies fewer sold than Thicke.

North Carolina-based country singer Jason Michael Carroll has a big week with his Arista Nashville debut "Waitin' in the Country," which lands at No. 8 with 58,000. The single "Alyssa Lies," which is No. 7 on the Hot Country Songs chart, has fueled interest in the album.

In its 34th week on the chart, Corinne Bailey Rae's self-titled Capitol debut re-enters the top tier, rocketing up 17-9 with 52,000 (+32%). The British singer/songwriter appeared alongside John Legend and John Mayer at the Grammy Awards on Sunday (Feb. 11) and will be touring with Legend this spring. She was nominated for best new artist but lost to Carrie Underwood.

Justin Timberlake, another omnipresent force at the Grammy ceremony, tops off the top 10, with "FutureSex/LoveSounds" ascending 16-10 with 48,000 (+24%).

British rock troupe Bloc Party sophomore album "Weekend in the City" (Vice/Atlantic) achieves a No. 12 entry with 48,000, a far more impressive showing than the No. 114 peak of their debut "Silent Alarm" in 2005. Patty Griffin can celebrate her best charting week ever with "Children Running Through" debuting at No. 34 with 27,000.

Other big debuts this week include Jordan Pruitt's "No Ordinary" (Disney, No. 64, 14,000), the Used's live set "Berth" (Reprise, No. 71, 13,000) and Bayside's "The Walking Wounded" (Victory, No. 75, 13,000).

Album sales are up 4.7% from last week's total at 9.82 million units but down 22.4% from the same week in 2006. Overall albums sales for the year are down 15.8% from the year before at 53.3 million units.

[Fitzy]

I like seeing Daughtry remain in the top three.

[Tarheels.]

Whoo, 75 for Bayside. They're moving on up in the charts. FOB coming in at No. 1 is no surprise despite the fact that it was leaked weeks ago. Its still a decent album so the leak wouldn't prevent it from hitting No. 1.

[YI]

W00t, props to the Bayside fan. (Y) A real solid album they produced.

[Tarheels.]

Theres other Bayside fans on EWB

Walking Wounded is easily their best cd yet, despite how awesome their acoustic cd was. Keeping still on topic, didn't The Shins drop to like 20th or something like that. Seems like their leaking a while back hurt them a bit more than it seemed when they debuted at 2.

[YI]

Theres other Bayside fans on EWB

Walking Wounded is easily their best cd yet, despite how awesome their acoustic cd was. Keeping still on topic, didn't The Shins drop to like 20th or something like that. Seems like their leaking a while back hurt them a bit more than it seemed when they debuted at 2.

Edited February 16, 2007 by Nitro Girl Kimberly

[ROC]

Theres other Bayside fans on EWB

Walking Wounded is easily their best cd yet, despite how awesome their acoustic cd was. Keeping still on topic, didn't The Shins drop to like 20th or something like that. Seems like their leaking a while back hurt them a bit more than it seemed when they debuted at 2.

[Tarheels.]

Theres other Bayside fans on EWB

Walking Wounded is easily their best cd yet, despite how awesome their acoustic cd was. Keeping still on topic, didn't The Shins drop to like 20th or something like that. Seems like their leaking a while back hurt them a bit more than it seemed when they debuted at 2.

I don't think it really hurt them because a lot (and I mean A LOT) of rock records take huge dips after the first couple of weeks. The same thing happened with stuff like Amputechture (debuted at 9, fell to 61st after a week) and Light Grenades (fell from 1 to 37 in second week)...and while those aren't the best examples, a lot of modern rock records have had massive dips after two weeks or so.

[ROC]

Norah Rebounds To No. 1 In Post-Grammy Week

February 21, 2007, 10:55 AM ET

In a week where the top nine albums moved more than 100,000 units, Norah Jones' "Not Too Late" tops The Billboard 200 for a second time. The Blue Note effort crowned the list when it debuted two weeks ago with 405,000 copies. This week, the album moved 211,000 in the United States according to Nielsen SoundScan, sliding up 2-1 despite an 11% sales drop.

Late R&B singer Gerald Levert's "In My Songs" (Atlantic) bows at No. 2 with 165,000, his highest charting album ever and his best sales week since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking data in 1991. Like Jones, Levert's sales were likely fueled in part by Valentine's Day gift purchases.

While the romantic holiday encouraged buyers into stores, the Grammy Awards also had a major impact on sales this week. The "Grammy Nominees 2007" compilation rises 7-3 this week with 131,000 and 116% surge in sales, while Grammy performer and nominee Corinne Bailey Rae's self-titled Capitol debut ascends 9-4 with 120,000 and a 132% increase. Justin Timberlake's "FutureSex/LoveSounds" (Jive) climbs 10-7 with a 123% increase to 108,000, following his two performances during the show.

Unsurprisingly, the Dixie Chicks' "Taking the Long Way" (Columbia) experiences the biggest increase on the chart this week. The album, which spawned five Grammys last Sunday, rockets 72-8 with a 714% sales boom to 103,000 copies. It sold 12,700 the week before.

Other Grammy performers that earned sales increases this week include John Mayer's "Continuum" (29-10, 80,000, 182%), Red Hot Chili Peppers' "Stadium Arcadium" (39-12, 194%), Carrie Underwood's "Some Hearts" (19-13, 60%), Mary J. Blige's "The Breakthrough" (57-21, 161%), John Legend's "Once Again" (51-23, 138%), Beyonce's "B'Day" (stays at No. 25, 13%), Christina Aguilera's "Back to Basics" (58-41, 66%), Gnarls Barkley's "St. Elsewhere" (111-44, 192%), Tony Bennett's "Duets: An American Classic" (95-45, 147%), Ludacris' "Release Therapy" (65-48, 64%) and T.I.'s "King" (152-137, 25%).

Back in the top tier, last week's chart-topper, Fall Out Boy's "Infinity on High" (Island), falls to No. 5 with 119,000 (-54%). Robin Thicke's "The Evolution of Robin Thicke" (Star Trak/Interscope) stays put at No. 6 despite a 90% increase to 116,000. Daughtry's self-titled RCA debut slips 3-9 with a 34% jump to 102,000.

Country veteran Lucinda Williams scores her best charting effort with the Lost Highway album "West," which bows at No. 14 with 57,000. Her last studio set, 2003's "World Without Tears," started at No. 18 with 54,000. A compilation of Van Morrison songs utilized on the big screen, the aptly titled "Van Morrison at the Movies" (EMI), debuts at No. 35 with 29,000.

Album sales are up 12.7% from last week's total at 11 million units but down 10.5%% compared to the same week in 2006. Overall albums sales for the year are down 15% from the year before at 64.3 million units.

[ROC]

Notorious B.I.G. 'Great' Again On The Billboard 200

March 14, 2007, 10:20 AM ET

Katie Hasty, N.Y.

For the first time since November, five of the top 10 albums on The Billboard 200 this week are debuts. The strongest of these, the late Notorious B.I.G.'s "Greatest Hits," bows at No. 1, selling 99,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The Bad Boy release is the rapper's third chart-topper, his second posthumously, and features two previously unreleased tracks, "Running Your Mouth" and "Want That Old Thing Back." The rapper, born Christopher Wallace, was murdered 10 years ago almost to the date, on March 9, 1997.

Montreal-based rock troupe Arcade Fire scores its best charting and sales week ever with the No. 2 bow of sophomore Merge set "Neon Bible." Moving 92,000, the set trumps the No. 131 peak of the seven-piece's 2004 debut, "Funeral." Thirty percent of the new album's sales were fueled by sales via digital retailers. "Neon Bible" also crowns the Top Independent Albums and Top Rock Albums tallies.

After leading the big chart last week, Daughtry's self-titled RCA debut slips to No. 3 with a 9% sales dip at 82,000 copies. Akon's "Konvicted" (SRC/Universal) drops 3-4 with 76,000, a 3% sales boost.

Another "Greatest Hits" bows in the top tier this week, as country crooner Gary Allan's MCA Nashville set moves 70,000 at No. 5. It's the artist's second-best charting album (2005's "Tough All Over" peaked at No. 3) and his second set at the summit on the Top Country Albums chart.

Relient K's "Five Score and Seven Years Ago" (Gotee/Capitol) debuts at No. 6 on The Billboard 200 with 64,000, a high-water mark in both respects for the five-piece. The band's last album, "MMHMM," debuted and peaked at No. 15 on the big chart in 2004 with 51,000.

Norah Jones' "Not Too Late" (Blue Note) falls 2-7 with 59,000 (-19%) while Fall Out Boy's "Infinity on High" (Island) descends 4-8 with 58,000 (-14%).

Korn earns its seventh top 10 hit with "MTV Unplugged," which enters at No. 9 with 51,000. The hard rock group has previously led the chart with 1998's "Follow the Leader" and 1999's "Issues," while its last effort (last year's "See You on the Other Side") bowed at No. 3. Robin Thicke's Interscope album "The Evolution of Robin Thicke" rounds out the top tier, slipping 5-10 with 47,000 (-17%).

Sevendust's "Alpha," released via the band's own Seven Bros. imprint, starts at No. 14 with 42,000, the rock band's eighth set on the chart. "Alpha" is the follow-up to 2005's "Home," which debuted and peaked at No. 20.

Other big debuts this week include Finger Eleven's "Them Vs. You Vs. Me" (Wind-Up, No. 31, 19,000), Air's "Pocket Symphony" (Astralwerks, No. 40, 17,000) and Chimaira's "Resurrection" (Ferret, No. 42, 16,000), all of which are charting bests for those bands.

In a second week straight where no album cracks 100,000 copies, album sales are up 2% from last week's total at 8.66 million units and down 19% compared to the same week last year. Overall album sales for the year are down 16.4% from last year at 90.7 million units.