Folks continue to run out in droves to buy Susan Boyle. The British singer’s “I Dreamed a Dream” spends a third week on top of the Billboard Album charts, moving 582,000 copies of her debut effort. In three weeks, “Dream” has sold a mind-boggling 1.8 million records. It is currently the fourth biggest selling album of 2009 and has a chance to catch Taylor Swift for the #1 crown with 2 weeks left.
As has been custom these past couple weeks, Italian singer Andrea Bocelli holds down the #2 spot with “My Christmas”. 400,000 copies slide across store shelves this week, giving Bocelli a grand total of 1.5 million sold in just six weeks.
The week’s top debut? The second volume of songs from the hit television show “Glee”. A collection of remade popular favorites from the likes of Kelly Clarkson, this soundtrack moved 173,000 copies to land at the #3 spot overall and also dislodges Michael Jackson’s “This is It” from the #1 spot on the Soundtrack charts after a six week run.
Other folks who put albums out last week are probably not as in the mood to celebrate as the “Glee” cast. Last week’s most high-profile debut was Chris Brown’s “Graffiti”. The album manages to come in at #7 with 107,000 copies sold. Not a bad amount, and it is the week’s biggest selling R&B album, but it’s also 1/3 of what his previous album, “Exclusive” sold in it’s first week. It’s also just a little more than half of what Rihanna’s latest album sold in its’ first week. Brown doesn’t sport this week’s only disappointing debut. Snoop Dogg bows all the way down at #23 with his latest, “Malice N Wonderland”, and Timbaland’s “Shock Value II” slides in at a lowly #36. The albums sell 59,000 and 39,000 copies respectively. All I can say to those numbers is “Yowsa!!”
One of this season’s surprise strong sellers comes from Canadian teenager Justin Bieber, who probably has swiped a large chunk of Brown’s audience. The Usher protege’s debut EP “My World” hangs in at #8. It’s scanned just under 400,000 copies in four weeks of release. Couple a teen-friendly artist with an agreeable price, and chances are, you’ll have a hit. Just ask Miley Cyrus, whose “Time of Our Lives” EP sits down at #20 and becomes the 20th album this year to cross the million sales mark.
Next week’s big chart news will be the debut of the new Alicia Keys album. With the Boyle and Bocelli juggernauts at full speed and without a big radio single, I’d say the chances of Keys scoring a #1 debut are kinda slim. Will she score her fifth consecutive chart topper? Stay tuned and catch us next week with another Chart Chat column.
This week’s Top 20 albums:
1) Susan Boyle “I Dreamed a Dream”
2) Andrea Bocelli “My Christmas”
3) Glee Cast “Glee-The Music Vol. 2”
4) Taylor Swift “Fearless”
5) Carrie Underwood “Play On”
6) Lady GaGa “The Fame”
7) Chris Brown “Graffiti”
8) Justin Bieber “My World (EP)”
9) Michael Buble “Crazy Love”
10) Gucci Mane “The State vs. Radric Davis”
11) Glee Cast “Glee-The Music Vol. 1”
12) Michael Jackson “This is It”
13) Various Artists “Now 32”
14) Lady GaGa “The Fame: Monster (EP)”
15) Norah Jones “The Fall”
16) Josh Groban “Noel”
17) Jimmy Buffett “Buffett Hotel”
18) Soundtrack “Twilight: New Moon”
19) 30 Seconds to Mars “This is War”
20) Miley Cyrus “Time of Our Lives (EP)”