IN THE NEWS:
Eminem is the first artist to register two top-selling albums of the year since the inception of Nielsen SoundScan in 1991. With "Recovery" selling 3.4 million copies in 2010, it outdistanced Lady Antebellum's "Need You Know," which came in second with 3.09 million sold. His "The Eminem Show" sold 7.6 million copies in 2002.
Taylor Swift held onto the No. 1 spot on the nation's album sales chart while Jamie Foxx and Keyshia Cole debuted in the top 10. It was Eminem, though, bolstered by an appearance on "Saturday Night Live," who made the biggest impression, doubling his sales from the previous week to return to the top 10.
With only a few days left in the Christmas buying season, Susan Boyle's "The Gift" has run away with the holiday music crown, selling 1.6 million copies through Dec. 19.
The new collection of previously unreleased Michael Jackson recordings, simply titled "Michael," sold 228,000 copies in its first week, according to data compiled by Nielsen SoundScan. The first posthumous Jackson release, "This Is It," debuted at No. 1 last year with sales of 373,000.
Susan Boyle's "The Gift" keeps on giving as it lays claim to a fourth week at No. 1, selling 243,000 copies in the week ending Sunday (12/12), according to data compiled by Nielsen SoundScan.
At the beginning of the year, concert ticket sales were slow out of the starting gate for the Black Eyed Peas. Eventually they recovered and started to post sold-out signs, a task they will need to repeat with their new album.
Kanye West secured the No. 1 slot on the nation's album sales chart, though it did not top the half-million sold mark, a number that had been widely predicted for "My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy."
Susan Boyle and Taylor Swift were the only artists to stay in the top 11 as a slate of rookie releases dominated the nation's album sales chart.
British singer Susan Boyle scored her second No. 1 as "The Gift" slid down the chimney to come in first place on the nation's album sales chart, selling 318,000 copies in the week ending Nov. 14, according to figures compiled by Nielsen SoundScan.
