Album Chart: 50 Cent won’t cash out of top slot
Consumers seem to have spent more time watching CNN last week than buying records, but despite an almost across-the-board drop in sales, 50 Cent’s “Get Rich or Die Tryin’” manages to hold on to No. 1.
Consumers seem to have spent more time watching CNN last week than buying records, but despite an almost across-the-board drop in sales, 50 Cent’s “Get Rich or Die Tryin’” manages to hold on to No. 1.
With a one-week tally of about 234,000 copies sold, down from about 279,000, “Get Rich or Die Tryin’” will spend its third consecutive week--and fifth overall week--in the top slot on the Billboard 200 album chart, according to industry sources. After seven weeks in stores, the album has now sold just over 3.5 million copies.
Norah Jones and R. Kelly also stay put, with Jones’ Grammy-winning “Come Away with Me” locked at No. 2 with sales of about 176,000 copies--down from about 243,000 copies--and R. Kelly’s “Chocolate Factory” in again at No. 3 with sales of about 105,000, a drop of about 24,000 copies.
Pre-Oscar hype helped the “Chicago” soundtrack gain some ground, making it one of only two albums in the Top 10 to do so; the set climbs from No. 6 to No. 4 with sales of about 96,000 copies, up from about 94,000.
Also moving up the chart is Evanescence’s debut set “Fallen,” which, despite a sales dip of about 7,000 copies, climbs four places to No. 5 with sales of about 85,000 copies; and Kid Rock’s “Cocky,” which climbs two places to No. 6 despite a tally of about 78,000 copies, a drop of roughly 15,000.
While the war in Iraq was likely a significant indirect force in slowing album sales, the Dixie Chicks seem to have gotten more directly impacted by the conflict; the trio’s “Home” experienced a drop in sales from about 124,000 copies to about 72,000 copies during the first full week following singer Natalie Maines’ anti-Bush comment at a London concert. A subsequent brouhaha saw many country radio stations and fans boycott the group’s music, leaving the album down three places to No. 7.
In at No. 8 is Fabolous’ “Street Dreams, “ which slips only one spot despite a drop in sales of 27,000 copies.
After 19 weeks in stores, Sean Paul’s “Dutty Rock” makes its first appearance in the Top 10, scraping its way up to No. 9 from No. 12 despite a sales drop of about 3,000 copies.
Closing out the Top 10, and marking the group’s only other gainer this week, is the Eminem-heavy “8 Mile” soundtrack, which leaps from No. 29 to No. 10. The album’s sales climbed from about 36,000 copies to about 55,000in the wake of the film’s release on home video.
The exposure also helped “The Eminem Show,” which jumps six places to No. 12.
A sparse group of debuts happening outside the Top 10 includes (Hed) Planet Earth’s “Blackout” at No. 33, the Allman Brothers’ “Hittin’ the Note” at No. 37, the “Atticus ... Dragging the Lake II” compilation at No. 51, Mr. Cheeks’ “Back Again!” at No. 75 and Stephen Malkmus’ “Pig Lib” at No. 97.
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