Groban, Blige Enjoy Huge Weeks On Album Chart

 

December 27, 2007, 10:20 AM ET

Chris M. Walsh, N.Y.

 

Josh Groban's "Noel" (143/Reprise) this week becomes the first Christmas album to top The Billboard 200 for five straight weeks, after moving 757,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

 

Groban's total, which was up 13% from last week, helped hold off hefty competition from Mary J. Blige's "Growing Pains" (Geffen), the only debut to crack the top 10 this week. The R&B star's ninth album landed at No. 2 and shifted 629,000 copies.

 

Despite a whopping 62% sales spike, Alicia Keys' "As I Am" (J) slips 2-3 in its sixth week on the chart, selling 474,000. The Eagles' "Long Road Out of Eden" (Eagles Recording Co.) also slides down one spot to No. 4 with 313,000 (+30%). Moving 260,000 copies, Miley Cyrus' Disney double-disc set "Hannah Montana 2 (Soundtrack)/Meet Miley Cyrus" jumps 7-5 thanks to a 46% sales increase from the previous week.

 

The "Now 26" multi-label hits compilation slides 4-6, pulling in 235,000 copies (+22%) in its sixth week of release. Arista Nashville artist Carrie Underwood jumps to slots to No. 7 with "Carnival Ride," on a 57% increase to 216,000. Big Machine artist Taylor Swift remained at No. 8 with her self-titled debut, selling 187,000 (+35%).

 

Disney's "High School Musical 2" fell 6-9 on 185,000 copies sold (+4%) and Jive artist Chris Brown rounded out the top 10 after a 65% leap to 176,000 for "Exclusive."

 

After an 11-5 jump last week, Mannheim Steamroller's American Gramophone set "Christmas Song" stumbles to No. 14 with 151,000, a 16% fall. The set was only one of three releases in the top 50 to post fewer sales this week from last. The other two were Bow Wow & Omarion's "Face Off" (T.U.G./Columbia) -- last week's top debut -- which fell 11-29 to 83,000 (-22%), and "Audio Day Dream" (Arista/J) from "American Idol" alum Blake Lewis, which drifted 32-44 and sold 55,000 (-4%).

 

Other debuts this week include Jaheim's Atlantic debut "The Makings of a Man," which moved 176,000 at No. 11, Lupe Fiasco's sophomore Atlantic effort "Lupe Fiasco's The Cool" at No. 15 on 143,000 and "The Fight of My Life" (Gospocentric) from gospel artist Kirk Franklin, new at No. 33 (74,000)

 

Sales during the pre-holiday week were 25.57 million units, a 42% over last week, but lagged behind the same week in 2006 by 18% (31.26 million).

Billboard 200

 

01 01 11 Josh Groban, Noel 757,000

02 NE 01 Mary J. Blige, Growing Pains 629,000

03 02 06 Alicia Keys, As I Am 474,000

04 03 08 Eagles, Long Road Out Of Eden 313,000

05 07 26 Miley Cyrus, Hannah Montana 2 (Soundtrack)/Meet Miley Cyrus 260,000

06 04 06 Various Artists, NOW 26 235,000

07 09 09 Carrie Underwood, Carnival Ride 216,000

08 08 61 Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift 187,000

09 06 19 Soundtrack, High School Musical 2 185,000

10 12 07 Chris Brown, Exclusive 176,000

11 NE 01 Jaheim, The Makings Of A Man 176,000

12 10 07 Garth Brooks, The Ultimate Hits

13 13 13 Rascal Flatts, Still Feels Good

14 05 11 Mannheim Steamroller, Christmas Song 151,000

15 NE 01 Lupe Fiasco, Lupe Fiasco's The Cool 143,000

16 14 06 Led Zeppelin, Mothership

17 17 23 Colbie Caillat, Coco

18 15 06 Céline Dion, Taking Chances

19 20 59 Sugarland, Enjoy The Ride

20 16 20 Jonas Brothers, Jonas Brothers

 

29 11 02 Bow Wow & Omarion, Face Off 83,000

33 NE 01 Kirk Franklin, The Fight Of My Life 74,000

44 32 03 Blake Lewis, Audio Day Dream 55,000

56 NE 01 Soundtrack, Sweeney Todd 47,000

68 NE 01 Various Artists, WWE Raw's Greatest Hits 40,000

84 NE 01 Chingy, Hate It Or Love It 31,000

 

Here's what I could find of the Billboard chart right now.

Wow HUGE sales! :o Josh Groban is selling crazily well.

 

PS: This is my 1000th post! :cheer:

Edited December 27, 200717 yr by superbossanova

I think the whole top 20 sold over 100k this past week! :o

No Blackout numbers yet :( :???: