Usher's 'Confessions' Album Hits 10 Million in U.S. Sales
Usher's 2004 "Confessions" album hits a milestone sales achievement this week, surpassing 10 million in U.S. sales according to Nielsen SoundScan.
The feat is notable in that it is only the 19th album to sell 10 million since SoundScan began tracking data in 1991. In the week ending July 1, "Confessions" sold another 2,000 copies, bringing its overall sum just over the 10 million mark.
Previous to "Confessions," the last album to sell 10 million was Eminem's "The Eminem Show," which was released in 2002 and crossed the threshold in the sales week that ended Oct. 2, 2011.
Among all albums in the SoundScan era, the highest seller is Metallica's "Metallica," with 15.8 million. Shania Twain's "Come On Over" is in second place with 15.5 million and Alanis Morissette's "Jagged Little Pill" is in third with 14.8 million.
"Confessions," first released on March 23, 2004, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart with 1.1 million sold in its first week. It is one of only 17 albums to sell 1 million in a single week. "Confessions" spent nine weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and contains the hit singles "Yeah!," "Burn" and "Confessions Part II." All three of those reached No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart.
| Albums With 10 Million in U.S. Sales, 1991-Present | |||
| Artist | Title (Year) | Sales To Date* | |
| 1 | Metallica | Metallica (1991) | 15.79 million |
| 2 | Shania Twain | Come On Over (1997) | 15.52 million |
| 3 | Alanis Morissette | Jagged Little Pill (1995) | 14.75 million |
| 4 | Backstreet Boys | Millennium (1999) | 12.19 million |
| 5 | The Beatles | 1 (2000) | 12.07 million |
| 6 | Whitney Houston/ Soundtrack | The Bodyguard (1992) | 12.03 million |
| 7 | Santana | Supernatural (1999) | 11.73 million |
| 8 | Creed | Human Clay (1999) | 11.59 million |
| 9 | 'N Sync | No Strings Attached (2000) | 11.13 million |
| 10 | Bob Marley & the Wailers | Legend (1984) | 11.06 million** |
| 11 | Norah Jones | Come Away With Me (2002) | 10.85 million |
| 12 | Celine Dion | Falling Into You (1996) | 10.79 million |
| 13 | Eminem | The Marshall Mathers LP (2000) | 10.61 million |
| 14 | Britney Spears | . . .Baby One More Time (1999) | 10.55 million |
| 15 | Hootie & the Blowfish | Cracked Rear View (1994) | 10.27 million |
| 16 | Soundtrack | Titanic (1997) | 10.17 million |
| 17 | Backstreet Boys | Backstreet Boys (1997) | 10.12 million |
| 18 | Eminem | The Eminem Show (2002) | 10.08 million |
| 19 | Usher | Confessions (2004) | 10.00 million |
| *SOURCE: NIELSEN SOUNDSCAN, sales through the week ending July 1, 2012 **11.06 million between 1991-present; earlier sales not included | |||