Three debuts crash into the upper echelon of The Billboard 200 this week, with Eminem’s “Curtain Call: The Hits” (Aftermath) leading the charge. The retrospective, which includes three new tracks, sold nearly 441,000 units in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Earlier this month, it debuted at No. 1 on the U.K. album chart after just two days of sales.
“Curtain Call” is rapper’s fourth No. 1 on The Billboard 200 in a row. “When I’m Gone,” one of the new tracks, is expected to remain in the Hot 100 top 20 this week after reaching No. 8 last week.
Lil’ Wayne’s fifth studio album, “Tha Carter II” (Cash Money), earns the rapper his largest first-week sales tally to date with 240,000 copies and debuts at No. 2 on The Billboard 200 and No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The set’s lead single, “Fireman,” is No. 20 this week on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs tally.
Right behind at No. 3 is Korn’s “See You on the Other Side,” which shifted 220,000 units. The band’s Virgin debut is its seventh consecutive top 10 album and features the single “Twisted Transistor,” which is No. 5 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock chart.
In its sixth week on the chart, the “Now 20” hits compilation from BMG/Zomba/EMI/UME falls 1-4, despite a 26% increase in sales at 200,000 units. Carrie Underwood’s “Some Hearts” (Arista) is No. 5 with 174,000 copies (+13%), down from No. 3 last week. The BNA set “The Road and the Radio” by Kenny Chesney falls 4-6 despite a 22% sales increase to 168,000 units.
Nickelback’s “All the Right Reasons” (Roadrunner) climbs 9-7 thanks to a 45% increase to sales of 152,000, while Mariah Carey’s “The Emancipation of Mimi” (Island Def Jam) falls 7-8 on sales of 151,000 units (+38%) in its 35th week on the chart. The Black Eyed Peas’ “Monkey Business” (A&M) returns to the top 10, rising 11-9 on a 51% boost to 143,000 copies. Enya’s “Amarantine” rounds out the top tier at No. 10 after slipping from No. 6, selling 139,000 copies (+21%).
Only two other records debuted in the top 50 this week, with Lindsay Lohan’s second Casablanca effort, “A Little More Personal (Raw)” moving 82,000 units to open at No. 20 and T-Pain’s “Rappa Ternt Sanga” (Konvict Muzik/Jive/Zomba) selling 47,000 to land at No. 40.
CD sales were up by 24% from last week at 19.2 million units, but down 10% compared to the same week a year ago. At 544 million units, sales in 2005 lag behind 2004 by 12%.
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