After debuting a week ago at No. 2, Jamie Foxx’s “Unpredictable” rises to the top of The Billboard 200. The J Records set makes the upward move despite a 67% slip to sales of 200,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen Soundscan.
“Unpredictable” is the first album to ascend to the top without having debuted at No. 1 since February 2005, when Ray Charles’ “Genius Loves Company” (Hear Music/Concord) pulled off the feat. Foxx also becomes the fourth artist to have won an Academy Award for acting (ironically for his portrayal of Charles in “Ray”) and achieved a No. 1 album.
In typical post-holiday fashion, nearly every album on The Billboard 200 saw a decrease in sales in the final week of 2005. Overall sales dipped 50% compared to the previous week at 17 million units. Sales were up 5% compared to the same week in 2004, but the year’s sales ended down 9% compared to the previous at 619 million units.
As Foxx’s album rises to No. 1, Mary J. Blige’s “The Breakthrough” (Geffen) falls to No. 2 a week after debuting on top. Sales decreased by 74% at 193,000 copies.
Eminem’s Shady/Aftermath/Interscope retrospective “Curtain Call: The Hits” climbs 4-3 at 186,000 units (-57%), switching places with the Notorious B.I.G.’s “Duets: The Final Chapter” at 150,000 units (-66%). “American Idol” winner Carrie Underwood’s “Some Hearts” stays put at No. 5 with 135,000 (-66%), while the 20th volume in the BMG/Zomba/EMI/UME “NOW That’s What I Call Music!” hits compilation series rises 7-6 with 104,000 units (-63%) and Nickelback’s “All the Right Reasons” (Roadrunner) ascends 9-7 with 103,000 copies (-61%).
In its 38th week on the chart, Mariah Carey’s “The Emancipation of Mimi” (Island Def Jam) falls 6-8 on a 65% drop in sales to 102,000 copies. Although the album ranked fourth in the context of Billboard’s 2005 chart year, which ended in November, “Mimi” was the best seller within the calendar year, according to Nielsen SoundScan, moving slightly less than 4.97 million copies.
Black Eyed Peas’ “Monkey Business” re-enters the top tier with an 11-9 move based on sales of 98,000 copies (-56%), while Chris Brown finishes out the top 10 as his self-titled Jive album rises 12-10 with sales of 90,000 (-57%).
A slow week for new releases translates into a slow week for debuts, with Ying Yang Twins’ “U.S.A. Still United” (TVT) as The Billboard 200’s top entry at No. 45, and the sole title to bow in the top half of the tally. The CD/DVD set features remixes and videos of some tracks from the duo’s “U.S.A. (United State of Atlanta)” (which re-enters the album chart at No. 176) plus a handful of new songs.
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