New albums from country star Alan Jackson and moody indie rock act Dashboard Confessional shake up the top of The Billboard 200 this week. Jackson’s “Greatest Hits Volume II” (Arista Nashville) and Dashboard’s “A Mark. A Mission. A Brand. A Scar” (Vagrant) respectively open at No. 1 and No. 2 on the chart.
Jackson’s second hits set sold 328,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan, to give the artist his second No. 1 on The Billboard 200 and the top spot on the Top Country Albums chart. It’s also his second strongest debut sales week.
Last year, Jackson’s “Drive” sold 423,000 copies in its first week, which bested the 318,000 copies his “Greatest Hits Collection” sold in its initial week in 1995. That compilation has sold 5.1 million units to date, while “Drive” has steered its way to 3.3 million. The new collection features “It’s Five O’Clock Somewhere,” Jackson’s hit duet with Jimmy Buffet that has been logging time on top of Billboard’s Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart.
“A Mark. A Mission. A Brand. A Scar,” meanwhile, sold 122,000 copies, easily the Chris Carrabba-led act’s best week on The Billboard 200. Previously, the group has not sat higher than No. 108 on the tally, a peak reached by 2001’s “The Places You Have Come To Fear the Most.” To date, that album has sold 424,000 copies.
Consistent touring that has included well-placed slots on a number of major radio station-sponsored festivals, and constant exposure on MTV2 has helped Dashboard Confessional shed its cult status. Current single “Hands Down” is No. 23 on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks tally.
Although Universal’s Interscope Records has a 49% stake in Vagrant, the Santa Monica, Calif.-based label is distributed by independent TVT, which qualifies “A Mark…” for Billboard’s Independent Albums chart, where it arrives at No. 1.
After four weeks at the top of The Billboard 200, the Bad Boy/Universal soundtrack to “Bad Boys II” drops to No. 3. Even with sales of the set down 12%, the set posted its fifth consecutive 100,000-plus sales week with 107,000 copies.
Boasting collaborations from top rappers, “Bad Boys II” has spawned a hit in “Shake Ya Tailfeather” by Nelly, P. Diddy and Murphy Lee. On the Top 40 Mainstream chart published by Billboard’s sister publication Airplay Monitor, the track moves into a new peak position as it jumps 7-3.
Despite a 5% slip in sales to 71,000 copies, Beyoncé’s “Crazy in Love” (Columbia) moves up one to No. 4 on The Billboard 200. Lead single “Dangerously in Love” featuring Jay-Z has already logged seven weeks atop Billboard’s Hot 100.
“State Property Presents the Chain Gang Vol. II” (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam),” the second album from hip-hop supergroup State Property, lands at No. 6 on The Billboard 200 with sales of 69,000 units. Comprised of members of the Roc-A-Fella label, the group features Beanie Sigel, Freeway, Young Gunz, Peedi Crakk and Oschino & Sparks. State Property’s self-titled 2002 debut, a companion to the film of the same name, entered at No. 14 with sales of 52,000 copies, and has sold 288,000 to date.
Falling two slots to No. 7 is the debut Capitol effort from Chingy, “Right Thurr.” In its fifth week on the tally, sales slipped about 2% to 66,000 copies. Parking right behind it thanks to a 2-8 fall is the 13th volume in the “NOW That’s What I Call Music” series (Universal/EMI/Zomba/Sony). Sales of that set dropped 21% to 64,500 copies.
“Come Away With Me,” the Blue Note/Capitol debut from Norah Jones, dips 7-9 on a 5% sales drop to 57,000 copies.
Rounding out the top-10 with a seven-position jump is the Disney soundtrack to “The Lizzie McGuire Movie,” on sales that were up 55% to 56,000 copies. The album features the single “So Yesterday” by the film’s star Hilary Duff, which has spent the last few weeks in the middle of the Hot 100.
Other notable entries on The Billboard 200 include Razor & Tie’s “Kidz Bop 4” collection (No. 14), Lynyrd Skynyrd’s two-disc Universal hits set “Thyrty” (No. 16) and the metal-leaning Roadrunner soundtrack to “Freddy Vs. Jason” (No. 25).
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