The “NOW That’s What I Call Music!” franchise reaches the summit of The Billboard 200 this week, for the second time in 2004. With U.S. sales of 407,000 units, according to Nielsen SoundScan, the 17th installment of the Sony BMG/Universal/EMI/Zomba/Capitol series towers over the rest of the chart with more than double the units of the No. 2 set.
In August, “NOW 16” grabbed the series its best opening sales week since 2001 with 504,000 copies. That set, which also bowed at No. 1, has sold 2.2 million to date.
A Perfect Circle grabs No. 2 with opening-week sales of 142,000 units for “eMOTIVe” (Virgin). The rock quintet also entered at No. 2 with last year’s “Thirteenth Step,” but enjoyed a better start with sales of 231,000.
Nelly’s “Suit” (Derrty/Fo’ Reel)jumps 5-3 despite a 10% fall from last week to 118,000.
Usher’s “Confessions” (LaFace/Zomba) rises 6-4 on a slight 1% boost to 115,000 copies. The WMG/Atlantic/Rhino soundtrack to “Ray” climbs 10-9 and earns the Greatest Gainer trophy for the second week in a row, on a 47% rise to 83,000 units.
Rod Stewart’s former No. 1 “Stardust…The Great American Songbook, Vol. 3” (J) slips 4-5 on a 23% decline to 103,000 copies.
George Strait’s “50 Number Ones” (MCA Nashville) rises 7-6 despite a 9% decline to 94,000 units, while Trick Daddy’s “Thug Matrimony: Married to the Streets” (Slip-N-Slide/Atlantic) tumbles 2-8 on a 44% sales drop to 81,000.
The lawsuit surrounding former tour partners Jay-Z and R. Kelly has soured sales of the duo’s second album collaboration, “Unfinished Business” (Jive/Def Jam/IDJMG). Last week’s chart-topper plummets to No. 10 this week on a 67% slide to 71,000 copies.
Ying Yang Twins’ “My Brother & Me” (ColliPark/TVT) debuts at No. 12 with 58,000 copies. The Atlanta rap duo fared slightly better with last year’s “Me & My Brother,” which entered at No. 11 with 62,000 and has sold 1 million so far.
Christian pop/punk act Relient K earns its highest chart position on The Billboard 200 and its best sales week ever with “MMHMM” (Gotee), which opens at No. 15 and sells 51,000 units. The group’s previous record, “Two Lefts Don’t Make a Right … But Three Do,” debuted at No. 38 last year on first-week sales of 30,000.
John Lennon and the Rolling Stones land new projects in the top 50 this week. Lennon’s Yoko Ono-produced collection of demos and home recordings, “Acoustic” (Capitol), lands at No. 31 with 28,000 units, while the Stones’ tour compilation “Live Licks” (EMI) enters at No. 50 with 20,000. Train’s concert set “Alive at Last” (Columbia) debuts at No. 48.
Overall U.S. album sales are up 4.3% from last week at 10.9 million units, but this is down 21% from the same week last year. However, sales for the year are still beating those of 2003 by 3.8%, at 517 million units.
