In a massive week for new releases, OutKast’s two-CD set “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below” muscles out tough competition from Dave Matthews and Limp Bizkit to bow atop The Billboard 200. The Arista album sells a whopping 509,600 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan, to lead nine albums into the top-20.
For the Atlanta-based hip-hop duo of Big Boi and Andre 3000, “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below” represents the act’s second-strongest sales week on the chart. It’s an impressive feat, considering the two-disc package contains a solo album from each respective member.
Yet fans proved eager to follow the duo on its artistic detour, and the album, which was given an enticing price of $10 by some mass retailers, falls just short of the 526,000 copies “Stankonia” sold when it debuted in late 2000. The latter has since sold about 3.9 million units. Current single “The Way You Move,” from the Big Boi portion of the collection, is a top-30 hit on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.
At No. 2 is the first solo effort from Dave Matthews, “Some Devil” (RCA). The album sold 469,000 copies, which impressively puts it in the same league as the albums Matthews records with his long-time group. The Dave Matthews Band’s “Busted Stuff,” released in August 2002, bowed at No. 1 with 622,000 copies, and has sold 1.8 million to date.
The latest from hard rock act Limp Bizkit, “Results May Vary,” doesn’t come close to matching the first week sales total of 2000’s “Chocolate Starfish and the Hot Dog Flavored Water.” But the Geffen/Interscope release moved a mighty 325,000 copes to land at No. 3. The group’s previous album sold more than 1 million units when it debuted, and has since sold 6.5 million copies. The single “Eat You Alive” is at No. 22 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Tracks tally.
R. Kelly continues to remain unscathed by recent scandals. His “The R. in R&B Collection, Vol. 1” (Jive) arrives at No. 4 with 250,000 copies. The hits package follows closely on the heels of the artist’s “Chocolate Factory,” which debuted at No. 1 in February with 523,000 copies and has sold 2.2 million units to date.
Rapper Obie Trice, who received a production hand from Eminem on his Shady/Interscope debut, “Cheers,” enters at No. 5 with 226,000 copies. The single “Got Some Teeth” is No. 13 on Billboard’s Hot Rap Tracks chart.
The third effort from Canadian quartet Nickelback, “The Long Road” (Roadrunner), enters at No. 6 with 200,000 copies. This bests the first week of the band’s 2001 album “Silver Side Up,” which sold 178,000 units when it entered at No. 2. The latter has sold 4.7 million units to date. New single “Someday” is No. 2 on the Mainstream Rock Tracks chart.
Last week’s chart topper, DMX’s “Grand Champ” (Def Jam), falls to No. 7 in its second week on the chart. Sales are down 52% to 150,000 copies, bringing its two-week total to about 462,000 copies.
The first full-length from rapper Murphy Lee, “Murphy’s Law” (Universal), lands at No. 8 with 135,000 copies. The artist has been a guest on some high-profile releases, including the former Hot 100 No. 1 “Shake Ya Tailfeather.” Lee’s own “Wat Da Hook Gon Be” featuring Jermaine Dupri is No. 14 on Hot Rap Tracks.
John Mayer’s “Heavier Things” (Aware/Columbia) is able to hang in with all the new releases, falling 4-9. Sales are down only 10% to 123,000 copies, giving the album a three-week total of about 576,000 copies.
Teen star Hilary Duff rounds out the top-10 with her Buena Vista debut, “Metamorphosis.” The set falls 5-10 on a 7% sales dip to 117,000, giving each album in the top-10 a sales total higher than 100,000 units. To date, “Metamorphosis” has sold about 683,000 copies.
Rob Zombie’s hits set “Past, Present & Future” (Geffen) arrives just outside the top-10 at No. 11 with 94,000 copies. His 2001 album “The Sinister Urge” arrived at No. 8 with 150,000 copies.
Rock act Fuel enters at No. 15 with its latest, “Natural Selection” (Epic). The album sells 71,000 copies, besting the first week of its 2000 album “Something Like Human.” The latter entered at No. 17 and has sold 1.8 million to date.
Other notable entries on the chart include Anthony Hamilton’s “Comin’ From Where I’m From” (Arista) at No. 33 with 33,000 copies; Pantera’s “The Best of Pantera: Far Beyond the Great Southern Cowboys’ Vulgar Hits” (Elektra) at No. 38 with 29,000 copies; Baby Bash’s “The Smokin’ Nephew” (Universal) at No. 48 with 23,000 copies; and Elvis Costello’s “North” (Deutsche Grammophon) at No. 57 with 21,000 copies.
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