Prince’s “Planet Earth” debuts at No. 3 on The Billboard 200 as the “Now 25” album holds at No. 1 and the “Hairspray” soundtrack moves up to No. 2 … Billy Ray Cyrus returns to the top 20 of The Billboard 200 for the first time since 1993 as “Home at Last” debuts at No. 20. His daughter Miley is still going strong at No. 4 with the “Hannah Montana 2/Meet Miley Cyrus” album … Other debuts this week on The Billboard 200 include new efforts from Sum 41, Yung Berg, Barlowgirl, Marc Anthony, Evans Blue, Tegan & Sara, Hanson, Garbage, Silverchair, the Yeah Yeah Yeahs and the soundtrack to “The Simpsons Movie” … We also have news on Kanye West going Punk, Against Me! thrashing the Alternative/Modern Rock radio chart, new act the Last Goodnight saying hello to the Billboard charts for the first time and the return of the one and only Chubby Checker.
FLASH POINTS
• While the “Now 25” album stays put at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 (149,000; down 33%), the “Hairspray” soundtrack zips up two slots to No. 2 (101,000; up 41%) and Prince bows at No. 3 with “Planet Earth” selling 96,000 copies. It’s his lucky 13th top 10 album and his third studio set in a row to debut in the top three. 2004’s “Musicology” (aided by the “go to his concert, get an album” offer) started at No. 3 with 191,000, and 2006’s “3121” bowed at No. 1 with 183,000. Overall, “Planet Earth” is his 34th album to reach The Billboard 200, dating back to the Oct. 28, 1978, entrance of “For You.” He earned his first top 10 album with “1999” in May 1983 … On the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, “Planet Earth” debuts at No. 1, giving the artist his fourth chart-topper on that tally … “Planet Earth” was initially unavailable as a digital album, though it will soon bow via digital retailers … In the United Kingdom, 3 million copies of the new album were distributed free with the purchase of the July 15 edition of the Daily Mail. Columbia Records, which released the album in the United States, was originally slated to issue the set in the United Kingdom as well. However, once Columbia became aware of the free giveaway plans — which were not initially shared with the company — the label declined to distribute the album in the United Kingdom.
• Sum 41 notches its fifth charting set on The Billboard 200 as “Underclass Hero” bows at No. 7 with 45,000. The rock group’s last effort, 2004’s “Chuck,” started at No. 10 with 66,000. On radio airwaves, the new album was led by its title track, which peaked at No. 34 on the Alternative/Modern Rock airplay chart. The band played “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” July 24, the album’s release date. Additionally, consumers who bought the album at Circuit City or through walmart.com received samplers of new and developing acts like Monty Are I, Young Love and PlayRadioPlay! … Miley Cyrus’ dad, Billy Ray Cyrus, joins her in The Billboard 200’s top 20 as the latter’s new album “Home at Last” debuts at No. 20 with 28,000. It also starts at No. 3 on Top Country Albums. It’s the first time Billy Ray has been in the top 20 of The Billboard 200 since 1993’s “It Won’t Be the Last” peaked at No. 3. The elder Cyrus of course topped The Billboard 200 for 17 weeks with his 1992 debut album, “Some Gave All.”
• New rapper Yung Berg debuts at No. 32 with “Almost Famous (The Sexy Lady EP)” selling 20,000 units. The six-track release includes his “Sexy Lady” single, which peaked at No. 12 on the Rhythmic Top 40 radio chart … Marc Anthony’s soundtrack to his film “El Cantante” debuts at No. 33 on The Billboard 200 and at No. 1 on Top Latin Albums and Tropical Albums. It’s his sixth No. 1 on Latin Albums and seventh chart-topper on the tropical list. The film stars Anthony as late salsa singer Hector Lavoe and Anthony’s real-life wife, Jennifer Lopez, as Lavoe’s wife … Tegan & Sara grace The Billboard 200 for the first time as “The Con” bows at No. 34 with 19,000 … Christian act Barlowgirl starts at No. 40 with “How Can We Be Silent,” shifting 18,000. The trio’s last album, “Another Journal Entry,” debuted at No. 85 with 13,000 … Rock band Evans Blue starts at No. 44 with its second album, “The Pursuit Begins When This Portrayal of Life Ends” (17,000). The album contains the hit single “The Pursuit” (No. 18 on Mainstream Rock) and a cover of Tori Amos’ “Caught a Lite Sneeze.” The band’s debut set, “The Melody and the Energetic Nature of Volume,” peaked at No. 106 on The Billboard 200 last year.
• Other debuts on The Billboard 200 this week include Hanson’s “The Walk” (No. 56; 12,000), Garbage’s “Absolute Garbage” greatest-hits set (No. 68; 11,000), Silverchair’s “Young Modern” (No. 70; 11,000), Yeah Yeah Yeahs’ “Is Is (EP)” (No. 72; 10,000), the “Monsters of Rock: Platinum Edition” compilation (No. 77; 9,000), the various-artists compilation “Los Vaqueros 2: Wild Wild Mixes” (No. 104; 7,000), Dutch rock band Within Temptation’s “The Heart of Everything” (No. 106; 7,000), the soundtrack to “The Simpsons Movie” (No. 108; 7,000) and the Doors’ “Live in Boston” (No. 145; 5,000).
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The Billboard 200 Sales data provided and compiled from Nielsen SoundScan |
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| 1 | 1 | VARIOUS ARTISTS NOW 25 (Universal / EMI / Sony BMG / Zomba / UMRG) | 11 | 9 | NICKELBACK All The Right Reasons (Roadrunner ) |
| *2 | 4 | SOUNDTRACK Hairspray (New Line ) | 12 | 10 | BON JOVI Lost Highway (Mercury / Island / UMGN/IDJMG) |
| *3 | New | PRINCE Planet Earth (NPG / Columbia / Sony Music) | 13 | 15 | TAYLOR SWIFT Taylor Swift (Big Machine ) |
| 4 | 2 | MILEY CYRUS Hannah Montana 2 (Soundtrack)/Meet Miley Cyrus (Walt Disney / Hollywood ) | 14 | 16 | RIHANNA Good Girl Gone Bad (SRP / Def Jam / IDJMG) |
| 5 | 3 | T.I. T.I. Vs T.I.P. (Grand Hustle / Atlantic / AG) | 15 | 11 | KELLY CLARKSON My December (RCA / RMG) |
| *6 | 6 | FERGIE The Dutchess (will.i.am / A&M / Interscope / IGA) | 16 | 17 | BRAD PAISLEY 5th Gear (Arista Nashville / SBN) |
| *7 | New | SUM 41 Underclass Hero (Island / IDJMG) | 17 | 18 | MAROON 5 It Won’t Be Soon Before Long (A&M / Octone / IGA) |
| 8 | 7 | LINKIN PARK Minutes To Midnight (Machine Shop / Warner Bros.) | 18 | 14 | THE WHITE STRIPES Icky Thump (Third Man / Warner Bros.) |
| 9 | 8 | AMY WINEHOUSE Back To Black (Universal Republic / UMRG) | 19 | 19 | T-PAIN Epiphany (Konvict / Nappy Boy / Jive / Zomba) |
| *10 | 21 | PLAIN WHITE T’S Every Second Counts (Fearless / Hollywood) | *20 | New | BILLY RAY CYRUS Home At Last (Walt Disney ) |
| * indicates titles with greatest sales gains this week | |||||
MARKET WATCH
• Album units, current chart week: 7.97 million units
• DOWN 1.8% from last issue’s charts: 8.11 million units
• DOWN 12.7% from same week, 2006: 9.13 million units
• This week: The top two albums sell more than 100,000 copies.
• This week last year on The Billboard 200: former Destiny’s Child member LeToya debuted at No. 1 with her self-titled debut, selling 165,000. The “Now 25” album slipped to No. 2 with 151,000 while new albums from Pharrell and Tom Petty bowed at Nos. 3 and 4, respectively. The top four albums sold more than 100,000 units.
BORDERLINES
• The No. 200 album this week, Christian Castro’s “El Indomable” (Universal Latino), sold 4,000.
• The No. 200 album for the same week of 2006, Guster’s “Ganging Up on the Sun” (Reprise/Warner Bros.), sold 4,000.
• Average total of the No. 200 album for the same week of the year during the past 10 years (1998-2007): 5,729.
PROGRESS REPORTS
• Kanye West’s “Stronger” enters the CHR/Top 40 airplay chart at No. 38. It’s his seventh title to chart, though only one previous track, 2005’s “Gold Digger,” reached the top 10. It ultimately spent two weeks at No. 1 on the chart. On The Billboard Hot 100, it spent a whopping 10 weeks atop the tally. “Stronger,” which samples Daft Punk’s No. 3 Hot Dance Club Play hit “Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger,” also climbs 21-17 on the Rhythmic Top 40 chart. It’s the first single from his third album, “Graduation,” which drops Sept. 11 … 50 Cent’s new album will also be released Sept. 11. His latest single, “Ayo Technology,” which features Justin Timberlake and Timbaland, debuts at No. 32 on the Rhythmic Top 40 chart. Elsewhere on the Rhythmic list, Timberlake scores his 12th chart hit with “Lovestoned,” which debuts at No. 39, while Elliott Yamin starts at No. 40 with “Wait for You.”
• Against Me! earns its first ink on any singles chart this week, as “Thrash Unreal” debuts at No. 37 on the Alternative/Modern Rock chart. The song garnered 1.9 million in radio audience for the week ending July 29 — 38% of that came from KROQ Los Angeles, which played the song 17 times last week … Virgin band the Last Goodnight debuts for the first time on any Billboard chart, as its single “Pictures of You,” starts at No. 40 on the Hot AC/Adult Top 40 chart. It’s the first single from the band’s major-label debut, “Poison Kiss,” which will be released Aug. 28. Radio stations leading the charge with the single include WNKS Charlotte, N.C. (27 plays for the week; 169,000 in audience), and WEZB New Orleans (25 spins and 129,000 in audience).
• Chubby Checker makes his first appearance on a radio airplay-based chart in 25 years as “Knock Down the Walls” debuts at No. 30 on the Adult Contemporary chart. Checker hasn’t been on an airplay-based chart since 1982, when “Harder Than Diamond” peaked at No. 33 on Mainstream Rock chart … While Checker last reached any Billboard chart in 2003 with “Limbo Rock” (credited to Chubby C), that single only hit our singles sales charts — not a radio airplay list … “Knock Down the Walls” is also his first appearance on the Adult Contemporary chart … Checker is best-known for his massive hit single “The Twist.” It went to No. 1 on The Billboard Hot 100 on two different occasions — first in 1960 for one week and then again 1962 for two weeks. His other top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hits are “Pony Time” (No. 1 in 1961), “Let’s Twist Again” (No. 8 in 1961), “The Fly” (No. 7 in 1961), “Slow Twistin'” (No. 3 in 1962), “Limbo Rock” (No. 2 in 1962) and “Popeye the Hitchhiker” (No. 10 in 1962).
| Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums Sales data provided and compiled from Nielsen SoundScan |
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| *1 | New | PRINCE Planet Earth (NPG / Columbia / Sony Music) | |||
| 2 | 1 | T.I. T.I. Vs T.I.P. (Grand Hustle / Atlantic / AG) | |||
| 3 | 2 | VARIOUS ARTISTS NOW 25 (Universal / EMI / Sony BMG / Zomba / UMRG) | |||
| 4 | 3 | T-PAIN Epiphany (Konvict / Nappy Boy / Jive / Zomba) | |||
| *5 | New | YUNG BERG Almost Famous: The Sexy Lady EP (Yung Boss / Koch / Epic / Sony Music) | |||
| *6 | 6 | NE-YO Because Of You (Def Jam / IDJMG) | |||
| 7 | 4 | FABOLOUS From Nothin’ To Somethin’ (Desert Storm / Def Jam / IDJMG) | |||
| 8 | 5 | R. KELLY Double Up (Jive / Zomba) | |||
| 9 | 7 | RIHANNA Good Girl Gone Bad (SRP / Def Jam / IDJMG) | |||
| 10 | 8 | AMY WINEHOUSE Back To Black (Universal Republic / UMRG) | |||
| * indicates titles with greatest sales gains this week | |||||
| Top Country Albums Sales data provided and compiled from Nielsen SoundScan |
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| 1 | 1 | TAYLOR SWIFT Taylor Swift (Big Machine ) | |||
| 2 | 2 | BRAD PAISLEY 5th Gear (Arista Nashville / SBN) | |||
| *3 | New | BILLY RAY CYRUS Home At Last (Walt Disney ) | |||
| 4 | 4 | CARRIE UNDERWOOD Some Hearts (Arista / Arista Nashville / RMG) | |||
| 5 | 3 | TOBY KEITH Big Dog Daddy (Show Dog Nashville ) | |||
| 6 | 5 | TIM MCGRAW Let It Go (Curb ) | |||
| 7 | 6 | BIG & RICH Between Raising Hell And Amazing Grace (Warner Bros. / WRN) | |||
| 8 | 7 | RASCAL FLATTS Me And My Gang (Lyric Street / Hollywood) | |||
| 9 | 8 | JASON ALDEAN Relentless (Broken Bow ) | |||
| *10 | 10 | SUGARLAND Enjoy The Ride (Mercury / UMGN) | |||
| * indicates titles with greatest sales gains this week | |||||
| Top Heatseekers Sales data provided and compiled from Nielsen SoundScan |
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| *1 | New | WITHIN TEMPTATION The Heart Of Everything (Roadrunner ) | |||
| 2 | 5 | PETER BJORN AND JOHN Writer’s Block (AlmostGold ) | |||
| *3 | New | THE RED CHORD Prey For Eyes (Metal Blade ) | |||
| 4 | 3 | A FINE FRENZY One Cell In The Sea (Virgin ) | |||
| 5 | 6 | BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE The Poison (Trustkill ) | |||
| *6 | New | JOSE LUIS PERALES Y Como Es El? …Los Exitos (Discos 605 / Sony BMG Norte) | |||
| *7 | 11 | EMERSON DRIVE Countrified (Montage / Midas) | |||
| *8 | 14 | SICK PUPPIES Dressed Up As Life (RMR / Virgin) | |||
| 9 | 1 | EDITORS An End Has A Start (Fader / Kitchenware / Epic) | |||
| 10 | 2 | BEHEMOTH The Apostasy (Century Media ) | |||
| * indicates titles with greatest sales gains this week | |||||
| Top Pop Catalog Albums Sales data provided and compiled from Nielsen SoundScan |
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| 1 | 1 | TIM MCGRAW Greatest Hits (Curb ) | |||
| *2 | 3 | MICHAEL BUBLE It’s Time (143 / Reprise / Warner Bros.) | |||
| 3 | 2 | GUNS N’ ROSES Greatest Hits (Geffen / IGA) | |||
| 4 | 4 | JOURNEY Journey’s Greatest Hits (Legacy / Columbia / Sony Music) | |||
| 5 | 6 | ORIGINAL BROADWAY CAST RECORDING Wicked (Decca Broadway / Universal Classics Group) | |||
| 6 | 5 | KELLY CLARKSON Breakaway (RCA / RMG) | |||
| *7 | New | WEBBIE Savage Life (Trill / Asylum) | |||
| 8 | 9 | BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND Greatest Hits (Capitol ) | |||
| 9 | 7 | BON JOVI Cross Road (Mercury / UMe) | |||
| *10 | 13 | MICHAEL BUBLE Michael Buble (143 / Reprise / Warner Bros.) | |||
| * indicates titles with greatest sales gains this week | |||||
A LOOK AHEAD
• Among the titles released this week, due on next week’s charts: Kidz Bop Kids’ “Kidz Bop 12,” Sean Kingston’s “Sean Kingston,” Common’s “Finding Forever,” Korn’s “Untitled,” Josh Rouse’s “Country Mouse City House,” the Starting Line’s “Direction,” Saving Jane’s “One Girl Revolution,” Guru’s “Jazzmatazz Vol. 4,” the Baby Einstein Music Box Orchestra’s “Baby Einstein: Baby Mozart 2” and Mandisa’s “True Beauty.”
• Next week’s Billboard 200 competes with the same week in 2006 when: the “Now 22” collection climbed back to No. 1, despite a 16% drop in sales. Nos. 2-3 hosted new entries from DMX, Kidz Bop Kids and Stone Sour. Additionally, Five for Fighting bowed at No. 8 with “Two Lights” (52,000). The top three albums sold more than 100,000 units.