Jay-Z scores 10th U.S. chart-topper

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Jay-Z scored his 10th No. 1 album on the U.S. pop album charts Wednesday, a feat that ties the rapper with Elvis Presley in second place for the most trips to the top.

The Beatles lead with 19 chart-toppers, and the Rolling Stones are now fourth.

Jay-Z's "American Gangster" -- a disc inspired by the Denzel Washington-Russell Crowe gangster movie -- sold 425,000 copies in the week ended November 12, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Its tally fell far short of the 680,000-unit start for his previous release, "Kingdom Come," in November 2006.

Since 1998, all eight of Jay-Z's solo studio albums have hit No. 1, in addition to his "Collision Course" project with Linkin Park and his "Unfinished Business" collaboration with R. Kelly.

The Eagles' "Long Road Out of Eden," available mostly at Wal-Mart stores, slipped to No. 2 in its second week with 359,000 units.

Garth Brooks' "The Ultimate Hits" debuted at No. 3 with 352,000 units. Brooks' last studio set, 2001's "Scarecrow," debuted at No. 1 with 466,000. His only releases since then have been Wal-Mart exclusives and were thus not eligible to appear on The Billboard 200. (Billboard changed its rules last week, allowing the Eagles to top the chart.)

Teenaged R&B heartthrob Chris Brown started at No. 4 with his second album, "Exclusive," which sold 294,000 copies. His self-titled 2005 debut opened at No. 2 with 154,000.

Carrie Underwood's "Carnival Ride" fell two to No. 5 with 121,000, while Josh Groban's holiday album, "Noel" rose two to No. 6 with 116,000.

Britney Spears' "Blackout," denied a shot at the top after the Billboard rule change, tumbled five places to No. 7 with 87,000 in its second week.

Taylor Swift's self-titled debut soared 18 places to No. 8 with 68,000. The boost came from the album's DVD-enhanced reissue and her Horizon award for best newcomer at last week's Country Music Assn. Awards in Nashville.

Angels & Airwaves' second album, "I-Empire," began at No. 9 with 66,000. The band's first set, "We Don't Need To Whisper," bowed higher, at No. 4, with 127,000 in May 2006.

His first album since completing jail time and surviving a near-fatal car accident in 2006, rapper Cassidy's "B.A.R.S. The Barry Adrian Reese Story" opened at No. 10 with 63,000. His second album, 2005's "I'm a Hustla," started at No. 5 with 93,000.

Album sales were up 7.5% from last week at 9.95 million units, but down 16.8% from the same week in 2006 (11.95 million).

Reuters/Billboard