AC/DC album leads pop chart for second week
NEW YORK (Billboard) -AC/DC began a second week at No. 1 on the U.S. pop album chart Wednesday, while Pink, John Legend and Toby Keith were among the 11 new entries in the top 20.
The Anglo-Australian rockers' "Black Ice" sold 271,000 copies during the week ended November 2, according to Nielsen SoundScan, taking its two-week total to more than one million units. "Black Ice" is exclusively available via Wal-Mart, Sam's Club and AC/DC's Web site.
Pink scored her best chart placement ever and best sales week in seven years as "Funhouse" bowed at No. 2 with 180,000 copies. The 2001 album "Missundaztood" rang up 220,000 when it debuted at No. 8, and later sold 323,000 copies in one week around Christmas. Pink's previous effort, "I'm Not Dead," started at No. 6 with 126,000 in 2006.
The soundtrack to Disney's box office champ "High School Musical 3: Senior Year" slipped one to No. 3 in its second week with 162,000. Entering at No. 4 was Legend's third album, "Evolver," which sold 133,000. Its predecessor, "Once Again," started at No. 3 in 2006 with 231,000.
A pair of superstar country acts start side by side on the big chart, with Keith's "That Don't Make Me a Bad Guy" bowing at No. 5 with 91,000 and Rascal Flatts' hits set entering at No. 6 with 89,000. Keith's 2007 album "Big Dog Daddy" debuted at No. 1 with 204,000 copies.
T.I.'s "Paper Trail" dropped four places to No. 7 with 77,000. Another hits album, Celine Dion's "My Love: Essential Collection" started at No. 8 with 57,000. Her last proper hits package, "All The Way... A Decade of Song," bowed at No. 3 in late 1999 with 302,000 before eventually spending three weeks at No. 1.
Snow Patrol notched its highest charting album as "A Hundred Million Suns" debuted at No. 9 with 48,000. The Scottish/Irish rock band's previous best came with 2006's "Eyes Open," which peaked at No. 27 and went on to sell 1.16 million copies. Digital downloads accounted for 52% of the new set's first week sum, no doubt aided by a $3.99 sale price via Amazon's download store.
Kenny Chesney's "Lucky Old Sun" slid six places to No. 10 with 41,000. Ryan Adams & the Cardinals' "Cardinology" landed at No. 11 with 40,000. The prolific songwriter's last studio album, 2007's "Easy Tiger," began at No. 7 with 61,000.
The Cure earned its 18th charting album on the Billboard 200 as "4:13 Dream" opened at No. 16 with 24,000. The veteran band's last release, a 2004's self-titled set, entered at No. 7 with 91,000.
Lady GaGa's debut album, "The Fame," bowed at No. 17 with 24,000. The CD version of Bloc Party's "Intimacy" debuted at No. 18 with 24,000; a different digital version was sold via the band's Web site over the summer. Christian singer Michael W. Smith's live album "A New Hallelujah" debuted at No. 19 with 23,000. His best charting album came with 2004's "Healing Rain" at No. 11.
Album sales tallied 6.96 million units, down 1.7% from the previous week, and down 25% from same week last year.
Reuters/Billboard
