CASPER
New member
NEW YORK (Billboard) – For the first time in three years, the top three selling albums in the U.S. are all country efforts.
Taylor Swift's "Speak Now" holds at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for a second week, Jason Aldean's "My Kinda Party" starts at No. 2 and Sugarland's former No. 1 "The Incredible Machine" slips one rung to No. 3.
Country albums last monopolized the top three rungs on the chart November 10, 2007, when Carrie Underwood's "Carnival Ride" debuted at No. 1, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss' "Raising Sand" started at No. 2 and Gary Allan's "Living Hard" bowed at No. 3.
Last week, Swift's "Speak Now" made a historic 1,047,000 bow. This is just the 16th time (since SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991) where an album sold at least 1 million copies in a week.
As history has proven, it was all but a given that "Speak Now" would take a steep drop in sales this week. The set's 69% decline is on par with the sophomore-week dive of our last million-plusser: Lil Wayne's "Tha Carter III." It went from 1,006,000 in its premiere to 309,000 in its second stanza.
Back on this week's Billboard 200, "My Kinda Party's" start at No. 2 with 193,000 earns Aldean his best sales week and a new peak on the list.
His last album, 2009's "Wide Open," notched his previous best frame, when it started with 109,000 at No. 4.
Mariah Carey's second holiday album, "Merry Christmas II You," jingles in at No. 4 with 55,000 in its first week. It marks the diva's 16th top 10 set. Carey's first seasonal effort, 1994's "Merry Christmas" peaked at No. 3.
Lil Wayne's "I Am Not a Human Being" slips one spot to No. 5. Kings of Leon's "Come Around Sundown" falls three rungs to No. 6, while Eminem's "Recovery" descends two to No. 7.
Neil Diamond nets his 17th top 10 album, as "Dreams" debuts at No. 8 with 35,000. It's the singer's fourth top 10 release since 2005, "12 Songs" began his recent hot streak with a No. 4 entry.
Right behind Diamond at No. 9 is Brad Paisley with "Hits Alive" which starts with 31,000. It's the country star's sixth top 10 effort and second best-of collection.
Rounding out the top 10 at No. 10 is "The Union" from Elton John and Leon Russell, falling four slots with 27,000.
Taylor Swift's "Speak Now" holds at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for a second week, Jason Aldean's "My Kinda Party" starts at No. 2 and Sugarland's former No. 1 "The Incredible Machine" slips one rung to No. 3.
Country albums last monopolized the top three rungs on the chart November 10, 2007, when Carrie Underwood's "Carnival Ride" debuted at No. 1, Robert Plant and Alison Krauss' "Raising Sand" started at No. 2 and Gary Allan's "Living Hard" bowed at No. 3.
Last week, Swift's "Speak Now" made a historic 1,047,000 bow. This is just the 16th time (since SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991) where an album sold at least 1 million copies in a week.
As history has proven, it was all but a given that "Speak Now" would take a steep drop in sales this week. The set's 69% decline is on par with the sophomore-week dive of our last million-plusser: Lil Wayne's "Tha Carter III." It went from 1,006,000 in its premiere to 309,000 in its second stanza.
Back on this week's Billboard 200, "My Kinda Party's" start at No. 2 with 193,000 earns Aldean his best sales week and a new peak on the list.
His last album, 2009's "Wide Open," notched his previous best frame, when it started with 109,000 at No. 4.
Mariah Carey's second holiday album, "Merry Christmas II You," jingles in at No. 4 with 55,000 in its first week. It marks the diva's 16th top 10 set. Carey's first seasonal effort, 1994's "Merry Christmas" peaked at No. 3.
Lil Wayne's "I Am Not a Human Being" slips one spot to No. 5. Kings of Leon's "Come Around Sundown" falls three rungs to No. 6, while Eminem's "Recovery" descends two to No. 7.
Neil Diamond nets his 17th top 10 album, as "Dreams" debuts at No. 8 with 35,000. It's the singer's fourth top 10 release since 2005, "12 Songs" began his recent hot streak with a No. 4 entry.
Right behind Diamond at No. 9 is Brad Paisley with "Hits Alive" which starts with 31,000. It's the country star's sixth top 10 effort and second best-of collection.
Rounding out the top 10 at No. 10 is "The Union" from Elton John and Leon Russell, falling four slots with 27,000.