Josh Groban Sets another Record

December 27, 2007, 10:20 AM ET
Source: Chris M. Walsh, N.Y.

Josh Groban's "Noel" (143/Reprise) this week becomes the first Christmas album to top The Billboard 200 for five straight weeks, after moving 757,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Groban's total, which was up 13% from last week, helped hold off hefty competition from Mary J. Blige's "Growing Pains" (Geffen), the only debut to crack the top 10 this week. The R&B star's ninth album landed at No. 2 and shifted 629,000 copies.

Despite a whopping 62% sales spike, Alicia Keys' "As I Am" (J) slips 2-3 in its sixth week on the chart, selling 474,000. The Eagles' "Long Road Out of Eden" (Eagles Recording Co.) also slides down one spot to No. 4 with 313,000 (+30%). Moving 260,000 copies, Miley Cyrus' Disney double-disc set "Hannah Montana 2 (Soundtrack)/Meet Miley Cyrus" jumps 7-5 thanks to a 46% sales increase from the previous week.

The "Now 26" multi-label hits compilation slides 4-6, pulling in 235,000 copies (+22%) in its sixth week of release. Arista Nashville artist Carrie Underwood jumps to slots to No. 7 with "Carnival Ride," on a 57% increase to 216,000. Big Machine artist Taylor Swift remained at No. 8 with her self-titled debut, selling 187,000 (+35%).

Disney's "High School Musical 2" fell 6-9 on 185,000 copies sold (+4%) and Jive artist Chris Brown rounded out the top 10 after a 65% leap to 176,000 for "Exclusive."

After an 11-5 jump last week, Mannheim Steamroller's American Gramophone set "Christmas Song" stumbles to No. 14 with 151,000, a 16% fall. The set was only one of three releases in the top 50 to post fewer sales this week from last. The other two were Bow Wow & Omarion's "Face Off" (T.U.G./Columbia) -- last week's top debut -- which fell 11-29 to 83,000 (-22%), and "Audio Day Dream" (Arista/J) from "American Idol" alum Blake Lewis, which drifted 32-44 and sold 55,000 (-4%).

Other debuts this week include Jaheim's Atlantic debut "The Makings of a Man," which moved 176,000 at No. 11, Lupe Fiasco's sophomore Atlantic effort "Lupe Fiasco's The Cool" at No. 15 on 143,000 and "The Fight of My Life" (Gospocentric) from gospel artist Kirk Franklin, new at No. 33 (74,000)

Sales during the pre-holiday week were 25.57 million units, a 42% over last week, but lagged behind the same week in 2006 by 18% (31.26 million).

Groban Remains No. 1, Becomes '07's Best-Seller

December 19, 2007, 11:20 AM ET
Katie Hasty, N.Y.

Josh Groban sets a new record on The Billboard 200 with "Noel," becoming the first Christmas album to top the chart for four straight weeks. The 143/Reprise set moved 669,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan, a 15% increase from last week's sum. Elvis Presley's "Elvis' Christmas Album" also sat on top for four weeks, but non-consecutively.

With total sales at 2.77 million, "Noel" has now surpassed the "High School Musical 2" soundtrack as this year's top selling album.

Alicia Keys' "As I Am" (J) sits tight at No. 2 for a second week with 292,000, a 24% sales hike. The Eagles' "Long Road Out of Eden" (Eagles Recording Co.) stays at No. 3 with 241,000 (+18%) and the multi-label "Now 26" hits compilation keeps No. 4 warm for a third week with 191,000 (+21%).

Mannheim Steamroller's American Gramophone set "Christmas Song" rockets up 11-5 with 180,000, a whopping 98% increase as the Christmas holiday draws near. "High School Musical 2" holds tight at No. 6 for a fourth week straight with a 39% sales boost to 178,000. Moving 177,000 copies, Miley Cyrus' Disney double-disc set "Hannah Montana 2 (Soundtrack)/Meet Miley Cyrus" slips 5-7 despite a 34% advance.

Big Machine artist Taylor Swift's self-titled debut ascends 9-8 with 139,000 (+40%), while another country effort, Carrie Underwood's "Carnival Ride" (Arista Nashville), falls 7-9 with a 29% increase to 137,000. Garth Brooks' Pearl set "The Ultimate Hits" drifts down 8-10 despite a 14% uplift to 119,000.

Bow Wow & Omarion's T.U.G./Columbia collaboration "Face Off" is the week's top debut, entering at No. 11 with 107,000. Last December, Bow Wow's "The Price of Fame" started at No. 6 with 262,000 while one week later, Omarion's "21" bowed at No. 1 on the chart with 119,000.

Other debuts this week, which are largely hip-hop and R&B efforts, include Birdman's "5*Stunna" (Cash Money) at No. 18 with 86,000, Mario's "Go" (J) at No. 21 with 77,000, the Wu-Tang Clan's reunion album "8 Diagrams" (SRC Records) at No. 25 with 68,000, The-Dream's "Love/Hate" (Def Jam) at No. 30 with 59,000 and rapper Beanie Sigel's "The Solution" (Roc-a-Fella/Def Jam) at No. 37 with 49,000.

Sales this week (17.98 million units) are down 23.1% compared to the same week last year (23.39 million). This week's sum is up 24.4% from last week's.

Groban Ties Elvis With Third Week At No. 1

December 12, 2007, 10:50 AM ET
Katie Hasty, N.Y.

With the holiday season marching on, Josh Groban's "Noel" retains its lead on The Billboard 200 for a third week straight. With an 8% sales increase, the 143/Reprise set moved 581,000 units in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan. Groban thus ties Elvis Presley as the record-holder for the most consecutive weeks at No. 1 with a Christmas album.

Alicia Keys' "As I Am" (J) climbs a notch 3-2 with 234,000 (-9%), while the Eagles' "Long Road Out of Eden" (Eagles Recording Co.) flip-flops with it, falling 2-3 with 204,000 (-35%). The multi-label "Now 26" hits compilation holds tight at No. 4 for a second week with 158,000, with a 25% sales boost.

Miley Cyrus' Disney double-disc set "Hannah Montana 2 (Soundtrack)/Meet Miley Cyrus" ascends 7-5 with a 37% increase to 132,000. Another Disney sequel set, "High School Musical 2," keeps the No. 6 spot warm for a third week straight with 128,000 (+31%). Selling 107,000, Carrie Underwood's "Carnival Ride" (Arista Nashville) slides up 9-7 with a 20% sales bump. Meanwhile, Garth Brooks' Pearl set "The Ultimate Hits" slips 5-8 with a 7% sales hit to 105,000.

Big Machine artist Taylor Swift's self-titled debut re-enters the top tier 12-9 at 99,000 with a 39% sales boost. The young singer earned a best new artist Grammy nod last week and has also scored her first No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs tally with "Our Song."

This year's "American Idol" runner-up, Blake Lewis, starts at No. 10 with his debut album, "Audio Day Dream" (19 Recordings/Arista), moving 98,000. Lewis' opening sales week and chart debut is lower than that of three other "AI" runner-ups' debuts (Clay Aiken, Bo Bice and Katharine McPhee), but larger than two others (Justin Guarini and Diana DeGarmo).

Other big debuts this week include Houston rapper Scarface's "Made" (Rap A Lot, No. 17, 63,000), Trace Adkins' "American Man: Greatest Hits Volume II" (Capitol, No. 22, 53,000), Drama's "Gangsta Grillz: The Album" (AMG/Grand Hustle/Atlantic, No. 26, 49,000), Wyclef Jean's "Carnival Vol. II: Memories of an Immigrant" (Columbia, No. 28, 46,000), Godsmack's hits compilation "Good Times, Bad Times... Ten Years of Godsmack" (Universal, No. 35, 40,000) and rapper Ghostface Killah's "The Big Doe Rehab" (Def Jam, No. 41, 36,000).

Sales this week (14.45 million units) are down 23.3% from the same week last year (18.86 million). This week's sum is up 17.9% from last week's.

Groban Remains No. 1 In Slow Release Week

December 05, 2007, 10:45 AM ET

Katie Hasty, N.Y.

Not a single new release arrives in the top tiers of The Billboard 200 this week, as Josh Groban's "Noel" retains its lead on the chart for a second week. The 143/Reprise effort moved 539,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan, a 33% increase in sales.

The Eagles' "Long Road Out of Eden" (Eagles Recording Co.) soars 5-2 with a 70% boost to 313,000, fueled in part by the band's interview on "60 Minutes."

Alicia Keys' "As I Am" (J) slips 2-3 with 257,000 (-26%), while hits compilation "Now 26" falls 3-4 with 127,000 (-46%). Garth Brooks' Pearl set "The Ultimate Hits" descends a notch 4-5 with a 41% sales hit to 112,000. The soundtrack to Disney's "High School Musical 2" holds tight at No. 6 with 98,000, a 47% drop.

Miley Cyrus' Disney double-disc set "Hannah Montana 2 (Soundtrack)/Meet Miley Cyrus" re-enters the top 10 with a 12-7 move. The album sold 96,000, a 3% drop. Sitting at No. 8 for a second week is Celine Dion's Columbia album "Taking Chances" with 93,000 (-28%).

Carrie Underwood's "Carnival Ride" (Arista Nashville) falls 7-9 after selling 89,000 (-37%). Holiday staple Mannheim Steamroller's latest American Gramaphone effort "Christmas Song" vaults 21-10 with 77,000, a 24% uptick.

The week's biggest debut is rapper Pitbull's "The Boatlift" (TVT) at No. 50 with 22,000. Coming in with only a few dozen sales fewer is Mudvayne's fan-generated Epic collection "By the People for the People" at No. 51.

There are 26 holiday titles on The Billboard 200 this week, as compared to the 20 that graced the chart the same week last year. Sales this week (12.26 million units) are down 16.9% from the same week last year (14.75 million). This week's sum is down 12.1% from last week's.