'Oprah' Visit Helps Groban Soar To No. 1

After seven weeks on the chart, Josh Groban's holiday set "Noel" finally overtakes The Billboard 200 at No. 1. The 143/Reprise album ascends 2-1, selling 405,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan. The 81% increase was fueled in part by his surprise appearance on "The Oprah Winfrey Show" last week.

"Noel" is the first Christmas-themed set to top the chart since Kenny G's 1994 album "Miracles," and the 405,000 units marks Groban's best sales week ever.

Alicia Keys' "As I Am" (J) flip-flops with "Noel," slipping 1-2 with a 53% sales decrease to 349,000. The hits compilation "Now 26" climbs a notch 4-3 with 234,000. Garth Brooks' "The Ultimate Hits" (Pearl) moves up 5-4 with 192,000 (-6%) and the Eagles' "Long Road Out of Eden" (Eagles Recording Co.) follows suit, ascending 6-5 with 184,000 (-7%).

The soundtrack to Disney's "High School Musical 2" rockets up 14-6 with a 130% sales increase to 183,000; with that, the set surpasses Daughtry's self-titled set as the top selling album in 2007.

Carrie Underwood's "Carnival Ride" (Arista Nashville) climbs 9-7 with 141,000 and a 25% sales bump, while Celine Dion's Columbia album "Taking Chances" falls 3-8 following a 40% sales decrease to 128,000. Inching up 10-9, Chris Brown's "Exclusive" (Jive) sells 121,000 (+10%).

Jordin Sparks, who was crowned the winner on "American Idol" earlier this year, starts at No. 10 with her self-titled 19 Recordings/Jive set, moving 119,000. It is the lowest start and smallest sales debut for any of the show's winners on the tally.

Keith Urban's first best-of collection, Capitol's "Greatest Hits," debuts at No. 11 with 117,000. It's the Aussie country singer's fourth straight album to start in the top 11, dating back to 2002's "Golden Road," which also entered at No. 11. MercyMe's "All That Is Within Me" (Columbia) lands at No. 15 with 84,000 and is also the act's fourth No. 1 on Top Christian Albums.

Only two other albums bow inside of the top 50 on The Billboard 200: Philly rapper Freeway's "Free at Last" (G-Unit/Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam) starts at No. 42 with 36,000 and the soundtrack to "Enchanted" (Disney) debuts at No. 48 with 31,000.

This week, the top 11 albums all sold more than 100,000 copies, helped by the first week of the post-Thanksgiving shopping season. However, sales this week (13.94 million units) are down 18.1% from the same week last year (17.02 million). This week's sum is up 19% from last week's.

Keys Storms Chart With Mega-Selling 'As I Am'

Alicia Keys storms The Billboard 200 this week with "As I Am" (J), which debuts at No. 1 after selling 742,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. That's the best sales week for a solo female artist since Norah Jones' "Feels Like Home" shifted 1 million copies in 2004.

In a week where every top 10 album shifted more than 100,000 units, Josh Groban's "Noel" (143/Reprise) zooms 6-2 with a 93% increase to 223,000. Celine Dion's "Taking Chances" (Columbia), her first new pop album in four years, opens at No. 3 with 214,000. The multi-label, multi-artist "Now 26" collection is new at No. 4 with 208,000, the third lowest opening tally for the "Now" line.

Garth Brooks' "The Ultimate Hits" (Pearl) slips 3-5 (-42%, 204,000), while the Eagles' "Long Road Out of Eden" (Eagles Recording Co.) drops 2-6 (-45%, 197,000). Led Zeppelin's two-disc retrospective "Mothership" (Swan Song/Atlantic) debuts at No. 7 after selling 136,000, 25% of which came digitally.

Last week's chart-topper, Jay-Z's "American Gangster" (Roc-A-Fella/Def Jam) plummets 1-8 with a 70% decrease to 131,000, while Carrie Underwood's "Carnival Ride" (Arista Nashville) drops 5-9 despite a small 6% decrease to 113,000. Chris Brown's "Exclusive" (Jive) falls 4-10 in its second week, thanks to a 63% decline to 110,000.

Comedian Dane Cook's "Rough Around the Edges: Live From Madison Square Garden" (Comedy Central) debuts at No. 11 with 90,000. His last set, 2005's "Retaliation," made history as the highest debuting comedy album in the history of The Billboard 200 when it bowed at No. 4. That effort started with 86,000.

At No. 12, the Killers enter the chart with the rarities collection "Sawdust" (Island), which sold 82,000. George Strait's "22 More Hits" (MCA Nashville) is new at No. 13 with 80,000, while James Taylor's debut for Starbucks' Hear Music imprint, "One Man Band," arrives at No. 16 with 63,000.

Five other albums open inside the top 40 this week, led by Boyz II Men's "Motown: A Journey Through Hitsville USA" (Decca) at No. 27 with 42,000. Right behind are Trisha Yearwood's "Heaven, Heartache and the Power of Love" (Big Machine, No. 30, 33,000), Goo Goo Dolls' "Greatest Hits, Volume 1, The Singles" (Warner Bros., No. 33, 33,000), Seal's "System" (Warner Bros., No. 35, 30,000) and Duran Duran's "Red Carpet Massacre" (Epic, No. 36, 29,000).

Album sales are up 17.9% from last week's to 11.72 million, but down 6.2% from the same week last year.

2007 #1 Albums in the U.S.

Album

Hip Hop Is Dead
21
Dreamgirls: Music from the Motion Picture
Daughtry
Late Night Special
Not Too Late
Infinity on High
Greatest Hits
Luvanmusiq
We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank
Let It Go
Now 24
Now 24
The Best Damn Thing
Because of You
Call Me Irresponsible
Minutes to Midnight
It Won't Be Soon Before Long
Double Up
Epiphany
Big Dog Daddy
Lost Highway
Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus
T.I. vs. T.I.P.
Now 25
Finding Forever
UGK (Underground Kingz)
High School Musical 2
Graduation
Reba: Duets
Still Feels Good
Magic

'NOW 25' Scores 12th No. 1 Album Of The Series

July 25, 2007, 10:55 AM ET
Katie Hasty, N.Y.

The "NOW! That's What I Call Music" hits compilation series adds another trophy to its collection of No. 1 albums on The Billboard 200 this week. The 25th installment debuts at the summit after moving 223,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, becoming the 12th No. 1 of the series.In fact, the last four in a row have claimed the top spot. In March, "NOW 24" started at No. 2 with 230,000 but moved to No. 1 the next week. The latest installment features hits from loyd, Justin Timberlake, Carrie Underwood, Fall Out Boy and Bow Wow, among others.Miley Cyrus' Disney double-disc set "Hannah Montana 2 (Soundtrack)/Meet Miley Cyrus" climbs 3-2 this week despite a 12% sales decrease to 113,000 units. After topping the 200 for two weeks straight, T.I.' s "T.I. vs. T.I.P." (Grand Hustle/Atlantic) slips to No. 3 with 94,000, a 47% dip. After its parent movie opened at box offices last weekend, the New Line soundtrack to "Hairspray" flies up the chart 20-4, moving 72,000 with a 95% increase in sales. "Hairspray" is the fifth soundtrack to log time in the top 10 this year, following "Hannah Montana," "Hannah Montana 2," "Dreamgirls" and "Jump In!"With help from a high-visibility campaign on iTunes and MySpace, Colbie Caillat's debut album, "Coco" (Universal Republic), enters at No. 5 with 51,000. Her single "Bubbly" was available through iTunes' free single of the week program, while the digital store is selling the album for only $7.99.

Fergie's solo debut "Duchess" ascends 8-6 in its 44th week on the chart with 50,000, a flat sales change from last week. Linkin Park's "Minutes to Midnight" (Machine Shop/Warner Bros.) keeps the No. 7 spot warm for a second week with 47,000 (-13%) while Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" (Universal) moves 9-8 with 45,000 (-7%).In its 94th week on the chart, Nickelback's "All the Right Reasons" (Roadrunner) climbs back into the top tier 12-9 with 43,000, an uptick of 2%, aided by a reissue version of the album released July 10. Bon Jovi's Island set "Lost Highway" descends 6-10 with 42,000, a 24% decrease.Yellowcard's third Capitol album, "Paper Walls," debuts at No. 13 this week with 40,000; the band's last effort, "Lights and Sounds," bowed at No. 5 with 90,000 last year. Other big debuts this week include Rooney's sophomore set "Calling the World" (Geffen, No. 42, 15,000), the Rocket Summer's Island debut "Do You Feel" (No. 44, 15,000) and Kansas City rapper Tech N9ne Callabos' "Misery Loves Kompany" (Strange Company, No. 49, 13,000).Sales this week are down 2.2% compared to last week's sum at 8.11 million units and down 8.9% compared to the same week last year.

T.I. Is Top Dog Again On The Billboard 200

July 11, 2007, 10:45 AM ET

Katie Hasty, N.Y.

A release during the usually quiet 4th of July week didn't deter sales of T.I.'s "T.I. vs. T.I.P.," which shifted 468,000 units in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and debuts at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 and the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. The Grand Hustle/Atlantic set is T.I.'s second chart-topper in the past year-and-a-half; "King" opened at No. 1 on The Billboard 200 with 522,000 copies in late March 2006.

After entering at the summit last week, Miley Cyrus' double-disc set "Hannah Montana 2 (Soundtrack)/Meet Miley Cyrus" (Disney) slips to No. 2 with 188,000 units, a sales decrease of 42%. Kelly Clarkson's RCA set "My December" follows suit, falling 2-3 with 113,000 (-61%). Bon Jovi's "Lost Highway" (Island) descends a rung 3-4 with 94,000, taking a 25% hit.

Velvet Revolver's sophomore RCA album, "Libertad," debuts at No. 5 with 92,000. The supergroup's first album, 2004's "Contraband," climbed onto the chart at No. 1 with 256,000.

Another sophomore set bows inside the top tier this week as Kelly Rowland's Music World/Columbia set "Ms. Kelly" debuts at No. 6 with 82,000. The former Destiny's Child singer was last on the chart in 2002, when her solo debut "Simply Deep" entered and peaked at No. 12 with 77,000.

Brad Paisley's "5th Gear" (Arista Nashville) moves 5-7 after a 27% drop to 59,000, while Amy Winehouse's "Back to Black" (Universal) falls 6-8 with 57,000 (-9%) in its 17th week on the chart.

Linkin Park's "Minutes to Midnight" (Machine Shop/Warner Bros.) descends 8-9 with 57,000, a 1% decline. The White Stripes' "Icky Thump" (Third Man/Warner Bros.) is down 4-10 after a 37% sales slide to 56,000.

Warner Bros.' "Transformers: The Album" soundtrack debuts at No. 21 this week with 32,000, while Victory rock act Silverstein's fourth album, "Arrivals & Departure," earns the group its best charting week yet, entering at No. 25 with 27,000. Other big debuts this week include Grupo Montez De Durango's "Agarrese" (Disa) at No. 41 with 18,000 and Sara Bareilles' "Little Voice" (Epic) at No. 45 with 16,000.

Sales this week are down 1.1% compared to last week's sum at 8.73 million units and down 3% compared to the same week last year.