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.

The Billboard 200 #1 this Week

In a Billboard 200 first, three country debuts occupy the Nos. 1-3 slots on the chart, led by Carrie Underwood's "Carnival Ride." The 19 Recordings/Arista Nashville set sold 527,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan, earning the artist her first No. 1.

The total is a much better sum than the 315,000 that greeted her No. 2 2005 debut "Some Hearts." It's also the best sales week for a female solo country artist since Shania Twain's "Greatest Hits" started with 530,000 in November 2004.

Robert Plant and Alison Krauss' "Raising Sand" (Rounder) opens at No. 2, selling 112,000. It's the highest charting album for both as solo artists and Krauss' first time in the top 10.

Country singer Gary Allan's MCA Nashville set "Living Hard" enters at No. 3 with 69,000. It's not his first trip into the top five this year, however: his "Greatest Hits" debuted at No. 5 in March. "Tough All Over," his album from 2005, also achieved a No. 3 entry.

Rihanna, Shop Boyz Still Not Budging On Hot 100

July 05, 2007, 10:20 AM ET
Jonathan Cohen, N.Y.

For a fifth straight week, Rihanna's "Umbrella" and Shop Boyz' "Party Like a Rockstar" are locked in at the top two spots of the Billboard Hot 100. "Umbrella" scores a sixth week at No. 1, and also inches up to the top of the Hot 100 Airplay chart, her first such achievement on that list.Plain White T's' "Hey There Delilah" rises 4-3 on the Hot 100 and moves to No. 1 on Hot Digital Songs thanks to sales of 146,000 downloads. The track thus becomes Hollywood Records' best Hot 100 showing since Jennifer Paige's "Crush" peaked at No. 3 there in 1998.Fergie's "Big Girls Don't Cry" is down 3-4, while T-Pain's "Buy a Drank (Shawty Snappin')" holds at No. 5. Timbaland's "The Way I Are" featuring Keri Hilson continues its fast rise, soaring 18-6 a week after jumping from No. 40. The cut is also the chart's fastest digital gainer.Maroon 5's "Makes Me Wonder" is down 6-7, while Avril Lavigne's "Girlfriend" drops 7-8, Justin Timberlake's "Summer Love" slides 8-9 and Amy Winehouse's "Rehab" falls 9-10 to round out the top 10.Kenny Chesney's "Never Wanted Nothing More" rockets 65-22 on the Hot 100 in just its second week, tying his prior peak on this chart with "The Good Stuff" in 2002. The first single from his Sept. 11 BNA release "Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates" also climbs 9-5 on Hot Country Songs, where Montgomery Gentry is No. 1 for a second week with "Lucky Man."

The Hot 100's top debut is Hannah Montana's "Life's What You Make It" at No. 25. As reported yesterday, the title character of the Disney show, Miley Cyrus, debuted at No. 1 yesterday on The Billboard 200 with "Hannah Montana 2 (Soundtrack)/Meet Miley Cyrus." The Montana character is also at No. 27 on the Hot 100 with "Nobody's Perfect."Also new this week is Reba McEntire's cover of Kelly Clarkson's "Because of You" at No. 52, which features Clarkson herself, and Aly & AJ's "Potential Breakup Song" at No. 92.On Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs, Fantasia's "When I See U" is No. 1 for a second week. Linkin Park dominates the Modern Rock tally for a 13th week with "What I've Done," while Ozzy Osbourne begins a second week atop Mainstream Rock with "I Don't Wanna Stop."