| Thursday 20 September 2001 |
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Jay-Z draws "Blueprint" for chart dominance
Six albums debut in the top-10 of The Billboard 200 this week, including the fourth album in a row from Jay-Z to enter at No. 1, and the highest charting title for Bob Dylan since 1979. Jay-Z's "The Blueprint" (Roc-a-Fella/ Def Jam/ IDJMG) bows at the top of the main album chart after selling 427,000 units last week, according to SoundScan, and jumps to No. 1 on Billboard's Top R&B/ Hip-Hop Albums chart, where it appeared last week at No. 59 due to street date violations.
Despite the nation's focus being elsewhere, a number of other albums were able to open strongly. Landing at No. 2 on The Billboard 200 on sales of 178,000 units is Nickelback's "Silver Side Up" (Roadrunner/IDJMG). The figure is a significant increase over the 6,500 first-week sales of the band's last album, 2000's "The State", which entered the chart at No. 191. The constantly touring hard rock group also has the No. 1 song on Billboard's Modern and Mainstream Rock Tracks charts with "How You Remind Me".
Rap newcomer Fabolous has a mighty debut on The Billboard 200 as his Desert Storm/Elektra album "Ghetto Fabolous" flies straight to No. 4, settling in right behind the still strong "Songs in A Minor" (J) from Alicia Keys. "Ghetto Fabolous" sold 143,000 units, and also bows at No. 2 on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. His single, "Can't Deny It" featuring Nate Dogg, is No. 15 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart.
Dylan's "Love and Theft" (Columbia) sold 134,000 units to cruise onto The Billboard 200 at No. 5, the artist's best chart showing in more than 20 years. The first-week numbers are also a sizable improvement over 1997's "Time Out of Mind", which entered at No. 10 on sales of 102,000 copies. That Grammy winning album eventually went on to sell more than 840,000 copies, according to SoundScan.
Inspirational rap/rock act P.O.D. sails right past the numbers for its 1999 debut as its latest, "Satellite" (Atlantic), musters its way to No. 6 on the strength of 133,000 units. The San Diego band's first outing debuted at No. 158 after selling just 8,800 copies. P.O.D.'s single, "Alive", is No. 16 on both the Mainstream and Modern Rock Tracks charts.
Mariah Carey's "Glitter" soundtrack has what is for most acts an impressive first week - a No. 7 entry on The Billboard 200 with 116,000 units sold - yet one can't help but label this a disappointing initial week for the artist's Virgin debut. In fact, this is the worst debut for the diva since 1994's "Merry Christmas" (Columbia) bowed at No. 30, and more than a 50% decline from the first-week sales of 1999's "Rainbow", which opened at No. 2 with 323,000 units. (Excerpts from Billboard)
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