Rapper Nelly shows Bruce Springsteen who’s boss on The Billboard 200 as his Fo’ Reel/Universal set “Nellyville” returns to No. 1 for a fourth non-consecutive week, and sends Springsteen’s “The Rising” (Columbia) down to No. 3 after two weeks on top. Nelly’s return to the summit of the album tally gives the rapper control of three major charts, as his singles “Hot in Herre” and “Dilemma” continue to dominate Billboard’s Hot 100 and Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks charts, respectively.
On the Hot 100, Nelly’s been No. 1 for 10 weeks in a row. “Dilemma,” featuring Kelly Rowland, is in the top post for a third week while “Hot in Herre,” which was No. 1 for seven weeks, holds tight at No. 2. On the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Singles & Tracks chart, he’s been on top for eight weeks in a row: “Dilemma” is in its second week at No. 1 and “Hot in Herre,” which notched six weeks on top, sticks at No. 2.
“Nellyville” returns to the top even though it suffered a 12% sales decline to 183,000 units, according to Nielsen SoundScan.” The Rising” drops two slots on a 30% slide to 167,000 units, falling behind Eminem’s “The Eminem Show” (Web/Aftermath/Interscope), which received a 3% sales boost to 179,000 copies. Sales of “The Eminem Show” rebounded with the success of the set’s latest single “Cleanin’ Out My Closet,” which jumps 14-9 on the Hot 100. “The Eminem Show” has racked up total sales of 5.06 million copies in just 13 weeks.
Even with their widespread success, both Nelly and Eminem continue to be bested in urban markets, as Scarface’s “The Fix” (Def Jam South) remains the No. 1 title for a second-straight week on Billboard’s Top R&B/Hop-Hop Albums chart.
Veteran singer/songwriter James Taylor scored his best sales week since SoundScan was initiated in 1991, as “October Road” (Columbia) sold 154,000 units to debut at No. 4 on The Billboard 200. Taylor’s previous strongest SoundScan week was the 72,000 units sold by “Hourglass” in its first week in 1997. More impressive is that the fact that this week Taylor reaches his highest rank on The Billboard 200 since “JT” hit No. 4 in 1977. The new set’s first single, “On the 4th of July,” is No. 16 on Billboard sister publication Airplay Monitor’s Adult Contemporary chart.
Avril Lavigne returns to the top five of The Billboard 200 as “Let Go” (Arista) moves 9-5 on a 2% sales gain to 116,000 units. New to the top-10 this week is Universal’s “XXX” soundtrack, which moves 11-9 on a 13% gain to 86,000 units in its second week. Featured track “Adrenaline” by Bush frontman Gavin Rossdale jumps 34-27 on Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks chart.
A slew of albums debut inside the top-20 of The Billboard 200, led by Keith Sweat’s “Rebirth” (Elektra) at No. 14, which also lands at No. 7 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart. Bluegrass-leaning Nickel Creek has a nice entry on The Billboard 200 at No. 18 with “This Side” (Sugar Hill), the group’s best week ever on the chart. “This Side” bows at No. 2 on Billboard’s Top Country Albums tally behind Toby Keith’s “Unleashed” (DreamWorks), which is No. 1 for a fourth-straight week.
At No. 19 on The Billboard 200 is Snoop Dogg’s Doggystyle/MCA compilation “Welcome to the House Vol. 1,” while Slum Village’s “Trinity (Past, Present and Future)” (Barak/Capitol) arrives at No. 20. Both performed stronger in urban markets, giving Slum Village a No. 5 entry on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, while the Doggystyle compilation trots in at No. 8.
Other notable newcomers on The Billboard 200 include Do Or Die’s “Back 2 the Game” (Rap-A-Lot) at No. 64, Sparta’s “Fever” (DreamWorks) at No. 71, Mary J. Blige’s remix set “Dance for Me” (MCA) at No. 76, and Jump5’s “All the Time in the World” (Sparrow) at No. 86.
The Dixie Chicks’ “Home” won’t be released until Tuesday (Aug. 27), but the country gals are already making their presence felt. The group’s “Long Time Goodbye” rises 13-7 on the Hot 100, and is the tally’s fastest-growing track at retail. The single is at No. 2 on Billboard’s Hot Country Singles & Tracks chart, where Kenny Chesney’s “The Good Stuff” holds at No. 1 for a sixth week.
The Hot 100’s fastest-growing track at radio is Eve’s “Gangsta Lovin'” featuring Alicia Keys, which rests at No. 6. The tally’s top debut is Cam’ron’s “Hey Ma” featuring Juelz Santana, Freekay Zakey & Toya at No. 50. Other notable newcomers include No Doubt’s “Underneath It All” featuring Lady Saw at No. 64, Michelle Branch’s “Goodbye to You” at No. 69, and Faith Hill’s “Cry” at No. 70.
The Red Hot Chili Peppers’ “By the Way” notches a 10th week atop Billboard’s Modern Rock Tracks chart and a fourth at No. 1 on Billboard’s Mainstream Rock Tracks tally.
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