Eminem’s Hits Top the Chart
Eminem‘s first-ever hits compilation, Curtain Call, stormed to Number One this week, selling 441,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Fans eager for anything new from the rap superstar — despite, or because of, his recent stint in rehab, reunion with his lyrical nemesis ex-wife Kim, and rumors of his impending retirement — ate up the release, with its three new tracks, “Fack,” “Shake That” (with Nate Dogg) and “When I’m Gone.”
New Orleans rapper Lil’ Wayne’s fifth album, Tha Carter II, bowed in a distant second place, with 239,000 CDs sold. This is a career high for the Cash Money crew MC, who does have three Top Ten albums under his belt. And new-metal men Korn returned with See You on the Other Side, their first effort since the departure of founding guitarist Head — and their sixth Top Five release. See You bowed at Number Three (221,000), topping their last studio album, 2004’s Take a Look in the Mirror, which peaked at Number Nine.
The twentieth installment of the ever-popular Now That’s What I Call Music! — featuring the likes of Destiny’s Child and Kelly Clarkson — fell from the top holiday-shopping spot to Number Four (199,000). American Idol Carrie Underwood’s debut, Some Hearts, fell two places to Number Five (174,000), as did country star Kenny Chesney’s latest, The Road and the Radio (Number Six, 168,000).
The rest of the Top Ten in this week of fiery holiday shopping is similarly predictable, with not-so-edgy stocking stuffers ranging from Nickelback’s top-selling All the Right Reasons, up two spots to Number Seven (152,000); the re-release of Mariah Carey’s The Emancipation of Mimi, down one spot to Number Eight (151,000); and Black Eyed Peas’ Monkey Business, back up two places to Number Nine (143,000). And, twisting the shiv in the sides of rock fans everywhere, New Age-y crooner Enya’s latest, Amarantine, refuses to surrender its Top Ten footing, down four places to Number Ten (139,000).
Perhaps the only surprise came from Lindsay Lohan: The teen pop queen’s sophomore effort, the less pop-y A Little More Personal (Raw), had a very tepid debut, landing at Number Twenty (82,000). This is a significant dip from her first album, 2004’s Speak, which sold 261,000 CDs in its opening week to bow at Number Four. (Somewhere in Los Angeles, Hilary Duff is laughing.)
Also pretty ticked off this week is the Material Girl, whose disco-happy Confessions on a Dance Floor, a former Number One, has already fallen out of the Top Ten, at the height of the gift-giving season — down five spots to Number Thirteen (97,000). Falling even faster is another recent chart-topper, System of a Down’s Hypnotize, which has dropped from its massive opening to Number Fourteen (94,000) in only three weeks out.