McGraw Holds Off Charles
Tim McGraw continues his residency at the top of the charts this week, selling another 227,000 copies of Live Like You Were Dying. In only two weeks, his sales have totaled nearly one million.
McGraw’s tally was just enough to hold off the late great Ray Charles, whose posthumously released Genius Loves Company — a duets album featuring Norah Jones and James Taylor, among others — debuted at Number Two with 202,000 copies sold. R&B singer Jill Scott returned to claim the Number Three slot, moving 193,000 copies of Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2, her first album since 2000. Veteran rapper LL Cool J also made a strong showing, capturing the Number Four spot with The Definition (173,000).
Soul crooner R. Kelly was among the week’s losers, as his double-album Happy People/U Saved Me fell to Number Six (127,000) after debuting at Number Two last week. Rappers Young Buck (last week’s Number Three) and Mase (last week’s Number Four) also fell to Number Seven and Number Ten, respectively.
In an eclectic week for new releases, Bjork’s Medulla sold 65,000 copies, landing at Number Fourteen, shock rockers Insane Clown Posse hit the charts at Number Twelve with Hell’s Pit, and hard rockers Papa Roach returned at Number Seventeen with Getting Away With Murder.
With this week lean on high-profile new releases, McGraw should continue his chart run. But look for Kelly to receive a sales boost, as tickets for his tour with Jay-Z go on sale.
This week’s Top Ten: Tim McGraw’s Live Like You Were Dying; Ray Charles’ Genius Loves Company; Jill Scott’s Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2; LL Cool J’s The Definition; Now That’s What I Call Music! 16; R. Kelly’s Happy People/U Saved Me; Young Buck’s Straight Outta Cashville; Ashlee Simpson’s; Autobiography; Prince’s Musicology; and Mase’s Welcome Back.