Ashlee Back at Number One
Had it followed the typical teen-pop template, Ashlee Simpson’s Autobiography should have made its big splash three weeks ago at Number One before quietly slipping out of the Top Ten, then the Top 100. But her story is a bit different: Autobiography is showing strong legs, selling 286,000 copies this past week, according to Nielsen SoundScan, to return to Number One. In fact, Autobiography enjoyed a Week Three sales spike, up from 270,000 copies last week, allowing it to bump Now That’s What I Call Music! 16 from the top spot. Simpson’s big week also put her debut album one sales week away from topping 1 million copies sold.
Jimmy Buffett’s License to Chill continues to post six-figure sales, moving 101,000 copies at Number Three. Usher’s Confessions climbed a spot to Number Four, though its tally of 96,000 copies sold marks the first time in its twenty weeks of release that the album hasn’t reached six figures.
The week’s highest debut was the soundtrack to The Princess Diaries, which sold 33,000 copies at Number Twenty-seven. A few albums enjoyed sales spikes. Prince’s Musicology bounced back into the Top Ten, selling 73,000 copies (up from 60,000 last week) at Number Seven. Maroon 5 continue to find folks interested in their Songs About Jane more than a year after its release. The record has bounded to Number Ten (it was at Number Twenty two weeks ago) behind an 8,000-copy sales jump to 61,000.
There was little shaking elsewhere, but next week’s chart promises a bit more action. Incarcerated rapper Shyne will issue his second album, almost a lock for a Number One. The Snoop Dogg/Nate Dogg/Warren G collective 213’s debut record is also primed for a big week.
This week’s Top Ten: Ashlee Simpson’s Autobiography; Now That’s What I Call Music! 16; Jimmy Buffett’s License to Chill; Usher’s Confessions; Gretchen Wilson’s Here for the Party; Avril Lavigne’s Under My Skin; Prince’s Musicology; Big and Rich’s Horse of a Different Color; Los Lonely Boys’ Los Lonely Boys; and Maroon 5’s Songs About Jane.