The Fray's self-titled album
Photo: Epic

It's been four years since Denver rockers the Fray released their debut album, but clearly their fans have not forgotten the "How to Save a Life" group. The band's self-titled second album will debut at the top of the Billboard albums chart next week with sales of 179,300, according to figures provided by Nielsen SoundScan.

That top debut will push Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's Working on a Dream — which held the spot for just one week — down to #2 with sales of 101,600, a 55 percent slide. Country singer Dierks Bentley will debut at #3 with Feel That Fire, which sold 71,200 copies.

The rest of the top 10 is mostly full of the usual suspects, once again. Taylor Swift will continue her strong chart run with Fearless, sliding down to #4 with another 63,900 moved, enough to push her over the 2.5 million mark. She's followed by Beyoncé's I Am ... Sasha Fierce (#5, 51,400), Nickelback's Dark Horse (#6, 47,300), new entry Kidz Bop 15 (#7, 38,400), Jamie Foxx's Intuition (#8, 36,600), Kanye West's 808s & Heartbreak (#9, 33,900) and Keyshia Cole's Different Me (#10, 33,600).

Further down the chart, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus debut at #14 with 26,000 copies sold of Lonely Road. Florida melodic metalcore rockers A Day to Remember pop in at #21 with sales of 21,700 of their third studio album, Homesick. Best New Artist Grammy winner Adele's debut, 19, jumps 29 spots to #27 on sales of nearly 17,900, and she'll likely see an even bigger jump next week. Adele's iTunes live EP, iTunes Live From Soho, will debut at #105 with sales of 6,300.

Another Best New Artist nominee, fellow British crooner Duffy, saw a double-digit percentage leap for Rockferry, which was boosted to #53 with sales of 11,500. A number of other Grammy-winnings artists were helped by the awards show, including Coldplay (#31, 16,700), Leona Lewis (#42, 12,700) and Jennifer Hudson (#47, 12,100). Expect Album of the Year winner Raising Sand from Robert Plant and Alison Krauss to have another huge bump next week. Sand flies back onto the charts at #68 thanks to about 9,400 new converts, a 286 percent increase from the previous week.

Elsewhere on the chart, "American Idol" season-six third-place finalist Melinda Doolittle's full length debut, It's Your Love, will land at #58 in its first week with close to 10,900 units moved. Franz Ferdinand's Tonight: Franz Ferdinand nose-dives 50 spots after last week's top 10 debut, down to #59 with 10,700 in sales. Cannibal Corpse bring their Evisceration Plague in at #91 with 7,500, and just a few customers behind is the latest from Ben Kweller, the country-tinged Changing Horses at #92. Indie darlings Heartless Bastards debut at #150 with sales of 4,200 for Mountains.

The top 10 might get shaken up a bit next week by new albums from Lily Allen, "Saturday Night Live" viral faves Lonely Island and the latest from Bobby Valentino.

• The Fray
• Leona Lewis
• Bruce Springsteen
• Duffy
• Adele

Lil Wayne performs at the 2008 Virgin Mobile Festival
Photo: Paul Morigi/ Getty Images

BALTIMORE — Fans got more than they bargained for at this weekend's Virgin Mobile Festival — more Kanye, anyway.

Not content to close out the two-day festival with his headlining Sunday slot, Mr. West stormed the stage earlier in the day, joining Lil Wayne for a meeting of hip-hop's hottest. Maybe 'Ye was pulling double duty to outshine the legends (Bob Dylan, Iggy and the Stooges), big rock veterans (Foo Fighters, Stone Temple Pilots, Nine Inch Nails, Offspring), and upstarts (Paramore, Jack Johnson, Duffy) who took the Virgin stage over the weekend at Pimlico Race Course.

Rocking a Louis Vuitton backpack, West joined Weezy on Sunday afternoon to spit his verse from the "Lollipop" remix without skipping a beat. The collabo was the high-energy point of a blistering, better-late-than-never performance. Showing up a half-hour late for an hourlong set would be a cardinal sin for most artists, but Weezy more than made up for it. The crowd chanted his name and even booed briefly while waiting for his set, but it was all love once Lil Wayne hit the stage. Wayne came with a mix of old-school, new-school and a lot of gratitude. "How many of y'all got Tha Carter III?" he asked. "I f---in' appreciate you."

He even took time to honor Static Major, asking for a moment of silence for the late rapper and songwriter before jumping into the song that catapulted Wayne from an underground mixtaper to an undeniable mainstream superstar. After welcoming Kanye up for "Lollipop," Wayne wrapped his set with even more gratitude and some laughs, lip-syncing to Whitney Houston's "I Will Always Love You" before leaving the stage.

While Wayne's day was done, Kanye was just getting started. He returned to the stage later that night like a hurricane, shrouded in flashing lights and fog. Fans threw up their Roc-A-Fella diamonds early and held them high all night. No irony was lost on 'Ye, who made it a point to prove his authenticity before jumping into "Diamonds From Sierra Leone."

"I work real hard at this rapping sh--," he said. "This is real rap."

Kanye dove into a set spanning his entire career, from his most recent verse from Young Jeezy's "Put On" to his humble beginnings on "All Comes Down," asking fans to "scream so loud I can't hear the music" if they knew the song.

And, of course, 'Ye talked, touching on everything from his mother's death to Barack Obama's nomination to crime in the festival's host city of Baltimore. He freestyled as well, expressing his gratitude for fame and his frustration that comes along with it. The raw emotion was undeniable. "I lost my mama/ I went through so much drama/ I went through so much drama/ I'm for Obama," he rapped. He then described his journey over to Pimlico Race Course, noting the flashing blue lights above cameras stationed throughout the 'hood and being content with the fact that even though many Baltimore natives couldn't afford to attend the concert, they could still see and hear the show from the parking lot outside the gates. He also shouted out MySpace, the Internet and Lil Wayne before beginning "Touch the Sky."

West took a bit of a jab at the festival's schedule, specifically the choice concertgoers had to make between his performance and one from Nine Inch Nails happening at the same time at the other end of the park (a dilemma faced by fans at Chicago's Lollapalooza a week earlier). "It's not a black-or-white thing, it's not a rap-or-rock-and-roll thing," he exclaimed. "It's a good-music thing. We jam about good things from the heart. How can you pick between me and Trent Reznor?"

But at the end of the day, Kanye's focus all came back down to his fans. Again freestyling, 'Ye expressed his eagerness to please those who came out to support him. "I hope you had a good time ... f--- that, the time of your life!" And with diamonds high in the sky and screams that could be heard around the block, the crowd's enthusiasm matched Kanye's (no easy feat).

The day before, it was up to West's fellow Chi-Town native Lupe Fiasco, who had fans bobbing their heads and singing along to "Superstar" and "Kick, Push." Despite technical difficulties, Lupe aimed to please, shouting after his microphone problem was resolved, "Let's hype this bitch back up, all right?" Given the amount of crowd-surfing during his set and the volume of fans chanting his name when he left the stage, he seemed to succeed.

But the weekend wasn't all about hip-hop. The Foos, the Stooges, Paramore and NIN brought the rock, but the guitar heroes of the day might have been Stone Temple Pilots. Taking the stage later than expected (thanks, Weezy), STP seemed to be the picture of reunification. The band was completely in sync thanks to its current 65-date tour. The focus wasn't mainly on themselves, though. Scott Weiland shared the love, shouting out those sharing the bill. "What a great day of f---ing music!," he gushed. "How about Iggy and the Stooges? And Nine Inch Nails are coming up!" He also had love for the crowd. "What a sea of energy," he exclaimed just before the crowd sang and bobbed along to every note of the band's breakthrough hit "Plush."

For more sights and stories from concerts around the country, check out MTV News Tour Reports. And send your own concert pics, videos and reviews to MTV News You R Here!

• Paramore, Lil Wayne, More At Virgin Mobile Festival 2008

• Lil Wayne
• Kanye West
• Young Jeezy
• Stone Temple Pilots
• Nine Inch Nails

Usher's <i>Here I Stand</i>
Photo: LaFace

When you think of debonair R&B star Usher, you think hits — tracks like "U Remind Me," "My Boo" and "Yeah!" You think about the fact that the dude has sold more than 30 million records worldwide. You think about the legions of fans that make each of his live gigs sell-out events, and words like "icon" start popping into your head. So it should surprise you that, over the course of more than a decade, Usher has had just one album open at #1 on Billboard's albums sales chart.

That is until last week, when the soulful crooner issued his latest studio effort, Here I Stand. According to the latest Nielsen SoundScan totals, after selling more than 442,900 copies, Usher's latest knocks 3 Doors Down's self-titled album from the peak position of next week's chart. His previous release, 2004's Confessions, also bowed on top, but with significantly stronger sales: 1.1 million, to be exact.

But that stark difference in sales shouldn't taint Usher's latest victory one bit. In a market where albums are more often pilfered than purchased, 442,900 scans is no small potatoes. Besides, Usher basically crushed the rest of the field this week. His closest competitor, the "Sex and the City" soundtrack (featuring contributions from Fergie, Jennifer Hudson and Nina Simone), enters the chart at #2, with just 65,900 sold. The nation's third best-seller, 3 Doors Down, sold a mere 63,200 units.

Here I Stand and the "Sex and the City" set were among 16 new releases making their impact on next week's Top 200. Al Green's Lay It Down opened at #9 with 33,800 copies snatched up. But Green's was the only other newcomer to crack the top 10, which is rounded out by Bun B's II Trill at #4 (selling another 40,200 copies), Leona Lewis' Spirit at #5 (38,700), Frank Sinatra's Nothing but the Best at #6 (with 36,900 sold), Duffy's Rockferry at #7 (35,900), Mariah Carey's E=MC² at #8 (35,600) and Death Cab for Cutie's Narrow Stairs at #10 (with another 33,400 scanned).

Elsewhere on the chart, Fergie's Dutchess LP, which was re-issued last week with four bonus tracks, enjoyed a 131 percent spike in sales, ending the week with 14,800 and climbing from #104 to #28 on the chart. Down in the #46 spot, selling 11,400 copies, is Fergie's Dutchess EP. Meanwhile, Cyndi Lauper returns to the chart at #41, with her Bring Ya to the Brink, which generated 12,000 first-week scans. Underoath's Survive Kaleidoscope opens at #81 with 8,000 copies sold, and Charlotte Sometimes' Waves & the Both of Us enters at #145, with sales reported at 4,300.

36 Crazyfists' Tide and Its Takers bows at #155, selling 4,200 copies. Spiritualized's Songs in A&E claims the #157 spot with 4,100 sold. Lastly, debuting at #199 with 3,100 sold, is KT Tunstall's Live From Soho.

• Usher
• Fergie
• Jennifer Hudson
• Nina Simone
• 3 Doors Down

Death Cab for Cutie
Photo: Ben Ritter

So far, 2008 has been a rather pop- and R&B-heavy year — with the likes of Mariah Carey, Madonna and Janet Jackson all releasing new material. We're nearing the halfway point and, up until now, only two rock records have occupied the Billboard Top 200's peak position: Radiohead's In Rainbows, which started the year off on top with 122,300 copies sold, and Jack Johnson's Sleep Through the Static, which spent three weeks at #1, selling 374,600, 180,000, and 105,000, respectively.

Perhaps we need to look to Bellingham, Washington's Death Cab for Cutie to turn the tide. Thanks to the indie pop-rock outfit's new one, Narrow Stairs, we now have a third rock record dominating national album sales. The disc also becomes the band's sole offering to bow at #1, selling close to 143,600 copies during its first week in stores. Comparatively, Death Cab's previous effort, 2005's Plans, debuted at #4, generating around 90,000 week-one scans.

Overall, though, next week's chart will feature several new releases from some of rock's heaviest hitters, but on average, the SoundScan numbers don't lie: Rock doesn't sell as well as the other genres. That's not to say rock is dead. Jason Mraz's We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things makes its debut this week at #3, selling 73,000 units — following Frank Sinatra's Nothing But the Best collection at #2 with about 99,100 scans. Coming in at #12 with 28,000 sold, it's 10 Years' latest, Division. The reunited Filter's independently released Anthems for the Damned also impacts next week's chart, opening at #42 with 12,600 sold.

But one of the week's best-sellers couldn't be further from the rock aesthete. Duffy, the British singer/songwriter who has been dominating the U.K. charts, sees her Rockferry debut at #4 on the chart, with 70,900 copies snatched up. That means that the top four albums on next week's sales chart are new releases — something that hasn't happened for some time.

The rest of the top 10 is rounded out by the usual suspects and one other new release: at #10 with 36,600 sold is Keith Sweat's Just Me. Leona Lewis' Spirit climbs one spot to #5, with 62,300 scans, while Mariah Carey's E=MC² drops one spot to #6, selling another 58,600. Neil Diamond's Home Before Dark falls six chart places to #7, generating 53,400 in second-week sales, and Madonna's Hard Candy slips five spots to #8, with 53,300 sold. Toby Keith's 35 Biggest Hits follows at #9, with 40,800 scans.

The soundtrack to "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" enters next week's chart at #26, having sold 15,700 units in its first week. Following at #40, selling 13,200 copies, is Truth, the latest from R&B act Cherish. Iron Maiden's Somewhere Back in Time: The Best of 1980-1989 enters the chart at #59, with sales reported at 11,000. Foxy Brown's Brooklyn's Don Diva debuts at #83, with 8,810 sold, and just two spots down, the Old 97's' Blame It on Gravity enters at #85, with 8,780.

Southern hip-hop artist Boondox's Krimson Creek bows at #113, selling 6,200 units, and with 4,900 scans, Dokken's Lightning Strikes Again comes in at #133. Emmure's Respect Issue trails at #141, with 4,800 sold. And lastly, entering at #195 with 3,500, is Cinematic Sunrise's Coloring Storybook and Long Playing Record.

• Death Cab For Cutie
• Jason Mraz
• Duffy
• 10 Years
• Filter

EMA 2008: Performers

• Duffy
• P!nk
• Beyoncé
• Kid Rock
• The Killers

Lollapalooza 2008

• Duffy
• Rage Against the Machine
• Radiohead
• Katy Perry
• Raconteurs

Jay-Z, Amy Winehouse, Duffy & More Play Glastonbury Fest

• Amy Winehouse
• Jay-Z
• Richard Ashcroft
• Duffy
• Leonard Cohen

MTV.com Exclusive: Duffy

• Duffy

Madonna, Usher, More Perform At Radio 1's Big Weekend In England

• Madonna
• Usher
• Robyn
• Duffy
• The Feeling