Tim McGraw

Britney Spears Pops A Tire; Plus Lindsay Lohan, John Legend, Robin Thicke, Kanye West, Beyonce, Fergie & More, In For The Record

8 Jan 2008 08:17:00 EST

Woman seeking more money from Lohan; Legend, Thicke to perform at MusiCares event; West blogging like crazy.
By MTV News staff

Britney Spears
Photo: Ethan Miller/Getty Images

Does anything go right for Britney Spears anymore? In the wake of Brit's recent hospital stay and 15-minute meeting with Dr. Phil, the troubled pop star was spotted Monday night on Los Angeles' Sunset Boulevard, having a bit of car trouble. Spears' car suffered a flat tire near the 405 freeway. According to a rep from the Los Angeles Police Department, the singer abandoned her Mercedes in the middle of the street and accepted a ride home from one of the many paparazzi who were following her. The LAPD had the car towed to a nearby lot for safekeeping. Spears will have to cover the $104 towing fee, as well as a $35.60 storage fee. ...

Lindsay Lohan is being sued by the woman she allegedly chased in July while driving under the influence, and now Tracie Rice is seeking more money from the actress. According to TMZ.com, Rice has filed legal papers that allege she has already spent $3,500 in therapist bills and other medical-related expenses. She also claims she lost her job because of the car chase. ...

John Legend, Robin Thicke, Lil Mama, Anthony Hamilton and Fantasia are some of the stars who will serenade Aretha Franklin when she is honored as the 2008 MusiCares Person of the year at an event at the Los Angeles Convention Center on February 8. The music legend is being hailed for her outreach efforts to children's and health-care groups, churches and food banks in the Detroit area. The event will also feature a silent auction with items by members of Led Zeppelin, Bill Clinton and others — proceeds go to MusiCares, which helps musicians in need of financial, medical and/or personal help. ...

Kanye West has been on fire lately with his blog, posting about everything from Dr. Dre's new line of headphones to a nostalgic look at Jamiroquai's "Virtual Insanity" video. ... Beyoncé, Amy Winehouse, Fergie, Jessica Simpson, Avril Lavigne and Lindsay Lohan have something dubious in common — they've all been named on Mr. Blackwell's annual worst-dressed list. Victoria Beckman topped the list. ... Ray J is teeing up a new album for release in April, and he has taken Lil Wayne, the Game and Snoop Dogg along for the ride. All I Feel also boasts production from Rodney Jerkins, and Yung Berg is featured on the album's first single, "Sexy Can I." ...

What's good for Radiohead is apparently good for Coldplay. According to various reports, including one from British newspaper the Daily Star, Coldplay may be mulling a departure from EMI, the band's longtime label home. Radiohead ditched the label and released their last album, In Rainbows, independently online. According to a source, Coldplay don't feel they "necessarily need a label" and will consider all of their options before re-signing with the company. The band has been working on its fourth LP with producer Brian Eno (U2, Depeche Mode), and had originally hoped to release the new material this spring, though no official release date has been given. ...

The South by Southwest lineup has swollen to include Bun B and the Black Keys. Blitzen Trapper, the Von Bondies, the Raveonettes and Vampire Weekend have also been announced to play at the festival, which will happen March 12-16 in Austin, Texas. Speaking of the Keys, their new album, Attack & Release — which was produced by Danger Mouse — will hit stores April 1. ... Sean Penn and the Coen brothers keep raking in the accolades — the respective "Into the Wild" and "No Country for Old Men" directors have been nominated for the Directors Guild of America's best filmmaker honor. Paul Thomas Anderson ("There Will Be Blood"), Tony Gilroy ("Michael Clayton") and Julian Schnabel ("The Diving Bell and the Butterfly") are also up for the distinction, and the winner will be announced January 26. ...

According to Canadian newspaper The Globe and Mail, singer Bif Naked, 36, has been diagnosed with breast cancer. Naked, whose real name is Beth Torbert, reportedly found a lump in her breast during a self-examination. She is scheduled for a lumpectomy this week and will also undergo chemotherapy. "It's like being on 'The Price Is Right,' " she told the paper. "I can't believe coins didn't come out of the machine. They said, 'This is not something we're happy with. Let's do an ultrasound.' ... A week later ... they did these tests, and this biopsy came back basically being pretty gosh darn positive for breast cancer." Naked is not afraid to take on the chronic disease. "I'm really confident that it's going to be a snap for me," she said. "I have a pre-existing aneurysm in my heart, so it will be a challenge medically. Hopefully in three weeks I can start my chemotherapy. ... After that, you can go through the steps of radiation, and hopefully be right as right." ...

According to guitarist Brian Bell, Weezer's forthcoming sixth album is in the bag. "Personally, I think it's our best yet," he said in a statement. "Never have the four of us worked so hard and passionately on an album, and we all look forward to performing this culmination of our talents and combined knowledge in 2008 in a city near you." ... French electronic sensations Justice will anchor the bill for the forthcoming MySpace Music Tour, which is set to kick off March 3 in Austin, Texas, and run through March 31 in Los Angeles. Diplo, DJ Mehdi, Chromeo, Busy P and Fancy are also scheduled to perform. ... Eels frontman Mark Oliver Everett has an autobiography on the way. His tome, "Things the Grandchildren Should Know," examines the singer's life and his early days in rock music. The book will be available in the States in the fall. ...

There's a new Web site that's designed to help pair drummers with bands that are short on talent. Over at DrummerHunter.com, bands that need a kitman can browse potential players using a profile system similar to those used on dating Web sites or social networks like MySpace. Drummers can post contact information, MP3s of their playing, acts they like and genres they can play, all for free. Bands can then search the profiles and contact the sticksmen directly.

1.07.08

Shins multi-instrumentalist Marty Crandall was reportedly arrested Friday night on a domestic-violence charge after an altercation with girlfriend and former "America's Next Top Model" contestant Elyse Sewell. In a LiveJournal.com post titled "Worst Weekend Olympics" that has since been locked, Sewell, who dated Crandall for several years, wrote that a night of drinking in a Sacramento, California, hotel room ended with her escaping "from the room through a blitzkrieg of violence." According to several reports, the post featured photos of Sewell's heavily bruised arms and bloody knuckles, and noted that Crandall bore bite marks from their alleged scuffle, which resulted in Sewell's arrest as well. Both were reportedly booked after she notified hotel security about the incident — Sewell was reportedly released from jail Saturday, while a search of the Sacramento County Sheriff's Department Web site shows that a man named Martin Lesley Crandall was released from jail Sunday. A spokesperson for the Sacramento Police Department could not be reached for comment at press time. In a Sunday afternoon post, Sewell wrote on her LiveJournal.com page that, "I'm feeling much better on this new day (after sleeping until noon). I've decided to heed the advice of many commenters (lawyerly types) and friends — lock my last entry about the legal foibles between me and my ex-boyfriend." The Shins' label Sub Pop responded to the matter on Monday (January 7), saying in a statement, "Marty Crandall and his ex-girlfriend Elyse Sewell were both arrested over the weekend following an argument at a Sacramento hotel which resulted in hotel staff calling the police. They were both taken into police custody and released over the weekend. There will be no further comment at this time, and [we] would appreciate their privacy being respected." Crandall and Sewell are due back in court Tuesday. ...

Jay-Z, Bono, Al Gore, George Clooney, Jon Stewart and Matthew McConaughey were just a few of the celebrities who appeared in a video poking fun at Microsoft founder Bill Gates on his last day and subsequent retirement. The clip aired Sunday as a part of Gates' last keynote address to his company. In the video, Gates — with newfound time on his hands — explores several alternative post-career options. First he's in the studio cutting a record with Jay at the boards. "You killed it, Billy G," Jay says in the clip. Then Bono gets a phone call that brings him offstage during a concert — on the other end, Gates shares his new high score at "Guitar Hero." The near-eight-minute video ends with the iconic software advocate receiving a cheering ovation. ... Curiously, the Gates keynote event wasn't the only place where Jay and Bono crossed paths recently — the exiting Def Jam prez checked out a screening of U2's new 3-D concert film on Monday (January 7), according to RollingStone.com. Jay reportedly left the "U2 3D" screening early. ... Miley Cyrus, Fergie and John Legend have been roped into the Houston Livestock Show & Rodeo, which will go down March 3-22. The country-centric event will also feature Faith Hill, Tim McGraw and Rascal Flatts. ...

Kid Rock's scheduled arraignment Monday in DeKalb County, Georgia, has been postponed until February 4, according to the DeKalb County Solicitor's Office. The arraignment stems from Rock's arrest in October on a misdemeanor battery charge after he allegedly got into a brawl over a woman at a Waffle House. According to a Solicitor's Office spokesperson, the postponement was necessary to give officials more time to investigate the matter and determine whether they'll prosecute the case. ... Nicole Kidman is having another, um, kid. The actress, who already has two adopted children with ex-husband Tom Cruise, is expecting her first baby with new hubby Keith Urban. ...

Add Beanie Sigel to the growing list of veteran rappers unhappy with what they see as a lack of support from Def Jam. Jay-Z detractors LL Cool J and Method Man have been the most vocal, but in an interview with DJ Whoo Kid over the weekend, the Philadelphia lyricist revealed his — and labelmate Freeway's — frustration with the label. "It's some f---ed-up sh-- that needs to be addressed," Sigel said. "A lot of questions should be directed to the people in charge. They need to be put on the spot and asked questions. Because I want to know myself. ... I'm waiting to hear the same answers to questions that me and Freeway get asked." Jay-Z has stepped down as president of Def Jam, but he still seemed to draw some of Beans' ire, though he wasn't directly named. Beans, however, explained he will release a mixtape soon titled "True American Gangster," a play off Jay's most recent album, November's American Gangster. ...

According to a post on Entertainment Weekly's Hollywood Insider blog, "American Idol" season-five winner Taylor Hicks is the latest "Idol" to get the boot from J Records. Just weeks after season-two champ Ruben Studdard was dropped, an unnamed label source told the site that Hicks is going to record his next album on his own, because "he is no longer on the J Records roster." A spokesperson for J Records could not be reached at press time. ... Jessica Simpson escaped to Mexico over the weekend, with boyfriend Tony Romo — and her parents — in tow, according to People.com. The two were also joined by some of Romo's Dallas Cowboys teammates, who have apparently warmed up to the actress, who some had criticized for distracting the quarterback. ... Actor Jack Black and wife Tanya Haden are expecting their second child, according to The Associated Press. Black reportedly confirmed his wife's pregnancy over the weekend. Black and Haden, a cellist and the daughter of jazz great Charlie Haden, were married in 2006 and already have one child, a 6-month-old son. ...

BT, an electronic-music producer who has worked with everyone from Britney Spears to the Roots, is speaking out about the alleged abduction of his daughter by the child's mother. According to a statement released by his publicist, 3-year-old Kaia Transeau has been missing for three weeks, and BT has not had contact with her since the first few days she was gone. "I am diligently and delicately working to do everything possible to amend this tragic family situation," he said in a statement. "As a father, my only goal is to get my daughter back home. I appreciate your continued support and understanding in this desperate hour." Kaia is on the National Crime Information Center's missing-persons list (304-625-2000). ...

José González is feeling green — the indie-folk luminary will launch an environmentally friendly trek starting February 29 in Miami. The singer/songwriter has partnered with Reverb for his Green Tour, which will find him neutralizing emissions from venue energy use and calculating his CO2 footprint. Tickets will cost an extra 50 cents each to offset costs for the effort, and the jaunt will end March 31 in Vancouver, British Columbia. ... OK Go have stepped up for a good cause — the band ganged up with New Orleans funk/soul group Bonerama during the second anniversary of Hurricane Katrina and recorded music at a studio in the city's Upper Ninth Ward. The end result is an exclusive iTunes EP that will drop February 5 and benefit local musicians — including R&B legend Al Johnson — who are still struggling to get their lives back together. You're Not Alone features three reworked songs from OK Go's last album, 2005's Oh No, as well as covers of David Bowie's "Rock 'N' Roll Suicide" and Bob Dylan's "I Shall Be Released," with Johnson contributing vocals to the latter track. The groups are also partnering to play two benefit shows: a gig Friday at Tipitina's and a February 2 concert at the 9:30 Club in Washington, D.C., that will be streamed on NPR. ...

R.E.M. aren't the only big-name rock vets who will perform at this year's South by Southwest festival — Black Crowes will also descend on Austin, Texas, with a headlining show at Stubb's on March 15. The band has lined up seven additional March club gigs, during which it will play the entirety of its first proper studio release in seven years, March 4's Warpaint, in addition to classic material. The Crowes' One Night Only run starts March 2 in Sayreville, New Jersey, and ends March 20 in Los Angeles. Speaking of R.E.M., frontman Michael Stipe recently chimed in on the presidential-nomination race, and while he's not exactly going to pull a Chuck Norris and throw his support behind Republican candidate and Mike Huckabee, he did have a few kind words for the former Arkansas governor. "I can't think of probably a single issue in which I am even remotely in the same universe as that guy ... and yet, he was kind of charming and ... self-deprecating," he said on Sirius Satellite Radio program "Jade Radio." "He was actually kind of a good sport, and funny, and I don't know what that means. Maybe it's a good thing that's he's being lauded right now by the right. He's an evangelical. May God bless all living creatures, but my God ... how weird." ... A Perfect Circle mastermind Billy Howerdel has christened his new band Ashes Divide. The group will release its debut album in March, with the album's first single, "The Stone," due to hit radio January 22. ....

Sony/BMG — home to Beyoncé, Alicia Keys and Carrie Underwood — is finalizing plans to sell part of its collection without Digital Rights Management protection in the first quarter of 2008, BusinessWeek.com reports. The first initiative under the deal will come via a Platinum MusicPass series of digital-album gift cards that will be sold starting January 15 at Best Buy, Target and other select stores. The album cards retail for $12.99 and come with bonus material — titles include Backstreet Boys' Unbreakable, John Mayer's Continuum and Bruce Springsteen's Magic. Also being considered is an upcoming Pepsi Super Bowl promotion featuring Justin Timberlake that will involve the free distribution of 1 billion songs from major labels.

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Shins Instrumentalist Arrested For Domestic Violence; Plus Jay-Z, Bono, Hannah Montana, Fergie, Nicole Kidman & More, In For The Record

7 Jan 2008 08:14:00 EST

Jay, Bono poke fun at Bill Gates in video; Miley Cyrus, Fergie roped in to perform at rodeo show; Kidman pregnant.
By MTV News staff

The Shins' Marty Crandall
Photo: Karl Walter/Getty Images

1.4.08

The Hannah Montana tour is definitely one of the hottest tickets in town for tweens and their parents, but one woman admits she went a little overboard in trying to win tickets for her daughter. Texas mom Priscilla Ceballos apologized Friday (January 4) on NBC's "Today" show for writing an essay falsely claiming the girl's father had died in Iraq just so the girl could see Hannah (a.k.a. Miley Cyrus) in person. "I just wanted to help my daughter write a compelling story," she said. The fabricated essay won the contest's grand prize, which included airfare for four to Albany, New York, and four tickets to a sold-out Hannah Montana concert there, as well as a makeover that included a blond Hannah Montana wig. "Please accept my heartfelt apology and please do not punish my child for my mistake," Ceballos urged on the show. ...

What's harder to find than a City of Gold? For "American Idol" rocker Chris Daughtry, it was one of his own songs. Daughtry was commissioned to write a song to play over the end credits of "National Treasure: Book of Secrets," but the single, "Feels Like Tonight," was left on the cutting-room floor, reports Variety. "It's a great song, and probably could have been a good marketing tool, but when we put it up with the movie, it just felt wrong," Disney music chief Mitchell Leib told the Hollywood trade. ...In other "Idol" alumni news, Season Two winner Ruben Studdard and semifinalist Frenchie Davis (who got the boot from the show after Fox discovered that she worked for an adult Web site before trying out) have signed on for the 30th anniversary national tour of the Tony Award-winning musical revue "Ain't Misbehavin'." Richard Maltby Jr. co-wrote and directed the Broadway production, which showcases the music of "Fats" Waller, and he will re-create his original direction. Studdard was in need of some good news after being the first "Idol" winner to be dropped from his label, when J Records let him go in December. Since appearing on "Idol," Davis was in the Broadway cast of "Rent." The "Ain't Misbehavin' " tour will begin in November and run at least through May 2009. ...

Literature probably isn't the first thing that comes to mind when you think of C-Murder, but the rapper — who is to be retried on a second-degree murder charge on February 11 — is taking part in a unique book club that connects readers with authors. On January 19, C-Murder will help christen the New Orleans "chapter" of the Conversations Book Club when he joins the group at the Comfort Inn & Suites downtown to discuss "Death Around the Corner," his recent novel about the city post-Katrina. ...

R.E.M., My Morning Jacket, Vampire Weekend, Daniel Lanois, Tech N9ne and My Brightest Diamond are among the initial slate of bands scheduled to perform at this year's South by Southwest festival. Lou Reed will be the keynote speaker at the fest, which will take place in Austin, Texas, March 12-16. ... Birdman is being sued for allegedly sampling other artists' songs without paying for them. The lawsuit, which was filed in New Orleans, claims that the Cash Money Records co-founder (real name: Bryan Williams) owes several music publishers money for using copyrighted songs without permission. ... Does Britney have some competition? Both Whitney Houston and her estranged husband, Bobby Brown, were no-shows Friday (January 4) at their scheduled court appearance, TMZ.com reports. According to the Web site, Whitney's attorney, Stephen Kolodny, said the singer was sick. ...

Bay Area producer/DJ Amplive won't be putting out his remix of Radiohead's In Rainbows after all. Just a month after announcing his remix album, Rainydayz Remixes, which was to feature a cameo from Too Short, Amp announced on his MySpace page that he had received a cease-and-desist letter from Radiohead's publisher, Warner/Chappell, on December 18 that barred him from releasing the unapproved album, according to a story on Pitchfork linked to from Amp's site. In a video on his MySpace page, a dejected-looking Amp, holding a sign that reads "free," laments, "In Rainbows is one of the top Radiohead albums, and I'm a big Radiohead fan, and it was all done in celebration." He says he wanted to show his appreciation for Radiohead's pioneering pay-what-you-want scheme by doing a hip-hop remix album that would also have featured Del Tha Funkee Homosapien and Jurassic 5's Chali 2na. He says he wishes that Radiohead could hear the free remix album, which he knows they would like, and suspects the band is not to blame for the legal action. "Thom [Yorke], holla at me, man," he pleads to the band's frontman at the end of the message. ...

Australia's first couple of music, Silverchair singer Daniel Johns and singer/actress Natalie Imbruglia, have announced that they will separate after four years of marriage, according to the Melbourne Herald Sun. The pair announced their split in a joint statement released Friday (January 4) that read, "While we are very sad that our marriage has ended, we want to make it clear that our parting is amicable and we remain friends. ... This mutual decision has not been taken lightly or quickly. However, our career demands and our lives in different parts of the world have brought us to the point where unfortunately this difficult decision was necessary for both of us. We have simply grown apart through not being able to spend enough time together." ... On March 25, long-running, genre-spanning party-poppers the B-52s will return with Funplex, their first album of new material since 1992's Good Stuff (and their first to feature co-frontwoman Cindy Wilson since '89's Cosmic Thing). Guitarist Keith Strickland describes the album as "loud, sexy rock and roll for your pleasure zones, with the beat pumped up to hot pink," just in case you were wondering. ...

Josh Groban had a great Christmas, but the music industry? Not so much. For the eighth year in a row, album sales were down, with total album sales diving 15 percent in 2007 to 500.5 million units, according to year-end figures from Nielsen SoundScan. The Los Angeles Times reports that it was the lowest tally and steepest decline since Nielsen began publishing estimates based on in-stores sales data in 1993. There was a bright spot with digital-album sales rising 2.4 percent to 30.1 million units, but even that paled in comparison to the 19 percent uptick in 2006. The overall picture, including albums, singles and individual-song downloads, showed a rise of 14 percent to 1.4 billion units, which, again, was down from the 19 percent gain in 2006. ...

Last year's Live Earth concert and the Roskilde Festival in Denmark will be recognized with environmental honors at the upcoming Midem Green World Awards in Cannes, France, later this month, according to BBC News. The awards pay tribute to events that promote a greater awareness of environmental issues. Live Earth is being recognized for the strict green guidelines it set out in order to create a low-impact worldwide event, while Roskilde, one of the largest European festivals, is earning praise for serving all its drinks in recyclable plastic mugs. ...

Not everyone is psyched about the huge music festival that is slated to touch down in Vineland, New Jersey, this summer courtesy of a hookup between Lollapalooza promoters C3 and the people behind England's Glastonbury Festival. According to the Vineland Daily Journal, a group of citizens, including a former City Council president, have mobilized under the banner of Neighbors Against Rock Concert Site in an attempt to block the show. The first meeting of NARCS is slated to take place Thursday, with the goal of blocking the festival — currently scheduled for August 8-10 — from taking place on a local 570-acre farm. The event is expected to draw 35,000-40,000 people over three days, with mostly on-site camping, which neighbors worry will have a negative impact on the area due to potential increases in traffic, noise, crime and pollution. According to the Journal, NARCS isn't opposed to the festival, just its location. The group is considering a lawsuit to stop the show, while suggesting that promoters move it to a more "appropriate" location, such as the local county fairgrounds. ...

The once-in-a-lifetime New Year's Eve gig at a small club in Surrey, England, that featured Who guitarist Pete Townshend, former Beatles drummer Ringo Starr and guitar god Eric Clapton might not be a one-off after all. The secret show, which the trio performed under the name Totally Abandoned, benefited charity and included mostly "old classics," according to London newspaper The Independent. A Thursday post on the Who's site confirmed that the gig took place and teased that "a much larger gig" could happen in New York before March. ...

Stephen Stills is recovering after having surgery for prostate cancer on Thursday. He is expected to be at the Sundance Film Festival on January 25 for the world premiere of "CSNY/ Déjà Vu," a movie directed by Neil Young that revolves around his and Stills' group, Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young.

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Tim McGraw Takes Down Now 24, Young Buck To Top Billboard Chart

4 Apr 2007 01:26:00 EDT

MIMS, Good Charlotte, J. Lo among week's biggest debuts.
By Chris Harris

Young Buck's Buck the World
Photo: Interscope

It takes a certain kind of artist to contend with the combined commercial might of Fergie, Nelly Furtado, Beyoncé, Nickelback and Daughtry — and country crooner Tim McGraw is one of 'em. While the aforementioned artists are all featured in the latest, star-studded edition of the long-running Now That's What I Call Music! franchise, McGraw won by a considerable margin.

In fact, with more than 325,000 week-one scans for his latest LP, Let It Go, McGraw creamed the 24th addition to the Now brood by some 95,000 copies, claiming the third chart-topping debut of his career. He previously claimed the chart's top spot with 2004's Live Like You Were Dying, which opened at #1 with 765,700 sold, and 1999's Place in the Sun, which sold 251,700 units.

According to the latest SoundScan figures, Now 24, which also boasts contributions from Rihanna, T.I., Ciara, Chris Brown and the All-American Rejects, generated sales of about 230,000, more than enough to earn the set a #2 opening. Following at #3 is another newcomer to the top 200: Buck the World, the sophomore offering from G-Unit soldier Young Buck, which closed out its first week at retail with 140,250 copies scanned. Buck is nothing if not consistent: His debut, 2004's Straight Outta Cashville, also opened at #3, selling about 261,500 units.

New York rapper MIMS' inaugural outing Music Is My Savior sold 77,600 copies, which was enough for a fourth-place finish; this week's chart marks the first in recent memory where the chart's four peak positions belonged to new releases, and in all, a total of seven fresh faces hold court in the top 10. Akon's Konvicted occupies the #5 slot, with 66,850 scans, while Daughtry, the eponymous first offering from "American Idol" season-five finalist Chris Daughtry's rock outfit, follows at #6, selling around 66,500.

Good Charlotte's latest, Good Morning Revival, opens at #7 with 66,000 scans — the band's weakest debut yet: 2004's The Chronicles of Life and Death bowed at #3 with 198,600 sold, while 2002's The Young and the Hopeless debuted at #7 with 112,200 scans. Joss Stone's Introducing Joss Stone suffered the usual second-week sales slump, dropping six spots to #8 with a reported 58,000 scanned.

Elton John's Rocket Man: Number Ones, a retrospective collection of some of the icon's biggest hits, opens at #9 with 49,000 sold, and rounding out the top 10 is Jennifer Lopez's first all-Spanish LP, Como Ama una Mujer, which sold 48,150 units during its debut week; Lopez has just one #1 album to her credit, 2001's J. Lo, which sold 272,300 copies.

Next week's top 200 will see 29 debuts, including Redman's Red Gone Wild, which opens at #13 with 44,400 scans, followed at #14 by Lil' Flip's I Need Mine, which scanned close to 43,300 copies. Crystal Visions: The Very Best of Stevie Nicks debuts at #20, selling 33,800 units, while Disneymania 5, a collection featuring the Cheetah Girls, Ashley Tisdale, Vanessa Hudgens, and others, opens at #27.

New artist Mika's Life in Cartoon Motion pops up at #29, while Mobb Deep rapper Prodigy's Return of the Mac follows at #32, selling 26,800 units. Macy Gray returns to the top 200 at #39, while the Kaiser Chiefs bow at #45, having sold 17,500 copies of their latest, Yours Truly, Angry Mob.

Following her appearance last week on "American Idol," Gwen Stefani's Sweet Escape experienced a 64 percent sales surge, raising the LP from #25 to #15 on next week's chart.

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Underwood Takes "Wheel" to No. 1 for Fifth Week

11 Feb 2006 11:00:00 EST

Country Newcomer Returns to Top of Country Album Chart
By Craig Shelburne

In the battle between booty-shaking and reckless driving, the edge still goes to rising star Carrie Underwood. For the fifth week in a row, "Jesus, Take the Wheel" clutches the No. 1 spot on Billboard's country airplay chart, as Trace Adkins' "Honky Tonk Badonkadonk" apparently loses its shot at the top spot, falling from No. 2 to No. 3.

Both songs had a decrease in spins last week, which means that Brad Paisley's "When I Get Where I'm Going" -- No. 2 with a bullet -- is potentially poised to reach the summit next week.

Or maybe not. After 29 weeks on the chart, Josh Turner's "Your Man" continues its steady climb, now at No. 4 with a bullet. He's just ahead of Faith Hill's "Like We Never Loved at All" at No. 5, Keith Urban's "Tonight I Wanna Cry" at No. 6 and Sugarland's "Just Might (Make Me Believe)" at No. 7. Rounding out the Top 10 are Tim McGraw's "My Old Friend" at No. 8, Kenny Chesney's "Living in Fast Forward" at No. 9 and Billy Currington's "Must Be Doin' Somethin' Right" at No. 10.

George Strait claims the week's highest debut with "The Seashores of Old Mexico," a cover of a Merle Haggard song, splashing in at No. 48. Other new singles include Neal McCoy's "The Last of a Dying Breed" at No. 52, Martina McBride's cover of Johnny Cash's "I Still Miss Someone" at No. 53, Underwood's "Before He Cheats" at No. 59 and new artist Eric Church's "How 'Bout You" at No. 60.

Underwood returns to No. 1 on the country albums chart, trading places with Turner. The Legend of Johnny Cash lives on at No. 3, followed by the latest albums from Adkins, Rascal Flatts, Urban, Chesney and Sugarland. Walk the Line settles in at No. 9, followed by Miranda Lambert's Kerosene, at No. 10

New albums hitting the chart include Jamey Johnson's The Dollar at No. 20 and Alabama's three-disc boxed set, Livin' Lovin' Rockin' Rollin': The 25th Anniversary Collection, at No. 28. Kenny Rogers also makes several appearances on the chart: 21 Number Ones at No. 11, Golden Legends: Kenny Rogers at No. 57 and 42 Ultimate Hits at No. 75.

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For The Record: Quick News On Nelly, Britney Spears, Jamie Foxx, Incubus, Scott Weiland And Tim McGraw & More

17 May 2005 05:52:00 EDT

Nelly in underage-drinking prevention ad, Britney/Kevin show to re-run on MTV, Incubus record with Chrissie Hynde.
By MTV News staff report

Nelly (file)
Photo: Universal Records

Nelly reminds parents that their kids are their biggest fans in a new underage-drinking prevention ad, which will debut Wednesday during "Law & Order" on NBC. In the Anheuser-Busch-sponsored 30-second spot, Nelly admits that some of the parents watching him may not recognize him as a hip-hop icon, so he pretends to be a chef, a boxer and a golfer. "Underage drinking is a serious issue, and working with parents to address the problem is the responsible thing to do," Nelly said in a statement. "It's very important for parents to talk with their children about everything, and underage-drinking prevention is definitely one of those things you need to jump on early." ...

Britney Spears' reality show with husband Kevin Federline is going to re-run on MTV, it was announced on Tuesday (May 17). "Britney and Kevin: Chaotic" premieres Tuesday at 9 p.m. on UPN, while the second run will premiere on MTV on May 26, with the first two episodes of the half-hour series airing back-to-back at 10 p.m. The series will continue on MTV Thursday nights at 10 p.m. throughout the run, with the hour-long finale airing June 23 at 10 p.m. Spears is using her song "Chaotic" from the In the Zone sessions as the show's theme song. ... Scott Weiland, wearing a vintage 1972 Nudie Rodeo Tailor suit and accompanied by a pedal-steel guitarist and steel drummer, treated the audience at "Last Call With Carson Daly" last week (at a special taping at the Hollywood Palladium in Los Angeles) to the debut performance of a country ballad he wrote about his father called "The Man I Didn't Know." "I met Tim McGraw at the Grammys, when we sang 'Across the Universe' together for tsunami relief and we talked about singing a song together," the Velvet Revolver singer said in a statement. "This is the song I wrote for us to sing." The episode will air Thursday. ...

Michael Jackson's defense — after trying to establish on Monday that the accuser's family never alerted Neverland employees that anything was wrong — turned on Tuesday to trying to establish that the accuser's family also did not inform the Department of Children and Family Services when that opportunity arose. DCFS employee Irene Laverne Peters testified that the reason they were investigating in the first place was because charges were leveled at the mother, for "general neglect." Peters said that the mother said she was hiding at her boyfriend's house because of documentary maker Martin Bashir, and seemed upset only because she hadn't signed a release for her children to be on television. Peters said that the mother insisted that she was aware of everything her kids did at Neverland. When she was asked if the kids ever slept in the singer's bed, the mother said that that never happened. Peters asked the accuser if he had ever slept in Jackson's bed, and the boy denied it, she said. However, the prosecution's timeline regarding the molestation has the abuse not occurring until after this interview. Meanwhile, Jay Leno is scheduled to testify in the case on Monday. ...

Incubus wrote three new tracks and duet with the Pretenders' Chrissie Hynde for the soundtrack to the Jamie Foxx action thriller "Stealth," due out July 12. "We wrote the first song, 'Make a Move,' really quickly," singer Brandon Boyd said. "It's fun and bouncy, but still thoughtful." The band's two other new songs are called "Admiration" and "Neither of Us Can See" (featuring Hynde), which will play over the movie's closing credits. "When we were conceptualizing the song, it became obvious that we needed two voices to capture the different facets of this song," Boyd said of his first duet. "Chrissie came in and added another dimension to the song." The trailer for "Stealth" premieres Wednesday and will play before "Star Wars: Episode III - Revenge of the Sith." "Stealth" hits theaters July 29. ... Meanwhile, Foxx is getting his own music special to air on NBC, which he'll also executive produce. The tentatively titled "Jamie Foxx Special" would follow the release of his new album this fall, and feature all original music by Foxx as well as a few guest stars. The one-hour show would also trace his musical roots back to his hometown of Terrell, Texas. An airdate has yet to be announced. ...

Mike Epps ("The Honeymooners") will play raunchy comedian Richard Pryor in a big-screen biopic, according to Variety. The movie will be co-produced by Pryor and his wife, Jennifer Lee Pryor, who said Epps was tapped over an earlier choice for the part, Damon Wayans, whom the pair believed was too well-known. ... Babyface is prepping his ninth album, Grown & Sexy, due out July 26. His first single, "Sorry for the Stupid Things," hits radio on Monday. Other tracks on the album include "Tonite It's Goin' Down," "Mad, Sexy, Cool," "Goin' Outta Bizness" and "Drama, Luv and 'Lationships." In advance of the album's release, Babyface is planning a live one-hour performance special (airdate to be announced). ...

Skating legend Tony Hawk is taking his Boom Boom Huckjam extreme sports/music tour on the road again this summer. The 25-city outing, which kicks off on June 17 in Spokane, Washington, will also be turned into a behind-the-scenes series for the action sports channel Fuel tentatively titled "On the Road With Tony Hawk." DJ Aero (Methods of Mayhem) will spin during the events. ... If your Memorial Day plans included a trip to Detroit for the city's annual electronic music festival, this year it will cost you. The Detroit City Council recently approved a plan that would allow organizers to charge $10 per day ($25 for a three-day pass) for the traditionally free event, now dubbed "Fuse-In: Detroit's Electronic Movement," according to the Detroit Free Press. Organizers said that if the festival had not moved to a pay model, its future would have been in doubt due to a lack of major sponsors. ...

A Social Distortion cover of the Clash's 1979 song "Death or Glory" will be the first single from the "Lords of Dogtown" soundtrack, due May 24. A Rise Against cover of Black Flag's "Nervous Breakdown" as well as favorites from the Jimi Hendrix Experience ("Fire"), Rod Stewart ("Maggie May") and the Stooges ("T.V. Eye") are also included. The skateboarding biopic opens June 3. ... Teenage Fanclub's first new album in nearly three years, Man-Made, will be released in the U.S. on June 7. The Glasgow, Scotland, band's eighth studio album was recorded in Chicago with Tortoise's John McEntire, marking the first time the group worked on an album abroad. ... Switchfoot's follow-up to their breakthrough album, 2003's The Beautiful Letdown, will be called Nothing Is Sound and will hit stores in July. The San Diego rockers wrote the album while touring behind Letdown. ...

05.16.2005

Paris Hilton and Nick Carter are trading barbs once again through the media. The actress/heiress was asked last week on Edmonton, Alberta, station 96X, on a show called "The Canadian Hit 30 Countdown," to compare her new boyfriend — also named Paris — to her previous boyfriends, such as Carter. Hilton responded, "Night and day. He's not using me for anything ... he's not a disgusting pig, sorry." Carter responded shortly afterward that Hilton "should take a look in the mirror." "I kind of have to brush it off my shoulders, because she's very immature," Carter told the station. "The problem with Paris is that she thrives off of hurting other people, and it's not just me." Fellow Backstreet Boy Kevin Richardson added that he had asked Hilton to lay off the negative comments. "I pulled her aside at a party, and said, 'We'd never done anything to harm you, I don't appreciate the negative comments. Unless you want me coming after you in the press, and you don't want me talking about you, you need to stop it and lay off my little brother.' It angers me that she started again." ...

Michael Jackson's defense turned on Monday (May 16) to disputing the accuser's family's claims of being held prisoner at Neverland by demonstrating that during their time there, they received a number of services — from orthodontia for the kids to full body waxing for the mom — and that no one providing those services saw any indication that anything was wrong. A Neverland maid testified that the accuser's mother did ask for help leaving the ranch, but it was because Jackson's associates were interfering with her relationship with the pop singer, she said. Other employees indicated that the accuser and his brother were problem children, testifying that they found them with porn and alcohol when Jackson was not around. However, one witness, former Neverland chef's assistant Angel Vivanco, was limited in testifying about what he claims the accuser's sister told him, based on his "quasi-sexual" relationship with her. The defense had indicated that he would say the sister told him her family was planning "something big" regarding Jackson and that her mom was "psycho." ...

Ciara got the most nods for the upcoming BET Awards, with four nominations (including Best New Artist, Best Female R&B, Best Collaboration and Viewer's Choice for "1, 2 Step"). Also leading the pack are Destiny's Child, John Legend and Kanye West, with three nominations each. Other multiple nominees include Fantasia, Amerie, 50 Cent and Omarion. Destiny's Child, Mariah Carey, Ludacris, Missy Elliott and the Game will perform on the show, which will be televised live on June 28 at 8 p.m. ET. ... Want to vote for one of the final three "American Idol" contestants — Bo Bice, Carrie Underwood and Vonzell Solomon — to become one of the final two? You'll be more likely to get through on Tuesday, when each contestant will be assigned two toll-free numbers instead of one. "With the volume of calls this season already exceeding last year's, we felt it was important to give fans additional phone numbers in an attempt to reduce congestion," Executive Producer Cecile Frot-Coutaz said. ...

Jennifer Lopez may have scrapped plans to do a full tour, but she's going forward with at least one live concert, to be filmed for a special to air on NBC, the network announced Monday. The tentatively titled "Jennifer Lopez Special" will include her singing her catalog of hits as well as songs from Rebirth. No airdate for the show was announced. ...

Young Buck's Friday court date in Los Angeles in connection with the melee at last fall's Vibe Awards was once again postponed, this time to June 8. The G-Unit rapper has already pleaded not guilty to assault with a deadly weapon. ... CMJ and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and Museum have teamed for the first CMJ/ Rock Hall Music Fest, scheduled for June 8-11 in Cleveland. More than 100 bands will perform around the city for the festival, including Stephen Malkmus & the Jicks, the Futureheads, Spoon, Grandmaster Flash, the Misfits, Powerman 5000, Mushroomhead and the Pixies, who are kicking off the festival June 8 at the Rock Hall. ...

Blink-182's Mark Hoppus is giving away clothing from his Atticus female clothing line to the band's fans. Through Blink's Web site, fans can enter the contest for a chance to win a hat, hooded sweatshirt and a baby tee, along with a compilation CD produced by Hoppus for SideOnedummy Records, featuring songs from Blink-182, Death Cab for Cutie and Fall Out Boy. All Mark asks is that potential winners send him a list of "three songs that would make a great soundtrack to your life," with an explanation as to why. There will be 10 winners in all. ... Vanessa Carlton is training with the hopes of being one of the 30,000 picked in the lottery drawing to compete in the New York City Marathon. She applied last week to be on pop station Z100's team. The marathon takes place November 6. ...

Former '50s teen idol Paul Anka has recorded covers of Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit," Oasis' "Wonderwall" and R.E.M.'s "Everybody Hurts" for his latest album, Rock Swings, due June 7. The 47-year show business veteran wrote big-band arrangements for the songs. ... Hüsker Dü founder Bob Mould has a new solo album in the works called Body and Soul, due out July 26. Songs vary from guitar-heavy, full-band approaches like "Paralyzed" and "Circles" to acoustic ballads such as "High Fidelity" and "Days of Rain." Mould plans to tour in the fall, performing material from all stages of his career — solo, Sugar and Hüsker Dü — for the first time. Fugazi's Brendan Canty — who guests on the album — has signed on to play drums for the tour. ...

The site of the Hawthorne, California, home where the Wilson family grew up and became the Beach Boys is being dedicated as an official historical landmark on Friday. Brian Wilson will perform at the afternoon unveiling, which will include appearances by fellow founding member Al Jardine and Wilson's daughters Carnie and Wendy Wilson (of the soft-rock group Wilson Phillips). ... Believe it or not, the city of Hibbing, Minnesota, has never erected any permanent honor to its favorite son, Bob Dylan. The folk icon, who went to high school in the small Midwestern town, will see the street he grew up on renamed "Dylan Drive," according to The Associated Press. ...

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Tim McGraw On Nelly Duet: 'Nothin' Country About The Song, But It Was Fun'

6 Dec 2004 08:25:00 EST

St. Lunatic had no trouble choosing a country singer to duet with.
By Shaheem Reid, with reporting by Jeff Cornell

Tim McGraw (file)
Photo: Curb Records

Growing up in the Midwest, Nelly always had an affinity for country music. So when he had to choose a country singer to work with on his Suit LP, it was easy. He wanted Tim McGraw because, as Nelly reportedly told his manager, not only can the crooner sing, "He's a badass, he's got game, and he's got a fine bitch!"

"That's what Nelly said, and I had to respect him for that," McGraw said recently in New York, laughing off the incident. While on a visit to the Big Apple, he detailed how he and Nells hooked up for their successful ballad, "Over and Over" (see "Nelly's Double Dose Features Mase, X-tina And ... Tim McGraw?").

"I love Nelly," McGraw said. "The first time I met him was when we played in a basketball game together in Atlanta a couple of years ago — when I smoked him pretty good. We always enjoyed each other and talked about working together. So he'd written this song and the first thing Nelly did was tell his manager to call me. If you know Nelly, he's such a great guy, I couldn't wait to work with him."

Although Nelly considers "Over and Over" — which has reached as high as #3 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart — "country," McGraw had a different idea when he heard the record.

"I get in there and say, 'It ain't nothin' country about this song,' " McGraw recalled. "But it was fun to get in there and sing with him. People are really liking the song, so we'll see what happens."

Nelly and McGraw have linked again to shoot a video for the song, but details are being kept on the down low by Universal Records. The clip is currently being edited.

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Mos Def Scores Highest-Ever Chart Debut With New Danger; Usher Holds Fast

20 Oct 2004 01:10:00 EDT

George Strait, Usher hold on to top two spots for second week in a row.
By James Montgomery and Joe D'Angelo

Mos Def (file)
Photo: Geffen

They don't call him "The Mighty Mos Def" for nothing.

The Brooklyn MC scored his highest-ever chart debut with his second solo album, The New Danger, selling more than 95,000 copies to open at #5 on next week's Billboard albums chart. Mos' last album, Black on Both Sides, bowed at #25 back in October 1999, selling more than 53,000 copies, according to SoundScan.

But Mos Def's best wasn't good enough to overtake Celine Dion, whose Miracle debuts at #4; the collaboration between Dion and photographer Anne Geddes sold more than 107,000 copies. Nelly's Suit jumps two spots to #3, selling more than 143,000 copies, while its counterpart, Sweat, holds steady at #12 on just over 62,000 copies.

The top two albums in the country remain unchanged. The ubiquitous Usher continues to benefit from the re-release of his Confessions album, which sold another 176,000 copies to stay at #2. And country's George Strait holds on to the #1 spot, as his greatest-hits collection, 50 Number Ones, sold more than 189,000 copies.

Hilary Duff's self-titled album holds at #6, selling more than 85,000 copies. And in a rare top-10 tie, SoundScan reports that Green Day's American Idiot and Good Charlotte's The Chronicles of Life and Death sold an identical 73,484 copies to share the #7 spot. Tim McGraw is #9 for a second straight week, moving more than 67,000 copies of his Live Like You Were Dying album.

Sum 41's semi-serious Chuck debuts at #10, selling more than 65,000 copies, giving the guys their highest-ever chart debut. But the taste of victory must be semisweet: Their last album, 2002's Does This Look Infected?, opened lower (at #32) but sold more (76,000 copies). Pop vets Duran Duran open at #17, selling more than 54,000 copies of their new album, Astronaut.

Other notable debuts on next week's chart include Amy Grant's Greatest Hits: 1986-2004 at #48; the emo-riffic Straylight Run's self-titled debut at #100; the soundtrack to Jennifer Lopez's "Shall We Dance?" at #184; and indie rockers Pinback's Summer in Abaddon at #196.

Nitpicking At Nelly's Numbers
Next week's chart will show the largest difference yet between Nelly's Suit and Sweat: nine places and more than 81,000 copies separate the two simultaneously released albums. While the sales of Sweat fall just slightly and the album retains its #12 position, Suit actually has increased its weekly total for the past two weeks, by 17 percent last week and 3 percent in the week prior. After both albums have been out for over a month, Suit's sales are nearing 1 million (more than 940,000), while Sweat's top out at more than 675,000, approximately 71 percent of its companion.

Hardcore Nelly fans probably own both halves of the St. Lunatic's musical double-feature, as evidenced by the albums occupying the top two places on the chart the week after their September 14 release. But even five weeks ago, Suit bettered Sweat by more than 50,000 copies.

However, less committed fans are probably finding more songs that they like on Suit, making it continually outshine Sweat.

As the titles imply, Sweat is the dirtier, grittier half, whose sexually suggestive first single, "Flap Your Wings," served as its introduction. Suit, meanwhile, is a smoother, more refined R&B affair, and, given Usher's success with Confessions, that seems to be the sure-shot formula in 2004. As such, Suit's two singles, "My Place," and "Over And Over," are outperforming Sweat's first two, "Flap Your Wings" and "Tilt Ya Head Back," at radio. It also doesn't hurt Suit's cause to have country superstar Tim McGraw on "Over and Over," giving the track that all-important crossover appeal. The tune is among the most-added at top 40 pop stations — and it's also the one receiving the biggest increase in spins by the stations that already have it on their playlists.

Besides McGraw, Suit also features contributions by Pharrell Williams, Jaheim, Snoop Dogg and Anthony Hamilton, a cast that packs more retail clout than Sweat's guest roster of Lil' Flip, Murphy Lee, Fat Joe and Christina Aguilera.

It's Beginning To Sound A Lot Like Christmas
It's not even close to Thanksgiving, the traditional start of the holiday season, and already Christmas albums have arrived on the chart. Perennial far-out favorites the Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Mannheim Steamroller just dropped Lost Christmas Eve and Christmas at #26 and #54, respectively. More holiday-themed albums will undoubtedly surface in the weeks to come, each looking to rank among the more successful ones, such as 1998's Home For Christmas by 'NSYNC, which sold more than 2.6 million copies, and Christina Aguilera's 2000 LP My Kind of Christmas.

On The Move
Velvet Revolver's recent newsmaking escapades — a rescheduled free show in Hollywood on Thursday that was supposed to take place last Tuesday (October 12), but city officials wouldn't allow them to play atop the Hustler Store — helped their debut, Contraband, jump up eight spots to #31. Sales should continue to bode well for the rockers throughout their five-week fall tour, which kicked off Saturday.

With a second single, "Mr. Brightside," following "Somebody Told Me," the Killers' Hot Fuss, will also make a significant stride from #45 to #35.

Hanging Out And Hanging On
Other than the Cinderella story that is Maroon 5's Songs About Jane, there aren't many albums able to reside in the Top 40 for more than a year after their release, but Switchfoot's Beautiful Letdown might give the funky fivesome some worry. After 76 weeks on the chart, the fourth album by the San Diego quartet will occupy the #33 spot, following previous positions at #36, #38.

The Black Eyed Peas' 69-week-old Elephunk, isn't much further behind, up one spot this week to #37.

This story updated on October 10 at 4:21 p.m. ET

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Nelly Tops Nelly On Billboard Albums Chart

22 Sep 2004 02:56:00 EDT

It's Suit that trumps Sweat, by more than 54,000 copies.
By Joe D'Angelo

Nelly (file)
Photo: Universal

The closest competition Nelly will face on next week's Billboard albums chart comes from the St. Lunatic leader himself. Having simultaneously released two albums last week, the St. Louis MC has a lock on the #1 and #2 spots.

It's Suit that trumps Sweat, by more than 54,000 copies, according to SoundScan. The album featuring the smash single "My Place" (with Jaheim) sold more than 395,000 copies to take the top slot, while its companion moved more than 341,000 copies on the strength of the suggestive single "Flap Your Wings."

Nelly's two-album total barely pushes past the first-week sales of his last album, Nellyville, which in June 2002 also debuted at #1, with 23,000 fewer copies.

Tim McGraw's Live Like You Were Dying will drop a notch to run a distant third, with more than 121,000 copies sold. It'll be followed by Ray Charles' Genius Loves Company, which also takes a step back, to #4. The late soul pioneer's duets album sold more than 113,000 copies.

For the fourth week straight, the immovable object that is Now That's What I Call Music! 16 will remain at #5. The more than 100,000 copies it sold last week brings its eight-week total up to 1.8 million. Ashlee Simpson will also hold on to her old place at #6, as Autobiography tacked on another 75,000 to its total.

Although it sold slightly fewer copies last week than the week prior, Maroon 5's Songs About Jane managed to climb back into the top 10 by sidling up three spots to #8 and moving more than 63,000 copies. Usher, too, will make some forward progress, as Confessions takes a two-step shimmy up to #10, with more than 61,000 copies.

The remainder of next week's top 10 finds last week's top album, Alan Jackson's What I Do, dropping to #7, with more than 71,000 copies sold; and Anita Baker's My Everything moving from #4 to #9 with more than 63,000 copies sold.

Aside from the Nellys, the next new album to make the chart is from heavy-metal vets Megadeth. The band's 10th album will land at #18. Two notches later, Los Angeles' Irish punks Flogging Molly will place at #20 with Within a Mile of Home.

While the single "1985" is keeping Bowling for Soup part of the pop vernacular a year and a half after earning a Grammy nomination for their last album, 2002's Drunk Enough to Dance, it didn't immediately translate into massive album sales for the Wichita Falls, Texas, quartet. Their fourth album, A Hangover You Don't Deserve, will debut at #37.

Other notable debuts on next week's chart include Tears for Fears' reunion album, and first in nine years, Everybody Loves a Happy Ending, at #46; the TV series soundtrack Will & Grace: Let the Music Out! at #57; electronica act the Prodigy's Always Outnumbered, Never Outgunned at #62; Gov't Mule's Deja Voodoo at #88; the Faint's Wet From Birth at #99; and the Thrills' Let's Bottle Bohemia at #153.

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Ashlee, Now Hang Tough On Albums Chart; Soul And Country Rule The Top 10

15 Sep 2004 12:47:00 EDT

Alan Jackson debuts at #1; Anita Baker sashays in at #4.
By Joe D'Angelo

Ashlee Simpson (file)
Photo: Mark Liddell

In a week when few new albums were able to crack the Billboard albums chart, country and old soul will rule the top 5.

Alan Jackson will take the top spot with his 12th album, What I Do, which sold more than 177,000 copies, according to SoundScan. That's a huge departure from the 423,000-plus copies his last album, Drive, sold on the strength of its 9-11 tribute single, "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)."

Fellow Southern gent Tim McGraw will give up his two-week grip on the #1 position and take a step back with Live Like You Were Dying. The 153,000 copies it sold last week helped the album push past the 1-million mark in its third week.

Ray Charles' posthumously released duets album, Genius Loves Company, will slip down to #3 with more than 134,000 copies sold, followed by the latest album from R&B chanteuse Anita Baker at #4. Baker's first studio album in a decade sold more than 130,000 copies. A few rungs below Baker, fellow R&B singer Jill Scott will drop from #3 to #7 by selling more than 79,000 copies of Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds, Vol 2.

Pop and hip-hop will occupy the remaining slots of the top 10, as the unwavering Now That's What I Call Music! 16 will maintain its #5 spot for the fourth straight week by selling another 127,000 copies; Ashlee Simpson's Autobiography will move up two spots to #6 (with more than 88,000 copies sold); LL Cool J's Definition will drop four spots to #8 (76,000); R. Kelly's Happy People/ U Saved Me will slip three places to #9 (71,000); and Young Buck's Straight Outta Cashville will move from #7 to #10 (68,000).

Let It Enfold You, the debut LP from San Francisco emo quintet Senses Fail, will land at #34; while rapper Silkk The Shocker's fifth album, and first in three years, Based on a True Story, will come in at #88. Other notable debuts include indie-rock duo the Black Keys' Rubber Factory at #143; jam trio Medeski Martin and Wood's End of the World Party at #162; and former Replacements singer Paul Westerberg's Folker at #178.

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Tim McGraw, R. Kelly, Young Buck, Mase Roar Into Top Five On Albums Chart

1 Sep 2004 02:04:00 EDT

Pit Bull and Jim Jones also have big debuts.
By Joe D'Angelo

R. Kelly (file)
Photo: Jive

After a few weeks of Ashlee Simpson and Now That's What I Call Music! 15 toggling between the #1 and #2 spots, four new albums will enter next week's Billboard albums chart to make their duke-out moot.

Tim McGraw will bow in at the top spot with authority, nearly doubling the sales of his closest competitor. The country superstar's eighth album, Live Like You Were Dying, sold more than 765,000 copies last week, according to SoundScan, making it the third highest first-week total of the year, behind Usher's Confessions and Norah Jones' Feels Like Home, which each moved over a million copies. The extraordinary opening week is also McGraw's personal best, topping the more than 601,000 copies his last album, Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors, sold in its first week two years ago.

Having sold more than 403,000 copies, R. Kelly will take the #2 spot with his double album, Happy People/ U Saved Me. The placement keeps up the R&B singer's six-album streak of alternating between debuting at #1 and #2, which began when his self-titled LP landed at #1 in 1995. Happy People/ U Saved Me, Kelly's eighth album overall, also gives him his third-biggest opening week, behind 2000's TP-2.com and last year's Chocolate Factory, which each sold more than half a million copies.

Young Buck's Straight Outta Cashville couldn't quite follow the glorious path blazed by fellow G-Unit members Lloyd Banks and 50 Cent by having a #1 debut, but at #3, Buck still commands respect. Juiced by the single "Let Me In," the Southern rhyme slinger sold more than 261,000 copies of his first LP.

And bringing up the rear of chart debuts is Mase's return to the game, Welcome Back, at #4. The blessed MC's first album in five years sold more than 188,000 copies thanks to its "Welcome Back, Kotter"-sampling title track and a legion of fans who patiently waited for the onetime Puffy protégé to preach some more rhymes as well as the Gospel.

The monthlong battle pitting Now against Ashlee continues to rage on, with the hits compilation besting Simpson's Autobiography for the second week in a row. Now That's What I Call Music! 15 came in just behind Mase (with more than 186,000 copies sold) at #5, while Autobiography, at #6, added another 133,000 copies to her six-week total of more than 1.5 million.

Next week's top 10 will also see Prince's Musicology falling four spots to #7 (with more than 78,000 copies sold); Maroon 5's Songs About Jane dropping two places to #8 (70,000); Usher's Confessions moving from #5 to #9 (68,000); and Big & Rich's Horse of a Different Color (66,000) maintaining its #10 spot but increasing its weekly sales slightly.

It's been an exciting week for Pitbull. Fresh from his VMA pre-show performance, the Miami rapper's debut album, M.I.A.M.I. (Money Is A Major Issue) will come in at #14, thanks to the club-banging single "Culo." Four spots further down, Diplomat and Cam'ron pal Jim Jones will come in with his debut, On My Way to Church.

Another big ascent comes courtesy of the "Garden State" soundtrack. With contributions from Coldplay, the Shins and Nick Drake, the album will have gone from #125 to #71 to #25 in the three weeks it's been out. On the flipside, Saliva's Survival of the Sickest didn't have much life in the upper reaches of the chart. In its second week, the band's fourth album will dive 43 spots, from #20 to #63.

Other notable debuts on next week's chart include 12 Stones' second album, Potter's Field at #29; Jump Back: The Best of the Rolling Stones at #30; Jason Mraz's live Tonight, Not Again at #49; Boyz II Men's covers album Throwback at #52; O.A.R.'s concert LP 34th and 8th at #80; G. Love's Hustle at #100; Further Seems Forever's Hide Nothing at #122; the Drive-By Truckers' Dirty South at #147; Saves The Day's Ups & Downs: Early Recordings at #160; and hit producer/former Marvelous 3 frontman Butch Walker's Letters at #171.