Janet Jackson Teaches Jack Johnson Discipline, Claims Sixth #1 Debut

05 Mar 2008 12:58:00 EST

Erykah Badu, Webbie also crack Billboard's top 10.
By Chris Harris

How's this for a wipeout? After three weeks of domination, surfer-turned-rocker Jack Johnson's reign as the nation's top-selling artist has come to an end — and we have pop icon Janet Jackson to thank.

Jackson's latest studio offering, Discipline, will top next week's Billboard albums sales chart, having generated week-one scans of more than 181,000, dethroning Johnson's Sleep Through the Static and dropping the LP to the chart's #3 position; Johnson's disc sold just over 91,500 copies during its fourth week of commercial availability. With its strong sales, Discipline becomes Jackson's sixth career chart-topper: Her 1986 album Control also entered the top 200 at #1, as did 1989's Rhythm Nation 1814, 1993's Janet., 1997's The Velvet Rope, and 2001's All for You. (Jackson's last two releases, 2004's Damita Jo and 2006's 20 Y.O. both opened at #2.)

But Miss Jackson's new one isn't the only new release to enter in the top 10. Right behind her at #2 is the latest from Erykah Badu, New Amerykah Part One (4th World War), the first half of Badu's double-album set, which sold close to 123,900 units. Believe it or not, Badu has never seen one of her albums bow at #1; 1997's Baduizm and 2003's Worldwide Underground opened at #2 and #3, respectively.

Joining Jackson and Badu in the top 10 is rapper Webbie's Savage Life 2, which enters at #4 after selling 72,000 copies. The rest of the top 10 is teeming with the usual suspects, as well as a couple of surprises. Falling three spots to #5 on next week's chart is Alicia Keys' As I Am, which sold 57,300 copies. Coming in at #6 is "Hannah Montana 2: Meet Miley Cyrus," with sales reported at 54,500, and following at #7, with more than 46,700 scans, it's the soundtrack to "Once," which features the Oscar-winning number "Falling Slowly." The disc experienced a 143 percent spike in sales.

The soundtrack to "Juno" follows at #8 with 42,000 sold, and at #9, it's breakout artist Sara Bareilles' Little Voice, which sold another 37,800 units. This week, MTV News spoke with Bareilles — who's wrapping up a tour with James Blunt — about her recent rash of seemingly instant success.

"I was very surprised when we were on 'TRL' at all, but the whole time I was thinking, 'What am I doing here? This is crazy,' " she said. "It happened relatively quickly, but we've been at it a long time. This has been six years in the making, and I'm glad we're at a point where people are connecting to the music on a greater scale."

Finally, coming in at #10, it's Amy Winehouse's Back to Black, which sold another 37,500 copies, following her recent Grammy wins.

Elsewhere on the chart, rapper Shawty Lo's Units in the City opens at #13, having sold 31,000 during its first week in stores. The record was one of 20 to debut on next week's top 200. The Afters' Never Going Back to OK bows at #41 with 16,000 scans, while Goldfrapp's Seventh Tree debuts at #48, selling 14,900. Pillar's For the Love of the Game enters at #71 with 10,900 sold, while Cheri Dennis' In and Out of Love follows at #74 with 10,700-plus scanned. Tift Merritt's Another Country claims the #156 spot with 5,000 sold, and Pete Rock's NY's Finest checks in at #193 with 3,800. Finally, selling 3,700 units, it's Beach House's Devotion, which just makes the cut at #195.