If nothing else, piddly record sales do make for an interesting free-for-all on the charts. Acts who wouldn't have had a prayer at a Number One five years ago, are finding ways to hit the top spot with sales like this week's Number One, the Big Tymers' Hood Rich, which sold 160,000 according to SoundScan. While those are hardly Jay-Z type numbers, the way the winds are blowing, Jay-Z doesn't even guarantee Jay-Z type numbers. As a matter of fact, his can't-miss collaboration with R. Kelly, The Best of Both Worlds, has been on a steady slide, checking in this week at Number Thirty-nine.

Last week's chart-topper, Kenny Chesney's No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems dropped to Number Three with sales of 125,000, nudged by Ashanti's Ashanti, which held at Number Two with sales of 127,000.

Two other newcomers found their way into the Top Ten: The Spider-Man soundtrack -- which features songs by the Hives, Strokes, the "Hero" supergroup and Aerosmith's take on the four-decade old "Spider-Man Theme" -- jumped in at Number Four with sales of 112,000, while Vanessa Carlton's Be Not Nobody arrived at Number Five, with sales of 102,000. Other debuts that peppered the Top Fifty included Nelly cohort Ali's Heavy Starch (Number Twenty-four, 38,000 copies sold), Trey Anastasio's Trey Anastasio (Number Forty-five, 26,000) and Blackalicious' Blazing Arrow (Number Forty-nine, 23,000).

Other than newcomers, there was little buzzing on the charts. Only three records in the Top 100 (Bonnie Raitt's Silver Lining, Josh Groban's Josh Groban and Norah Jones' Come Away With Me) showed sales increases from the previous week. Those looking for a return to rawk might find some solace in the impending arrival of the Hives. The group's garage-rock gem, Veni Vidi Vicious, was released ages ago, but in the past two weeks, it has hopped from oblivion to Number 138.

Next week should continue the infusion of new blood into the charts. Lauryn Hill's MTV Unplugged 2.0 and Musiq's Juslisen are the two best bets for shots at Number One. Tom Waits' pair of releases -- Alice and Blood Money -- will follow slower, steadier releases by the likes of Wilco, Pete Yorn and the Strokes in testing the theory that the big bang theory of first week sales might be a dozing hare of an industry practice.

This week's Top Ten: Big Tymers' Hood Rich; Ashanti's Ashanti; Kenny Chesney's No Shoes, No Shirt, No Problems; Spider-Man; Vanessa Carlton's Be Not Nobody; Celine Dion's New Day Has Come; Now That's What I Call Music! 9; Sheryl Crow's C'mon, C'mon; Josh Groban's Josh Groban; and O Brother, Where Art Thou?.

ANDREW DANSBY
(May 8, 2002)