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B.I.G. is gone, but he's not forgotten. Born Again, the latest posthumous release from rapper Notorious B.I.G. (born Christopher Wallace and murdered March 7, 1997) sold 485,000 copies for the week ending Dec. 12, making it the best-selling album in the nation, according to SoundScan.
Last week's No. 1, Celine Dion's All the Way: A Decade in
Song slipped to No. 2, but just barely, selling 415,000
copies. If Born Again's sales drop substantially during
its second week, as they often do for high-profile rap records,
look for Dion to reclaim the top slot.
December has become Dion's favorite time of year. Twelve months ago
this week, her holiday album, These Are Special Times,
sold 413,000 copies and came in at No. 2. Twenty-four months ago
this week Dion's Let's Talk About Love sold 321,000 copies
and charted at No. 2.
Speaking of flashbacks, one year ago this week Shania Twain's
Come On Over came in at No. 8, selling 210,000 copies.
Last week, the same record again charted at No. 8, selling 234,000
copies. An amazing display of superstar staying power.
Meanwhile, just as retailers had hoped, this year's strong roster
of fourth quarter releases is producing big numbers at the
check-out. Thirty-seven of the top forty albums saw sales bumps
last week (only Dr. Dre, Garth Brooks and Sisqo missed the mark),
and thirty-two titles sold in excess of 100,000 copies.
Besides B.I.G., the week's other top ten debut belonged to the
third volume of the hits compilation Now That's What I Call
Music. Featuring singles from Britney Spears, Blink 182, Lenny
Kravitz and others, the release came in at No. 9, selling a sturdy
219,000 copies.
From the top, it was Notorious B.I.G.'s Born Again,
followed by Celine Dion's All the Way: A Decade in Song;
the Backstreet Boys' Millennium (selling 376,000 copies);
Britney Spears' ...Baby One More Time (318,000); Santana's
Supernatural (283,000); Christina Aguilera's Christina
Aguilera (280,000); Kenny G's Faith: A Holiday Album
(277,000); Shania Twain's Come On Over (234,000); Now
That's What I Call Music, Vol. 3 (219,000); and Will Smith's
Willennium (213,000).
ERIC BOEHLERT
(December 15, 1999)