The Big News: As expected, Michael Jackson dominated this week’s sales chart as the King of Pop’s Number Ones, Essential Michael Jackson and Thriller all sold more than 100,000 copies to cruise to the top of Billboard’s Pop Catalog Albums chart and the all-encompassing Top Comprehensive chart. Since Jackson’s albums were classified as “catalog” releases (albums older than 18 months) and thus ineligible for the Top 200, the Black Eyed Peas scored the official Number One album this week with 87,000 copies — but the real story is Jackson’s impact on the charts.

On the Pop Catalog chart, Jackson’s solo albums and Jackson 5 compilations locked up the top nine slots and 13 out of the Top 20. In the week prior to Jackson’s death, Thriller sold 277 copies; last week, the album sold 101,000 copies. As it was impossible for retailers to keep up with the demand for Jackson albums, buyers flocked to digital music services to load up on MJ, which catapulted Jackson to the top four spots of the Digital Album charts as well. “Man in the Mirror” was Jackson’s top-selling single last week, getting downloaded 146,000 times to come in third on the Top Digital Songs charts, ahead of “Billie Jean” and “Thriller.” (more…)

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The Big News: On the strength of hit single “Boom Boom Pow,” the Black Eyed Peas cruised to the top of the sales chart as The E.N.D. just eclipsed 304,000 copies, giving Fergie, Will.i.am and the rest of the Peas the first Number One album in the group’s career (2004’s Monkey Business peaked at Two.) Dave Matthews Band’s Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King, last week’s champ, settled into the Number Two spot with an additional 128,000 copies, while Eminem’s Relapse passed the platinum mark in its fourth week and took third place. Rock supergroup Chickenfoot’s self-titled disc remained in fourth for the second consecutive week, with Bronx Bachata group Aventura and Last debuting at Five.

Debuts: Two more debuts managed to crack the Top 10 as Mos Def’s The Ecstatic scored Nine with 39,000 copies and Pleasure P’s Introduction of Marcus Cooper took 10. Nearly 30 years and 16 albums into their storied career, Sonic Youth claim the best charts debut in their history as their latest masterpiece The Eternal entered the charts at 18. Last week’s Breaking artist the Dirty Projectors came in at 65 with Bitte Orca. (more…)

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The Big News: America got their fill of Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King as the Dave Matthews Band’s latest album scored one of the biggest opening weeks of 2009, selling 424,000 copies to knock Eminem’s Relapse out of Number One. GrooGrux marks the fifth consecutive DMB album to top the charts. Relapse fell to Number Two with another 141,000 LPs sold, while 311’s Uplifter took third with 59,000 copies. Green Day’s 21st Century Breakdown and the Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack filled out the Top Five.

Debuts: Supergroup Chickenfoot’s self-titled debut and Taking Back Sunday’s New Again narrowly missed out on the Top Five party, placing at Six and Seven respectively. Rancid’s Let The Dominoes Fall placed 11th, Elvis Costello’s Secret, Profane & Sugarcane scored the 13 spot, Eels’ Hombre Lobo grabbed 43 with 10,000 copies and the Jeff Buckley live document Grace Around the World entered at 124. Also of note is Neil Young’s massive Archives, Vol. 1 (1963-1972), which sold 5,000 copies and took 102 despite its heavy price tag. (more…)

The Big News: Even an uncomfortable encounter with Brüno couldn’t stop Eminem from trumping the competition on the charts this week as Relapse stayed at Number One for a second week with another 210,000 copies sold. That total nearly tripled the units sold by the Number Two album, Green Day’s 21st Century Breakdown, which moved 75,000 LPs in its third week on shelves. The biggest debut of the week was Marilyn Manson’s The High End of Low entering at Number Four, which is an improvement over the rocker’s 2007 album Eat Me Drink Me (that LP hit the chart at Number Eight). It was a solid week for a pair of soundtracks, too: Hannah Montana: The Movie crossed the platinum plateau while coming third and Twilight reached double-platinum status at 17. Our Hot Issue cover girl, Lady Gaga, rounds out the Top Five with The Fame.

Debuts: While Manson had the highest debut, Grizzly Bear pulled off the most stunning one as the Brooklyn indie band’s Veckatimest bowed at Number Eight, one spot ahead of mega-seller Taylor Swift’s Fearless. For any indie artist, cracking the Top 10 (and scoring the Number Three Digital Album) is a major accomplishment, and to celebrate the band’s achievement, they’ll be our Breaking artist later today, so check back for the full story. (more…)

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The Big News: Despite an unorthodox release date that saw 21st Century Breakdown hit stores on Friday instead of the conventional Tuesday, Rolling Stone cover stars Green Day’s newest rock opera cruised to the top of the charts. The album sold more than 214,000 copies in its short week, giving the band their second consecutive Number One debut after 2004’s American Idiot. Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack stuck around at Two yet again with 68,000 sales, Cam’Ron’s Crime Pays, the only other Top 10 debut, entered at Three and Lady Gaga’s The Fame and Rascal Flatts’ Unstoppable claimed Four and Five respectively.

Debuts: With record labels likely reluctant to face off against Green Day, only Paul Wall’s Fast Life and Steve Earle’s Townes managed to crack the Top 20, landing at 15 and 19. Further down, Crystal Method’s Divided By Night came in at 50, ’90s alt-rockers Better Than Ezra’s Paper Empire made us nostalgic at 62 and Phoenix’s awesome new Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix rose again at 76. (more…)

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The Big News: In a history-making week on the charts, Chrisette Michele scored the first Number One of her career as her second album Epiphany sold 83,000 copies to edge out Hannah Montana and Ciara. However, the 83,000 copies represent the lowest total for an album debuting at Number One in the history of Soundscan. Still, it’s been a quick rise to the top for Michele; her 2007 debut album I Am entered the charts at 29. The Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack clung to Number Two for a third consecutive week, selling a mere 2,000 copies less than Epiphany. Ciara’s Fantasy Ride grabbed Number Three with 80,000 units shifted, a huge decline from the singer’s previous album Ciara: The Evolution, which sold 338,000 copies and debuted at Number One in December 2006. Rascal Flatts’ Unstoppable came in at Four while last week’s champ, Bob Dylan’s Together Through Life filled out the Top Five.

Debuts: Ben Harper and his new outfit Relentless7 entered the charts at Nine as White Lies for Dark Times sold 34,000 copies. Narrowly missing the Top 10 was the Devil Wears Prada’s With Roots Above & Branches Below, which came in at 11. Further down, former American Idol contestant Elliot Yamin’s Fight For Love victoriously bowed in at 26, Conor Oberst and the Mystic Valley Band’s Outer South settled in at 40 and Yusuf Islam, or Cat Stevens, and Roadsinger claimed 41. (more…)

The Big News: As expected, Bob Dylan’s Together Through Life cracked the 100,000-sold mark easily, scanning nearly 125,000 copies during its first week in stores, and earning the 67-year-old songwriter his fifth chart-topping debut. While our current cover star failed to replicate the sales showing of 2006’s Modern Times (which sold 192,000 copies), he did manage to fend off stiff competition from Rick Ross and Miley Cyrus, who posed the biggest threat, as the Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack held at Number Two (with sales reported at 86,000). Meanwhile, Lady Gaga’s The Fame climbs two spots to Number Five, selling another 40,000 units on the strength of the songstress’ latest hit single, “Poker Face.”

Debuts: After Dylan, the week’s biggest debut belongs to Heaven and Hell (or, for you metal purists, the Dio-era Black Sabbath). The band’s set The Devil You Know enters the chart at Number Eight, debuting with just over 30,000 units sold. Opening at Number 10 with 26,000 scans is the Starbucks-powered world music compilation Playing For Change. (more…)

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The Big News: A beef with 50 Cent and allegations that he was a correctional officer in the past weren’t enough to prevent Rick Ross from scoring his third consecutive Number One album. Ross’ Deeper Than Rap grabbed the top spot with 157,000 copies, roughly 40,000 copies less than Ross’ 2008 LP Trilla had in its debut week, but enough to bump last week’s champ the Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack to second with 104,000 copies. Synth-rockers and Lollapalooza headliners Depeche Mode took Number Three with 80,000 copies of Sounds of the Universe, Rascal Flatts’ Unstoppable nabbed Number Four and rapper Asher Roth rounded out the Top Five with his debut set Asleep in the Bread Aisle.

Debuts: Outside the three big debuts in the Top Five, Lacuna Coil’s Shallow Life had the best showing by landing at 16. Further down, dance duo the Pet Shop Boys said Yes to 32, Manchester Orchestra’s Mean Everything to Nothing placed 37th and power-pop supergroup Tinted Windows and their self-titled disc settled in at 59. (more…)

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The Big News: Despite the fact that Diddy had one hour on MTV each week devoted to advertising his boy band Day26’s new album on Making the Band — and even pleaded with fans to go buy the album and make it Number One — the group’s Forever in a Day settled for Number Two and 113,000 copies sold. Miley Cyrus’ Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack finally grabbed the top spot after four weeks on the chart with 133,000 copies sold. Cyrus leapfrogged last week’s champ, Rascal Flatts’ Unstoppable, which fell to Number Three thanks to 107,000 units moved and 69 percent sales drop. The Twilight soundtrack slotted at Four, despite selling less than half the copies of Rascal Flatts’ album, and the NOW! 30 comp rounds out the Top Five.

Debuts: Besides Day26, there was only one other fresh LP in the Top 100, and it belonged to Los Angeles shoegazers Silversun Pickups, who amazingly finished at Number Seven with their excellent second album Swoon. (more…)

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The Big News: Rascal Flatts’ Unstoppable proved to be just that, crushing the week’s competition on its way to Number One and 351,000 copies sold. The country group almost doubled the sales of the week’s runner-up, the Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack, which jumped from Five last week to Two thanks in part to its dominance at the box office. A pair of debuts occupied the third and fourth positions, with Jadakiss’ The Last Kiss and Jason Aldean’s Wide Open both surpassing 100K copies in their first weeks. The Now! 30 comp bookends the Top Five. Also, somehow, Taylor Swift’s Fearless nearly doubled its sales from the previous week, placing at Number Six while selling another 82,000 copies and officially crossing the triple platinum mark.

Debuts: 28,000 people drove on down to Neil Young’s Fork in the Road, helping the Canadian rocker grab Number 19. Further down, Doves’ fourth album Kingdom of Rust claimed 88, the Hold Steady’s A Positive Rage and Bat For Lashes’ Two Suns neighbored at 139 and 140, and roughly 4,000 Deadheads scrounged enough cash to purchase the band’s massive live collection To Terrapin: Hartford ‘77, good for 168. (more…)

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The Big News: Both Keith Urban’s Defying Gravity and Prince’s three-disc Target exclusive surpassed industry projections in the battle for Number One, but in the end a mere 3,000 copies separated the two and Urban scored the first Number One album of his career. Defying Gravity sold 171,000 copies while Prince’s LOtUSFLOW3R/MPLSoUND/Elixer drew 168,000 Target customers. Considering Prince gave out copies of his new album to anyone who signed up for his LOtUSFLOW3R Website and the the fact that the records were only available at one retailer, he was at a bit of a sales disadvantage. Diana Krall’s Quiet Nights landed at Number Three, marking the best debut of her career, while last week’s champ NOW! 30 dropped to Four. The Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack rounded out the Top Five.

Debuts: In the battle of big rap releases, UGK’s UGK 4 Life beat out Flo Rida’s R.O.O.T.S., placing at Six and Eight respectively. Despite having the biggest single of the year by a landslide in “Right Round,” Flo Rida couldn’t match the opening-week sales of his debut album Mail On Sunday, selling 55,000 copies to his debut’s 86,000. Also, Bow Wow’s New Jack City II scored 16, Gavin DeGraw’s Free claimed 19 and Queensryche’s American Soldier grabbed 25. Yeah Yeah Yeahs jumped from 160 to 22 in their first week of physical release. (more…)

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The Big News: It’s not an April Fool’s joke: The Now! That’s What I Call Music 30 compilation topped the charts with 146,000 copies sold, marking the 11th time one of the series’ installments hit the Number One spot. Following closely was the Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack at two with 139,000 copies. The Twilight soundtrack held steady at Number Three for a second week thanks to another 102,000 units sold and Keri Hilson’s debut album In A Perfect World entered at four with 94,000 copies. The previous two weeks’ Number One album, Kelly Clarkson’s All I Ever Wanted, dropped to Number Five.

Debuts: Six rookies managed to crack the Top 10, with Papa Roach’s Metamorphosis, Jim Jones’ Pray IV Reign  and Martina McBride’s Shine locking up eight through 10, respectively. Just missing the upper tier was Mastodon’s prog-metal Crack the Skye, which sold 41,000 copies to come in at 11. Other debuts making an impact were Blue October’s Approaching Normal at 13, Slim Thug’s Boss of All Bosses at 15 and Yanni (!) at 20 with Voices. (more…)

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The Big News: As expected, Kelly Clarkson’s All I Ever Wanted spent its second consecutive week atop the charts with another 90,000 copies sold, a 65 percent sales drop from its debut week. U2’s No Line on the Horizon rose up one slot to Number Two with 75,000 copies. Thanks to the Twilight-mania that helped sell at least three million DVDs, the film’s soundtrack had a sales renaissance, leaping from 14 to three with 74,000 units moved. The-Dream’s Love Vs. Money and Lady Gaga’s The Fame rounded out the Top Five.

Debuts: Part of the reason it was such a poor sales week was the lack of big-name debuts. Gorilla Zoe’s Don’t Feed the Animals was the lone rookie to crack the Top 10, coming in at eight. Twiztid’s W.I.C.K.E.D. (or Wish I Could Kill Every Day) came in at 11 while the Decemberists‘ prog-concept album Hazards of Love bowed at 14. Further down the charts, Bonnie “Prince” Billy’s Beware entered at 114 and the White Lies’ To Lose My Life scored 146. (more…)

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The Big News: U2’s reign atop the charts was short-lived as Kelly Clarkson’s All I Ever Wanted sold 254,000 copies, giving the former American Idol champ her first Number One since her 2003 debut Thankful. Despite landing at the top spot, All I Ever Wanted sold less in its first week than her 2007 release, My December, which moved 291,000 and peaked at Number Two. The-Dream’s second album Love vs. Money sold roughly 100,000 fewer copies than Clarkson’s but enough to wind up in second place — a vast improvement over the Number 30 peak of his debut album Love Hate. U2’s No Line on the Horizon dropped down to third; J. Holiday’s Round 2 debuted at four and Taylor Swift’s mercurial Fearless landed at five.

Debuts: Outside of the top five, Chris Cornell’s Scream, Trent Reznor’s favorite album of the year, entered the charts at 10. (more…)

The Big News: As expected, U2’s five-star No Line on the Horizon soared to the top of the charts in its debut week, selling 484,000 copies to give the current Rolling Stone cover stars their second-best U.S. debut ever, more than doubling the sales of 2009’s previous highest-selling debut, Bruce Springsteen’s Working on a Dream. The album fell slightly under industry expectation of a half million copies, but Universal Music Group’s Australian division, who accidentally leaked the LP weeks before its release, might be to blame. While 2004’s How To Dismantle An Atomic Bomb sold 840,000 copies its first week (with no recession affecting the industry), No Line’s totals fall more in line with U2’s career trajectory, as All That You Can’t Leave Behind sold roughly 428,000 copies when it hit the charts in 2000. And it goes without saying, but Taylor Swift’s Fearless was finally knocked off the top spot, coming in at Number Two with a distant 52,000 copies.

Debuts: Another big surprise on the charts was the number three placement of Neko Case’s stellar Middle Cyclone, especially considering Case’s only other previous appearance on the charts was a number 54 debut for 2006’s Fox Confessor Brings the Flood. Other rookies include the Watchmen soundtrack at 36, Rush’s Retrospective 3 at 47 and Thin Lizzy’s Still Dangerous plotting jailbreaks at 189. (more…)