As expected, Kanye West's second album Late Registration debuted at the top of the Billboard album chart. What was not expected was West's unprecedented performance on the pop singles chart with the single "Gold Digger" featuring Jamie Foxx. It was an exciting week for the pop music charts.
Late Registration easily outdistanced any prospective challenges for the top of the album chart. Sales of 860,000 amounted to the biggest opening week of any album this year except 50 Cent's The Massacre. Beyond Kanye West, the next 3 albums on the chart are also chart debuts. Rapper Tony Yayo, country stars Brooks & Dunn, and indie band Death Cab For Cutie's first major label album all opened in the top 4. The final member of the top 5 is Mariah Carey's The Emancipation Of Mimi spending its 21st consecutive week in the top 5. On the heels of her massive hit "Pon De Replay," newcomer Rihanna enters the chart at #10 with her album Music Of the Sun.
On the pop singles chart Kanye West's "Gold Digger" moves an amazing 92 spots upward from #94 to #2. The Pussycat Dolls manage to cling to one more week at the top with "Don't Cha." Just a bit further down the chart Mariah Carey continues her climb back toward #1 as "Shake It Off" moves from #8 to #4. A new entry into the top 10 is Fall Out Boy's breakthrough single "Sugar, We're Goin' Down" moving from #16 to #9.
At radio the dance-pop collective DHT hold on for a second week at the top with "Listen To Your Heart." Mariah Carey's "Shake It Off" looks set to head to #1 on radio as well. It moves this week from #8 to #5. Kanye West has a lot of ground to cover to reach the top on pop radio. "Gold Digger" enters the chart this week at #40.
