On this week's Billboard albums chart, Nickelback score a solid #1, their first, with opening week sales over 300,000 for the album All the Right Reasons. The high debut is due in part to the massive success of the leadoff single "Photograph" which holds at #2 on the pop singles chart this week. 4 other albums debut in the top 10 this week. Twista's 'The Day After opens at #2, just missing the top spot reached by last year's album Kamikaze. Country star Sara Evans starts off at #3 with her album Real Fine Place. Fiona Apple's critically acclaimed Extraordinary Machine opens strongly at #7, and Scottish band Franz Ferdinand score their first top 10 album with You Could Have It So Much Better opening at #8. The remainder of the top 10 is occupied in order by Gretchen Wilson, Sheryl Crow, Kanye West, Black Eyed Peas, and a strong return to the top 10 by Faith Hill's Fireflies.
On the pop singles chart there is little movement in the top 10. Kanye West's "Gold Digger" and Nickelback's "Photograph" hold on to #1 and #2. Black Eyed Peas slide up a notch to #3 with "My Humps." Green Day similarly climb a notch to #4 with "Wake Me Up When September Ends," the band's second top 5 single. Kelly Clarkson lands her 4th top 5 single with "Because Of You" inching up a notch to #5. Mariah Carey's "Shake It Off" dips to #6. Fall Out Boy and Weezer exchange places with Fall Out Boy landing at #7 and Weezer at #8. "Like You," the duet between Bow Wow and Ciara, is the sole new resident of the top 10 at #9 and the Pussycat Dolls' "Don't Cha" falls 1 spot to #10. Further down the chart 16-year-old Chris Brown leaps 14 to #12 with his hot hit "Run It!" and INXS debut at #33 with "Pretty Vegas," the first single with their new lead vocalist J.D. Fortune.
Mariah Carey continues to control radio airplay with "Shake It Off" even though the song is dipping on the pop singles chart. Kanye West's "Gold Digger" and Kelly Clarkson "Because Of You" are both nipping at the heels of the top at #2 and #3. Green Day's "Wake Me Up When September Ends," moves a notch up to #4 while Weezer drop a spot to #5 with "Beverly Hills," their first top 10 pop hit. The Black Eyed Peas' "My Humps" climbs another 2 spots to #6 while Nickelback make a big jump into the top 10 with "Photograph" moving from #15 to #7. The remainder of the top 10 is occupied by Lifehouse, Rihanna and Fall Out Boy. Bow Wow and Ciara stop 1 spot short of the top 10 with "Like You" taking a big jump from #19 to #11.
