Eminem's new album 'Recovery' sold over 741,000 copies in its first week, which not only earns him the top spot on this week's Billboard 200 album chart, but also registers as the highest one-week sales total in nearly two years, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Amazingly, in this era of declining record sales, 'Recovery' actually sold about 20 percent more than Eminem's 2009 album 'Relapse,' which topped the charts with a first week total of 608,000. In fact, 'Recovery' sold over 131,000 more copies than the rest of this week's Top 10...combined!
Three other new albums make their own impressive entrances into this week's chart. Miley Cyrus' attempt to shed her "kid-stuff" image seems to be progressing nicely, as her new album 'Can't Be Tamed' hits No. 3 with a total of 102,000. If she needs tips on courting further controversy, she can talk to the owner of this week's next highest new debut, longtime rock wildman Ozzy Osbourne, whose 10th studio album, 'Scream' sells 81,000 records to reach No. 4.
Live music-based hip-hop pioneers and current 'Late Night with Jimmy Fallon' house band The Roots, gets over all but five competitors this week by starting at No. 6 with a tally of 51,000 for 'How I Got Over,' their first album since starting their new gig on nationwide TV.
So what happened to last week's chart residents? Let's start with Drake, another hip-hop star who has been racking up big numbers and headlines lately. He stays strong at No. 2 with second-week sales of 157,000 for his debut album, and last week's chart king, 'Thank Me Later.' The 'Now 34' pop compilation slides a bit to No. 5 by moving 55,000 units, and Hawaii's favorite musical surfer Jack Johnson rides out the wave to No. 7 with a total of 44,000.
Teenage pop dynamo Justin Bieber and his 'My World 2.0' lures yet another 43,000 buyers into stores and slides just one spot, to No. 8. Sarah McLachlan, who just kicked off a rejuvenated version of the Lilith Fair tour last week in Canada, dips to No. 9 with a tally of 38,000 for her newest album, 'Laws of Illusion.' Finally, as the much-anticipated movie hits theaters this week, the soundtrack to 'Twilight Saga: Eclipse' sells 38,000 to round out the Top 10.