Norah Jones scored the largest opening week in more than two years to bow on top of The Billboard 200. Her second Blue Note album, “Feels Like Home” sold an incredible 1.02 million copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan, to give the artist her second No. 1 album. Her debut, “Come Away With Me,” has sold 8 million copies since its release in 2002.
The sales total is the best debut week since ‘N Sync’s “Celebrity” (Jive) sold 1.88 million in 2001. Additionally, “Feels Like Home” registers the second-best week ever totaled by a female artist. Britney Spears holds that crown with her second effort, “Oops … I Did It Again” (Jive), which arrived with sales of 1.32 million in 2000.
Overall retail traffic was on the increase in the week following the Grammy Awards and leading up to Valentine’s Day, with U.S. album sales exceeding 17 million units. It’s the biggest week ever registered outside of November or December, with sales up 35.9% over the previous week and 24.6% above the comparable week in 2003. Year-to-date sales are up 13% over 2003.
Although a distant second to Jones, Chicago-bred hip-hop artist Kanye West moved a mighty 440,000 copies of his long-awaited debut, “The College Dropout” (Roc-A-Fella). Last week, the album’s “Slow Jamz” featuring Twista and Jamie Foxx reached No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot 100. The song also appears on Twista’s Atlantic album “Kamikaze,” which falls 3-8 on a small 12% sales dip to 151,000 copies and a to-date total of 637,000 copies.
Last week’s chart-topper, Kenny Chesney’s “When the Sun Goes Down” (BNA), drops to No. 3. Sales fell 36% to 350,000 copies, giving the set a two-week total of 900,000 copies, and enough to hold the No. 1 post on Billboard’s Top Country Albums chart for a second week.
With an album of the year Grammy in its pocket, OutKast sees its two-CD set “Speakerboxxx/The Love Below” (Arista) rebound 6-4 on The Billboard 200 on a 147% sales increase to 275,000 copies. Josh Groban’s “Closer” (Reprise) falls one to No. 5 despite a 34% sales increase to 231,000 copies.
The Valentine’s Day spirit was kind to Harry Connick Jr., as his latest bettered its first-week numbers. Although “Only You” (Columbia) drifts one position to No. 6, sales were up 58% to 220,000 copies, giving him a two-week total of 360,000.
Fresh from a best new artist Grammy win, Evanescence saw an 82% sales burst for its Wind-Up debut “Fallen.” The album sold 183,000 copies and, in its 50th week on the chart, holds its No. 7 position. Incubus’ “A Crow Left of the Murder” slides 2-9, suffering a 62% dip to 125,000 copies. In two weeks, the Immortal/Epic album has sold 456,000 copies.
The “2004 Grammy Nominees” compilation album, released by BMG Strategic Marketing, is up 13-10 on an 85% sales gain to 120,000 copies. Other albums enjoying a post-Grammy bump include Beyoncé’s “Dangerously in Love” (Columbia), which moves 23-12 on a 101% gain to 99,000 copies, Coldplay’s “A Rush of Blood to the Head” (Capitol), which moves 47-40 on a 71% increase to 44,000 copies, and the White Stripes’ “Elephant” (V2), which rockets 105-44 on a 206% burst to 41,000 copies.
Other notable debuts on this week’s chart include Melissa Etheridge’s “Lucky” (Island, No. 15), Damageplan’s “New Found Power” (Elektra, No. 38), the soundtrack to “Queer Eye for the Straight Guy” (Capitol, No. 39), Kylie Minogue’s “Body Language” (Capitol, No. 42), Drag-On’s “Hell and Back” (Virgin, No. 47) and Courtney Love’s “America’s Sweetheart” (Virgin, No. 53).
Credit: Billboard