Though others tried, it was Usher’s million-copy week that proved the ultimate “home” wrecker on the charts.

The R&B star’s fifth album, Confessions, sold record numbers this past week to end Norah Jones’ six-week chart-topping run with Feels Like Home. Moreover, Usher set a new 2004 single-week sales high, a mark previously set by Jones and thought unbreakable this side of a new Eminem album.

For the week ended March 28, Usher’s Confessions took over the number one spot selling nearly 1.1 million copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan numbers released today. Jones previously set the 2004 mark in February with 1.03 million copies.

Overall, Confessions’ remarkable sales numbers, fueled by the hit single “Yeah!” with Lil’ Jon and Ludacris, also marks the best first week sales since ‘N Sync ‘s Celebrity sold 1.88 million copies in July 2001 and the best single-week sales since The Eminem Show moved 1.3 million in June 2002 during its second week out. Confessions now claims the third largest debut sales week by a solo artist and more than doubles the previous best week by an R&B artist, namely R. Kelly’s 540,000 copies in 2000 with TP-2.com. To think, Usher’s previous album, 8701, only sold 211,000 copies in its initial week less than three years ago.

Thanks to Usher and a slew of new debuts, Norah Jones ‘ Feels Like Home dropped all the way to number five selling 121,000 copies.

Among the week’s other chart crashers, Now That’s What I Call Music! 15 snagged the number two spot selling 343,000 copies. The new installment, which comes just eight weeks after Volume 14 dropped from the Top 10, features such recent radio hits as Britney Spears ‘ “Toxic,” FeFe Dobson’s “Everything,” and Eamon’s “I Don’t Want You Back.”

With their long awaited Chinese Democracy album still nowhere in sight, Guns ‘n’ Roses released Greatest Hits–featuring “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” “Patience,” and “November Rain”–selling 169,000 copies at number three. At this rate, China will probably become a democracy before the new Guns’ album comes out.

Carl Thomas ‘ Let’s Talk About It, the fourth and final album to top Norah Jones, debuted at four selling 139,000 copies. N.E.R.D., on the other hand, fell a mere 2,000-copies short as the Neptunes-led rocker Fly or Die sold 119,000 copies at number six.

The rest of the Top 10, all longtime holdovers, included Evanescence’s Fallen at seven, Kanye West’s College Dropout at eight, Jessica Simpson ‘s In This Skin at nine, and Kenny Chesney ‘s When the Sun Goes Down at ten.

Just missing a Top 10 berth, Big Easy rap mogul Master P opened at number 11 selling 68,000 copies of his double-disc Good Side/Bad Side. Los Angeles rappers Cypress Hill followed at 21 with Till Death Do Us Part smoking up 45,000 copies.

Aussie rockers The Vines continue the second round of rock revival records at 23 as Winning Days sold 43,000 copies. Pastor Troy’s By Any Means Necessary and The Punisher soundtrack followed at numbers 30 and 33, respectively.

Other noteworthy debuts included Knoc-Turn’al’s Way I Am at 36, Soil’s Redefine at 78, Widespread Panic’s Night of Joy at 157, and Blonde Redhead’s Misery Is a Butterfly floating in at 180.

Meanwhile, over the singles charts, Clay Aiken’s “Solitaire/The Way” held onto number one selling another 46,000 copies, though Hanson scored the number two spot with the debut of “Penny & Me.” Sigur Ros landed the second best debut at six with “Ba Ba Ti Ki Di Do.”

Next week, Janet Jackson ‘s Damita Jo will pop out onto the album charts showing whether or not all press is indeed good press.

Here’s a recap of last week’s Top 10 albums:

1. Confessions, Usher
2. Now That’s What I Call Music! 15, various
3. Greatest Hits, Guns ‘n’ Roses
4. Let’s Talk About It, Carl Thomas
5. Feels Like Home, Norah Jones
6. Fly or Die, N.E.R.D.
7. Fallen, Evanescence
8. College Dropout, Kanye West
9. In This Skin, Jessica Simpson
10. When the Sun Goes Down, Kenny Chesney

Credit: E! Online