Underwood rides to the top in sales
The top of the U.S. pop album chart gets a country makeover this week, a charge led by Carrie Underwood.
The country-pop star and “American Idol” winner follows up her 6-million-selling debut album, “Some Hearts,” with a No. 1 bow. Her “Carnival Ride,” one of six debuts in the Top 10, sold 527,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan, in its first week in stores.
“Some Hearts” peaked at No. 2 on the chart, and it’s still in the Top 100 in its 102nd week on the chart. It sold 13,000 copies this week, a 38% sales bump from a week earlier.
The collaboration between Robert Plant and Alison Krauss, “Raising Sand,” lands at No. 2 after selling 112,000 copies. The pair are expected to tour in 2008 in support of the album, a collection of country-inflected covers produced by T-Bone Burnett.
Country singer and Southland native Gary Allan enters at No. 3, his “Living Hard” selling 69,000 copies. It’s his third consecutive Top 5 debut, including his “Greatest Hits” set earlier this year.
Breaking up the string of country debuts is the first solo offering from System of a Down’s vocalist Serj Tankian. His “Elect the Dead” arrives at No. 4, selling 66,000 copies.
Look for Britney Spears to make some headlines for her music next week, as her latest, “Blackout,” will vie for the No. 1 spot.
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