LL Cool J Debut Tops Charts
Sept.20 -- Top 10: The title of LL Cool J’s new album, G.O.A.T., stands for Greatest of All Time.
Whether or not the label is true may be up for debate, but one thing is certain — he’s on top this week, selling more than 208,000 copies of G.O.A.T., which bows at No. 1, displacing Nelly’s Country Grammar, which sells another 187,000 copies at No. 2. Eminem’s The Marshall Mathers LP comes in at No. 3, with sales of 153,000, followed by Nathan Michael Shawn Wanya, the first album from Boyz II Men in three years, which sells almost 133,000 copies in its first week on the shelves. The Barenaked Ladies’ Maroon sells a surprisingly high 128,000 copies to debut at No. 5, exactly 601 more than Creed’s Human Clay, this week’s No. 6.
Britney Spears’ sophomore album, Oops! … I Did It Again, drops four notches to No. 7, selling 120,000 copies, while ’N Sync’s No Strings Attached comes in at No. 8, with sales of 102,000. Three Doors Down’s Better Life sells 93,000 at No. 9, while the Now That’s What I Call Music, Volume 4 compilation rounds out the Top 10 with sales of almost 87,000.
Almost Famous: Papa Roach’s Infest has been a regular member of the Top 10 for several weeks — until now, that is. Selling exactly 116 fewer copies than Now 4, the album drops to No. 11.
Crossing Over: Her self-titled debut has been certified seven-times platinum and earned her a Best New Artist Grammy, but all that wasn’t enough to guarantee Mi Reflejo, Christina Aguilera’s first Spanish-language album, a place at the top of the charts. Still, the album sold almost 43,000 copies, debuting at No. 27. For the record, her self-titled album is actually at No. 22, selling more than 45,000 this week.
Notable Debuts: Beyond the three Top 10 debuts, Too $hort’s You Nasty bows the highest, selling more than 82,000 copies at No. 12, while the Baller Blockin’ soundtrack comes in at No. 13, selling almost 81,000. The Corrs’ In Blue sells 46,000 at No. 21, while opera singer Andrea Bocelli’s Verdi sells 44,000 at No. 23. Red Dirt Girl, the impressive new album from Emmylou Harris, sells 24,000 at No. 54, while B-Legit’s Hempin’ comes in at No. 64, selling more than 21,000 copies. Rachell Ferrell’s Individuality is picked up by more than 18,000 individuals at No. 71, while Righteous Love, Joan Osborne’s first album of new material in half a decade, sells more than 14,000 at No. 90. Other debuts include Vast’s Music for People (No. 142, selling 8,500); Rickie Lee Jones’ It’s Like This (No. 148, selling almost 8,000); At the Drive-In’s Relationship of Command (No. 151, selling 7,900); Underworld’s live album, Everything, Everything (No. 192, selling more than 5,700); and Marvelous 3’s Ready Sex Go (No. 196, selling 5,500).
