Coldplay heats up U.S. album chart for third week

By Margo Whitmire

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) – British rock band Coldplay toppedthe U.S. pop album charts for a third consecutive weekWednesday, while overall sales fell despite the addition offour new titles to the top 10.

Coldplay’s “X&Y” (Capitol) sold 181,000 copies in the weekended June 26, according to Nielsen SoundScan, taking its totalto 1.2 million.

Contrary to recent weeks, the next few slots on theBillboard 200 were not filled by new titles gunning for thethrone, but by top 10 veterans. Mariah Carey’s “TheEmancipation of Mimi” (Island/Def Jam) rebounded two places toNo. 2 on sales of 131,000 copies.

Foo Fighters’ “In Your Honor” (Roswell/RCA) fell one placeto No. 3 in its second week with 114,000 copies. The Black EyedPeas’ “Monkey Business” (A&M/Interscope), rose one to No. 4with 102,000 copies.

The Billboard 200′s top debut was the self-titled Bad Boydebut from Boyz N Da Hood at No. 5. Fueled by “Dem Boyz,” a top20 hit on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, the set sold101,000 copies and also bowed at No. 1 on the Top R&B/Hip-HopAlbums list. Group member Young Jeezy, who has a separate dealwith Sho’nuff/Def Jam, is awaiting the July 26 release of hissolo debut, “Let’s Get It: Thug Motivation 101.”

Also new to the top 10 was 22-year-old Oakland, Calif.native Keyshia Cole’s A&M/Interscope debut, “The Way It Is,”which opened at No. 6 with sales of 89,000 copies. The R&Bnewcomer’s single, “(I Just Want It) To Be Over,” recentlypeaked at No. 40 on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs tally.

Backstreet Boys’ “Never Gone” (Jive) slid four places toNo. 7 in its second week with 78,000 copies.

Punk outfit the Offspring entered The Billboard 200 at No.8 with its first greatest hits set, the group’s fifth top 10title on the chart. Led by the new track “Can’t Repeat,” acurrent Billboard Modern Rock Tracks top 10 hit, the Columbiaalbum sold 70,000 copies. Although the band’s last studioeffort, “Splinter,” started with 88,000 in 2003, it debutedlower at No. 30. That album has sold 561,000 copies to date.

Cash Money CEO/rapper Bryan “Baby” Williams, who goes byBirdman on his latest album, finished out the top 10 debutswith a No. 9 bow for “Fast Money” (Cash Money/UMRG), which sold65,000 copies. Despite several solo releases under variousnames, the artist’s greatest success came as part of BigTymers, with whom he scored a No. 1 bow on The Billboard 200with “Hood Rich” in 2002. The set has sold 1.2 million to date.

System Of A Down’s former chart-topper “Mezmerize”(American/Columbia) held steady at No. 10 with 62,000 copies(966,000 to date).

Other notable debuts included Patti LaBelle’s “ClassicMoments” (Def Soul), which started at No. 24 with 37,000 copiesand took the No. 5 slot on the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.Also new was “Haunted Cities” from modern rock act theTransplants (Epitaph, No. 28); former Smashing Pumpkins/Zwanfrontman Billy Corgan’s solo bow, “TheFutureEmbrace” (WarnerBros., No. 31); Master P’s “Ghetto Bill” (New No Limit/Koch,No. 39) and Dropkick Murphys’ “Warrior’s Code” (Hellcat, No.48).

Overall U.S. album sales were down 19% from the previousweek at 10.2 million units, and down 19% from the same weeklast year. 2005 sales are lower than 2004 by 7.7% at 272million units.

Reuters/Billboard