Studdard Takes Soulful to No. 1

Second-season "American Idol" winner Ruben Studdard bows atop The Billboard 200 with his J Records debut, "Soulful." The album sold 416,500 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan, to become the third "American Idol" -related album to open at No. 1.

In a week that featured much-hyped releases from such artists as Musiq, Westside Connection, Kelis and the Offspring, the television-bred Studdard owns the only top-10 debut. And, despite rising sales, albums by Toby Keith, Josh Groban, OutKast, Hilary Duff and Britney Spears all slip a little this week on the chart.


With the holiday shopping season in full swing, nearly every album in the top-10 saw sales rise. The sole exception is last week's chart topper, "The Diary of Alicia Keys" (J). The set drops to No. 2 on a 45% sales dip to 324,000 copies, which brings the set's two-week total to 961,000 copies.

The 14th volume in the "NOW That's What I Call Music!" series (Universal/EMI/Zomba/Sony) saw a 40% boost to sales of 261,000 copies. The gain sends the compilation album up 4-3, and gives it a to-date sales total of 1.4 million.

Sales of Keith's "Shock'n Y'all" (DreamWorks) rose 15% to 245,000 copies (1.6 million to-date), but the title falls 2-4. Groban's "Closer" drops 3-5 this week on a 27% jump to 238,000 copies.

OutKast's "Speakerboxx/The Love Below" (Arista) received a 21% boost to 215,000 copies, but drops one position to No. 6. The two-CD set, fueled by hit singles "Hey Ya!" and "The Way You Move" featuring Sleepy Brown, has sold 2.36 million units in 12 weeks of release.

With a 13-7 leap, Rod Stewart rockets back into the top-10 with "As Time Goes By: The Great American Song Book Vol. II." In a week of many media appearances for Stewart -- including "Good Morning America!" and "The Late Show With David Letterman" -- the J Records set saw an 84% sales burst to 204,000 copies, bringing its to-date sales to 1.11 million.

Sales of "Metamorphosis," the Buena Vista debut from teen star Duff, were up nearly 31% to 201,000 copies, yet the album falls 6-8. In 16 weeks, the set has sold 1.65 million copies.

"The Very Best of Sheryl Crow" (A&M) maintains its No. 9 post for the second week, with sales up 32% to 174,000 copies (836,000 to-date). Spears' "In the Zone" (Jive) drops from No. 7 to round out the top-10, although sales were up about 5% to 158,000 copies (1.15 million to-date).

With sales of 156,000 copies, R&B singer Musiq lands at No. 13 with his latest, "soulstar" (Def Jam). His 2002 album "juslisen" opened at No. 1 on 260,000 copies.

The second Westside Connection album, "Terrorist Threats" (Priority), enters at No. 16 with sales of 136,000 copies. The gangsta rap supergroup, featuring Ice Cube, Mack 10 and WC, made its entrance in 1996 with "Bow Down," an album that arrived at No. 2 with 145,000 copies.

R&B vocalist Avant lands at No. 18 with "Private Room" (Geffen; 128,000 copies sold), while the latest from hip-hop act Big Tymers, "Big Money Heavyweights" (Cash Money/Universal), arrives at No. 21 (116,000 copies sold).

With a No. 27 opening, Kelis scores the best chart week of her career with "Tasty" (Star Trak/Arista). Featuring hit single "Milkshake," the third album from the Neptunes-bred R&B vocalist sold 93,600 copies. Her 2002 debut for Virgin Records, "Kaleidoscope," peaked at No. 144 and has sold 233,000 copies to date. Her follow-up, "Wanderland," was not given an official U.S. release.

Pop-punk act the Offspring enters at No. 30 with its seventh album, "Splinter" (Columbia; 88,000 copies sold).

Other notable entries this week include the second effort from Hoobastank, "The Reason" (Island; No. 45), Nick Cannon's self-titled Jive album (No. 83) and the self-titled debut from Fefe Dobson (No. 111).


Here is the current Billboard Top 10:
01. Ruben Studdard | Soulful
02. Alicia Keys | The Diary of Alicia Keys
03. Various Artists | Now 14
04. Toby Keith | Shock'n Y'all
05. Josh Groban | Closer
06. Outkast |Speakerboxxx/The Love Below
07. Rod Stewart | As Time Goes By... The Great American Songbook Vol. II
08. Hilary Duff | Metamorphosis
09. Sheryl Crow | The Very Best of...
10. Britney Spears | In The Zone

For the full list go to Billboard, http://www.billboard.com/bb/charts/bb200.jsp


Wow... Hilary Duff is OUTSELLING Britney. That's kind of odd to see. I have a feeling that Britney is not going to reach sales of her last album which barely sold 4 million, 7 million shy of her debut as well. In The Zone just keeps on falling.

Pink isn't doing great either. She is dangerously close of falling off the Top 50.

Pink sucks.

But I'm glad Outkast are doing so well. I don't get why The Black Album isn't higher up there. It actually doesn't suck like half the crap on there. Seriously, who the hell buys those pos Now albums? As if you didn't hear them on the radio enough. People need to get some taste in music.

Wow... Hilary Duff is OUTSELLING Britney. That's kind of odd to see. I have a feeling that Britney is not going to reach sales of her last album which barely sold 4 million, 7 million shy of her debut as well. In The Zone just keeps on falling.
Thats because she just released that song..Britney doesn't have a new song out yet(or atleast i dont think). That song with Madonna is old now.

Originally posted by Nirvana
Pink sucks.

But I'm glad Outkast are doing so well. I don't get why The Black Album isn't higher up there. It actually doesn't suck like half the crap on there. Seriously, who the hell buys those pos Now albums? As if you didn't hear them on the radio enough. People need to get some taste in music.


Thats because she just released that song..Britney doesn't have a new song out yet(or atleast i dont think). That song with Madonna is old now. I believe Britneys next single is 'Toxic', which I love.

I like Pink, although I only listen to 2 songs on the CD. :o I wanna get Alicia Keys CD too..

Congrats to Ruben! I still have to get the Britney album though.

:sheep: this little fellow congratulates him

Originally posted by Nirvana

Thats because she just released that song..Britney doesn't have a new song out yet(or atleast i dont think). That song with Madonna is old now.

Ummm... Britney has practically three songs playing on radio--- "Toxic," "Outrageous," and "I Got That (Boom Boom)," and all Hilary Duff has is "Come Clean." Plus... Britney is obviously the bigger star, that's a big accomplishment for Duff.

Originally posted by SBTB Geek
Ummm... Britney has practically three songs playing on radio--- "Toxic," "Outrageous," and "I Got That (Boom Boom)," and all Hilary Duff has is "Come Clean." Plus... Britney is obviously the bigger star, that's a big accomplishment for Duff.

Practically...just because they're playing some of her songs without premission on one or two stations, doesn't count for crap. I haven't heard ANY of those songs. They're still playing the Madonna one.

"Toxic" has apparently just begun to impact some stations earlier this week, the "offical" second single. I'm sure once it gets more spins her sales will increase.

and Hilary's album has been out for 12 weeks longer than Britney's, and they're both at 2X Plat. status.

"Outrageous" is playing in the nation's two largest markets [NY & LA.] That should be enough to at least *help* her sales a bit, anyways, "Toxic" has been on radio for two weeks already, that's enough as well.

Originally posted by SBTB Geek
"Outrageous" is playing in the nation's two largest markets [NY & LA.] That should be enough to at least *help* her sales a bit, anyways, "Toxic" has been on radio for two weeks already, that's enough as well.

I've yet to hear this "outrageous" song on any NY stations(Not even z100- "NY's #1 hit music station"). They still spin the 1st single at least 15+ times a day.

Originally posted by Nirvana
I've yet to hear this "outrageous" song on any NY stations(Not even z100- "NY's #1 hit music station"). They still spin the 1st single at least 15+ times a day.

Maybe you don't listen to radio enough. :\

Originally posted by SBTB Geek
Maybe you don't listen to radio enough. :\

Oh no, trust me, that stations on 24/7. WLIR doesn't come in at school or in my car.

Originally posted by Nirvana
Oh no, trust me, that stations on 24/7. WLIR doesn't come in at school or in my car.

Are you sure?... I was talking to my cousin on the phone yesteday and some station was playing "Outrageous" while I was talking to him. He lives in NYC.

Originally posted by SBTB Geek
Are you sure?... I was talking to my cousin on the phone yesteday and some station was playing "Outrageous" while I was talking to him. He lives in NYC.
Yep. Must of been a cd. They would not be playing it if "toxic" were the 2nd single. They'd get into a lot of trouble. They played some song from a BURGER KING cd and were up ****s creek.

Originally posted by Nirvana
Yep. Must of been a cd. They would not be playing it if "toxic" were the 2nd single. They'd get into a lot of trouble. They played some song from a BURGER KING cd and were up ****s creek.

I said station, as in a radio station. I don't think that on the CD "Outrageous" is followed by a cash advance ad.

Frankly, Im lucky if I hear MATM once a day. Never heard Outrageous or Toxix yet, and I get Boston stations.

Originally posted by ¤MsConanOBrien¤
Frankly, Im lucky if I hear MATM once a day. Never heard Outrageous or Toxix yet, and I get Boston stations. ive never heard anything but Me Against the Music, and thats played probably once or twice a day here.

I have heard Toxic before but it wasn't on the radio. :lol: The only song i've heard on the radio so far is Me Against the Music, and they play it 3 or 4 times a day.