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Norah Jones' 'Not Too Late' Debuts at No. 1
February 07, 2007
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| NORAH JONES |
Editor: Keith Caulfield; Contributors: Silvio Pietroluongo, Gary Trust, Alex Vitoulis; Editorial Director: Geoff Mayfield
"Not Too Late" from Norah Jones opens atop The Billboard 200 with 405,000 units. It's the singer's third straight studio album to hit No. 1 ... "American Idol" runner-up Katharine McPhee comes in second with her self-titled debut ... PBS fave Celtic Woman sings out at No. 4 with "A New Journey" ... Harry Connick Jr. and Jill Scott just miss the top 10 with their latest albums ... Other big debuts on The Billboard 200 include Madonna, Lily Allen, Los Creadorez Del Pasito, Valentin Elizalde, Paolo Nutini and Tracy Lawrence ... In Progress Reports, we've got updates on Silversun Pickups, Prince, Selah, Snow Patrol and Timbaland ... PLEASE NOTE: Nielsen SoundScan reprocessed the album charts this afternoon (Feb. 7). Some Christian and Gospel titles changed positions. Note that Selah's "Hiding Place" is now No. 2 on Pop Catalog, not No. 1.
FLASH POINTS
• Finally, after weeks of less-than-exciting charts, The Billboard 200 gets an influx of debuts, with Norah Jones' "Not Too Late" the top opener at No. 1. The singer/songwriter's third set sold 405,000 in its first week. It's an impressive figure, but still small compared to the 1.02 million that greeted "Feels Like Home" in 2004. Don't forget -- that album was released the same week as Valentine's Day and the Grammy Awards broadcast. Both always engineer big gains for album sales, and if anyone benefits from Valentine's-related music gift purchases, it's Jones. The Grammy darling -- eight awards and counting -- seemingly acted as a pied piper last week for artists who count mature consumers as their biggest fans. Celtic Woman, Harry Connick Jr. and Jill Scott also have albums that debut high this week, and figure that each counts older music fans as their core audience. "Thinking About You," the first single from Jones' album, garnered 7 million in radio audience from all monitored stations for the week ending Feb. 4. That's not exactly gangbusters, but Jones has never counted on conventional and commercial radio stations as her most ardent supporters. That said, "Thinking" does hold at No. 5 on the Triple-A chart and moves 10-7 on the Smooth Jazz radio chart ... Jones performed Jan. 29 on the "Today" show, and will visit "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno" this evening ... Unsurprisingly, the album was sale-priced for less than $10 at Target, Best Buy, Circuit City, Kmart and Wal-Mart ... Did Jones' debut -- along with the other 23 bows on The Billboard 200 -- finally halt the year-to-year slide that we've been seeing for weeks now? Nope. See Market Watch below -- we're down 14% compared with the same week of 2006.
• The runner-up spot is familiar territory to Katharine McPhee, whose self-titled debut enters The Billboard 200 at No. 2 (116,000). Last year's "American Idol" second-place finisher matches the debut position of "Idol" winner Taylor Hicks. His own self-titled set started at No. 2 in December, but with 298,000 units. McPhee's single "Over It" has yet to hit any of our published airplay charts, and garnered less than 1 million in radio audience during the tracking week. However, the tune may debut on The Billboard Hot 100 when it is compiled later today, thanks to strong digital download sales ... Counting the 10 artists who have finished in either first or second place in the five seasons of "American Idol," all but two have started in the top 10 with their debut album. Only bombs from Justin Guarini (first-season runner-up) and Diana DeGarmo (third-season runner-up) failed to click. Their albums started at Nos. 20 and 52, respectively, and then slipped off the chart within weeks.
• The PBS phenomenon known as Celtic Woman starts at No. 4 with its second studio set, "A New Journey" (71,000). The act has been a constant presence at No. 1 on Top World Albums, where two of its sets (its self-titled debut and a "Christmas Celebration") have spent a combined 97 weeks atop the list. Now, "A New Journey" gives the group its third No. 1 on the World chart as well as its best sales week and highest-charting Billboard 200 set. The group, primarily comprising five female vocalists, is a favorite on PBS, especially during the all-important pledge-drive periods. The act's TV appearances and concerts have been the driving force for its album sales. Its first two albums have now sold a combined 1.2 million copies. That's not even counting the spin-off albums that the five members released in January 2006. The sets -- all issued Jan. 10 -- have sold between 17,000 and 30,000 copies each.
• Harry Connick Jr. and Jill Scott return to The Billboard 200 with unique albums. Connick starts at No. 11 with "Oh, My NOLA," a collection of songs (some covers, some originals) associated with New Orleans. The set begins with 44,000 units ... Some proceeds from the album will be donated to the Musicians' Village charity in New Orleans. The set, which includes renditions of such classics as "Working in the Coal Mine" and "Won't You Come Home, Bill Bailey,?" debuts at No. 1 on Top Jazz Albums. It's his ninth No. 1 on the Jazz chart -- extending his lead as the artist with the most No. 1s in the past 20 years ... Scott's album, "Collaborations," features a who's who lineup of guest stars. The set, which sold 44,000 last week, starts at No. 12 on The Billboard 200 and No. 3 on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums. The album's guests include Mos Def, Common, Kirk Franklin, Will Smith, Chris Botti and Lupe Fiasco. Her last album, "Beautifully Human: Words and Sounds Vol. 2," debuted and peaked at No. 3 on The Billboard 200 in 2004 with 193,000.
• Other debuts on The Billboard 200 this week include ... Madonna's "The Confessions Tour" CD/DVD package (No. 15; 40,000). Her last CD/DVD -- "I'm Going to Tell You a Secret," started at No. 33 last year with 25,000 ... The "Totally Country Vol. 6" compilation debuts at No. 18 with 37,000 ... U.K. import Lily Allen and her debut, "Alright, Still..." (No. 20; 34,000) ... the various artists set "WOW Gospel 2007" (No. 21; 34,000) ... Los Creadorez Del Pasito's "Recio, Recio Mis Creadorez" (No. 31; 26,000). The album also leads Top Latin Albums and Top Regional Mexican albums. On the latter chart, the top five titles each exceed 10,000 units for the first time since the chart began using Nielsen SoundScan data in 1993 ... The late Valentin Elizalde's "Lobo Domesticado" set enters at No. 44 on the big chart (20,000). It also starts at No. 2 on Top Latin Albums ... Clap Your Hands Say Yeah's "Some Loud Thunder" starts at No. 47 (19,000) ... New Scottish-born singer Paolo Nutini starts at No. 48 with "These Streets" (18,000) ... Tracy Lawrence's "For the Love" climbs in at No. 53 with 17,000. He also hits Top Country Albums at No. 6 ... Alkaline Trio's "Remains" debuts at No. 64 (13,000) ... Dave Koz visits the top 100 for the first time with his themed collaborations album "At the Movies" (No. 86; 11,000) ... Conjunto Primavera's "Amor Que Nunca Fue" (No. 89; 11,000) and Diana Reyes' "Te Voy A Mostrar" (No. 94; 10,000).
The Billboard 200
Sales data provided and compiled from Nielsen SoundScan |
| *1 | New | NORAH JONES Not Too Late (Blue Note / BLG) | *11 | New | HARRY CONNICK, JR. Oh, My Nola (Columbia / Sony Music) |
| *2 | New | KATHARINE MCPHEE Katharine McPhee (RCA / RMG) | *12 | New | JILL SCOTT Jill Scott Collaborations (Hidden Beach ) |
| 3 | 3 | DAUGHTRY Daughtry (RCA / RMG) | 13 | 9 | SOUNDTRACK Jump In! (Walt Disney ) |
| *4 | New | CELTIC WOMAN A New Journey (Manhattan / BLG) | *14 | 12 | NICKELBACK All The Right Reasons (Roadrunner / IDJMG) |
| 5 | 1 | PRETTY RICKY Late Night Special (BlueStar / Atlantic / AG) | *15 | New | MADONNA The Confessions Tour (Warner Bros. ) |
| *6 | 7 | AKON Konvicted (Konvict / Upfront / SRC / Universal Motown / UMRG) | 16 | 10 | JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE FutureSex/LoveSounds (Jive / Zomba) |
| 7 | 6 | SOUNDTRACK Dreamgirls (Music World / Columbia / Sony Music) | 17 | 11 | CORINNE BAILEY RAE Corinne Bailey Rae (Capitol ) |
| 8 | 2 | THE SHINS Wincing The Night Away (Sub Pop ) | *18 | New | VARIOUS ARTISTS Totally Country 6 (Sony BMG CMG ) |
| *9 | 8 | ROBIN THICKE The Evolution Of Robin Thicke (Star Trak / Interscope) | 19 | 15 | NELLY FURTADO Loose (Mosley / Geffen / Interscope) |
| 10 | 4 | VARIOUS ARTISTS 2007 Grammy Nominees (Grammy / Sony BMG CMG) | *20 | New | LILY ALLEN Alright, Still... (Capitol ) |
| * indicates titles with greatest sales gains this week |
MARKET WATCH
• Album units, current chart week: 9.37 million units
• UP 10% from last issue's charts: 8.50 million units
• DOWN 14.6% from same week, 2006: 10.98 million units
• This week: The top two albums sell more than 100,000 copies.
• This week last year on The Billboard 200: Barry Manilow's "Greatest Songs of the Fifties" flew in at No. 1 with 156,000. Andrea Bocelli, Heather Headley and Train also debuted in the top 10 at Nos. 3, 5 and 10, respectively. The top three albums sold more than 100,000 units.
BORDERLINES
• The No. 20 album this week, Lily Allen's "Alright, Still..." (Capitol), sold 34,000.
• The No. 20 album for the same week of 2006, the "WOW Gospel 2006" compilation, (EMI CMG/Word-Curb/Zomba), sold 43,000.
• Average total of the No. 20 album for the same week of the year during the past 10 years (1998-2007): 49,120.
PROGRESS REPORTS
• Continued exposure from MTV, MTV2 and Fuse helps Silversun Pickups' "Carnavas" motor 4-1 on Top Heatseekers with Greatest Gainer honors (5,000; up 27%) ... On Top Pop Catalog, Selah's "Hiding Place" has a massive 1,961% jump, debuting at No. 2. The title was sale-priced at the Family Christian Stores chain for $5 ... Also on Catalog, it's no surprise to see two Norah Jones titles surge in the wake of her new album's release. "Come Away With Me" moves 5-3 (up 72%) while "Feels Like Home" goes 50-11 (up 78%) ... Even though the Super Bowl was only on Sunday -- the final day of the SoundScan tracking week -- halftime performer Prince sees some chart action. His "The Very Best of Prince" re-enters Catalog at No. 31 with a 211% jump. Half of the album's unit gain this week is owed to sales at digital retailers.
• "Chasing Cars" by Snow Patrol sets the mark for longest ride to the top of the Hot AC/Adult Top 40 chart, pulling into the No. 1 spot in its 35th week on the list. That shatters the previous record set in December 2001 when Five for Fighting's "Superman (It's Not Easy)" reached the summit in its 28th chart week ... Meanwhile, on the Adult Contemporary tally, another chart stalwart, "Unwritten" by Natasha Bedingfield, rewrites the record for longest span between weeks at No. 1 as the song revisits the top slot 11 weeks after giving way to Rascal Flatts' "What Hurts the Most." The prior mark, once again, belonged to Five for Fighting, which had its No. 1 stay for "100 Years" interrupted for six weeks by Martina McBride's "This One's for the Girls" in the summer of 2004. "Unwritten" reclaims the top spot at AC in its 49th chart week. No prior title had ever reigned so late in its chart life, with "Lonely No More" by Rob Thomas previously setting the No. 1 longevity bar at 47 weeks in January 2006.
• Timbaland hits the CHR/Top 40 chart for the first time as a lead artist, debuting at No. 31 with "Give It to Me." The rapper/producer appeared on Nelly Furtado's and Justin Timberlake's respective 2006 No. 1s, "Promiscuous" and "SexyBack." Both artists reciprocate in kind on "Give." On the Rhythmic Top 40 chart, "Give" enters at No. 38, marking Timbaland's first entry as a lead artist on the list since "Keep It Real" (featuring Ginuwine) reached No. 32 in 1999.
Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums
Sales data provided and compiled from Nielsen SoundScan |
| *1 | 2 | ROBIN THICKE The Evolution Of Robin Thicke (Star Trak / Interscope) |
| 2 | 1 | PRETTY RICKY Late Night Special (BlueStar / Atlantic / AG) |
| *3 | New | JILL SCOTT Jill Scott Collaborations (Hidden Beach ) |
| 4 | 3 | SOUNDTRACK Dreamgirls (Music World / Columbia / Sony Music) |
| *5 | 5 | AKON Konvicted (Konvict / Upfront / SRC / Universal Motown / UMRG) |
| 6 | 4 | YOUNG JEEZY The Inspiration (Corporate Thugz / Def Jam / IDJMG) |
| *7 | 9 | MARY J. BLIGE Reflections (A Retrospective) (Matriarch / Geffen / Interscope) |
| 8 | 8 | BEYONCE B'Day (Columbia / Sony Music) |
| 9 | 7 | CIARA Ciara: The Evolution (LaFace / Zomba) |
| 10 | 6 | OMARION 21 (T.U.G. / Epic / Columbia / Sony Music) |
| * indicates titles with greatest sales gains this week |
Top Country Albums
Sales data provided and compiled from Nielsen SoundScan |
| *1 | New | VARIOUS ARTISTS Totally Country 6 (Sony BMG CMG ) |
| 2 | 2 | RASCAL FLATTS Me And My Gang (Lyric Street / Hollywood) |
| 3 | 1 | CARRIE UNDERWOOD Some Hearts (Arista / Arista Nashville / RMG) |
| *4 | 3 | RODNEY ATKINS If You're Going Through Hell (Curb ) |
| 5 | 4 | KEITH URBAN Love, Pain & The Whole Crazy Thing (Capitol Nashville ) |
| *6 | New | TRACY LAWRENCE For The Love (Rocky Comfort ) |
| 7 | 5 | TAYLOR SWIFT Taylor Swift (Big Machine ) |
| 8 | 6 | BRAD PAISLEY Time Well Wasted (Arista Nashville / SBN) |
| *9 | 8 | JOSH TURNER Your Man (MCA Nashville / UMGN) |
| 10 | 7 | SUGARLAND Enjoy The Ride (Mercury / UMGN) |
| * indicates titles with greatest sales gains this week |
Hot Singles Sales
Sales data provided and compiled from Nielsen SoundScan |
| *1 | New | THE FRATELLIS Flathead (Interscope ) |
| *2 | 1 | RICH BOY FEAT. POLOW DA DON Throw Some D's (Zone 4 / Interscope) |
| *3 | 2 | TOBYMAC Made To Love (ForeFront ) |
| *4 | 5 | KATHARINE MCPHEE Somewhere Over The Rainbow/My Destiny (RCA / RMG) |
| 5 | 3 | CAMERA OBSCURA If Looks Could Kill (Merge ) |
| *6 | 12 | OMAR RODRIGUEZ-LOPEZ & DAMO SUZUKI Please Heat This Eventually (GoldStandardLabs ) |
| *7 | 7 | TEE-N-TEE Dance, Dance, Dance (Tee-N-Tee ) |
| *8 | 11 | SUGAR KAINE FEAT. DREA Just Another Booty Song (Kolor Blind / Street Pride) |
| 9 | 6 | LIL' BASS FEAT. JT MONEY Kool Aid (Pipeline ) |
| *10 | New | 3D Come Close (Body Head ) |
| * indicates titles with greatest sales gains this week |
Hot Digital Songs
Sales data provided and compiled from Nielsen SoundScan |
| 1 | 1 | FALL OUT BOY This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race (Fueled By Ramen / Island / IDJMG) |
| *2 | 4 | GWEN STEFANI FEATURING AKON The Sweet Escape (Interscope ) |
| 3 | 2 | DAUGHTRY It's Not Over (RCA / RMG) |
| 4 | 3 | NELLY FURTADO Say It Right (Mosley / Geffen) |
| *5 | 18 | GYM CLASS HEROES FEATURING PATRICK STUMP Cupid's Chokehold (Decaydance / Fueled By Ramen / Atlantic / Lava) |
| *6 | 7 | HELLOGOODBYE Here (In Your Arms) (Drive-thru / Sanctuary) |
| 7 | 5 | BEYONCE Irreplaceable (Columbia ) |
| 8 | 8 | FERGIE Fergalicious (will.i.am / A&M / Interscope) |
| *9 | 20 | UNK Walk It Out (Big Oomp / Koch) |
| 10 | 6 | JIM JONES We Fly High (Koch ) |
| * indicates titles with greatest sales gains this week |
Top Heatseekers
Sales data provided and compiled from Nielsen SoundScan |
| *1 | 4 | SILVERSUN PICKUPS Carnavas (dangerbird ) |
| *2 | New | YOUNG LOVE Too Young To Fight It (Island / IDJMG) |
| *3 | New | SEAN PRICE Jesus Price Supastar (Duck Down ) |
| *4 | New | SKINNY PUPPY Mythmaker (Hell-O dEathday / SPV) |
| 5 | 5 | UNK Beat'n Down Yo Block (Big Oomp / Koch) |
| 6 | 7 | RODRIGO Y GABRIELA Rodrigo Y Gabriela (ATO ) |
| *7 | New | ELISABETH WITHERS It Can Happen To Anyone (Blue Note / BLG) |
| 8 | 6 | BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE The Poison (Trustkill ) |
| 9 | 3 | DEERHOOF Friend Opportunity (Kill Rock Stars ) |
| *10 | 11 | ROCCO DELUCA & THE BURDEN I Trust You To Kill Me (Ironworks ) |
| * indicates titles with greatest sales gains this week |
Top Pop Catalog Albums
Sales data provided and compiled from Nielsen SoundScan |
| *1 | 1 | BOB SEGER & THE SILVER BULLET BAND Greatest Hits (Capitol ) |
| *2 | New | SELAH Hiding Place (Curb ) |
| *3 | 5 | NORAH JONES Come Away With Me (Blue Note / BLG) |
| *4 | 2 | GUNS N' ROSES Greatest Hits (Geffen / Interscope) |
| 5 | 3 | RASCAL FLATTS Feels Like Today (Lyric Street / Hollywood) |
| *6 | 12 | JOSH GROBAN Closer (143 / Reprise / Warner Bros.) |
| 7 | 4 | CREED Greatest Hits (Wind-up ) |
| *8 | 6 | PINK FLOYD Dark Side Of The Moon (Capitol ) |
| *9 | 7 | THE DOORS Best Of The Doors (Elektra / Asylum / Elektra) |
| *10 | 9 | TIM MCGRAW Greatest Hits (Curb ) |
| * indicates titles with greatest sales gains this week |
A LOOK AHEAD
• Among the titles released this week, due on next week's charts: Fall Out Boy's "Infinity on High," Bloc Party's "Weekend in the City," Jason Michael Carroll's "Waitin' in the Country," Ashley Tisdale's "Headstrong" and Barenaked Ladies' "Barenaked Ladies Are Men."
• Next week's Billboard 200 competes with the same week in 2006 when: Jack Johnson's "Curious George" soundtrack debuted at No. 1 with 163,000. Dem Franchize Boyz's "On Top of Our Game" started at No. 5 with 106,000. The top five albums sold more than 100,000 units.
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