Now 31 Debuts at #1 on the Billboard Top 200

This week, the NOW That’s What I Call Music Volume 31 compilation album debuts at number one on the Billboard Top 200 album chart.

Brad Paisley’s American Saturday Night debuts at number two. Rob Thomas’ Cradlesong debuts at number three.

Wilco’s Wilco (The Album) debuts at number four. The Black Eyed Peas’ The E.N.D. falls four spots to number five.

Jeremih’s self-titled album debuts at number six. Killswitch Engage’s self-titled album debuts at number seven.

The Jonas Brothers’ Lines, Vines and Trying Times falls six spots to number eight. Eminem falls four spots to number nine with Relapse. Lady GaGa’s The Fame falls two spots to number ten.

It should be noted that if the Billboard chart rules were different, then the top ten would have been very different because of all of the Michael Jackson and Jackson 5 albums that were sold over the past week. All of the Michael Jackson releases are ineligible to be on the main Billboard Top 200 album chart, they are eligible to appear on a catalog chart.

New Releases: July 7, 2009

Here are this week’s new music releases:

The Alchemist – Chemical Warfare
All Time Low – Nothing Personal
Berlin – All the Way In
Billy Boy on Poison – Drama Junkie Queen
Jay Brannan – In Living Cover
Chali 2Na – Fish Outta Water
Church of Misery – House of the Unholy
Death By Stereo – Death Is My Only Friend
Faster Pussycat – Front Row For the Donkey Show
Chris Garneau – El Radio
Hannah Montana 3 soundtrack
Fritz Helder and the Phantoms – Greatest Hits: Platinum Collection
Joe Jackson – King Pleasure Time: The Remixes EP
Kiss Kiss – The Meek Shall Inherit What’s Left
Marcy Playground – Leaving Wonderland… In a Fit of Rage
Maxwell – BLACKsummers’night
The Minus 5 – Killingsworth
Owen – The Seaside EP
Poison the Well – The Tropic Rot
Rock of Ages: Original Broadway Cast Recording
Son Volt – American Central Dust
Soulive – Up Here
stellastarr* – Civilized
We Were Promised Jetpacks – These Four Walls
Wonderlick – Topless at the Arco Arena
Young Fresh Fellows – I Think This Is

The Black Eyed Peas Return to #1 on the Billboard Top 200

The Black Eyed Peas’ The E.N.D. moves back up one spot to relcaim the number one spot on the Billboard Top 200 album chart.

The Jonas Brothers’ Lines, Vines and Trying Times falls one spot to number two. Regina Spektor’s Far debuts at number three.

Dave Matthews Band’s Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King falls one spot to number four. Eminem’s Relapse falls one spot to number five.

Dream Theater’s Black Clouds & Silver Linings debuts at number six. Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen: The Album debuts at number seven.

Lady GaGa’s The Fame falls two spots to number eight. Ginuwine’s A Man’s Thoughts debuts at number nine. The Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack falls two spots to number ten.

New Releases: June 30, 2009

Here are this week’s new music releases:

The Builders and the Butchers – Salvation Is a Deep Dark Well
Matt Duke – The Acoustic Kingdom Underground EP
Levon Helm – Electric Dirt
Jeremih – Jeremih
Cledus T. Judd – Polyrically Uncorrect
Killswitch Engage – Killswitch Engage
Los Texmaniacs – Borders y Bailes
Maino – If Tomorrow Comes…
Moby – Wait For Me
NOW! That’s What I Call Music Volume 31 compilation album
Brad Paisley – American Saturday Night
Rob Thomas – Cradlesong
Tanya Tucker – My Turn
Wilco – Wilco (The Album)
Wu-Tang – Chamber Music

Gale Storm Dead at 87

Gale Storm passed away on Saturday, June 28, at a convalescent hospital at the age of 87. She had been in failing health in recenty years.

Storm may be best known as an actress, but she also had a music career in the 1950’s. Three of her records (”I Hear You Knocking,” “Teenage Prayer,” and “Dark Moon”) became best sellers.

Storm is survived by her three sons, her daughter, eight grandchildren, and four great-grandchildren.

Michael Jackson Dead at Age 50

Michael Jackson was rushed to the UCLA Medical Center after he was found not breathing in his home. It has been speculated that Michael may have suffered cardiac arrest.

Michael began his music career as part of the Jackson 5, a group that consisted of Michael and his brothers. He recorded his first solo album in 1972. In 1982, Michael released Thriller, which yieled seven top ten singles. Thriller has sold 21 million copies in the United States, and at least 27 million copies worldwide. Michael’s lifetime record sales tally is believed or be around 750 million. Michael has also won thirteen Grammy Awards. The “moonwalk” is another of Michael’s claims to fame. Michael had also been scheduled to start a series of comeback concerts in London on July 13.

In 1994, Michael married Lisa Marie Presley. They divorced in 1996. Michael then married Debbie Rowe. They had two children before splitting in 1999.

Michael is survived by his children, Prince Michael I, Paris Michael, and Prince Michael II. He is also survived by his parents, Joseph and Katherine, and his siblings (Rebbie, Jackie, Tito, Jermaine, La Toya, Marlon, Randy, and Janet).

Jonas Brothers Debut at #1 on the Billboard Top 200

The Jonas Brothers debut at number one on the Billboard Top 200 album chart with their latest album, Lines, Vines and Trying Times. The album sold 247,000 copies in its first week of release.

The Black Eyed Peas’ The E.N.D. falls one spot to number two, selling 148,000 copies (which is a 51% sales decline from last week). Dave Matthews Band’s Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King falls one spot to number three, selling 88,000 copies; this is a 31% decrease in sales.

Eminem’s Relapse falls one spot to number four, selling 72,000 copies (this is a 17% decrease in sales). Incubus debuts at number five with Monuments and Melodies, which sold 70,000 copies in its first week of release.

Lady GaGa’s The Fame holds steady at number six, selling 47,000 copies; this is less than a 1% increase in sales from last week. Chickenfoot’s self-titled album falls three spots to number seven, selling 43,000 copies; this is a 46% sales decline.

The Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack falls one spot to number eight, selling 42,000 copies (however, this is only a 9% decrease in sales from last week). Green Day’s 21st Century Breakdown falls one spot to number nine, selling 40,000 copies (which is a 3% decrease in sales). Taylor Swift’s Fearless returns to the top ten at number ten, selling 38,000 copies; this is a 10% increase in sales from last week.

This week’s sales (6.76 million units) is up 6.5% from last week, but down 18.5% from the same week last year.

New Releases: June 23, 2009

Here are this week’s new music releases:

Al B. Sure – Honey I’m Home
Alexisonfire – Old Crows/Young Cardinals
Neal E. Boyd – My American Dream
Cheap Trick – The Latest
Shawn Colvin – Live
Christina Courtin – Christina Courtin
Darkest Hour – The Eternal Return
Dead Prez – Pulse of the People
The Dear Hunter – Act III: Life and Death
Dinosaur Jr. – Farm
Dream Theater – Black Clouds & Silver Linings
Kurt Elling – Dedicated to You: Kurt Elling Sings the Music of Coltrane and Hartman
Escala – Escala
Ginuwine – A Man’s Thoughts
God Help the Girl – God Help the Girl
Grand Puba – Retroactive
Patterson Hood – Murdering Oscar (And Other Love Songs)
I Love You, Beth Cooper soundtrack album
Michael Johns -Hold Back My Heart
LANDy – Eros and Omissions
The Lemonheads – Varshons
The Mars Volta – Octahedron
Maylene and The Sons of Disaster – III
John Mellencamp – Life Death Live & Freedom
Tift Merritt – Buckingham Solo
Paulina Rubio – Gran City Pop
Leon Russell – Best of Hank Wilson
Regina Spektor – Far
Otis Taylor – Pentatonic Wars and Love Songs
Therefore I Am – The Sound of Human Lives
Tortoise – Beacons of Ancestorship
Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen soundtrack album
VNV Nation – Of Faith, Power and Glory
Voivod – Infini
Eric Woolfson – Woolfson Sings the Alan Parsons Project That Never Was
Pete Yorn – Back & Fourth

Black Eyed Peas Debut at #1 on the Billboard Top 200

The Black Eyed Peas’ The E.N.D. debuts at number one of the Billboard Top 200 album chart, selling 304,000 copies in its first week of release.

Dave Matthews Band’s Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King falls one spot to number two, selling 128,000 copies (which is a 70% sales decline from last week). Eminem’s Relapse falls one spot to number three, selling 87,000 copies; this is a 38% sales decrease.

Chickenfoot’s self-titled album moves up two spots to number four, selling 79,000 copies (which is a 53% sales increase from last week). Aventura’s Last debuts at number five, selling 47,000 copies in its first week.

Lady GaGa’s The Fame moves up two spots to number six, selling 47,000 copies; however, this represents less than a 1% increase in sales. The Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack falls one spot to number seven, selling 46,000 copies (this is an 8% decrease in sales from last week).

Green Day’s 21st Century Breakdown falls three spots to number eight, selling 41,000 copies (which is a 21% decrease in sales). Mos Def debuts at number nine with Ecstatic, which sold 39,000 copies in its first week of release. Pleasure P debuts at number ten with The Introduction of Marcus Cooper, which sold 39,000 copies.

This week’s sales (6.34 million units) are down 0.6% from last week, and down 31.7% from the same week last year.

New Releases: June 16, 2009

Here are this week’s new music releases:

Michael Buble – Michael Buble Meets Madison Square Garden
Rodney Carrington – El Nino Loco
Chess in Concert: Live From Royal Albert Hall
Will Downing – Classique
Jill Hennessy – Ghost in My Head
Jonas Brothers – Lines, Vines and Trying Times
Candye Kane – Superhero
Davy Knowles & Back Door Slam – Coming Up for Air
The Legends – Over and Over
Kim Lenz and the Jaguars – It’s All True!
Madder Mortem – Eight Ways
Spinal Tap – Back From the Dead
Street Sweeper Social Club – Street Sweeper Social Club
Sworn Enemy – Total World Domination
Tiny Masters of Today – Skeletons
Rhonda Vincent – Destination Life
Sara Wasserman – Solid Ground
Hank Williams Jr. – 127 Rose Avenue
Holly Williams – Here With Me
Mark Wills – 2nd Time Around