American Songwriter Reads the Charts: A Crushing Defeat for Yanni

‘Now 30,’ ‘Hannah Montana” Lead Busy Week on Billboard 200.”

That’s the headline for the latest chart wrap-up on Billboard.com today. Except when I read it, I thought…wait a minute? Hannah Montana is 30 now? Man, I’m getting old. I remember when she was just, like, sixtee…oh wait. Never mind.

So yes, Hannah Montana is still the same age she was yesterday, more or less. But youth and beauty weren’t enough to propel the debuting Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack to the top of the chart. That spot was taken up by Now 30, a hits collection containing tracks by Ne-yo, Britney Spears, and Taylor Swift (but no Miley Cyrus). Now 30 and Hannah Montana were just two out of a combined 12 debuts to crack the top 20, which is a new world record, people. It says so right here.

The rest of the debuts hogging up prime chart real estate make for a fairly motley crew: Keri Hilson’s In A Perfect World (#4), Papa Roach’s Metamorphosis (#8), Jim Jones’ Pray IV Reign (#9), Martina McBride’s Shine (#10), Mastodon’s Crack the Skye (#11)  Blue October’s Approaching Normal (#13), Slim Thug’s Boss of All Bosses (#15), John Rich’s Son of a Preacher Man (#16) Eric Church’s Carolina (#17) and Yanni’s Voices (#26).

Come on, Yanni…you can do better than that!

Congratulations to all of this weeks’ sales superstars. And here’s some rare good news: Billboard reports that overall album sales in this past chart week (ending March 29) totaled 6.77 million units, up 10% compared to the sum last week (6.13 million). However, they’re still down 12% compared to the same sales week of 2008 (7.71 million).

The top ten records in the country this week:

1. Now 30
2. Hannah Montana Soundtrack
3. Twilight Soundtrack
4. Kerri Hilson – In A Perfect World
5. Kelly Clarkson – All I Ever Wanted
6. U2 – No Line On the Horizon
7. Lady GaGa – The Fame
8. Papa Roach – Metamorphosis
9. Jim Jones – Pray IV Reign
10. Martina McBride – Shine