American Songwriter Reads the Charts: U2 Tie Led Zeppelin

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Taylor Swift, who was on her way to setting a record for most consecutive weeks at number 1 in a row, has to settle for the #2 slot this week. Maybe she’ll write a song about it.

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Taylor Swift, it was fun while it lasted. This week, the number one spot on the Billboard 200 went to U2’s No Line on the Horizon, which sold 484,000 copies, the best sales week for an artist since Britney Spears’ Circus last December, according to Billboard.com. That means U2 and Led Zeppelin are tied for the second-most Number 1 albums, with seven each (the Beatles have 19.)

Swift, who was on her way to setting a record for most consecutive weeks at number 1 in a row, has to settle for the #2 slot this week. Maybe she’ll write a song about it.

Neko Case, by contrast, must feel like singing. Her new album Middle Cyclone debuted at #3. Previously, her highest chart position was #54, for 2006’s Fox Confessor Brings the Flood. Isn’t it cool how the third most popular album in the country features 30 minutes of cricket noises? I hope those crickets are getting royalties.

The Top 10 Albums this week:

U2 – No Line on the Horizon
Taylor Swift – Fearless
Neko Case – Middle Cyclone
Lady GaGa – The Fame
Nickelback – Dark Horse
Jamie Foxx – Intuition
The Fray – The Fray
Beyonce – I Am…Sasha Fierce
Slumdog Millionaire – Soundtrack
T.I. – Paper Trail


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