American Songwriter Reads the Charts: Urban Renewal

Updated:

March 4, 2010 7:06 pm

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As predicted by chart prognosticators a few weeks back, the Billboard 200 has a new top dog: country star Keith Urban. Urban’s Defying Gravity beat out Prince’s triple-disc LotusFlow3r (available only at Target!) to capture this week’s top spot, selling 171,000 copies. Urban previously reached #3 with Be Here in 2004 and Love, Pain & the Whole Crazy Thing in 2006, but this is his first #1.

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More importantly, hits compilation Now 30 starts its descent down the charts, after clogging up the number one spot last week (let us know when you make it down to 30). This made room for Diana Krall’s latest Verve album, Quiet Nights, which debuted at #3, a career high for the jazz pianist.

Other prominent debuts include hip hop group UKG’s UGK 4 Life (their first since the death of Pimp C) at #6, and chart gangsta Flo Rida’s second album, R.O.O.T.S., which bowed at #8.

And now, the fine print: according to Billboard.com, overall album sales are up 5% compared to last week at 7.1 million, but down 11% compared to the same sales week in 2008. Year to date album sales (97.5 million) are down 13.3% compared to last year.

The country’s top 10 albums this week:

1. Keith Urban – Defying Gravity
2. Prince – LotusFlow3r
3. Diana Krall – Quiet Nights
4. Now 30
5. Hannah Montana Soundtrack
6. UGK – UGK 4 Life
7. Twilight Soundtrack
8. Flo Rida – R.O.O.T.S.
9. Lady GaGa – The Fame
10. Taylor Swift – Fearless