Mary J. Blige tops album charts
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Mary J. Blige ended Josh Groban's  five-week reign on the U.S. pop album chart Thursday, as the  R&B singer's latest release took the crown a week after it  debuted at No. 2.
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Last week was another miserable one for music sales, but with one modest highlight: The indie-heavy âJunoâ movie soundtrack rose one spot to the top of the Billboard chart, becoming the first album in Rhino Recordsâ three-decade history to reach No. 1. After the announcement of four Oscar nominations for âJuno,â including best picture, the soundtrack sold 65,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan, bumping Alicia Keysâs âAs I Amâ (J), which moved 60,000, to No. 2. In the fourth straight week of very low sales, Natasha Bedingfield opened at No. 3 with 50,000 copies of âPocketful of Sunshineâ (Epic), Mary J. Bligeâs âGrowing Painsâ (Geffen) sold 45,000 to reach No. 4, and Radiohead dropped one spot to No. 5 with âIn Rainbowsâ (ATO), moving 35,000. Cat Powerâs new âJukeboxâ (Matador) reached No. 12 with 29,000 copies sold.
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NEW YORK (Billboard) - Josh Groban's "Noel" ruled the pop album charts for a fifth week Thursday, a record for a Christmas release, while Mary J. Blige's new CD provided some stiff competition as overall sales surged in the holiday shopping frenzy.
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LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Three albums that reached stores  ahead of schedule will lead the next Billboard 200 chart and  raise the profile of hip-hop and R&B.
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He may not have won "American Idol," but Chris Daughtry is the king of the album charts this year, according to Billboard. The "Idol" finalist's band, Daughtry, sold 3.2 million copies of their self-titled debut, making it the most popular album of the year, according to the trade magazine.
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Country star Tim McGraw lived it up on top of the Billboard 200 for a second consecutive week Wednesday, while Ray Charles, Jill Scott and LL Cool J entered the pop albums chart in the next three spots.
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R&B singer Ciara's second release  is expected to top the U.S. pop album charts when sales data  are issued Wednesday.
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LOS ANGELES (Billboard) - Green Day topped the U.S. pop  albums chart for a second consecutive week Wednesday, passing  the two million sales mark and extending its lead over Eminem  during a quiet sales period.
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Beyonce led the Billboard Hot 100  singles chart for a 10th consecutive week Thursday with  "Irreplaceable," while Nelly Furtado's "Say It Right" climbed  one spot to a new peak of No. 2.
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Arts & entertainment: 50 Cent bumped down to number two by highest-selling album in two years.
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NEW YORK (Billboard) - Bon Jovi topped the album charts for the first time since 1988 on Wednesday, while rock duo the White Stripes scored a personal best with a No. 2 debut for their latest release.
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Amid debuts by several major new releases this week, Justin Timberlake held on to the top spot on the U.S. pop album charts, according to final sales data issued by Nielsen SoundScan Friday.
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R&B singer Ciara led three new titles into the top three spots on the U.S. pop album charts Wednesday, while incumbent champ Incubus set a dubious new record with its fast-fading new disc, Billboard reported.
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The Kaiser Chiefs rise to number one in the  UK singles chart, while Amy Winehouse's album is back on top.
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In the final week of 2007, Mary J. Bligeâs âGrowing Painsâ (Geffen) took the top spot on the Billboard chart from Josh Grobanâs âNoÃ«lâ (Reprise), which had five straight weeks at No. 1 and was the best-selling record of the year.
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R&B star Mary J Blige dominates the Billboard music awards in the US, winning nine prizes.
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Bob Dylan reached the top of the   U.S. albums chart for the first time in 30 years, and only the   fourth time in his career, according to sales data issued on   Wednesday.