Death Cab For Cutie Scores First No. 1 Album May 21, 2008
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DEATH CAB FOR CUTIE
By Katie Hasty, N.Y.
Death Cab For Cutie claims its first No. 1 album as "Narrow Stairs" starts at the top slot on the Billboard 200. The Atlantic set moved 144,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen Soundscan. Death Cab's prior album, 2005's "Plans," debuted at No. 4 with 90,000 and spent 50 weeks on the chart.
Reprise's retrospective Frank Sinatra collection "Nothing But the Best" bows at No. 2 with 99,000. It's been nearly 15 years since Old Blue Eyes was this high on the chart. In December 1993, his "Duets" album spent three weeks at No. 2. This new hits collection, which chronicles the legend's tenure on Reprise Records, also commemorates the tenth anniversary of Sinatra's passing on May 14, 1998.
Jason Mraz's Atlantic album "We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things" enters at No. 3 with 73,000, giving the Warner Music Group and WEA Distribution the top three on the chart for the first time in more than 16 years. "We Sing..." is the singer/songwriter's new high-water mark on the chart; "Mr. A-Z" topped out at No. 5 in 2005.
Welsh singer Duffy's A&M/Polydor debut "Rockferry" enters at No. 4 with 71,000. That makes her the third female British newcomer to earn a top 10 debut since the beginning of 2007, joining Amy Winehouse and Leona Lewis. The album's single "Mercy" has risen to No. 20 thus far on the Adult Top 40 radio chart.
Speaking of Lewis, her Syco/J set "Spirit" climbs 6-5 with 62,000, an 18% slip in sales. Mariah Carey's Island Def Jam album "E=MC2" flip-flops with it, falling 5-6 with 59,000 (-33%). After becoming his first No. 1 last week, Neil Diamond's "Home Before Dark" (Columbia) slips to No. 7 with a 63% sales hit at 53,000.
Madonna's "Hard Candy" (Warner Bros.) continues its decline 3-8 with 53,000 (-43%) and Toby Keith's double-disc collection "35 Biggest Hits" (Show Dog Nashville) descends 2-9 with 41,000, a 60% sales tumble.
Keith Sweat's "Just Me" rounds out the top tier, debuting at No. 10 with 37,000. The Keia/Atco/Rhino is Sweat's first studio album since 2002's "Rebirth," which peaked at No. 14 in its opening week.
Rock act 10 Years' "Division" (Universal Republic) lands at No. 12 with 28,000. Its last set, "The Autumn Effect," topped out at No. 72 in 2005. Other debuts on The Billboard 200 this week include the Disney soundtrack to "The Chronicles of Narnia: Prince Caspian" at No. 26 with 16,000, Cherish's "The Truth" (Capitol) at No. 40 with 13,000, Filter's "Anthems for the Damned" (Pulse) at No. 42, also with 13,000 and Starbucks' Hear Music compilation "The Second Wave" at No. 43 with 13,000.
Album sales this week are down 8.5% from last week's sum with 7.43 million units and down 13.5% from the same week last year.
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