Timberlake earns first No. 1 solo album in U.S.

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In a major week for new releases, Justin Timberlake scored his first No. 1 solo album, while John Mayer, Bob Seger and Lionel Richie also crashed the upper echelons of the U.S. pop charts, according to Billboard.

 

The 'N Sync alumnus sold more than 684,400 copies of his sophomore solo outing "FutureSex/LoveSounds" in the week ended September 17, according to Nielsen SoundScan data reported by the trade publication. His solo debut, "Justified," entered at No. 2 with 439,000 copies in 2002.

 

Timberlake's Jive Records label said in a statement that "FutureSex/LoveSounds" was also No. 1 in Britain, Ireland, Australia and Canada, and top-five in Switzerland, Germany, Austria, the Netherlands, France, Denmark, and Hong Kong. The album's first single, "SexyBack," has topped Billboard's Hot 100 chart for four weeks, Jive added.

 

Mayer made his sixth appearance on the Billboard 200 albums chart in five years with "Continuum" (Aware/Columbia), which debuted at No. 2 with 300,000 copies. Its 2003 predecessor, "Heavier Things," entered at No. 1 with 317,000.

 

After debuting at No. 1 last week, Beyonce's "B'Day" (Columbia) slipped to No. 3 with 162,000 copies.

 

With his first album in 11 years, Seger entered at No. 4 with "Face the Promise" (Capitol), which sold over 150,000 copies. It marks the Detroit rocker's sixth visit to the chart's top five and first since 1986's "Like a Rock" peaked at No. 3. His previous effort, "It's a Mystery," opened and peaked at No. 27 in 1995 with 33,500 units.

 

Bob Dylan's former chart-topper "Modern Times" (Columbia) slipped two places to No. 5 in its third week with 93,000 copies. At No. 6, Richie's "Coming Home" (Island) landed him in the top 10 for the first time since 1986's "Dancing on the Ceiling." The set moved 75,000 copies, Richie's best one-week sum since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking data in 1991.

 

Oklahoma hard rock act Hinder's "Extreme Behavior" jumped three places to a new high of No. 7 in its 33rd week. The Universal Republic release sold 64,000 units. MTV girl-band Danity Kane's self-titled Bad Boy release fell four places to No. 8 with 62,000.

 

The Mars Volta's Universal set "Amputechture" bowed at No. 9 with 59,000. The group's "Frances The Mule" fared better in 2005 with 123,000 units and a No. 4 debut.

 

Canadian rock band Nickelback's "All the Right Reasons" (Roadrunner) was down two places to No. 10 in its 50th week with 57,000 units.

 

Other new releases included: the second volume of the soundtrack to "Grey's Anatomy" (Hollywood Records), at No. 14; California rock band Papa Roach's "The Paramour Sessions" (Geffen), at No. 16; Canadian combo Barenaked Ladies' "Barenaked Ladies Are Me" (Desperation), at No. 17; Black Label Society's "Shot to Hell" (Roadrunner), at No. 21; Georgia metal band Mastodon's "Blood Mountain" (Warner Bros.), at No. 32; Madeleine Peyroux's "Half the Perfect World" (Rounder), at No. 33; Daz' "So So Gangsta" (Virgin), No. 35; Norma Jean's "Redeemer" (Tooth & Nail), at No. 38; and TV On The Radio's "Return to Cookie Mountain," (Interscope), No. 41.

 

At 10.05 million units, overall CD sales were up 5.6% from last week's count and up 0.9% compared to the same week a year ago. Sales for 2006 were down 5% compared to 2005 at 374 million units.

 

Reuters/Billboard