Matt McGee ([email protected])
Thu, 12 Nov 1998 00:13:49 -0800
U2 score with "Best Of" collection; Alanis record breaks record
The pill, apparently, isn't so bitter after all. As expected, Alanis
Morissette has returned to rule the charts. The Canadian-born singer's new
album, Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, the follow-up to her
historically successful Jagged Little Pill, debuts at No. 1 for the week
ending Nov. 8. The highly anticipated album sold 469,000 copies, according
to SoundScan. That's good enough to set the new SoundScan mark for most
albums sold in one week by a solo female artist, and it's the third time
this year the record has been set. (Madonna did it with Ray of Light, and
then Lauryn Hill bettered it with The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill.) In the
process, Morissette bounced rapper Jay-Z from the No 1. spot, after his Vol
II: Hard Knock Life had set his own SoundScan record -- the first rap album
to hold the top spot for four straight weeks.
Overall, it was a frantic week in record stores, as a truckload of
superstar releases arrived in preparation for the big holiday shopping
season. Most of those dominated the Top Ten, with U2's first of three
greatest hits packages, Best of U2: 1980-1990, coming in at a strong No. 2,
selling 237,000 copies. (The fact that the package included a
limited-edition, one-week-only second CD of B-sides at little extra cost to
fans no doubt boosted sales.)
Meanwhile, Celine Dion's Christmas album, These Are Special Times, debuted
at No. 4. By the time December rolls around, that could be the season's
run-away smash. And proving that the public's stomach for hip-hop continues
to grow, the rap soundtrack to Belly, video director Hype Williams'
directorial debut, came in at No. 5.
Elsewhere, No Limit rapper Mia X debuted at No. 7, while the latest from
Beck, Mutations, came in at 13. But Oasis' new B-sides collection, The
Masterplan, arrived at a rather soft No. 51.
There's more. Live albums by Hanson (No. 32) and the Rolling Stones (No.
34) made just solid but not great debuts, which is expected, considering
that it's typically only hardcore fans who shell out money for concert
albums. That explains why 311's Live! debuted way down at No. 77.
Making room for all the new arrivals were some of last week's newcomers.
R.E.M.'s Up dropped to No. 16 after just two weeks, while Phish may have
set yet another SoundScan record: for biggest second week drop. The band's
Story of the Ghost debuted two weeks ago at No. 8, and last week it plunged
all the way to No. 65.
>From the top, it was Supposed Former Infatuation Junkie, followed by The
Best of U2: 1980-1990; Jay-Z's Vol. II: Hard Knock Life (selling 168,000
copies); These Are Special Times (126,000); the soundtrack to Belly
(118,000); 'N Sync (106,000); Mia X's Mama Drama (99,000); Dru Hill's Enter
the Dru (98,000); Shania Twain's Come On Over (97,000) and The Miseducation
of Lauryn Hill (85,000).
ERIC BOEHLERT
(November 11, 1998)
_________________________________
Matt McGee / [email protected]
@U2 Web Page Curator
http://www.atu2.com
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