Album Chart: Diamond scores first No. 1
Neil Diamond --whose 40-plus-year career is in the midst of a renaissance, thanks largely to producer Rick Rubin--has landed his first No. 1 album with the Rubin-helmed "Home Before Dark."
Diamond's new set--his second with Rubin--sold about 146,000 copies during its first week in stores, more than enough to claim the No. 1 spot on The Billboard 200 chart. (Billboard bases its results on Nielsen SoundScan data).
Toby Keith 's best-of set, "35 Biggest Hits," trails Diamond with sales of about 103,000 copies to make its debut at No. 2.
The aforementioned pair of debuts push Madonna 's "Hard Candy," last week's No. 1, down to No. 3, while former "American Idol" contestant Clay Aiken debuts at No. 4 with "On My Way Here," and Mariah Carey 's "E=MC2" drops from No. 2 to No. 5.
Rounding out the Top 10 are Leona Lewis' "Spirit" at No. 6, Gavin DeGraw 's self-titled sophomore set at No. 7, Josh Groban 's live CD/DVD set "Awake Live" at No. 8, Dierks Bentley 's "Greatest Hits" at No. 9 and Luis Miguel 's "Complices" at No. 10.
- Artist Links:
Album Review: Neil Diamond, "A Cherry Cherry Christmas" (Columbia) [November 2009]
New Neil Diamond Christmas collection due [October 2009]
Album Chart: Michael Buble maintains grip on No. 1 [October 2009]
Album Chart: Michael Buble's 'Crazy Love' tops KISS [October 2009]
LiveDaily Interview: Toby Keith [October 2009]
Keith Urban, Toby Keith to headline 2010 Stagecoach fest [October 2009]



























































































