Print-friendly Version
Album Chart: U2 dominates with 'Horizon'
In news that will surprise virtually no one, U2 's latest studio set, "No Line on the Horizon," sold more copies in the US than any other during its first week in stores, and has earned the Irish rock icons their seventh chart-topping album.
With sales of 484,000 copies, "No Line on the Horizon" racked up the highest one-week sales total since Britney Spears' "Circus" moved 505,000 copies during its debut week in early December, and easily claims the No. 1 spot on The Billboard 200 chart. (Billboard bases its flagship chart on Nielsen SoundScan retail data.)
First-week sales of "No Line on the Horizon" fell well short of the total garnered by its predecessor, 2004's "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb," which moved 840,000 copies during its debut week. Nonetheless, U2's latest No. 1 appearance on the chart ties the group with Led Zeppelin for the second-most No. 1 albums by a band, trailing the Beatles' total of 19, according to Billboard.
Running a distant second to "No Line on the Horizon" is Taylor Swift 's "Fearless," which drops from No. 1 to No. 2 with sales of 52,000 copies.
Meanwhile, Neko Case scores a No. 3 debut after moving 44,000 copies of "Middle Cyclone"; Lady GaGa's "The Fame" jumps from No. 7 to No. 4 with 42,000 copies; and Nickelback 's "Dark Horse" remains unmoved at No. 5 with 36,000 copies.
Rounding out the Top 10 are Jamie Foxx 's "Intuition" at No. 6 with 32,000; The Fray's self-titled release at No. 7 with just shy of Foxx's tally; Beyonce 's "I Am ... Sasha Fierce" at No. 8 with 31,000; the "Slumdog Millionaire" soundtrack at No. 9 with 24,000; and T.I. 's "Paper Trail" at No. 10 with slightly less than "Slumdog Millionaire."
