Christina "Back" Atop Chart

Aguilera's Back to Basics scores huge debut at number one; Lyfe Jennings, Trace Adkins, Cherish, Cheetah Girls and Obie Trice all open in Top 10

By David Jenison Aug 23, 2006 11:25 PMTags

Going Back to Basics has paid off for Christina Aguilera.

The former teen queen, whose last album, 2002's Stripped, was kept out of the top slot by Eminem's dominant 8 Mile soundtrack, fended off five other Top 10 debuts this time around to open atop the Billboard 200.

For the week ended Sunday, Back to Basics pummeled the competition, selling 342,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan, the best first-week numbers this year for a female artist. Back to Basics also opened at number one in the U.K., Canada, Australia, Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Ireland, among others.

The ex-Mouseketeer, whose new album puts modern twists on popular '20s and '30s sounds, landed a big radio hit with the Top 10 single "Ain't No Other Man." Since her number-one-selling 1999 self-titled debut, which scored three chart-topping tracks, Aguilera has only had one other solo single crack the Top 10, the Grammy-winning "Beautiful," which reached number two. She did top the charts, though, with the Moulin Rouge!-spawned hit "Lady Marmalade" (with Pink, Lil' Kim and Mya).

Though not a threat to Aguilera, Lyfe Jennings' The Phoenix sold more than 135,000 copies to take the two spot. The Buckeye State singer, whose disc did land atop Billboard's Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, is currently lighting up the airwaves with "S.E.X.," his most successful radio single since last year's Top 40 hit "Must Be Nice."

California-born country singer Trace Adkins checked in at number three on the Billboard 200 with his new album, Dangerous Man, selling nearly 115,000 copies. The disc also topped the Hot Country Albums list, per Billboard. Adkins first broke onto the country music scene 10 years ago with the rookie hit Dreamin' Out Loud.

Meanwhile, the R&B pop foursome Cherish sold 91,000 copies of Unappreciated to open at four, while the Disney Channel followed up the success of High School Musical with another soundtrack, The Cheetah Girls 2, debuting at five with 87,000 copies.

Eminem protégé Obie Trice landed the sixth and final Top 10 bow at eight, selling 74,000 copies of Second Round's on Me. The disc is predominantly produced by Eminem, who also appears on the track "There They Go."

With the slew of Top 10 bows, last week's chart champ, Rick Ross' Port of Miami, dropped down to seven on 79,000 copies. Rounding out the Top 10: Now That's What I Call Music! Vol. 22 at six, the Step Up soundtrack at nine and Nickelback's All the Right Reasons in the 10 spot.

Elsewhere, the soundtrack to Snakes on a Plane slithered in at 43. The collection includes the single "Snakes on a Plane (Bring It)," by Cobra Starship, a new group by Midtown singer Gabe Saporta. The single features guest appearances by Gym Class Heroes, Academy Is... and the Sounds' sexy singer Maja Ivarsson, who stole the show at last week's soundtrack release party at the Key Club in Hollywood. The disc also features a cut by Gnarls Barkley vocalist Cee-Lo.

Other noteworthy debuts included Cham's Ghetto Story at 53, Dave Navarro's new band the Panic Channel at 108 with (ONe), and Yanni's Live: The Concert Event at 124.

Here's a recap of last week's Top 10 albums:

1. Back to Basics, Christina Aguilera
2. The Phoenix, Lyfe Jennings
3. Dangerous Man, Trace Adkins
4. Unappreciated, Cherish
5. The Cheetah Girls 2 soundtrack, various
6. Now That's What I Call Music! Vol. 22, various
7. Port of Miami, Rick Ross
8. Second Round's on Me, Obie Trice
9. Step Up soundtrack, various
10. All the Right Reasons, Nickelback