Chicks Not Bushwhacked on Charts

The President might not be whistling Dixie, but at least the Chicks didn't get their gooses cooked.

With the release of the new album sales charts Wednesday, all eyes turned toward the Dixie Chicks' Home to see if anti-Bush comments would get the trio, um, bushwhacked.

The trouble started last week, when, during a London gig, lead singer Natalie Maines said she was "ashamed" that President Bush was from the group's native state of Texas. As radio stations announced they were banning the group, and some zealots decided to hold record-burnings, Maines issued an apology saying she just wanted to voice her antiwar concerns and didn't mean to disrespect the prez.

Music biz watchers have been waiting for the charts to see if the much-hyped backlash actually affected the Chicks' bottom line. It doesn't look like the band needs to worry too much.

Although radio airplay subsided about 20 percent, Home's sales remained strong relative to other current releases. Overall, the album finished the week ended Sunday by selling 124,000 copies, down 21,000 copies from the prior week, according to SoundScan data. However, when compared to the other top-selling albums, the Chicks fared pretty well. Home experienced about a 15 percent drop-off, while the top 5 holdovers from the previous week's charts averaged nearly a 26 percent decline.

With Home holding up better than its competition, the Grammy-winning disc actually climbed two spots to number four and remained number one on the country sales chart. (Of course, the fairly stable sales stats could be attributed to those fire-loving yokels stocking up on Home for the next burning.)

Furthermore, the Chicks' upcoming concert tour is sold-out across the country. Even the airplay drop could be explained away--the decline in spins could be consistent with the natural course of an album that's now a full 29-weeks-old.

Proving the scandal has legs, the South Carolina House on Wednesday passed a non-binding resolution suggesting the Dixie Chicks perform their tour opener, slated for Greenville, South Carolina, on May 1, for free, with proceeds going to South Carolina troops and their families.

No immediate comment from the band on the proposal.

Aside from clucking over the Chicks, the album charts featured a repeat by 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin' at number one. The disc continued its sales marathon, moving another 279,000 copies for a six-week tally of 3.3 million. Rap's newest superstar also announced tour dates this week, which will kick off April 1 in Denver.

The week's top debut belonged to post-punk rockers AFI, whose major label debut Sing the Sorrow sold 96,000 copies at number five. Previously signed to such indie labels as Nitro Records (owned by Dexter of the Offspring), the group transformed their pop-punk signature into a more alt-rock sound with help from legendary producer Butch Vig.

And Evanescence's Fallen remained strong in its second week, with a number-nine showing. The group opened at number seven last week, the highest opening ever for a brand new rock band. Evanescence's debut single, "Bring Me to Life," also reached number one on the modern rock charts, a feat not accomplished by a new female-fronted act since Tracy Bonham's 1996 single, "Mother, Mother."

Rapper Killer Mike's latest, Monster, also scored a Top 10 bow, selling 80,000 copies in the 10 hole.

Other notable debuts included Blackstreet's Level II opening at 14 Ben Harper's Diamonds on the Inside at 19, indie pioneer Ani DiFranco's Evolve at 30 and Everclear's Slow Motion Daydream at 33.

Here's a rundown of the Top 10 albums for the week ended March 16:

1. Get Rich or Die Tryin', 50 Cent
2. Come Away with Me, Norah Jones
3. Chocolate Factory, R. Kelly
4. Home, Dixie Chicks
5. Sing the Sorrow, AFI
6. Chicago soundtrack, various
7. Street Dreams, Fabolous
8. Cocky, Kid Rock
9. Fallen, Evanescence
10. Monster, Killer Mike