Fans Still "Care 4" Aaliyah

Aaliyah, your fans clearly miss you.

The late R&B singer's first posthumous release, I Care 4 U, led the week's top debuts on the album charts, checking in at number three. The new album features six previously unreleased songs--including the current single "Miss You"--along with Aaliyah's top radio hits and a DVD collection of music videos. For the week ended Sunday, I Care 4 U sold 280,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan numbers.

Aaliyah's previous album, a self-titled release out in July 2001, opened at number two with 186,000 in sales, but then quickly topped the charts following her fatal plane crash a month later.

As far as future Aaliyah releases, Missy Elliott is currently heading up a tribute album that will feature top artists finishing works-in-progress Aaliyah left behind.

Another female R&B star, Whitney Houston, can credit her tell-all interview with ABC's Diane Sawyer (watched by 24 million people) for helping her new Just Whitney debut with a career-best 205,000-copy first week. The album, which surfaced at number nine, is her first in a rocky few years. Between discs, Houston has been busted for pot, canned from the 2000 Oscar telecast, the victim of a $100 million dollar breach-of-contract claim by her father and forced to deal with hubby Bobby Brown's own scandalous behavior.

Antonio "L.A." Reid, president of Arista Records, says the sales are a vindication of sorts for Houston. "Whitney's core following of loyal fans have rallied behind her in a way that underscores a profound love affair with their favorite singer. Their support of Whitney has resulted in another crowning achievement in a career already filled with amazing accomplishments."

Outside from the notable R&B debuts, the upper echelon of the charts had a decided twang. Shania Twain held the top spot for a fourth straight week as Up! sold another 373,000 copies. Not bad for a singer who'd never hit number one before. With millions already sold in under a month, Twain's latest appears set on becoming her third 10 million seller in a row, which would be a new milestone for a female artist.

The Dixie Chicks, who reentered the Top 10 last week at nine, jumped all the way to number two as their repackaged Home sold a whopping 295,000 copies. The spike can be attributed to the group's NBC television special last week. And Tim McGraw's latest, Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors, hung around at number four.

B2K landed the final Top 10 debut, landing in the 10 spot with their second album, Pandemonium, selling 195,000 copies. B2K's lead single, "Bump, Bump, Bump," was produced by P. Diddy, who of course raps on the song, as well.

The rest of the Top 10 were familiar faces: the 8 Mile soundtrack at five, Avril Lavigne's Let Go at six, Now That's What I Call Music! 11 at seven, and current box-office champ Jennifer Lopez at eight with This Is Me...Then. Mariah Carey's Charmbracelet, which scored last week's top debut at three, dropped all the way to 14 in its second round.

Queens rapper Nas opened at 18 with 156,000 copies of his new double-disc, God's Son, which features a track produced by Eminem. Originally scheduled for a December 17 street date, God's Son was moved up four days giving the album only three days to register sales. Nas scored Top 10 bows with his previous two albums and number ones with the two before that.

Phish got the school back together for their latest, Round Room, which sold 65,000 copies for a number 46 open. The jam band's upcoming reunion tour is swiftly becoming one of the most coveted concert tickets in the country.

Hip-hop artists also made their mark on the charts, with Common's Electric Circus at 47, New No Limit's 504 Boyz at 49 with Ballers, and Swizz Beatz's Presents G.H.E.T.T.O. Stories at 50.

Here's a recap of the Top 10 albums for the week ended December 15:

1. Up!, Shania Twain
2. Home, Dixie Chicks
3. I Care 4 U, Aaliyah
4. Tim McGraw and the Dancehall Doctors, Tim McGraw
5. 8 Mile soundtrack, various
6. Let Go, Avril Lavigne
7. Now That's What I Call Music! 11, various
8. This Is Me...Then, Jennifer Lopez
9. Just Whitney, Whitney Houston
10. Pandemonium, B2K