Just in time for April Fools' Day, Miley Cyrus has been punk'd.
Her Hannah Montana movie soundtrack was beaten out for chart bragging rights by the umpteenth Now! compilation. Now That's What I Call Music! 30 sold 146,000 copies to Hannah Montana: The Movie's 139,000 in a 1-2 finish, per Nielsen SoundScan stats.
While disappointing soundtrack sales could be a bad omen for the film's April 10 open, the disc does have one bright spot. The single "The Climb" recently peaked at No. 6 on the Hot 100, giving Cyrus a new career high.
All told, there were a dozen Top 20 debuts this week, a new record. Following the two big bows, hit songwriter and Timbaland protégé Keri Hilson sold 94,000 copies of In a Perfect World… at No. 4. The Peach State songbird previously penned such tunes as Britney Spears' "Gimme More" and Usher's "Love in This Club, Part II."
The week's other Top 10 debuts include Papa Roach's Metamorphosis (44,000 at No. 8), Harlem rapper Jim Jones' Pray IV Reign (43,000 at No. 9) and Martina McBride's Shine (41,000 at No. 10).
Also registering big bows were Mastodon's Crack the Skye at No. 11, Blue October's Approaching Normal at No. 13, Slim Thug's Boss of All Bosses at No. 15, Big & Rich's John Rich's Son of a Preacher Man at No. 16, Eric Church's Carolina at No. 17 and Yanni's first new studio album in six years, Yanni Voices, at No. 20.
Pearl Jam's reissue of Ten, which would have debuted at No. 5 if a new release, sold 60,000 copies to top the Catalog chart.
Fortunately for retailers, sales should remain brisk next week thanks to another slate of big releases by artists like Flo Rida, Keith Urban, Prince, Bow Wow, UGK and Diana Krall.
Weekly sales were up 10 percent over last, but still down 12 percent compared to the same time last year, when Danity Kane's Welcome to the Dollhouse topped the charts.
Here's a recap of the Top 10 albums for the week ended Sunday:
1. Now That's What I Call Music! 30, various
2. Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack, various
3. Twilight soundtrack, various
4. In a Perfect World…, Keri Hilson
5. All I Ever Wanted, Kelly Clarkson
6. No Line on the Horizon, U2
7. The Fame, Lady Gaga
8. Metamorphosis, Papa Roach
9. Pray IV Reign, Jim Jones
10. Shine, Martina McBride