Jay-Z vs. Beatles...Who Won?

Rapper's Blueprint 3 tops Billboard 200, while Beatles' catalog reissues continue to outsell all comers

By Gina Serpe Sep 16, 2009 2:38 PMTags
The Beatles, Jay ZApple Corps Ltd, Johnny Nunez/Getty Images

It's pretty clear who's running this town.

Proving that condemnation by Kanyegate association has nothing on Jay-Z's sales appeal, Beyoncé's boy dominated the Billboard album chart this week, with Blueprint 3 taking over the top spot with sales of 476,000.

It's Hova's 11th career No. 1: He has now scored more solo chart-toppers than any other artist, even Elvis Presley.

And all without being party to a rampant display of jackassery.

Jay-Z's chart-topping track record is second only to the Beatles, who've been tops a record book-shattering 19 times. And counting, if this week's sales are any indication.

Chart love for the Fab Four is alive and thriving thanks to their accountant-approved reissues (piggybacked with their hyped Rock Band game) selling a collective 626,000 copies to dominate the catalog chart.

The biggest seller of the week was Abbey Road, followed by Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band and The White Album.

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Check out the highlights and lowlights (as if you didn't know what those were) in our gallery of the 2009 MTV VMAs.