New Kids Can't Block the Jeezy

Rapper's Recession tops album charts, selling more than 260,000 copies; NKOTB opens at No. 2; Terrence Howard surfaces at 31

Thanks to Young Jeezy, the New Kids on the Block have encounted a recession more frightening than the one claiming their hairlines.

The comeback-minded quintet was thwarted in its attempt to reclaim pop glory by Jeezy's The Recession. The latter made its way around the block to No. 1, selling more than 260,000 copies for the week ended Sunday, per Nielsen SoundScan.

Meanwhile, NKOTB sold 95,000 copies of The Block, the band's first new album in 14 years, to open at No. 2.

Born in South Carolina and raised in Georgia, Jeezy made his national debut just over three years ago as a member of Boyz N Da Hood, the so-called NWA of the South. The much hyped group managed a No. 5 bow with its debut in June 2005, but the following month, Jeezy's solo debut opened at No. 2. He then topped the charts a year later with The Inspiration: Thug Motivation 102.

As for NKOTB, they previously topped the charts with 1988's Hangin' Tough and 1990's Step by Step, but their star power had already faded by 1994 when Face the Music managed a career-low peak at No. 37. The group kicks off its reunion tour next week in Toronto.

While not enough to topple Jeezy, the Kids' tireless promotion of The Block did help bump their Greatest Hits album 24 spots to No. 30, with 15,000 copies.

A pair of Christian-music artists scored the week's other Top 10 bows: Sunshine State metalheads Underoath sold 56,000 copies of Lost in the Sound of Separation at No. 8, while Chris Tomlin sold a career-high 52,000 copies of Hello Love at No. 9

Other notable debuts included Day26 alumnus Donnie Klang at No. 19 with Just a Rolling Stone, Brian Wilson's That Lucky Old Sun at No. 21, Hollywood Undead's Swan Songs at No. 22 and Hustle & Flow/Iron Man star Terrence Howard at No. 31 with Shine Through It.

Meanwhile, on the Digital Tracks chart, Pink's "So What" overpowered T.I.'s "Whatever You Like" at No. 1, selling 197,000 copies to the rapper's 145,000. "So What" should enjoy even bigger sales in the week to come thanks to Pink's powerhouse performance at Sunday's MTV Video Music Awards.

Overall, album sales were down 6 percent from last week and 8 percent compared to the same week in 2007, when High School Musical 2 registered its fourth week at No. 1.

Metallica is set to release Death Magnetic on Friday, and though it only has the weekend to sell copies, expect the group's first album in five years to dominate next week's Billboard 200.

Here's a recap of the Top 10:

1. The Recession, Young Jeezy
2. The Block, New Kids on the Block
3. LAX, The Game
4. Rock N Roll Jesus, Kid Rock
5. All Hope Is Gone, Slipknot
6. A Little Bit Longer, Jonas Brothers
7. Mamma Mia! soundtrack, various
8. Lost in the Sound of Separation, Underoath
9. Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams, Solange
10. Tha Carter III, Lil Wayne