Keys Locks Out P. Diddy

Wed., Jul. 18, 2001 4:15 PM PDT by David Jenison

Thanks to Alicia Keys, P. Diddy doesn't know diddly about being number one.

After falling to number two on last week's album charts, Keys returned to the top of the pops this week against the formidable likes of P. Diddy & the Bad Boy Family. Arguably 2001's top success story to date, Keys' Songs in A Minor bested the Family by about 36,000 copies, according to SoundScan data, selling 222,000 copies for the week ending Sunday.

Sean "if the boy's a hit, you must acquit" Combs, who goes by P. Diddy instead of Puff Daddy these days, had to settle for also-ran status. P. Diddy and the Bad Boy Family...The Saga Continues, the rap mogul's first album since being acquitted on gun and bribery charges earlier this year, sold 186,000 copies.

"It feels great to be back in the game and doing it well," says Combs in a press release. "The Saga's immediate success is even more special for me, because it wasn't an album I had planned to do...The result is music that makes people dance and its success speaks for itself."

Puffy doesn't have a great track record when it comes to facing off against female artists. It was Christina Aguilera who held Combs' disappointing Forever to the two spot when it debuted in 1999. The album quickly faded from the charts.

The week's only other top 10 bow belonged to blues rocker Melissa Etheridge, whose latest, Skin, opened at number nine. The heartfelt album is her first since she ended her 12-year relationship with partner Julie Cypher.

The balance of the top 10 are familiar faces: D12's Devil's Night at three, Staind's Break the Cycle at four, Destiny's Child's Survivor at five, Jagged Edge's Jagged Little Thrill at six, Blink 182's Take Off Your Pants & Jacket at seven and Lil' Romeo's eponymous debut at eight. And rap-rockers Linkin Park climbed in at 10 with Hybrid Theory.

Other notable debuts included boy band Dream Street at number 45 with their self-titled debut, West Coast rappers Tha Liks (who once featured Sugar Ray's DJ Homicide on the vinyl) at 47 with X.O. Experience, and alternarockers Built to Spill at 94 with Ancient Melodies of the Future.

Pop singer Krystal--who opened for the Backstreet Boys on their now-postponed tour--opened at 86 with Me & My Piano. The 19-year-old Indiana native was discovered by BSB's Kevin Richardson and signed to the Boys' own record label, KBNHA. Her debut album has benefited from play on Radio Disney--but has virtually been ignored by Top 40 stations.

Next week, watch for major new chart action from the likes of Aaliyah, Kurupt, Foxy Brown and U.K. import Craig David.