Despite Slide, ‘N Sync Stays Firmly on Top

How big was the debut of ‘N Sync’s “No Strings Attached”? Well, in its second week on the charts the album didn’t reach even a third of its previous sales total and still had enough to blow everyone else away.

The third album from the Florida teen pop group sold 811,000 copies on the week, a great total by mortal standards but a far cry from its record-breaking tally of 2.4 million copies a week earlier.

Santana’s “Supernatural” was a distant second, selling 212,000 on the week, and is now closing in on 8.5 million in total sales since its release last June. Santana will be at the Shrine Auditorium on Monday to perform at the Arista Records 25th anniversary concert, and you can expect another “Supernatural” sales bump when the gala airs May 15 on NBC.

The top debut of the week belonged to “Romeo Must Die: The Album,” a soundtrack that collects new songs by an array of R&B; and hip-hop stars, including Destiny’s Child, Ginuwine, Timbaland and Mack 10. It also features four tracks from Aaliyah, who co-stars with martial arts star Jet Li in the crime film. The soundtrack sold 203,000 to enter at No. 3 on the chart, and will likely get extra sales fuel from the tie-in film, which is closing in on $40 million after two weeks at the box office and appears primed to be one of the spring’s top performers.

The No. 4 spot belongs to Sisqo and his “Enter the Dragon,” which enjoyed a slight sales surge that helped it climb up one notch from the previous week. The disc sold 160,000 copies this time (up from 158,000) and is closing in on 2 million.

Debuting at No. 5 is Drag-On with “The Opposite of H20,” the latest entry from a member of the Ruff Ryders rap ensemble. Right behind it is an N.W.A reunion of sorts as Los Angeles rap veterans Dr. Dre and Ice Cube claim spots No. 6 and No. 7, respectively. “Dr. Dre 2001” sold 120,000 copies on the week while Cube’s “War & Peace Vol. 2 (The Peace Disc)” sold 108,000. That’s a lot better news for Dre than Cube: Dre’s disc has been holding strong in the Top 10 since its November release while Cube’s album, in its second week in stores, is sliding after debuting at No. 3.

Other notable arrivals on the chart include acclaimed rapper Common’s new “Like Water for Chocolate” at No. 16 (72,000 sold) and country singer Trisha Yearwood’s “Real Live Woman” at No. 27 (53,000).

On the singles chart, Santana’s duet with Wyclef Jean, “Maria Maria,” remains No. 1.