‘Survivor’ From Destiny’s Child Opens at No. 1

Now “Survivor” is No. 1 not only on television but also on the nation’s album charts.

The new Destiny’s Child album, “Survivor,” has nothing to do with the ubiquitous television hit of the same name, but the disc by the Houston R&B; trio posted similarly gaudy numbers by selling 663,000 copies last week to debut at No. 1 on the music chart.

The splashy showing made for the second-best debut of the year, trailing only the Dave Matthews Band’s 773,000 for “Everyday.”

Fan appetite for “Survivor” has been stoked by the title single and another track from the album, “Independent Women Part I.” Intense media coverage of the group was amplified by lead singer Beyonce Knowles’ starring role in the MTV production “Hip Hopera: Carmen,” a reworking of the Bizet opera. Destiny’s Child is also set to headline a summer tour featuring Nelly, Eve and others.

The previous week’s bestseller, Janet Jackson’s “All for You,” slid down only one notch on the new chart, but it lost considerable steam. After selling 605,000 its first week, the second-week sales sagged to 305,000.

While Destiny’s Child copped the name “Survivor” for its album, the title may have been more fitting for the artist debuting at No. 5 this week--Stevie Nicks, the former Fleetwood Mac singer.

Her first solo album since 1994, “Trouble in Shangri-La” features guest turns from Macy Gray and Dixie Chick Natalie Maines, while Sheryl Crow is credited as a guitarist and co-producer on some tracks. Nicks has enjoyed considerable exposure on VH1 recently, which no doubt helped the album sell 109,000 copies its first week.

Other notable debuts this week include “Popstars” from Eden’s Crush (the female group formed on a WB network staged, unscripted show) at No. 6; Point of Grace’s “Free to Fly” at No. 20 and JT Money’s “Blood, Sweat & Years” at No. 48. On the singles chart, the No. 1 song for the second consecutive week is City High’s “What Would You Do.”