‘American Life’ ebbing away

The vitality of “American Life” is in question, but there’s no doubt that the spotlight still shines on “American Idol.”

A week after it debuted at No. 1 on the U.S. album sales chart, Madonna’s “American Life” slid to No. 8. It sold just 91,000 copies in the last sales week, down from the 241,000 it registered during its its opening week, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The early performance does not compare well with her last studio album, “Music,” which sold 419,000 in its first week in stores in 2000.

The No. 1 album this week belongs to rapper 50 Cent, whose “Get Rich or Die Tryin’ ” has established the New York rhymer and Eminem protege as a new force in hip-hop. Still, “Get Rich” sold a modest 128,000 copies on the week, making it the strongest performer in an especially tepid week for music sales.

The effect of “American Idol” can be seen in the chart spots just below 50 Cent. “American Idol Season 2: All-Time Classic American Love Songs,” featuring finalists from the Fox network’s hugely popular talent show, debuts at No. 2, while the program’s first-season winner, singer Kelly Clarkson, holds the No. 3 spot with her debut album, “Thankful.”

The soundtrack from “The Lizzy McGuire Movie,” which opened in theaters last weekend, jumped nine spots to finish at No. 9, ahead of Kelly Price’s “Priceless,” which was this week’s second-highest debut and finished at No. 10.

-- Geoff Boucher