Usher sets R&B; sales record

Usher ended Norah Jones’ six-week reign at the top of the nation’s album sales chart in dramatic fashion Wednesday, generating the most first-week sales by an R&B; artist since Nielsen SoundScan began monitoring chart action in 1991.

The singer’s “Confessions” sold 1.1 million copies last week, the most opening-week sales of any CD since ‘N Sync’s “Celebrity” sold 1.9 million copies in 2001.

The previous opening-week high by an R&B; artist was the 543,000 registered by R. Kelly’s “tp-2.com” in 2000. The overall first-week record of 2.4 million is held by ‘N Sync’s 2000 “No Strings Attached.”

Only 10 albums during the SoundScan era have topped the 1 million mark during their first week.

Jones’ “Feels Like Home” falls to No. 5 after holding on to the No. 1 spot since Feb. 18. “Home” sold 1.02 million during its first week. The album, which sold 121,000 copies last week, has now sold more than 2.3 million.

Besides Usher’s, four other new releases entered the Top 10 this week: the latest volume in the “Now That’s What I Call Music!” hit compilation series (No. 2, with sales of 343,000 last week), a Guns N’ Roses greatest-hits package (No. 3, 169,000 sales), Carl Thomas (No. 4, 139,000) and N.E.R.D. (No. 6, 119,000).

Janet Jackson’s “Damita Jo” was released Tuesday, and Geoff Mayfield, director of charts for Billboard magazine, said that early retail projections suggest it will sell around 400,000 copies in its first week.