Groban’s ‘Closer’ hits the target

Josh Groban, a young Los Angeles singer with a taste for traditional pop, topped the nation’s album sales chart for the first time, Nielsen SoundScan reported Wednesday.

Groban’s “Closer” jumped from No. 11 to the No. 1 spot, based on a sales increase from 83,000 to 111,000. Billboard magazine suggested that the showing can be “largely attributed” to Groban’s being the centerpiece of a marketing campaign by Target stores.

The other CDs in the Top 5 this week are by, in order, Alicia Keys, OutKast, No Doubt and Toby Keith.

-- Robert Hilburn