‘Dying’ boosts Tim McGraw’s popularity

Country singer Tim McGraw’s “Live Like You Were Dying” easily captured the top spot on the nation’s album sales chart by selling 766,000 copies in its first week in the stores, the year’s third-highest opening week total, Nielsen SoundScan reported Wednesday.

McGraw, husband of country star Faith Hill and son of the late baseball pitcher Tug McGraw, previously entered the charts at No. 1 when “A Place in the Sun” sold 252,000 copies in its first week in 1999.

His last studio collection, “Tim McGraw & the Dancehall Doctors,” sold 602,000 copies during its first week in 2002, but Shania Twain’s “Up!” sold 626,000 copies the same week to top that chart.

“Live Like ... “ was one of four new releases that debuted in the Top 5 on Wednesday. The others: R. Kelly’s double album “Happy People!/U Saved Me,” which finished No. 2 after selling 403,000 copies last week; Young Buck’s “Straight Outta Cashville,” which was third with sales of 261,000, and Mase’s “Welcome Back,” fourth with 188,000.

The year’s first-week high: Usher’s “Confessions,” with 1.1 million in March.

To make room for the newcomers, these artists dropped from the Top 10: Avril Lavigne (No. 9 to No. 13), the rap trio 213 (No. 4 to No. 15), Ryan Cabrera (No. 8 to No. 17) and rapper Shyne (No. 7 to No. 19).