Ne-Yo on top of uncommon combination
WHAT do Ne-Yo, Michael Buble and Rush have in common? Absolutely nothing. But there they all are this week, premiering in the top three spots of the new Nielsen SoundScan chart of the bestselling albums in the nation.
Ne-Yo is No. 1 with “Because of You,” which sold 251,000 copies and features the hit title track. It’s the second album by the singer born 24 years ago as Shaffer Chimere Smith.
Jazz-pop singer Buble is at No. 2 with “Call Me Irresponsible,” which sold 212,000 copies. On it, the crooner interprets songwriters as varied as Johnny Mercer (“Dream”), Leonard Cohen (“I’m Your Man”) and Eric Clapton (“Wonderful Tonight”).
Buble is followed by some fellow Canadians: prog-metal band Rush. “Snakes & Arrows,” the group’s first studio album in five years, sold 93,000 copies. A staggering thought: Next year will mark the band’s 40th anniversary. The trio of Geddy Lee, Alex Lifeson and Neil Peart launch a tour on June 13 in Atlanta that includes a July 23 Hollywood Bowl date.
Singer-songwriter Tori Amos enters at No. 5 with “American Doll Posse,” on first-week sales of 54,000, followed by country singer Miranda Lambert at No. 6 with one of the funnier album titles of the year: “Crazy Ex-Girlfriend.” The young singer performs Friday on “The Tonight Show With Jay Leno” and, according to her blog, she’s mad for NASCAR and spent Easter on a turkey-hunting trip.
Lambert’s romantic interest of late, singer Blake Shelton, joins her in the Top 10 with his fourth album, “Pure BS,” entering at No. 8 with sales of 48,000.
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