Susan Boyle Still Controls Album Chart, Rihanna Lands Fourth #1 Single This Year

Robbie Daw | November 24, 2010 11:12 am

Despite the fact that eight brand new albums crash the Top 10 of Billboard‘s Top 200 chart this week, there’s still no budging Susan Boyle’s The Gift from #1. In fact, the Scottish siren‘s sophomore LP actually sold 335,000 copies—a slight bump up in sales from last week. So where did Rihanna, Josh Groban, Nelly and the other artists who unleashed new releases land? Find out below. Boyle, a 2009 runner-up on Britain’s Got Talent, is followed on the new chart by 10-year-old 2010 America’s Got Talent runner-up Jackie Evancho. The Pittsburgh native’s O Holy Night EP goes in at #2 on sales of 239,000 copies.

At #3 is Loud (207,000), the fifth album from crimson-haired Barbadian beauty Rihanna. Meanwhile, over on the Hot 100, RiRi’s “Only Girl (In The World)” is set to climb to #1 on the new chart published tomorrow. As Billboard notes, this marks the first time in Hot 100 history that an album’s debut single reaches No. 1 after the second single does. (The Drake-assisted “What’s My Name” hit the top two weeks ago.)

“Only Girl (In The World)” is now Rihanna’s fourth chart-topping single in 2010, following “Rude Boy”, “Love The Way You Lie” and “What’s My Name”.

Aside from Susan Boyle, Taylor Swift’s Speak Now is the other leftover album from last week’s Top 10 that sticks around. Meanwhile, Nelly’s 5.0, which debuts at #10 (63,000), is the only LP in the upper tier of the chart to not sell over 100,000.

The Top 10 of Billboard’s Top 200 Albums:

1. Susan Boyle, The Gift *2 weeks* 2. Jackie Evancho, O Holy Night *new* 3. Rihanna, Loud *new* 4. Josh Groban, Illuminations *new* 5. Kid Rock, Born Free *new* 6. Rascal Flatts, Nothing Like This *new* 7. Keith Urban, Get Closer *new* 8. Glee Cast, Glee: The Music—The Christmas Album *new* 9. Taylor Swift, Speak Now 10. Nelly, 5.0 *new*