Tony Bennett Lands First #1 Album On The Top 200 With ‘Duets II’

Robbie Daw | September 28, 2011 10:51 am

Five years ago, Tony Bennett’s first Duets collection gave him a record high chart position (#3) on Billboard‘s Top 200. This past week, Duets II — which features pair-ups with the likes of Amy Winehouse (“Body And Soul”), Lady Gaga (“The Lady Is A Tramp”), Carrie Underwood (“It Had To Be You”) and Mariah Carey (“When Do The Bells Ring For Me”) — sold 179,000 copies, and it’s now landed the iconic, 85-year-old New York crooner his first #1 album in his 60-year career. Billboard notes that Bennett now beats the record Bob Dylan set in 2009 for being the oldest living artist to reach #1 on the Top 200. (Dylan’s Together Through Life debuted at at the top when he was 67.)

When we spoke to Tony about Duets II for our Fall Music Preview series, the legendary singer told us, “It’s similar, of course, to the first Duets, but there may be a bit more spontaneity in this record since its the second time that we are doing this type of project.”

Did you pick up a copy of Tony’s album? Let us know what your favorite duet from it is in the comments below!

The Top 10 Of Billboard‘s Top 200 Chart:

1. Tony Bennett, Duets II *new* *1 week* 2. Lady Antebellum, Own The Night 3. Adele, 21 4. Demi Lovato, Unbroken *new* 5. Lil Wayne, Tha Carter IV 6.NeedToBreathe, The Reckoning *new* 7. Mindless Behavior, #1 Girl *new* 8. Gavin DeGraw, Sweeter *new* 9. Jay-Z & Kanye West (The Throne), Watch The Throne 10. Pearl Jam, Pearl Jam Twenty *new*