Lionel Richie’s ‘Tuskegee’ Becomes His First #1 Album On The Top 200 In 26 Years

Lionel Richie may owe the IRS a bundle of cash, but the versatile singer at least has the triumph of a chart-topping album to be thankful for this week. Tuskegee debuted on the Top 200 two weeks ago, behind Madonna‘s MDNA (which had some crying foul). After slipping to #4 last week, the country duets LP has risen to the top of the heap thanks to a boost from CBS’ special ACM Presents: Lionel Richie & Friends In Concert, which aired last Friday.

Tuskegee sold another 129,000 copies over the past week. The LP now gives Richie his third #1 as a solo artist, after 1983’s Can’t Slow Down and 1986’s Dancing On The Ceiling. And, really, you can’t mention “Dancing On The Ceiling” without humming the song, now can you?

Incidentally, Richie recorded a new version of “Dancing On The Ceiling” for Tuskegee with Rascal Flatts, whose own album Changed slips from #3 to #9 on the chart.

New entries in the Top 10 this week in the forms of Monica‘s seventh album New Life (#4, 69,000), Bonnie Raitt’s Slipstream (#6, 64,000) and Hoodie Allen’s independent EP All American (#10, 28,000).

The Top 10 Of Billboard’s Top 200 Chart

1. Lionel Richie, Tuskegee *1 week* 2. Adele, 21 3. Nicki Minaj, Pink Friday: Roman Reloaded 4. Monica, New Life *new* 5. One Direction, Up All Night 6. Bonnie Raitt, Slipstream *new* 7. Gotye, Making Mirrors 8. Alabama Shakes, Boys & Girls 9. Rascal Flatts, Changed 10. Hoodie Allen, All American *new*