'Chi' tunes advance
Soundtrack reaches No. 2; Jones stays at top
Jumping ahead two spots from its debut at fourth place in the last session, the Epic Records disc managed a sales gain of nearly 11% to just under 92,000 units. Disc already has scanned nearly 176,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan data.
Staying put
But "Chicago" fell short of unseating the reigning chart champion, sultry singer Norah Jones. Her debut, "Come Away With Me" (Blue Note), enjoyed its third consecutive week at the top, despite a 2% sales decline to 112,000 discs.
Making a substantial jump in the latest frame was Lava Records' Kid Rock, whose latest effort, "Cocky," jumped eight spots to No. 7 on a 22% sales gain. The rocker got a boost from promos for his upcoming film appearance in "Biker Boyz," as well as a live perf with Sheryl Crow last week on NBC's "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno."
Also making substantial gains were gospel compilation "Worship Together: I Could Sing of Your Love," which rose 64 places to 39, and "Guess Who's Back" (Full Cup), from Eminem protege 50 Cent, which soared 29 spots to 43.
'Solo' going
The highest-placing debut of the session came from contemporary R&B songstress Solange. Her Columbia Records debut, "Solo Star," which features guest spots from N.O.R.E., B2K and Lil' Romeo, bowed at 49 with just under 19,000 copies sold.
Further down, a pair of easy-listening titans made a modest splash on this week's chart: "Romantic Melodies" (American) from Nebraska's Mannheim Steamroller opened at 72, while "Ultimate Yanni" (Windham Hill), from the Greek keyboardist of the same name, hit the ground at 74.
Next week, keep an eye out for Zwan -- the latest rock project from Smashing Pumpkins founder Billy Corgan -- which is likely to break well into the top 10.
