On the latest Billboard 200 albums chart, Wiz Khalifa’s Blacc Hollywood arrived at No. 1, giving the hip-hop star his first chart leader after two previous No. 2-peaking sets. Blacc Hollywood sold 90,000 copies in its first week (ending Aug. 24), according to Nielsen SoundScan. It was well ahead of the No. 2 title, the Guardians of the Galaxy soundtrack, which fell from the top slot.
Aloe Blacc & JC Chasez Talk Smokey Robinson’s ‘My Girl’ Remake
Of course, there was lots of chart action elsewhere on the chart. Let’s take a closer look:
– Smokey Robinson, Smokey & Friends – No. 12 – The R&B icon, whose legendary chart career stretches back nearly 55 years, earns his highest debut ever on the Billboard 200 with his new Smokey & Friends collection. The all-star collaborations album debuts at No. 12 with 14,000 sold and is also his highest-charting release since 1981, when Being With You climbed to No. 10 on the chart dated June 6, 1981. Smokey & Friends features Robinson duetting with the likes of Elton John, Steven Tyler and Mary J. Blige on a dozen of Robinson’s old hits.
Robinson first appeared on a Billboard chart back on Oct. 5, 1959, as part of the R&B group The Miracles. That week, their single “Bad Girl” debuted on the Billboard Hot 100, and peaked at No. 93. With The Miracles, Robinson enjoyed Hot 100 hits such as “Shop Around” (No. 2 in 1961), “I Second That Emotion” (No. 4 in 1967) and “The Tears of a Clown” (No. 1 in 1970).
– Kimbra, The Golden Echo – No. 43 – Kimbra, who broke through big time in 2012 with Gotye on his single “Somebody That I Used To Know,” returns with her second album, starting at No. 43 with 6,000 sold. Her first album, 2012’s Vows, debuted and peaked at No. 14 with a 22,000 start. Kimbra has yet to chart another single on a Billboard chart after “Somebody That I Used To Know,” which is the fourth-biggest selling digital song of all time (7.7 million downloads) and won her two Grammy Awards, including Record of the Year.
– Soundtrack, If I Stay – No. 54 — The multi-artist soundtrack, which features contributions from Beck, Sonic Youth and The Orwells, debuts with 5,000 sold. The movie, based on the book of the same name, was the No. 3 movie at the U.S. and Canada box office over the Aug. 22-24 weekend. It earned $15.7 million, according to Box Office Mojo.
– Various Artists, The Cocktail Hour – No. 95 – This Starbucks-exclusive compilation features artists like Eartha Kitt, Ray Charles and Serge Gainsbourg. It debuts with 3,000 sold. Also on board for the ride inside the CD’s package: cocktail recipes for drinks like the Singapore Sling and the Temporary Getaway (champagne and elderflower liqueur with orange juice, lemon juice and apple slices).
– Amy Grant, In Motion: The Remixes – No. 110 – The veteran pop singer arrives with her first dance remix album, In Motion: The Remixes, debuting with nearly 3,000 sold. The set features high-charting oldies from Grant like her No. 1 Billboard Hot 100 hit “Baby Baby” remixed by notable dance remixers and producers. “Baby Baby,” for example, is reworked by Dave Aude. Other remixers on the set include Moto Blanco, Tony Moran, Hex Hextor, Ralphi Rosario and Chris Cox. The album also debuts at No. 8 on Top Christian Albums and No. 5 on Dance/Electronic Albums, making it one of the few titles to reach the top 10 on both tallies.
