西洋音樂告示牌

 

While the focus of this week's single chart may be the multiple entries of Kris Allen and Adam  Lambert, Eminem, the most controversial white rapper of all time, topped the album chart again - his 5th consecutive #1 album. Although the singles released are not as successful as his previous ones and have received no thumbs-up critics, he still managed to sell more than 608000 albums of his latest work "Relapse" in its first week, the biggest opening week since AC/DC's Black Ice last year (2008).

So, another number 1 album by Eminem, what's the difference? With estimated more than 31 million copies sold, he is the best selling artist since January 2000. Yes, that means he beats Mariah Carey, 'NSync, Britney Spears, Beyonce, Shania Twain, Rascal Flatts, etc. If you look at the top 20 best selling artist in the 1990s and in the 2000s, only 4 names are overlap: Alan Jackson, Beatles, Celine Dion, and Metallica. The top 2 selling artists in the 1990s, Garth Brooks and Mariah Carey, are (so far) not even in the top 20 of the same list of the 2000s. Keep in mind that the album sales has been declining at a roller coaster speed since the year 2000, give credit to Eminem's achievement and popularity.

Here's the run-down of the best selling artists since the first week of 2000:
#20.  Celine Dion
#19.  Kid Rock
#18.  Johnny Cash
#17.  Dixie Chicks
#16.  'NSync
#15.  Alan Jackson
#14.  Metallica
#13.  Rascal Flatts
#12.  Josh Groban (who he is? :P)
#11.  Nickelback
#10.  Jay-Z
#09.  Creed
#08.  Linkin Park
#07.  Nelly (what!?)
#06.  Kenny Chesney
#05.  Britney Spears (the youngest among the top 20)
#04.  Toby Keith
#03.  Tim McGraw
#02.  Beatles (surprised?)
#01.  The Slim Shady