Originally posted by Aliens & Rainbows

Karma is a bitch, M.I.A.

Originally posted by Aliens & Rainbows

Karma is a bitch, M.I.A.

Originally posted by Billboard.com

Eminem's "Recovery" album hangs in at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 for a fourth consecutive week, selling 195,000 (down 15%) according to Nielsen SoundScan. It's the first set to notch four straight frames at No. 1 since Susan Boyle's "I Dreamed a Dream" spent six consecutive weeks atop the tally, and the first by a solo male since Josh Groban's "Noel" did so for five weeks in December 2007.

No doubt "Recovery's" continued success is aided by its hit single "Love The Way You Lie" (featuring Rihanna), which holds at No. 1 on Digital Songs with 352,000 sold this week (up 12%).

This week's highest debut on the Billboard 200 albums chart -- and first of six entries in the top 10 -- comes from Korn's "Korn III - Remember Who You Are" as it starts at No. 2 with 63,000. It's the rock band's tenth top 10 album out of 12 entries. Only its 1995 self-titled debut and 2006's "Live & Rare" missed the region, peaking at Nos. 72 and 51, respectively. "Korn III" is the act's first effort on Roadrunner Records, after three albums with Virgin/Capitol. Its last album, 2007's "Untitled," debuted and peaked at No. 2 with 123,000 sold in its first week.

Newsboys notches its best showing ever on the Billboard 200 as its "Born Again" album bows at No. 4 with 45,000 -- the act's highest sales week since SoundScan began tracking data in 1991. The set is the first from the quartet to feature dc Talk's Michael Tait as its lead vocalist, who steps in for Peter Furler. Newsboys have been charting on the Billboard 200 since 1996, when "Take Me to Your Leader" debuted and peaked at No. 35, but, the act has never risen higher than No. 28 with "In the Hands of Good" in 2009. The new "Born Again" album also naturally debuts at No. 1 on Top Christian Albums -- the act's fourth No. 1 there.

Pop veteran Sting is no stranger to throwing the Billboard 200 curveballs in his career. His last album, 2009's No. 6 hit "If On a Winter's Night," was a seasonal effort featuring traditional music of the British Isles. And before that, in 2006, he reached No. 25 -- and No. 1 on our Classical chart -- with "Songs From the Labyrinth." Now Sting brings us "Symphonicities," an album's worth of Sting and Police songs classically reinvented by noted composers and performed with the Royal Philharmonic Concert Orchestra. The set debuts at No. 6 with 36,000 and marks Sting's tenth solo top 10 album.

Country newcomer Jerrod Niemann climbs onto the Billboard 200 at No. 7 with "Judge Jerrod & the Hung Jury," selling 34,000 in its opening week. He's currently riding high on our Hot Country Songs chart at No. 3 with "Lover, Lover" -- his first top 10 hit. The album was sale tagged for less than $7 at both Best Buy and Wal-Mart and carries a list price of just $9.99. On Top Country Albums the set enters at No. 1 -- pushing Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" aside after a 24-week run at the top.

Rock super group Hellyeah sees its second album "Stampede" charge in at No. 8 with 28,000. Its self-titled debut opened at No. 9 in 2007 with 45,000. The act consists of Chad Gray and Greg Tribbett (both of Mudvayne), Vinnie Paul (Pantera), Tom Maxwell (Knives Out! and Nothingface) and Bob Zilla (Damageplan).

The final arrival in the top 10 this comes from M.I.A.'s "Maya," starting at No. 9 with 28,000. It easily surpasses the No. 18 debut and peak of her last set, 2007's "Kala," though it started with a shade more: 29,000.

As for the rest of the top 10, Drake's "Thank Me Later" slips a spot to No. 3 (50,000; down 32%), Justin Bieber's "My World 2.0" holds at No. 5 (41,000; down 5%) and the soundtrack to "The Twilight Saga: Eclipse" drops six rungs to No. 10 (28,000; down 37%).

Overall album sales in this past chart week (ending July 18) totaled 5.21 million units, down less than 1% compared to the sum last week (5.23 million) and down 23% compared to the comparable sales week of 2009 (6.78 million). Year to date album sales stand at 164.4 million, down 12% compared to the same total at this point last year (186.9 million).

Originally posted by MusicTalker

TOP TEN ALBUM SALES *According to Billboard
(1)1. Eminem - Recovery 195.000 4 weeks
(-)2. Korn - Korn III - Remember Who You Are 63.000 1 week
(2)3. Drake - Thank Me Later 50.000 5 weeks
(-)4. Newsboys - Born Again 45.000 1 week
(5)5. Justin Bieber - My World 2.0 41.000 17 weeks
(-)6. Sting - Symphonicities 36.000 1 week
(-)7. Jerrod Niemann - Judge Jerrod & the Hung Jury 34.000 1 week
(-)8. Hellyeah - Stampede 28.000 1 week
(-)9. M.I.A. - /\/\ /\ Y /\ 28.000 1 week
(4)10. Various Artists - The Twilight Saga: Eclipse Soundtrack 28.000 6 weeks

Originally posted by Haus_of_Nicole

Wow HDD was way off on some of these...

Originally posted by MusicTalker

Most of the sales are similar. They were very off on the Newsboys album though. They said it sold 25K while BB is reporting it sold almost twice as much.

Originally posted by Haus_of_Nicole

Well they had MIA outside the top 10...

Originally posted by Rico Shameless v2

HDD always has some way-off mess each week, nothing new. Realizing that is worse than people finding it necessary to repeat how sales are so low despite them being this way for 4 years now.

Originally posted by Haus_of_Nicole

Sorry but this sentence is poorly structured; I can't tell if it's aimed at me or what point you're trying to make.

Originally posted by Haus_of_Nicole

Sorry but this sentence is poorly structured; I can't tell if it's aimed at me or what point you're trying to make.

Originally posted by Rico Shameless v2

It was just a general statement.

Originally posted by Haus_of_Nicole

But I'm still interested in knowing what you were saying...that HDD always messes up?