Tony Bennett Becomes Oldest Living Artist to Top Billboard 200


By Keith Caulfield (@keith_caulfield), Los Angeles | 11:00 AM, September 28

http://www.billboard.biz/bbbiz/indus...05373242.story

Legendary pop singer Tony Bennett not only achieves his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 with "Duets II," but the 85-year-old also becomes the oldest living artist at No. 1. His all-star collaborations album bows in the top slot with 179,000 sold in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The 14-time Grammy Award winner's previous high on the chart came in 2006, when his first "Duets" set debuted and peaked at No. 3 with 202,000. Bennett has been charting on Billboard's charts since 1951 and notched his first hit on the Billboard 200 six years later. Until today, the oldest living artist to top the Billboard 200 was Bob Dylan, whose "Together Through Life" debuted at No. 1 in 2009 when he was 67 years old.

Bennett's "Duets II" features 17 pairings with such stars as Lady Gaga, Mariah Carey, Carrie Underwood and the late Amy Winehouse. Last week, Bennett made news as the oldest living artist to chart on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, when his duet with Winehouse, "Body and Soul," debuted at No. 87.

Last week's No. 1 album, Lady Antebellum's "Own the Night," falls to No. 2 with 125,000 (down 64%) while Adele's "21" also drops a spot to No. 3 with 117,000 (down 2%). Lil Wayne's "Tha Carter IV" descends 3-5 in its fourth week with 84,000 (down 28%).

Tony breaking another record!