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 Former "Britain's Got Talent" contestant Susan Boyle topped this week's Billboard 200, but Rihanna and Lady Gaga's new releases made their impact on the top tier, as well other Birdman and other indie releases.
Boyle locked down the top spot, while "American Idol" runner-up Adam Lambert landed at no. 3. But it was Rihanna's new release that nabbed the no. 4 spot.
Rihanna's fourth album, Rated R, chimed in at no. 4 in its first week, selling 181,000 copies, her best sales week to date. Her previous best came when her third album, Good Girl Gone Bad, started with 162,000 at no. 2 in 2007.
Right behind RiRi is the new eight-song quasi-EP The Fame Monster from Lady Gaga, nailing down the no. 5 spot with 174,000 copies sold. With the publicity she's received, her debut album The Fame jupmed from no. 34 to no. 6 selling 151,000 copies.
Norah Jones' The Fall fell to no. 10 this week, selling 110,000 copies this week.
Later down the line is the soundtrack to Michael Jackon's "This Is It," landing at no. 11 with 108,000.
That does it for the top 20.
Other new releases this week includes a new solo record from Birdman called Pricele$$. The album landed at no. 29, selling 36,000; while his labelmate Jay Sean landed at no. 33 with his debut All or Nothing, selling 31,000.
Much later, Damon Dash's new artist BlakRoc debuts at no. 125 with his self-titled album which sold 7,500.
At no. 148, Pittsburgh rapper Wiz Khalifa sold 5,900 copies of his new indie project, Deal Or No Deal.
Accordig to Billboard.com, overall album sales in this past chart week (ending Nov. 29) totaled 10.73 million units, up 34% compared to the sum last week (7.99 million) and down 12% compared to the Thanksgiving sales week of 2008 (12.21 million).
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