Billboard Top 200

8/29/07

The soundtrack to Disney's "High School Musical 2" remains atop The Billboard 200 for a second week. The set moved 367,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The sales decrease is the smallest second-week slump for an album that started with 500,000 or more since Kenny Chesney's "When the Sun Goes Down" declined by only 36% in February 2004.

Miley Cyrus' Disney double-disc set "Hannah Montana 2 (Soundtrack)/Meet Miley Cyrus" slips 2-3 with 58,000, a 30% drop in sales. Another soundtrack, New Line's "Hairspray," climbs 5-4 despite a 17% sales hit with 53,000, while the "NOW 25" hits compilation flip-flops with it, 4-5, with 52,000 (-20%). Fueled by the popularity of the current single "Big Girls Don't Cry," Fergie's "The Dutchess" (will.i.am/A&M/Interscope) continues its rebound 7-6 with 50,000 (-5%).

Eclectic Interscope artist M.I.A. arrives at No. 18 with her sophomore album, "Kala," which moved 29,000. It's the follow-up to 2005's "Arular," which reached No. 3 on the Top Electronic Albums chart and No. 14 on Heatseekers.

Other big debuts this week include Cartel's self-titled Epic album, which was written, recorded and produced inside of a bubble for MTV reality show "Band in a Bubble." The album bows at No. 20 with 28,000. Also new: Rilo Kiley's "Under the Blacklight" (Warner Bros., No. 22, 27,000), Universal South artist Joe Nichols' "Real Things" (No. 23, 26,000), country veteran Travis Tritt's "The Storm" (Category 5, No. 28, 23,000) and indie rock act the New Pornographers' best charting effort yet, "Challengers" (Matador, No. 34, 20,000).