Unlike the ship, Titanic the soundtrack just keeps getting stronger. For the sixth straight week the largely instrumental record reigns as the country's best-selling record, and continues to amaze the industry with its eye-popping sales totals. For the week ending February 15, the record posted its best numbers yet, selling an astounding 848,000 copies, according to SoundScan. How big of a week was that? Since SoundScan began tabulating sales with computer barcodes in 1991, that's the fifth best week ever, surpassing the 803,000 copies Snoop Doggy Dogg's Doggy Style sold back in 1993. What's also unprecedented is that the album has been in stores ten weeks yet continues to gain in commercial clout. In fact, sales this week over last shot up nearly 50 percent. By comparison, in just its second week in stores sales for Pearl Jam's new Yield fell by almost 50 percent.
The other news in the top ten was the strong rebound of Garth Brooks' Sevens, the former No. 1, which had fallen steeply in recent weeks, jumping from No. 24 to No. 4, thanks to an hour-long appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show. Also, R & B duo K-Ci & Jo Jo, riding the wave of their crossover single "All My Life" crack the top ten for the first time.
From the top it was Titanic followed by Celine Dion's Let's Talk About Love (339,000 copies sold); Pearl Jam's Yield (185,000); Garth Brooks' Sevens (125,000); The Spice Girls Spice World (120,000); Savage Garden (115,000); Usher's My Way (114,000); Backstreet Boys (108,000); Matchbox 20's Yourself Or Someone Like You (104,000); K-Ci & Jo Jo's Love Always (84,000).
Overall, the week was a strong one for music sales, thanks in part to the Valentine's Day holiday, which has emerged in recent years as one of the best for music retailers with sweethearts scooping up albums for their dates. As for Titanic, another boost came in the form of a record-setting 14 Oscar nominations the film received. The movie's single "My Heart Will Go On" by Celine Dion is certainly the favorite to win an Oscar this spring. In fact, during its first week the single was available commercially, "My Heart Will Go On" sold 360,000 copies, easily debuting at No. 1, bumping out Usher's "Nice & Slow."
ERIC BOEHLERT