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HITS Daily Double
"It is so gratifying to see Norah Jones get her due at the top of the charts. But some of the biggest sales stories of the past year have been from women. Avril Lavigne is another great artist-development story."
——HMV’s Jeff Davidson

LADIES’ DAY

Norah, Avril Take Top Spots, Femme Musical Chicago ST Bows at #3
This week’s HITS Top 50 Album chart has an extra supply of estrogen.

It’s all about the girl power, as Blue Note’s sultry siren Norah Jones spends her third week at #1 with a 10% sales jump to 115k. The multi-Grammy nominee was followed by fellow (you should excuse the expression) Best New Artist nom Avril Lavigne, as the Arista teenage thrush sk8tes to #2 with 107k in sales on a whopping 35% increase. Hoofing in at a surprising #3 is Epic’s female-skewing Chicago soundtrack, which becomes the first significant debut of 2003.

HMV’s Jeff Davidson reprised his role in a recent summer-stock production of Tootsie to comment: "It is so gratifying to see Norah Jones get her due at the top of the charts. But some of the biggest sales stories of the past year have been from women. Avril Lavigne is another great artist-development story."

With Open Wide/Monument/Columbia’s Dixie Chicks (#4), Epic’s Jennifer Lopez (#5), Goldmind/Elektra’s Missy Elliott (#7) and RCA’s sultry diva Christina Aguilera (#8), you have a firm feminine hold on seven of the top eight slots (the exception being Shady/Interscope/UMG Sdtrx’s 8 Mile at #6). Indeed, if only Epic’s Good Charlotte (up an impressive 39% from 22-9 thanks to massive MTV exposure) and Fo’ Reel/Universal’s Nelly (#10) lived up to their names gender-wise, the Top 10 would be as gal-heavy as the cast of Joe Millionaire.

Added Davidson: "With the continued success of the Dixie Chicks and a left-field hit debut from the female-dominated Chicago soundtrack, it’s clear that women are the clear winners at the beginning of 2003. Now, will you excuse me while I apply my mascara?"

Other double-digit sales increases were registered by Lava/Atlantic’s Kid Rock (28-18, up 16%), Interscope’s Queens of the Stone Age (46-36, up 23%) and BNA’s Kenny Chesney (49-39, up 27%). Lava/Atlantic’s Simple Plan was the week’s second-highest newcomer behind Chicago at #35, also taking advantage of exposure on MTV and MTV2’s "Spankin’ New Bands" week. Notable chart jumps were made as well by Epic’s B2K (40-32) and WB’s Faith Hill (38-33).