FAME IS THE NAME OF THE GAME

Going into the second month of 2005, the biggest sales star so far is a newcomer. We’re talking about G-Unit/Aftermath/Interscope rapper The Game, whose debut album, The Documentary, returns to the #1 position on the HITS Top 50 after being unseated last week by Kenny Chesney’s Be As You Are (BNA). The Game shows his resilience by bouncing back with 193k in sales, off last week’s pace by 27% but still enough to take back the laurels. Chesney, meanwhile, drops 65% to 105k and settles at #4.

The biggest debut is Tina Turner’s All the Best (Capitol), which came on strong to finish #2 on 119k units, thanks to a week-of-release TV blitz involving a pair of Today appearances and an Oprah special, as well as the album’s availability at Starbucks locations nationwide in the second successful arrangement for the coffee chain; the first was for Ray Charles’ Genius Loves Company (Concord).

“Sometimes a two-CD price point can be too much for the consumer to swallow,” said Handleman’s Paul Ignasinski, wiping off the foam moustache from his half-caf latte. “But everything was in place for these records. Motley has the tour starting, and Tina had those TV appearances plus Starbucks, which on a title like this I view as just more marketing for the record overall.”

Another debut beating expectations was Motley Crue’s Red, White & Crue (Hip-O), which came in #6 on a robust 92k. Also bowing was the Grammy Nominations 2005 compilation (Capitol), which wound up in the #8 position on 76k.

Despite the lack of a blockbuster debut, sales are up slightly from the same week in 2004 (a rarity so far this year), thanks to sales increases throughout the chart. That includes five Top 10 entries: #3 Green Day (Reprise), +23%; #5 John Legend (Columbia) +64%; # Eminem (Shady/Interscope), +14%; #9 Usher (LaFace/ZLG), +28%; and #10 Lil’ Jon & the Eastside Boyz (TVT), +19%.

Very nice. But nicest of all by a country mile was Charles’ Ray! soundtrack (Atlantic/Rhino/WSM), which shot up (no pun intended) 143% following the DVD release of the film to finish at #14. Genius Loves Company also benefited, moving 29-18, while More Music From Ray! debuted at #42.

The big fun next week will be waiting for the following week’s chart and the hoped-for Grammy spikes.