TAYLOR LENGTHENS HER CHART STAY

Taylor Swift refuses to relinquish her hold on the HITS’ Album sales chart, and will spend a 10th week at #1 with Fearless, her sophomore album, according to one-day sales figures from those retailers who haven’t yet been downsized. In addition, the single, “Love Story,” is now #1 as well, thanks to a concerted radio effort by Universal Republic’s Monte Lipman and Joel Klaiman.

It’s the longest stint at the top of the charts since Carlos Santana’s multi-Grammy-winning Supernatural, which held the #1 spot for 12 weeks from 1999 through 2000. Ahh, those were the good old days.

There were no major releases this week, but we should see a Top 5 debut next week for the Gap Band’s Charlie Wilson, whose Jive/JLG bow should be in the 55-60k range.

The only other album of note coming out is U.K. punk poet maudit Morrissey’s bow for Luke Lewis’ Lost Highway label, Years of Refusal, produced by the late Jerry Finn, which appears to be en route to 25k in first-week sales.

The market was up 17% vs. last week, down 13% vs. the same week last year and still down 12% year to date.

Look at it this way. It's better than having a wild chimp bite off your face.