Linkin Park Shatters Sales Record with "Minutes to Midnight"

Linkin Park, riding a wave of mostly positive reviews, burst out with their new CD "Minutes to Midnight," moving 625,000 copies in its first week of release, according to Hits Daily Double. The massive sales numbers overshadow the 418,000 first week of Norah Jone's "Not Too Late," which had previously set the mark as the year's biggest debut.

With more reliance on Chester Benington's vocals and less on Mike Shinoda and strong guitar riffs, "Minutes to Midnight" marks a departure from the rap-metal hybrid that Linkin Park is known for. The change has been met with approval from rock critics, but mixed reviews from fans.

Bowing in at #2 with 105,000 in sales is Tank's "Sex, Love & Pain," according to Hits Daily Double. Other notable debuts are Wilco in at #4, country superstar Gretchen Wilson's #5 debut and "United Abomination" by rock veterans Megadeath.

Rounding out the top ten in sales this week are last week's #1 record, Michael Buble's "Call Me Irresponsible." With 55,000 in sales, Avril Lavigne clocks in at #6. Ne-Yo drops from #4 to #7 with "Because of You," while American Idol veteran Chris Daughtry sits at the #9 position. Last week's #2 debut by Bone Thugs-N-Harmony drops all the way to #10.

Other debuts this week include Rufus Wainwright's "Release the Stars," John Mayer's :The Village Sessions EP" and the sountrack for "Shrek the Third," with 14,000 units moved .

Heavy buzz for Amy Winehouse pushes her decut CD to #12, and Fall Out Boy hangs in with a nine spot jump, from #43 to #34. The top independent album in the country, Elliott Yamin's self-titled debut, hits #18 after an appearance on American Idol. Yamin's fellow Idol Alumnus Carrie Underwood hovers at #11 with her multiplatinum debut "Some Hearts", according to Hits Daily Double's sales chart.

Next week's album chart will provide drama with the long awaited sophomore CD from Maroon 5, "It Won't Be Soon Before Long" fighting with "Minutes to Midnight" for the top spot. Maroon 5's first single from the new CD "Makes Me Wonder," has been parked at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart for six weeks, and the band has made several high profile appearances, including a guest spot on Saturday Night Live. Look for "It Won't Be Soon Before Long" to become the second CD in as many weeks to break the 500,000 sales mark in its debut week.

Source: Hits Daily Double- "Linkin Parks at the Top With 625k" (http://hitsdailydouble.com/news/newsPage.cgi)