Country trio Lady Antebellum are picking up right where they left off. The group's new album, Own the Night, will grab the #1 spot on the Billboard albums chart next week thanks to sales of 347,000, according to figures provided by Nielsen SoundScan. Their latest picks up where Lady A's last album, 2010's multiplatinum, Grammy-winning breakthrough Need You Now, left off.
That debut pushed last week's #1, Lil Wayne's Tha Carter IV, down to #3 in its third week on the charts, with sales falling 47 percent to 117,000 for a three-week total just north of 1.3 million. Holding tight once again at #2 was Adele's unstoppable 21, which pushed past the 3.5 million mark thanks to sales of another 119,000.
Among the debuts this week was a #4 bow for country singer Gilbert Brantley, whose Halfway to Heaven sold 51,000 copies; along with long-running rockers Staind, hitting #5 with a self-titled album (47,000); prog legends Dream Theater, whose Dramatic Turn of Events landed at #8 (36,000); and Devil Wears Prada with Dead Throne (#10, 32,000).
The rest of the top 10: Beatles, 1 (#6, 46,000); George Strait, Here for a Good Time (#7, 43,000); and Jay-Z and Kanye West, Watch the Throne (#9, 36,000).
Veteran rockers the Red Hot Chili Peppers slipped out of the top 10 in their third week on the charts with I'm With You, dropping six spots to #11 as sales fell 44 percent to 32,000, while Beyoncé's 4 shed 11 chart points to hit #20 (20,000). Further down the line, reunited band Primus returned to the charts at #15 with Green Naugahyde (#15, 24,000). Another re-formed act, Bush, was just behind at #18 with Sea of Memories (20,000), and indie darling St. Vincent came in at #19 with Strange Mercy (#19, 20, 000).
Lady A owned the night on the iTunes album chart as well, taking the #1 slot ahead of Adele, Wayne, pre-orders for Coldplay's upcoming Mylo Xyloto, the Beatles and Staind. Rounding out the tally were Gilbert at #7, then Jay and 'Ye, Ben Rector with Something Like This and Foster the People's Torches.
Maroon 5's late-summer surge continued as their hookup with Christina Aguilera, "Moves Like Jagger," stayed at #1 on the iTunes singles chart, followed by Adele's "Someone Like You," Foster the People's "Pumped up Kicks," Gym Class Heroes' "Stereo Hearts," Coldplay's "Paradise," Cobra Starship's "You Make Me Feel ... ," LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem," Rihanna's "Cheers (Drink to That)," Lady Gaga's "Yoü and I" and David Guetta's "Without You."
With a huge promotional push and appearances by Lady Gaga and the late Amy Winehouse, Tony Bennett's Duets II has a solid shot at the #1 spot next week, which will also bring on new albums from Demi Lovato, Gavin DeGraw, Needtobreathe and Rolling Stones singer Mick Jagger's new all-star group, SuperHeavy.