NASHVILLE, TN. (Schmidt Relations/ Lyric Street Records) - Rascal Flatts' highly anticipated third album, "Feels Like Today," made a stellar debut scanning an impressive 200,946 its first week in the marketplace.
Released on Tuesday,
September 28th, on Lyric Street Records, first-week sales catapulted "
Feels Like Today" into the No 1 position on Billboard's Top 200 Album Chart for all formats in addition to the No 1 position on the Top Country Albums Chart.
The trio - Jay DeMarcus, Gary Levox and Joe Don Rooney - is the 2nd of just two country groups to have an album simultaneously debut at No 1 on the country and Top 200 charts in the history of SoundScan as well as being the first recording artist on Lyric Street Records to do so.
"Feels Like Today" achieved an impressive million-plus units shipped on its first day in the marketplace, and holds the honor of being the 5th highest country sales debut of 2004.
In addition to the chart topping success of "Feels Like Today," Rascal Flatts' two previous albums, "Rascal Flatts," and "Melt," are platinum and double-platinum respectively. "Melt," released on October 29, 2002, debuted at No 1 on Billboard's Country Album Sales Chart and No 5 on the Top 200 Album Chart on the same day the super group took home their trophy as 2002's CMA Horizon winner. After 101 weeks on the Country Album Sales Chart, "Melt" album sales remain consistent - keeping the album in the Top 15.
"Melt," produced four hit singles - "These Days," which was a multi-week No 1 across the board at country radio, and Top-10 singles "Love You Out Loud" and "I Melt." "Mayberry," the fourth single from the album, was also another No 1 hit for the group.
Rascal Flatts is the reigning Country Music Association, Academy of Country Music and ASCAP Vocal Group of the Year. They've enjoyed one of the fastest and most spectacular rises in recent country music history. No other country group has obtained this kind of status so quickly or had their second album go double platinum since the Dixie Chicks.
Rascal Flatts is currently nominated as Vocal Group of the Year at the Radio Music Awards (Oct. 25 NBC), CMA Awards (Nov. 9 CBS) and American Music Awards (Nov. 14 ABC).
The first single from the album, the title track "Feels Like Today," is currently a Top 10 hit at country radio.
Lyric Street Records is a part of the Buena Vista Music Group. The Buena Vista Music Group is the recorded music and music-publishing arm of the Walt Disney Company.
