RCA Music Group Artists Dominate The Top Ten In The First Weeks Of The New Year

NEW YORK, NY (RCA Music Group) - After ruling the Top Ten throughout the 2005 holiday season, recordings from the RCA Music Group artists continue to dominate the uppermost reaches of the Billboard SoundScan chart in first month of the New Year.

This week's Top 200 chart finds RCA Music Group recording artists occupying four of the Top Ten slots. Jamie Foxx makes a triumphant return to No 1 for the second consecutive week, with sales of 131,482 exceeding those of Mary J. Blige - ironically, one of Jamie's guest stars on "Unpredictable," his J Records debut. Foxx takes the No 1 spot on the first Top 200 chart for 2006. The Strokes debut at No 4 with their hotly anticipated third album "First Impressions of Earth" (RCA). Carrie Underwood's "Some Hearts" (19/Arista) holds at No 5 while Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway" (RCA), thirteen months after its initial release, bounces back to No 8.

The RCA Music Group's hot streak began during the week before Christmas 2005 as "American Idol" graduates placed three albums in the Top Ten. Carrie Underwood moved from No 5 to No 2 with her now double platinum "Some Hearts" (released 11/15/05); Kelly Clarkson rose to No 8 with her 5X platinum RCA album "Breakaway" (released 11/30/04), and Bo Bice entered the chart at No 4 with his RCA debut "The Real Thing" (released 12/13/05).

Christmas week, RCA Music Group duplicated this feat with three albums in the Top Ten including the No 2 entry of Foxx's "Unpredictable," Kelly Clarkson at No 10 and Carrie Underwood at No 5. During that week, RCA Music Group had a 9.3 market share on Current Albums - more than any other label.

The subsequent week ending of 1/1, Jamie Foxx moved up the chart landing in the No 1 position on the Top 200 chart. Meanwhile, Carrie Underwood held steady at No 5 and Kelly Clarkson closed out the Top Ten at No 10.