Neil Diamond has been singing for nearly half a century but
it is the newly released “Home Before Dark,” his 29th studio album, that has
catapulted the singer-songwriter to the top of the Billboard chart for the
first time in his career.
“Home Before Dark” debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200,
with the Columbia release finding its 146,000
brand new owners during first week US sales, per Nielsen SoundScan
statistics.
This is the 67-year-old’s biggest debut sales week since
SoundScan began tracking in 1991. He first appeared on Billboard’s charts in
1966 with “The Feel of Neil Diamond.” It’s been a good 35 years since Diamond
has come very close to No. 1, with his 1973 soundtrack to “Jonathan Livingston
Seagull,” which reached No. 2.
Looks like working with producer Rick Rubin on this new
album was a good decision. Their previous collaboration and also Diamond’s last
album, “12 Songs,” reached number four on the Billboard chart in 2005, with 93,000
copies.
Diamond embarks on a European tour later this month, with
gigs in Rotterdam, Munich
and Antwerp and June concerts scheduled in Glasgow, Manchester, Birmingham and London.
July through October he tours the US
and Canada.
Toby Keith’s two-disc set “35 Biggest Hits” bowed at No. 2,
selling 103,000 copies. Madonna’s “Hard Candy” slipped to No. 3, with 94,000
units, while American Idol alum Clay Aiken’s “On My Way Here” debuted at No. 4
with almost 94,000 sold.
Mariah Carey’s “E=MC2” also slipped, from No. 2 to No. 5, with 87,000 copies, while Leona Lewis’ “Spirit”
found itself lower on the chart, at No. 6, with 76,000.
Gavin DeGraw’s self-titled sophomore effort debuted at No. 7
with 66,000. Josh Groban’s concert CD/DVD “Awake Live” made its debut at No. 8
with sales of 58,000.
Country star Dierks Bentley’s “Greatest Hits: Every Mile a
Memory” opened at No. 9 with 43,000. His most recent studio album, “Long Trip
Home,” rose no higher than No. 5 in 2006.
Another debut is Luis Miguel’s “Complices,” which opened at
No. 10 with 32,000, marking the Latin singer’s highest charting album ever.
