Chart Watch: Ne-Yo, Maroon 5 Take the Top Spots

Ne-Yo has done it again. The R&B singer hit Number One with his sophomore studio album, Because of You, in its debut week on the Billboard Top 200. Ne-Yo sold only 39,000 more records than the Canadian Sinatra wannabe Michael Buble, whose Call Me Irresponsible landed in second. Four other debut records made the Top Ten this week. Most surprising was the comeback of arena rockers Rush (also Canadian). Their eighteenth studio album, Snakes and Arrows debuted at Number Three, dragging last week’s Number One album, Avril Lavigne’s (she’s Canadian too) The Best Damn Thing to Number Four. Piano siren Tori Amos’ new and spicey album American Doll Posse debut at Number Five, selling 54,000 copies followed by Miranda Lambert’s Crazy Ex-Girlfriend which debuted at Number Six. But America loves its American Idol. Both Idol finalist Chris Daughtry and Idol winner Carrie Underwood rounded out the Top Ten. Daughtry’s self-titled debut now in its 24th week on the chart clocked in at Number Seven, while Underwood’s Some Hearts, despite never hitting Number One, fell two spots since last week to land at Number Ten in its (gasp!) whopping 77th week on the Top 200. Blake Sheldon’s (who?) debut Pure BS came in at Number Eight and the 24th installment of the NOW! compilation landed at Number NIne.As for what’s spinning endlessly on the radio... Maroon 5’s first single “Makes Me Wonder” stayed in the Number One spot for a second week in a row on Billboard's Hot 100. Ne-Yo’s title-track “Because of You” climbed to the Number Two spot on the singles chart, thanks to high album sales. And T-Pain’s “Buy U A Drink” clocked in at the Number Three spot on the singles chart giving the Tallahassee rapper a reason to buy everyone a round. Avril Lavigne’s catchy single “Girlfriend” holds steady ground at Number Four, and right behind her was Timbaland’s “Give It to Me,” featuring Nelly Furtado and Justin Timberlake. Other pop stars with hot singles include Carrie Underwood (“I’ll Stand By You,” Number Six), Fergie featuring Ludacris (“Glamourous,” Number Seven), Akon (“Don’t Matter,” Number Eight), Bone-Thugs-N-Harmony (“I Tried,” Number Nine), and Gwen Stefani (“The Sweet Escape,” Number Ten).