HOLLYWOOD (Variety) - The Backstreet Boys' "Millennium" was the top album
of the first half of 1999, according to statistics released Tuesday by the
Recording Industry Assn. of America.
The trade organization tallied the second album by the Jive Records quintet at 5
million units, which puts it halfway to matching the success of the ensemble's
self-titled debut.
RIAA, which certifies units shipped to retail but not yet sold through to
consumers, counted more than 361 albums as platinum (1 million units each) in the
first six months of 1999, down slightly from 1998's midyear total of 380. More
than 130 discs were certified multiplatinum, up from 112 during the first
six-months of 1998.
The Backstreet Boys were among several youthful, pop-oriented acts that
dominated the first half of the year.
Ricky Martin's C2/Columbia Records bow "Ricky Martin," which produced the
platinum single "Livin' La Vida Loca," and Britney Spears' Jive Records album
"...Baby One More Time" both topped 4 million units each. 'N-Snyc added 3 million
units to its self-titled RCA debut, pushing its total to 7 million.
The midyear's bestselling rap album was late singer 2Pac's double-album set
"Greatest Hits," which was certified at 5 million (21/2 million for each of the two
albums).
The Death Row/Interscope Records disc outpaced the 2 million units logged by
Eminem's Aftermath/Interscope bow "The Slim Shady LP" and DMX's Def Jam
disc "Flesh of My Flesh, Blood of My Blood."
TLC's LaFace/Arista disc "FanMail" was certified at 4 million units and has
become the year's top hip-hop collection.
Shania Twain's Mercury Nashville disc "Come on Over" added 4 million units to its
7 million-unit tally. The songstress is the first female artist to reach the 11
million-unit plateau with two solo albums. Twain is the industry's third-highest
seller behind fellow Canadian Alanis Morissette's Maverick Records debut
"Jagged Little Pill" (16 million) and Whitney Houston's eponymous Arista Records
debut (12 million).
By reaching the 6 million mark, the Dixie Chicks' Grammy-winning Monument disc
"Wide Open Spaces" was the top album by a duo or group in country music history.
Cher made a spectacular career comeback this year. Her Warner Bros. disc
"Believe" has topped 2 million units.
Top rock-oriented albums for the first half include Metallica's Elektra Records
double album "Garage Inc." and Offspring's Columbia disc "Americana," which
were each certified at 4 million.