The weekly Idol sales update:
Idol Chatter: American Idol News, Rumors & Information ? USATODAY.com
Idol sales: The full report
Jennifer has reason to be happy with the No. 2 Billboard chart debut of her self-titled first album. Its 217,000 units sold (by Nielsen SoundScan tally) would have been enough to hit No. 1 had the album come out on any of many different weeks this year, but then there's no guarantee it would have sold that many copies -- when it's an active sales week, as this one was (up 16% over the previous week, bolstered by 568,000 of No. 1 album Paper Trail by T.I.), the theory goes that all albums benefit by increased store and online traffic. According to her label, Jennifer's is the biggest debut by a new R&B artist since late 2004, when someone named Fantasia's first album, Free Yourself, was launched with 240,000 copies (and a No. 8 debut).
It also sold five times as many copies as Kellie's self-titled second album, but her 43,000 was enough to start at No. 9, same as the first album, which however sold 79,000 in its first week. The new one is the top-selling country album of the week (as was the first one), which, according to her label, makes her just the sixth artist to score No. 1 country debuts for a first and second album. (Carrie was the last country artist to do it.)
Speaking of Carrie, Carnival Ride drops 54-62 on a debut-laden chart but sold the same amount of albums as she did last week, 9,000 (actually, she was up by six copies), to total 2.36 million.
Daughtry drops 65-79 but is down just a bit (7%) to 7,000, for a total of 4.24 million.
And Jordin is up 114-109, selling 5,000, a 4% increase, for a total of 927,000.
What happened to Kristy Lee? Find out in the following non-charting Idols
supplement. (Nothing like taking all the suspense away, huh?)
Carrie's Some Hearts sold 5,400, up from 5,000, perhaps aided by news of her CMA hosting coronation.
Kristy Lee falls off the chart after two weeks from No. 153, selling 2,500 copies (3,200 was the sales floor for the top 200 this week), down from 4,000, for a three-week total of 16,000.
Bucky sold 1,800, up from 1,500, for a total of 370,000.
Kellie's first album sold 1,200, up from 1,000, no doubt boosted by the presence of the new album, for a total of 789,000.
Kelly's Breakaway stayed at 900, total 6.02 million. My December sold 400, up from 300, total 776,000, while Thankful stayed at 300, total 2.71 million.
Josh remained at 600, total 66,000.
Clay's On My Way Here stayed at 500, total 153,000. Measure of a Man stayed at 100 (2.78 million total), as did Thousand Different Ways (528,000 total).
Chris S. stayed at 300, total 12,000, in SoundScan totals.
Mandisa stayed at 300, total 97,000, in SoundScan totals.
Elliott stayd at 200, total 516,000.
Lots of 100 sellers, all of whom sold the same approximate amount the previous week:
Fantasia (517,000 total)
Katharine (373,000 total)
Blake (303,000 total)
Bo (61,000 total)
Phil (36,000 total)
Brooke (9,900 total)
Ace (8,500 total)
Taylor's Early Works (3,800 total)
And the downloads
Right on! 'Light On' hits download chart at No. 8
Four tracks by Idols are new to the digital songs chart this week, headed by David C.'s Light On, his first "real" single (for those who don't count trophy songs). It enters the chart at No. 8, selling 109,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan, despite heavy competition from a monster debut for a T.I. single and new singles from Christina Aguilera and Nickelback. The Time of My Life sold 236,000 in its first week; this week, probably aided by the availability of the new single, it climbs 88-71, selling 18,000 (up 20%), for a total of 933,000.
David A.'s Crush continues to sell well, although pushed down 12-16 on the chart by the newcomers. It sold 67,000, off 7%, for a total of 633,000.
Jordin's One Step at a Time is down a bit, 27-28, selling 43,000, off 5%, for a total of 790,000. No Air drops 93-95, selling 12,000, down 12%, for a total of 2.51 million. And yes, that does top Carrie's Before He Cheats for top downloaded Idol single; BHC is a bit shy of 2.50 million at this point (officially rounding off at 2.49 million).
Jennifer's Spotlight gets a huge boost from her album, leaping 99-38 and selling 32,000, up 145%, for a total of 177,000. You've got to figure the single's downloaders aren't the same folks who bought the album, but perhaps they got curious because of all the publicity surrounding the album's release. She also has a new track, If This Isn't Love, entering the chart at 195 with 6,000 downloads.
Carrie's Just a Dream inches up 58-56, selling 21,000, down 4%, for a total of 250,000. Last Name falls off the chart this week.
Daughtry's What About Now is just about level, 75-76, selling 17,000, down 6%, for a total of 392,000.
Finally, Kellie picks up a couple of chart items. One's a return -- single Don't You Know You're Beautiful returns at 133 with 9,000, up 71%, for a total of 95,000. And Best Days of Your Life bows at 153 with 8,000.
In answer to a question from malklady about Bucky's downloads, I got figures for the top three:
First single A Different World is at 260,000, follow-up It's Good to Be Us has sold 79,000, and current single I'll Walk is moving up slowly, with a total of 71,000 to date. All other tracks are under the 5,000 mark.
"Carrie's Angels" 
Im so excited with the way her Career is going just look at poor Kellie thats what Carrie was able to avoid the dreaded sophmore jinx. Lets see if Taylor can avoid it or join her good friend Kellie wondering what happened. I think Taylor will be hard pressed to sell 250,000 thousand her first week i know its not a popular opinion around here but it is just my opinion
