Cinema & Movie & celebrity News And Rumors

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LOS ANGELES - Zac Efron has taken the box-office crown from his Disney teammate Miley Cyrus.

Efron's comedy "17 Again", in which he plays the youthful version of a middle-aged man magically transformed to high school age, debuted as the top weekend movie with $24.1 million, according to studio estimates Sunday.

The No. 1 opening for the Warner Bros . movie solidifies the big-screen potential for Efron, who rose to fame with Disney's "High School Musical" series.

"There's no question that Zac's a star," said Dan Fellman, head of distribution for Warner Bros. "He's such a hardworking, talented individual. He certainly has given his all to promote this movie."

Universal had the No. 2 movie with and Ben Affleck's Washington thriller "State of Play", which pulled in $14.1 million. Crowe plays a reporter investigating a series of deaths linked to an old college friend (Affleck) who's now a rising star in Congress.

Cyrus' "Hannah Montana: The Movie" slipped from first place to fourth with $12.7 million. That lifted the domestic total for Cyrus' movie spinoff of her Disney Channel show to $56.1 million after 10 days in theaters.

"Hannah Montana" finished just behind DreamWorks Animation 's "Monsters vs. Aliens", which took in $12.9 million to raise its domestic haul to $162.7 million. Estimates for "Hannah Montana" and "Monsters vs. Aliens" were close enough that the movies could switch rankings when final numbers are reported Monday.

Jason Statham had a so-so opening for his action sequel "Crank: High Voltage", which came in at No. 6 with $6.5 million, $4 million less than the first weekend for the 2006 original.

The Lionsgate sequel features Statham in a race to recover his heart, which has been stolen by organ thieves and replaced with a mechanical one.

Hollywood maintained a record box-office pace with just one weekend to go before the busy summer season arrives May 1 with "X-Men Origins: Wolverine" Hugh Jackman's spinoff of the blockbuster "X-Men" franchise.

Overall revenues were at $112 million, up nearly 20 percent from the same weekend last year, according to box-office tracker Media By Numbers.

For the year, Media By Numbers is tracking receipts at $2.92 billion, 17.3 percent ahead of 2008's and well above the box-office pace of 2007, when Hollywood took in a record $9.7 billion. Accounting for higher ticket prices, movie attendance this year is up 15.6 percent compared to last year's.

The movie business is poised to top $10 billion at the box office for the first time in 2009, said Paul Dergarabedian, president of Media By Numbers.

"It's going to be a record year, because we've never had a start to a year this strong," Dergarabedian said. "Unless the world goes off its axis and spins into the sun, I don't see how we're not going to have a $10 billion year."

Estimated ticket sales for Friday through Sunday at U.S. and Canadian theaters, according to Media By Numbers LLC. Final figures will be released Monday.

No 1. "17 Again" $24.1 million

No 2. "State of Play" $14.1 million

No 3. "Monsters vs. Aliens" $12.9 million

No 4. "Hannah Montana: The Movie" $12.7 million

No 5. "Fast & Furious" $12.3 million

No 6. " Crank: High Voltage" $6.5 million

No 7. "Observe and Report" $4.1 million

No 8. "Knowing" $3.5 million

No 9. "I Love You, Man" $3.4 million

No 10. "The Haunting in Connecticut" $3.2 million
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Universal Pictures, Focus Features and Rogue Pictures are owned by NBC Universal, a unit of General Electric Co.; Sony Pictures, Sony Screen Gems and Sony Pictures Classics are units of Sony Corp.; DreamWorks, Paramount and Paramount Vantage are divisions of Viacom Inc.; Disney's parent is The Walt Disney Co.; Miramax is a division of The Walt Disney Co.; 20th Century Fox, Fox Searchlight Pictures and Fox Atomic are owned by News Corp.; Warner Bros., New Line, Warner Independent and Picturehouse are units of Time Warner Inc.; MGM is owned by a consortium of Providence Equity Partners, Texas Pacific Group, Sony Corp., Comcast Corp., DLJ Merchant Banking Partners and Quadrangle Group; Lionsgate is owned by Lionsgate Entertainment Corp.; IFC Films is owned by Rainbow Media Holdings, a subsidiary of Cablevision Systems Corp

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Jessica Alba is back to being a blonde. Although the actress lightened her hair for both "Fantastic Four" and "Sin City" (the sequel is due out in 2010), this latest change is reportedly for her new thriller "The Killer Inside Me."

Megan Fox (seen here at LAX Wednesday) told "Extra" last week she's "not the marrying type." The "Transformers" actress -- who's engagement to Brian Austin Green has been off and on, added, "I am impulsive and I love my boyfriend, but I have no plans of getting married any time soon."

Zac Efron echoed Megan Fox's sentiments about tying the knot. The "17 Again" actor laughed off rumors he's engaged to Vanessa Hudgens, telling GQ, "I'm definitely not getting married. In this business, you're either getting married or they want you to be pregnant. I'm not getting married until I'm 40. If ever. The thought never crossed my mind."

Vanessa Hudgens joined Zac at the "17 Again" premiere on Tuesday. The actress made a confession of her own, telling SELF, "I have a big, big, big toe. I call it my goat toe."

A curly coiffed Rihanna was spotted shopping on Friday. The singer will reportedly return to the stage on May 28 in Dubai. The performance will be her first since Chris Brown allegedly assaulted her in February.

Seal revealed that he and wife Heidi Klum are expecting while performing at Radio City Music Hall in New York City Thursday night.

Here's a photo of the supermodel from the same night. Heidi has two sons with Seal (Henry and Johan), and a daughter Leni from a prior relationship with Flavio Briatore.

Sir Paul McCartney attended the ceremony honoring the late George Harrison, his Beatles bandmate, with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame on Tuesday.

Drew Barrymore and Justin Long were all smiles at the premiere of her new TV movie "Grey Gardens." The exes are shooting the comedy "Going the Distance" together, but Drew clarified they're just friends. "I guess people find it a little confusing. I totally understand," she told Us Weekly. "It seems like, 'What is the deal with them?' But we just adore each other. We're in each other's lives, and we're friends, and we're working together, and we have worked together."

Tori Spelling showed off her new book "Mommywood" in New York City Wednesday. The actress/author/mother of two addressed rumors that she's anorexic, telling People, "I acknowledge that I look thin in photos. I get it." She attributed her slim figure to her "crazy lifestyle" and hectic schedule.

Audrina Patridge hit the red carpet for the release of her direct-to-DVD film "Into the Blue 2: The Reef" Tuesday night. The reality starlet also addressed rumors about her appearance, saying her slimmer facial features were a result of "just losing baby fat."

Meanwhile, Audrina's "Hills" costars Spencer Pratt and Heidi Montag continued their relentless self-promotion. Next up for the couple? Competing on "I'm a Celebrity, Get Me Out of Here," alongside "American Idol" reject Sanjaya Malakar, and potentially ousted Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich.

[C. Breezy]

Lady Gaga to take a stress-free break



Lady Gaga will take a month off from work because she is stressed.

The Poker Face singer, real name Stefani Joanne Angelina Germanotta, will reportedly take a break from her gruelling work schedule to recuperate because bosses at her record label fear she will burn out.

A source told Britain's The Sun newspaper: "Lady Gaga has been working relentlessly since last summer. She has criss-crossed the globe on numerous occasions promoting her album The Fame and the pressure has now started to get to her.

"Her management have spotted the warning signs and do not want her going off the rails. They ve scrapped all her commitments in August to give her time to get her head straight."

It is claimed the 23-year-old beauty, who is known for her party lifestyle, has been getting suffering from exhaustion over recent weeks.

The source explained: "At a recent show in Atlanta, US, she nearly collapsed on stage the day after a particularly wild night out."

Earlier this month, Lady Gaga was forced to cancel a string of concerts in America because she had a fever.

In a posting on her blog, she wrote: "I am so terribly sad about the postponed performances I have had a high fever and some crazy virus for days, and I m still sick.

"After weeks of not a day off my schedule, my team and doctor felt it imperative that I sleep for a few days."

[C. Breezy]

Jackson forgets his dance moves



MICHAEL JACKSON has been watching video footage of his old live performances in an attempt to remember his trademark moves.

The King of Pop has reportedly been trawling through clips on YouTube and old footage so he can wow his fans once again when he begins his 50-date residency at the O2 Arena in London this summer.

A source told The Sun newspaper: 'Michael is determined these shows will be spectacular. It’s over a decade since he performed a full-length show, so he’s forgotten a few of his moves.
'He’s watching all the old performance footage he can find in a bid to be on the form of his life this summer.'

Jackson, 50, who kicks off the shows June 8 and will right through until 2010, is currently in Los Angeles training for the shows.

[C. Breezy]

Coldplay to give away free album



Coldplay are giving their next album away.

Fans attending the group's 'Viva La Vida' world tour will get a copy of the nine-track 'LeftRightLeftRightLeft' live CD.

The band said in a statement: "Playing live is what we love. This album is a thank you to our fans - the people who give us a reason to do it and make it happen."

The album - which will not be given away at festival shows - includes hits from the four-piece's back catalogue, including 'Viva La Vida', 'Clocks' and 'Fix You'.

Other songs featured on the CD include 'Glass of Water' and 'Postcards From Far Away', both of which are taken from their recent limited-edition 'Prospek's March' EP.

Fans not lucky enough to have tickets for the tour can download the album from the group's official website from May 15.

Singer Chris Martin has previously said the band were considering the free release.

He said in February: "It's a way of saying thank you. It's a tough economy and people are paying a lot of money for tickets."

[C. Breezy]

Gwen Stefani to take her sons on tour



Gwen Stefani is worried about taking her two sons on tour with No Doubt.

The singer - who raises nine-month-old Zuma and Kingston, three, with her husband Gavin Rossdale - is concerned about how her bandmates will cope with her growing entourage.

She said: "Before, when I was with the guys, I didn't have any kids. That's like, whoa, a huge deal. They dynamic of the band is different. It has to be.

"I've got two babies and their nanny, and an assistant, and my security, and a hairdresser. It's not as much of a party, but that's what I need in order to perform every night."

The 'Don't Speak' hitmakers - also comprised of Tony Kanal, Adrian Young and Tom Dumont - are due to embark upon their 'Summer Reunion Tour' in Atlantic City, in the US, tomorrow (02.05.09).

But Gwen, 39, says the group - who first formed 23 years ago - won't be hitting the road together, as this time round each member will have their own tour bus.

She said in an interview with Spin magazine: "When you've still got the endorphins going from the show, it's so much fun to all be on the same bus, hanging out and drinking champagne. But there's no way that can happen anymore!"

[C. Breezy]

Rihanna performs in public again



Rihanna has performed for the first time since she was allegedly assaulted by her on/off boyfriend Chris Brown.

The 'Rehab' singer – who was dressed in a black Dolce and Gabbana power suit – joined Kanye West on stage at the Metropolitan Museum of Art Costume Institute Gala in New York on Monday (04.05.09).

The pair performed a duet of Kanye's song 'Say You Will' before Rihanna belted out an emotional rendition of her hit 'Live Your Life'.

A source said: "Kanye asked her to do it. It was his idea, but Vogue editor Anna Wintour obviously had to approve it. Anna was at the run-through during the day and was so into it."

The audience applauded wildly when the 21-year-old star walked on stage, with many shouting messages of support.

Rihanna did not respond to questions about Chris, but smiled and waved at the crowd.

After her performance, the star was seen chatting to Madonna, Victoria Beckham, and fashion designers Marc Jacobs and Stella McCartney.

She was later seen talking to 'Gossip Girl' star Blake Lively at Jacob's after-party at trendy restaurant Monkey Bar and spotted dancing with friends at nightclub Bungalow 8.

Chris, 20, pleaded not guilty to assault and making criminal threats in a Los Angeles court last month.

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CANNES, France (Reuters) - Austrian director Michael Haneke won the Palme d'Or (Golden Palm) for best picture at the Cannes film festival Sunday for "The White Ribbon," an eerie, black-and-white exploration of the roots of Nazi terror

Haneke's first top prize at the world's biggest film festival is likely to prove popular among the thousands of critics and journalists in the French Riviera resort for the 12-day movie marathon

The White Ribbon, set in a village in northern Germany, follows a series of sinister crimes for which a group of children, cruelly disciplined by their parents, emerge as the prime suspects

"My wife sometimes ask me a very female question -- 'Are you happy?" the 67-year-old told the closing awards ceremony

"It's very difficult to reply, I find, because happiness is a rare thing, but now I can say, this is a moment in my life when I am really happy."

France's Charlotte Gainsbourg won the best actress award for her courageous performance in Lars von Trier's "Antichrist", while the best actor award went to Austria's Christoph Waltz for his flamboyant performance as an SS officer in Quentin Tarantino's World War Two caper "Inglourious Basterds."

The best director award went to Filipino Brillante Mendoza, who presented "Kinatay" in the festival.

Mei Feng, the writer on Chinese director Lou Ye's "Spring Fever," picked up the best screenplay award.

The jury prize was awarded jointly to British director Andrea Arnold for her urban drama "Fish Tank" and South Korean director Park Chan-Wook for his vampire romance "Thirst."

The Camera d'Or award for debut film went to Australian director Warwick Thornton for "Samson and Delilah."

(Editing by Myra MacDonald)

CANNES, France - Awards presented Sunday at the 62nd Cannes Film Festival, chosen by a jury headed by French Actress Isabelle Huppert

(Palme d'Or (Golden Palm): "The White Ribbon," by Michael Haneke (Austria

(Grand Prize: "A Prophet," by Jacques Audiard (France

(Jury Prize: "Fish Tank," by Andrea Arnold (Britain) and "Thirst," By Park Chan-wook (South Korea

Special Prize: Alain Resnais

(Best Director: Brillante Mendoza, "Kinatay" (The Philippines

(Best Actor: Christoph Waltz, "Inglourious Basterds" (United States

(Best Actress: Charlotte Gainsbourg, "Antichrist" (Denmark

(Best Screenplay: Feng Mei, "Spring Fever" (China

(Camera d'Or (first-time director): "Samson and Delilah," by Warwick Thornton (Australia

(Best short film: "Arena," by Joao Salaviza (Portugal

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by Shawn Amos

According to the Associated Press, more ’90s bands are touring than ever before. No Doubt, Jane’s Addiction, Creed, and Phish are just some of the legends who have decided to put their differences aside long enough to earn some summer concert cash.

When 2010 rolls around, the ’90s will be 20 years old. Twenty years since we were all ripping our jeans, refusing to wash our hair, and crying over Izzy leaving Guns N’ Roses. So while you stand in line for your Phish tickets wondering how long ago Kurt Cobain died (15 years) and trying to remember who sang that song “I Touch Myself” (it was the Divinyls), here’s a brief update on some ’90s artists who won’t be on the comeback trail this summer.

Kid ’n Play


Christopher “Kid” Reid and Christopher “Play” Martin formed their hip-hop duo in the late ’80s, but they hit their stride in the ’90s. They were one of the first rap acts to understand the importance of being in all places at once. Aside from albums they made films (the “House Party” series), had a Saturday morning cartoon, and coined a dance (the Funky Charleston) before splitting in 1995. Kid now acts (MTV’s “Celebracadabra,” anyone?) and wrote the theme song for “Real Time with Bill Maher.” He also lost the hi-top fade. Play is now an artist-in-residence for North Carolina Central University’s Hip Hop in Context 101 class.

Fugees


Lauryn Hill, Wyclef Jean, and Pras were the Great Black Hope when their second album, “The Score,” was released in 1996. They won two Grammys and turned a new generation on to Roberta Flack with their cover of “Killing Me Softly with His Song.” Like so many bands that rise so quickly, the Fugees crashed and burned just as fast. They all went on to varying degrees of solo success - and solo strangeness. A brief 2004-05 reunion was met with mixed reviews. Pras set the record straight in ’07 about any future plans: “You will have a better chance of seeing Osama Bin Laden and Bush in Starbucks...before there will be a Fugees reunion.” ’Nuff said.

They Might Be Giants


Brooklyn’s John Flansburgh and John Linnell made alternative rock safe for accordion-playing nerds worldwide with their 1990 major-label debut, “Flood.” By the end of the decade the Giants had had enough of that world and decided to take their geekdom to the Internet, creating one of the first artist-owned online music stores. More importantly (to their career at least), they partly reinvented themselves as children’s music artists. Albums like “Here Come the ABCs” songs for Walt Disney Records and a children’s book/EP called “Bed, Bed, Bed” ensure that a new generation of geeks will keep their legacy alive for years to come.

Slick Rick


Slick spent most of the ’90s behind bars. The British native was convicted on two counts of attempted murder for shooting two people in 1990. Sitting in jail didn’t reduce his earnings, though. His songs were covered and sampled through the decade by Snoop Dogg, Black Star, and Montell Jordan. Slick also quickly record an album of his own (1991’s “The Ruler’s Back”) before his sentence began at Rikers Island. Released in 1996, Slick was back in jail in 2002 for illegally trying to enter the country but freed in 2003 and pardoned by New York governor David Paterson in 2008. He’s now living in the Bronx and is “waiting for a market to open up for a mature audience” before making a new album. Does “mature” mean gun-toting?

Jamiroquai


The name “Jamiroquai” is not to be confused with lead singer Jay Kay, who is known for his fine taste in hat wear. Kay assembled the band after a failed audition for the Brand New Heavies. Jamiroquai’s ’97 single and video “Virtual Insanity” (helmed by “Sexy Beast” film director Jonathan Glazer) won four MTV Video Music Awards and made big hats the must-have fashion accessory. Aside from the group’s various tours, Kay is now an avid sports-car enthusiast. He competed in the 2007 Gumball 3000 Rally, which traveled from London to Istanbul. The hat created a lot of drag; thus, he did not win.

Crash Test Dummies

The Canadian group led by baritone singer Brad Roberts had a huge ’93 hit with “Mmm Mmm Mmm Mmm,” which makes most people’s lists for most annoying song ever. However, a lot of people were paying to be annoyed: the meditative single went gold. Since 2001 the other Dummies got smart and quit, leaving Roberts to release glorified solo albums under the Dummies brand name. He’s now leading a series of mantra chants at a New York yoga studio. It’s a short distance from “Mmm” to “Omm.” Probably just as annoying, though. Wear loose clothing. Blankets, blocks, and bolsters will be provided.

Matthew Sweet


The Nebraska native was the Next Big Power-Pop Thing in 1991 when he released “Girlfriend,” still considered the Holy Grail for power-pop aficionados (and immortalized in “Guitar Hero II”). Sweet criminally fell of the pop-music radar after the ’90s but has collaborated with everyone from Shawn Mullins (in the short-lived folkie supergroup the Thorns with Pete Droge) to Susanna Hoffs (on two covers albums) to Hanson (he co-wrote their song “Underneath”). In addition to his music, Sweet is also an in-demand ceramics artist who sells his pottery to hip L.A. stores. No “power pottery” jokes.

Everclear


Art Alexakis survived a broken home, poverty, drug addiction, and a troubled childhood to join the ’90s alternative hit parade. Everclear’s 1995 “Santa Monica” single (supposedly inspired by the teenaged Alexakis’ suicide attempt at the Santa Monica Pier) pushed them to MTV success. Ten years later Alexakis joined the broke rock-stars club, filing for bankruptcy and claiming over $3 million in debt. In 2008, Everclear released a compilation album of cover songs - usually a sign that the creative well has run dry and not a way to earn a fortune back.

Soul Asylum

Though formed in 1981, Soul Asylum made it into the ’90s, unlike many of their Minneapolis musical contemporaries, such as Hüsker Dü and the Replacements. After three record labels and five albums, the band scored the biggest hit of its career with the 1992 “Grave Dancers Union” disc. Its “Runaway Train” single became an MTV staple. Founding member Karl Mueller died of throat cancer in 2005, causing lead singer - and resident playboy - Dave Pirner (remember him and Winona Ryder?) to cut back on his smoking habit. The band is also joining the ’90s sumer tour parade, including a July homecoming show at the Minnesota Zoo. “Hello, Apple Valley. Don’t feed the bears.”

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in Chart Watch

For the seventh consecutive week, Michael Jackson has three of the five best-selling albums in the U.S. Number Ones sold 98,000 copies and would have topped The Billboard 200 for the sixth week if catalog albums were eligible to compete there. The Essential Michael Jackson sold 54,000 and would have held at #3. Thriller sold 47,000 and would have inched up from #5 to #4.

This ongoing success will enable Jackson to make history (or should I say HIStory?) on Nielsen/SoundScan's year-end charts. Do I have a crystal ball? No, I have something better: the tracking company's year-to-date sales chart. Jackson has three albums in the top 15 on that list. Number Ones holds at #2 and will probably pull ahead of Taylor Swift's Fearless, the long-time leader, in two weeks. Thriller jumps to #10, while The Essential Michael Jackson climbs to #15. Jackson is likely to become the first artist to have three albums in Nielsen/SoundScan's year-end top 20 since Garth Brooks achieved the feat in 1992. (All three of Brooks' albums--Ropin' The Wind, The Chase and No Fences, ranked in the year-end top 10.)

Number Ones is vying to become the only the third greatest hits album to rank #1 for the year on either Billboard's "year-end" charts or Nielsen/SoundScan's calendar year rankings. Elton John--Greatest Hits was Billboard's leader for 1974. The Beatles' 1 was the magazine'schamp for 2001. (On Nielsen/SoundScan, 1 was the #6 seller of 2000.) Number Ones is also likely to become the first catalog album and the first album by a deceased performer to wind up as the #1 album of the year on either list, going back to 1956.

The Essential Michael Jackson is #1 in the U.K. for the sixth straight week. This is the longest continuous run on top in that country since Leona Lewis' Spirit had seven straight weeks at #1 from November 2007 to January 2008. (Coldplay's Viva La Vida Or Death And All His Friends had six non-consecutive weeks on top last year.)

I'll have more Billboard's controversial policy of excluding catalog albums from The Billboard 200 near the end of the column.

The main beneficiary of that policy this week is Sugarland, which debuts at #1 with Live On The Inside. The title is a play on the duo's last studio album, Love On The Inside, which debuted at #2 in August 2008 and rose to the top spot in its second week. (Love On The Inside, which spawned the Grammy-winning hit "Stay," resurges from #35 to #21 this week. It has sold 1,745,000 copies.)

Sugarland is the only country duo to hit #1 on The Billboard 200 in the chart's 53-year history--and now they've done it twice.

Live On The Inside couples a DVD with a live collection of covers of such pop and rock songs as Beyonce's "Irreplaceable," R.E.M.'s "The One I Love" and the B-52's "Love Shack." It's the first live album to top The Billboard 200 since Alicia Keys' Unplugged in 2005. It's the first live set to top the Top Country Albums chart since Kenny Chesney's LIVE: Live Those Songs Again in 2006.

The Sugarland album is the third album available at only one retailer to top The Billboard 200, following Eagles' Long Road Out Of Eden and AC/DC's Black Ice. (Wal-Mart was/is the retailer in all three cases, which shows its dominance in this area.)

Taylor Swift's Fearless logs its 33rd week in the top 10 on The Billboard 200. That's the longest run in the top 10 since Mariah Carey's comeback smash The Emancipation Of Mimi had a 34-week run in 2005-2006. It's the longest run by a country album since Shania Twain's Come On Over had 53 weeks from 1997-1999. Mimi and Come On Over were both Grammy finalists for Album of the Year. Fearless is likely to follow suit when the nominations for the 52nd annual awards are announced later this year.

The Black Eyed Peas top the Hot Digital Songs chart for the 19th consecutive week, but this is the first time in that remarkable streak that the Peas' chart-topping song has slipped below the 200,000 mark in paid downloads. "I Gotta Feelin" sold 197,000 downloads this week, bringing its nine-week total to 1,958,000. Immediately before this nine-week run, "Boom Boom Pow" was #1 for 10 weeks. The Peas' album, The E.N.D., has sold 872,000 copies, not a bad total in this sales climate, but hardly what you'd expect given these back-to-back smash hits.

Drake's "Best I Ever Had" tops the 1 million mark in paid downloads this week. One of the song's hooks is an out-of-nowhere reference to the Andy Griffith theme song. It's the most head-turning namedrop in a pop song since the Helen Keller line in 3OH!3's "Don't Trust Me." Since Drake brought it up, the Andy Griffith theme has been included on two hit albums through the years. The original version was featured on 1985's marvelous Television's Greatest Hits collection. In 1962, Nelson Riddle covered the tune on his album Route 66 Theme and Other Great TV Themes.

Madonna's "Celebration" vaults from #159 to #40 on Hot Digital Songs. It's the first single and title track from Madonna's upcoming greatest hits album, which is due Sept. 29.

Daughtry's Leave This Town slips from #2 to #6 this week, which seems like a big drop. But the sales tallies in the top 10 are so close that if Daughtry's album had sold just 500 more copies this week, it would have held at #2. (The numbers in the top 10 list are rounded off to the nearest thousand.)
Here's the low-down on this week's top 10 albums.

ONE. Sugarland, Live On The Inside, 76,000. This new entry is the duo's second #1 album in a row. Three songs from the DVD are listed on Hot Digital Songs, topped by "Stay" at #171.

TWO. Various Artists, NOW 31, 45,000. The former #1 album rebounds from #4 to #2 in its sixth week.

THREE. Gloriana, Gloriana, 44,000. This new entry is the third debut album by a country act to open in the top five in the past 16 months. It follows eponymous albums by Lady Antebellum and Julianne Hough. The coed quartet has opened for Taylor Swift.

"Wild At Heart" vaults from #92 to #49 on Hot Digital Songs.

FOUR. The Black Eyed Peas, The E.N.D., 44,000. The former #1 album inches up from #5 to #4 in its ninth week. Two songs from the album are listed in the top 10 on Hot Digital Songs for the ninth straight week.

FIVE. Kings Of Leon, Only By The Night, 44,000. In its 46th week, the album jumps from #6 to #5, matching its highest ranking to date. More than 13,000 copies were sold digitally, making this the #1 Digital Album for the third week. Three songs from the album are listed on Hot Digital Songs, topped by "Use Somebody," which holds at #3.

SIX. Daughtry, Leave This Town, 44,000. The former #1 album drops from #2 to #6 in its fourth week. "No Surprise" dips from #35 to #37 on Hot Digital Songs.

SEVEN. Maxwell, BLACKsummers'night, 43,000. The former #1 album drops from #3 to #7 in its fifth week. "Pretty Wings" dips from #110 to #112 on Hot Digital Songs.

EIGHT. Kidz Bop Kids, Kidz Bop 16, 38,000. This new entry is the 10th consecutive regular installment in this series to reach the top 10.

NINE. Taylor Swift, Fearless, 37,000. The former #1 album holds at #9 for the fourth straight week. This is the album's 33rd week in the top 10; its 39th week on the chart. Three songs from the album are featured on Hot Digital Songs, topped by "You Belong With Me," which inches up to #5.

TEN. Fabolous, Loso's Way, 37,000. The album drops from #1 to #10 in its second week. That's the biggest second-week tumble from the top spot since Modest Mouse's .We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank sank from #1 to #11 in April 2007. Two songs from the album are featured on Hot Digital Songs, topped by "Throw It In The Bag" (featuring The Dream) at #53.

Three albums drop out of the top 10 this week. Hannah Montana'sHannah Montana 3 soundtrack drops from #7 to #11, Demi Lovato's Here We Go Again slips from #8 to #14, and Lady GaGa'sThe Fame drops from #10 to #16.

K'Jon's I Get Around bows at #12, with first-week sales of 33,000. In one week, the album has already outsold the R&B artist's 2007 album, Ballroom Xplosion, which has sold 8,000 copies...Modest Mouse's No One's First, And You're Next, a collection of B sides, opens at #15. As noted above, the group's last full album, We Were Dead Before The Ship Even Sank, debuted at #1 in March 2007, but fell out of the top 10 in its second week...American Idol, Season 8 EP bows at #17...The soundtrack to the Disney Channel movie Wizards of Waverly Place debuts at #24. This is, as yet, no match for the channel's Camp Rock, which spent its first 10 weeks in the top 10 last summer.

Legends:

Creedence Clearwater Revival's Opus Collection, a 16-track album for Starbucks, debuts at #25. The band first charted in 1968.

And Frank Sinatra's Live At The Meadowlands re-enters the chart at #52.

The album bowed (and initially peaked) at #88 in May. Sinatra first charted in 1946.

This is his sixth live album to make the chart. His two biggest were the classic Sinatra At The Sands, which made the top 10 in 1966, and Sinatra-The Main Event Live, which went top 40 in 1975.

Until Sugarland's Love On The Inside debuted at #2 on The Billboard 200 in August 2008, the highest-charting album by a country duo on that chart was Brooks & Dunn's Hillbilly Deluxe, which debuted and peaked at #3 in 2005. So it's a striking coincidence that Kix Brooks and Ronnie Dunn announced that they are calling it quits the same week that Sugarland sets a raft of records. One of Brooks & Dunn's records is probably safe: As of this week, they have sold 22,294,000 albums, more than any other duo (from any genre) in the Nielsen/SoundScan era.

The Catalog Controversy: This is the 18th week since February 2008 that the top 10 on The Billboard 200 has excluded at least one of the week's 10 best-selling albums. Here's how that tally breaks down: Jackson's Thriller 25 and Josh Groban's Noel each would have had five weeks in the top 10 last year if catalog albums were allowed to compete on the big chart. Pearl Jam's Ten would have had one week in the top 10 in March. And the three aforementioned Jackson albums would have spent the past seven weeks in the top 10.

The Jackson boom has yet to run its course. And remastered versions of the Beatles' studio albums will be released on Sept. 9, concurrent with the much-anticipated The Beatles: Rock Band game.The current tally of 18 weeks since 2008 where the top 10 excluded at least one album because of the catalog rule could climb to 25 or 30 weeks before the year is out. That's a lot of weeks where the top 10 needed to carry an asterisk.

This is a serious and growing threat to the credibility of The Billboard 200. Those of us who love the charts hope the problem is solved before people's confidence in the charts is undermined.

Changing market realities have led Billboard to revise its chart policies many times over the years. Until Nov. 4, 2007, "exclusive" albums (albums sold at only one retail chain) were barred from The Billboard 200.

This rule kept a pair of Garth Brooks albumsoff the chart and very nearly did the same to Eagles' Long Road Out Of Eden, until the rule was jettisoned. Until Dec. 5, 1998, songs that weren't commercially available as singles were barred from the Hot 100. This kept two dozen songs that made the top 10 on the separate Hot 100 airplay chart from 1991 through 1998 from cracking the Hot 100 until this rule, too, was scrapped.

The current situation has a lot in common with the two earlier ones. In all three cases, the rules probably made sense at some point, but there came a time when the rules were causing more trouble than they were preventing.

Heads Up:

George Strait, who has amassed more top 10 albums on The Billboard 200 than any other country artist in history, is expected to debut at #1 next week with Twang.

Also due:

Cobra Starship's Hot Mess, which features the top 10 smash "Good Girls Go Bad"; country artist Justin Moore's Justin Moore; rap collective Slaughterhouse's Slaughterhouse; Neil Diamond's Hot August Night/NYC; and an eponymous debut album by Jessie James, who had a song on the Confessions Of A Shopaholic soundtrack.