Buck 65 Stays On Top

As we head towards the holidays, things at most campus radio stations start to break down a bit due in part to student exams, increased airplay for records other than new releases (which there are few of) and the addition of holiday-themed music. With all of this organizational topsy-turvy at stations, it's not surprising that those still generating weekly charts are sending out top 30 lists that look a lot like those from the previous week in terms of overall content.

All of this has led to a high level of stability among the upper echelon CDs on the charts and a very low number of debuts. In fact, the top four albums from last week's top 50 chart remain in the same order this week, with Buck 65's Situation at #1, Holy Fuck's LP at #2, The Evaporators' Gassy Jack And Other Tales at #3 and Corb Lund's Horse Soldier! Horse Soldier! at #4. A former #1, Sunset Rubdown's Random Spirit Lover, jumps four places to #5. Last week's Chart Sizzler, Bonnie 'Prince' Billy's Ask Forgiveness, rises one place to #6. The CBC Radio 3 Sessions, Volume 3 compilation jumps 12 spots and re-enters the top 10 at #7. It's followed by Radiohead's In Rainbows at #8. The only album that's never appeared in the top 10 before is the A Sound Experiment: Live At CJSW compilation, which rises 13 places to #9. Barmitzvah Brothers' Let's Express Our Motives remains at #10.

This week's Chart Sizzler Award goes the #30 album: Einsturzende Neubauten's Alles Wieder Offen. This is the lowest CSA entry point since American Analog Set's Set Free on Nov. 4, 2005. Other debuts this week include Champion Et Ses G-Strings' Live at #34, Richard Underhill's Kensington Suite at #35 and Mexican Institute Of Sound's Pinata at #37.

A quick look at the specialty charts shows the same malaise, as four of the five #1s from last week remain in place for the third straight week: Buck 65's Situation on the Hip-Hop chart; Holy Fuck's LP on Electronic; Youssou N'Dour's Rokku Mi Rokka on World/Folk; and Dillinger Escape Plan's Ire Works on Metal/Punk. The only chart-topper to change was on Jazz/Blues, where Ron Davis' Subarashii Live re-enters at #1. That's the position it held two weeks ago, so all five charts have the same #1s from two weeks ago.