Backstreet Boys Stick Around

At a time when it's all about making the biggest sales splash in the shortest time, next week's Billboard 200 album chart brings a lesson or two in longevity.

Although the Backstreet Boys may not have set a sales record with their first-week numbers, the group may be on the chart for the long haul, as their Black & Blue will stay atop the album chart for a second week, according to sales figures released by SoundScan on Wednesday, December 6. After selling close to 1.6 million copies of the album in its first week in stores, Backstreet moved an additional 689,000 copies of the album to stay at No. 1.

As the Boys try to hold onto a sizable yet aging fan base, they can perhaps pick up some pointers from the Beatles, who remain a considerable sales force three decades after their breakup. The hits collection 1, which debuted atop the chart last month, holds strong at No. 2 on next week's chart. The album sold more than 606,000 copies last week, down only slightly from the 662,000 copies it sold in the previous week.

Florida rockers Creed continue to defy all known laws of the chart universe, pumping fresh sales blood into an album that hit stores well over a year ago. The band's Human Clay was released in September 1999, making it an antique in the fickle world of the top 40, but the album jumps nine spots, from No. 13 to No. 4, on next week's album chart.

Buoyed by a big night at last week's My VH1 Music Awards - the band won four awards, including Group of the Year and Song of the Year for "Higher" - Creed saw sales of Human Clay jump to 225,000 copies last week from 174,000 copies the week before.

The week's biggest debut comes courtesy of rapper/mogul Master P, whose Ghetto Postage sold more than 92,000 copies to land at No. 26.