Rihanna Tops Chart as Adele Rolls On

Rihanna's “Unapologetic” (Def Jam) was the best-selling album in the United States last week, moving more than 238,000 copies and giving Rihanna her first No. 1 album on the Billboard album chart. That was a significant milestone for the Barbadian singer, who has had a dozen No. 1 singles but whose previous six CDs never made it to the top of the chart, Billboard reported.

The news of Rihanna's success came at the same time that the British soul singer Adele reached a different kind of milestone: her 2011 album, “21,” (XL/Columbia) which earned her several Grammy Awards, passed the 10-million mark in sales less than two years after its release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. That LP dominated the album chart for much of the last 12 months and spun off three hit singles - “Rolling in the Deep,” ”Someone Like You” and “Set Fire to the Rain.”

On this week's chart Taylor Swift's “Red” (Big Machine) held steady at No. 2, selling 185,00 0, while last week's leader, One Direction's “Take Me Home,” (Columbia) slipped to No. 3 with 176,000 copies sold.

The first album by the “American Idol” winner Phillip Phillips, “The World From the Side of the Moon,” (Interscope) had a strong first week on the market, landing the bluesy young rocker at No. 4 with 169,000 in sales. Kid Rock's latest release, “Rebel Soul,” (Atlantic) made its debut at No. 5, with 146,000 copies sold.

The rest of the Top 10 was a grab bag. Rod Stewart's holiday set “Merry Christmas Baby” (Verve) remained at No. 6. Pink's “The Truth About Love” (RCA) and Jason Aldean's “Night Train” (Broken Bow) both re-entered the Top 10, at No. 7 and No. 8 respectively, buoyed by special sales at major retailers. The ninth slot belonged to Led Zeppelin's “Celebration Day,” (Rhino/Atlantic) a live album culled from the band's 2007 reunion concert. Keyshia Cole's new album, “Woman to Woman,” (Geffen) rounde d out the list at No. 10.