Dixie Chicks' ''Home'' scores record-breaking debut

Neither time nor their bitter royalty battle last year with Sony has dimmed the Dixie Chicks’ appeal. ”Home,” their first album in three years, knocked Eminem and Nelly out of the No. 1 slot on the Billboard chart that they’ve held for most of the summer, thanks to a record-breaking sales tally of 780,000, according to SoundScan. That’s the biggest first-week sales total for a female group since SoundScan started tallying such figures 11 years ago, and the biggest first-week sales figure for any album in the history of Sony’s Columbia Records label.

”The Eminem Show” had to settle for No. 2 this week, selling 175,525 copies. Avril Lavigne’s ”Let Go” held at No. 3 on sales of 150,150. Nelly’s ”Nellyville” dropped two spots to No. 4 and shifted 145,425 units. Coldplay, one of the few British rock bands to make a sales dent in the U.S. in recent years, saw its second release, ”A Rush of Blood to the Head,” rush to a No. 5 debut, selling 140,850 copies. Debuting at No. 6 was rapper Eve’s third release, ”Eve-olution,” with 122,725 records sold.

Slipping two slots apiece were boomers Bruce Springsteen with ”The Rising” (No. 7) and James Taylor with ”October Road” (No. 8). Rap duo Clipse’s ”Lord Willin”’ fell five places to No. 9. Sliding three places to No. 10 was compilation ”NOW That’s What I Call Music! Vol. 10.”