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Linkin Park’s new album Living Things has debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Top 200, barely beating Maroon 5’s latest disc Overexposed, which debuted at No. 1 last month.
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Linkin Park’s album sold 223,000 copies in its first week while Maroon 5 sold a remarkably close 222,000 copies. That means that a mere 1,000 copies separates the two discs. Billboard notes that this is the smallest gap between Nos. 1 and 2 on the charts since Dec. 11, 2011. That race was between Nickelback’s Here and Now, which debuted at No. 2 with just under 227,000, and Michael Buble’s Christmas, which sold 227,000.
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This is Linkin Park’s fifth No. 1 album debut since 2000. No other band has had more No. 1 debuts in that span of time, according to Billboard. The band’s 2010 album A Thousand Suns sold 241,000 copies in its first week, which is pretty close to this new debut. It’s unclear whether the band will be able to hang onto this spot next week, however.
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Also on the charts: Justin Bieber’s Believe fell to No. 3, selling 115,000 copies, while the Maybach Music Group Presents: Self Made 2 compilation album scored No. 4 with 98,000 sold. R. Kelly’s latest Write Me Back landed at No. 5, becoming the singer’s 14th (!) Top Ten album.
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Did you buy any albums this past week? Tell us in the comments and let us know whether you helped Linkin Park hang onto their record.
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For more from Linkin Park head to their Myspace Radio channel here.
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