Groban’s ‘Noel’ matches Elvis’ mark

Crooner Josh Groban cruises to a third straight week atop the U.S. pop chart, his “Noel” having sold 581,000 copies. Groban is the first artist since Elvis Presley to lead the U.S. chart for three consecutive weeks with a Christmas album.

Billboard reports that Presley’s “Elvis’ Christmas Album” spent three weeks atop the chart in 1957. Overall sales for “Noel” are up 8% in its ninth week of release, as the set moved 539,000 copies last week. “Noel” has now sold more than 2 million copies.

The only newcomer in this week’s Top 10 is “American Idol” graduate Blake Lewis. His “Audio Daydream” entered at No. 10 after selling 98,000 copies.

Young country star Taylor Swift muscled back into the Top 10 with her debut. Sales are up 39% after Swift received a Grammy nomination for best new artist last week. Her album is at No. 9 after selling 99,000 copies.

Other Grammy nominees who got significant sales bumps last week include another new artist candidate, Paramore (up 55%); Amy Winehouse, whose six nominations contributed to a 48% sales hike for her “Back to Black” album (at No. 82); Daughtry (up 31%); and Reba McEntire (up 29%).

Otherwise, the chart continues to be dominated by Alicia Keys’ “As I Am,” which is at No. 2 after selling 234,000 copies, and the Eagles’ “Long Road Out of Eden,” at No. 3.

In six weeks, the classic-rock band’s first studio album in 28 years has topped the 2 million sales mark, as “Eden” added 204,000 more copies this week. “Eden” has become the fifth bestselling album of 2007 in the U.S., with the soundtrack to “High School Musical 2” still on track to be the bestselling album of the year.

 todd.martens@latimes.com