Nicki Minaj crowns the Billboard 200 albums chart for the first time, as her "Pink Friday" set steps 3-1 in its 11th week on the list (45,000; up 18% per Nielsen SoundScan). "Pink" also pushes past the 1 million total sales mark this week -- 1,035,000 total since its Nov. 22, 2010 release.

"Pink Friday" initially debuted at No. 2 and has since spent its entire chart life in the top 10.

Minaj's patient wait for her turn at No. 1 is a rare sight. For the most part, an album is only No. 1 because it debuted there. It's unusual for a set to climb to the top. Case in point: in 2010, there were 30 albums that hit No. 1, but just one -- Lil Wayne's "I Am Not A Human Being" -- actually rose to the top. Wayne debuted at No. 2 off of just downloads, then fell to No. 16 the next week, only to reach No. 1 the next once the CD version of the album dropped.

Before "Friday's" ascent to the top, the last album to take longer to rise to No. 1 was way back on the chart dated March 5, 2005, when Ray Charles' "Genius Loves Company" finally hit No. 1 in its 25th week. It zoomed 15-1 with 224,000 (up 202%) following its Grammy win for album of the year.

Minaj's 18% sales gain could be attributed to sustained impact from her "Saturday Night Live" guest turn on Jan. 30, in addition to some surprising viral love from confessed fans Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez. The latter ladies can be found -- separately -- on YouTube rapping to the "Pink Friday" cut "Super Bass." The two most popular clips have racked up more than 2 million views in the five days they've been online.

Last week's No. 1, Amos Lee's "Mission Bell," falls way down to No. 26 with 15,000 (down 62%). That's a larger positional drop than the one experienced by Cake's "Showroom of Compassion," which collapsed 1-25 three weeks ago.

Rock band Red debuts in the runner-up slot this week with its "Until We Have Faces" set, and at No. 1 on the Christian Albums chart. It bows with 43,000 -- a bigger start than the 39,000 that greeted its second album, 2009's "Innocence & Instinct," upon its No. 15 entry on the Billboard 200.

Ricky Martin returns to the Billboard 200 with the mostly-Spanish studio set "Musica + Alma + Sexo" starting at No. 3 with 32,000. His last effort, 2005's "Life," began at No. 6 with 73,000. "Musica" is his first Spanish studio offering since "Almas Del Silencio" in 2003, which launched at No. 12 with 65,000.

At No. 4, Bruno Mars' "Doo-Wops & Hooligans" rises one slot (just under 32,000; down 3%) while Rihanna's "Loud" rallies 13-5 (29,000; up 15%). "Kidz Bop 19" is up three to No. 6 (28,000; down 7%), Jason Aldean's "My Kinda Party" skips 12-7 (27,000; up 5%) and Taylor Swift's "Speak Now" falls one to No. 8 (also with almost 27,000; down 13%). Closing out the top 10 albums are P!nk's "Greatest Hits ... So Far!!!" up two to No. 9 (25,000; down 6%) and Eminem's "Recovery" ascending two to No. 9 (just under 25,000; up 18%). (It's a tight top 10 -- Nos. 3-10 are separated by just 6,696 units.)

Overall album sales in this past chart week (ending Feb. 6) totaled 5.5 million units, up 4% compared to the sum last week (5.3 million) and down 18% compared to the comparable sales week of 2010 (6.7 million). Year to date album sales stand at 26.3 million, down 14% compared to the same total at this point last year (30.7 million).

Next week's Billboard 200 competes with the same week in 2010 when: Sade's "Soldier of Love" marched in at No. 1 with a whopping 502,000. Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" slid from the top slot to No. 2 with 208,000 (down 1%).

http://www.billboard.com/...7382.story

I'm not a fan of Nicki, well, not her music , but anytime someone can get to number one the way she did I have to tip my hat to them.

Wow! The music industry is in such a sad, sad state. I don't think it will ever recover.

The girl can rap, we have to admit that. What she raps about is another thing.

musicjunky318 said:

For the most part, an album is only No. 1 because it debuted there. It's unusual for a set to climb to the top.

Not before 1990, it wasn't. During the whole time of the Billboard album charts up until Soundscan came into being, only 6 albums debuted at #1. They were by Stevie Wonder, Bruce Springsteen, Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston and 2 different albums by Elton John.

Who is listening 2 this nonsense?

Nikki has the Number One album in the country? We better not tell Lil Kim...she'll get pissed and throw her toys against the wall

The best bitch doing it.

I didn't like Nicki at first because of the obvious image thieving from Lil Kim but the girl has a voice and some of her lyrics are impressive. She has a unique sound and let's be truthful...that ass is something!

BEST ON PF

Moment For Life

Roman's Revenge

Check It Out

Your Love

Last Chance

Right Thru Me

Weezy & Birdman sure can pick 'em! Those dudes just bathing in money.

HotGritz said:

I didn't like Nicki at first because of the obvious image thieving from Lil Kim but the girl has a voice and some of her lyrics are impressive. She has a unique sound and let's be truthful...that ass is something!

BEST ON PF

Moment For Life

Roman's Revenge

Check It Out

Your Love

Last Chance

Right Thru Me

Weezy & Birdman sure can pick 'em! Those dudes just bathing in money.

I saw the video for 'Right Thru Me.' Really like that one.

SoulAlive said:

Nikki has the Number One album in the country? We better not tell Lil Kim...she'll get pissed and throw her toys against the wall

2freaky4church1 said:

The girl can rap, we have to admit that.

Bugs Bunny, Daffy Duck and 'nem. The girl puts Sybil & Little Voice to downtrodden shame combined, thats the ONLY thing I'll admit to.

Rap my entire arse and 10 more to boot.

[Edited 2/10/11 17:08pm]