Bye Bye Bye to ‘N Sync as Folks Buy Buy Buy ‘Now’

The newest installment in the “Now That’s What I Call Music� series unseats ‘N Sync at the top of the national album chart this week, proof that the hits sampler concept imported from England has become a potent brand name with U.S. fans.

The seventh edition in the “Now� series, which sold 621,000 copies last week, according to SoundScan, bundles recent hits from 19 artists, among them the Backstreet Boys, Destiny’s Child, Janet Jackson, Aerosmith and Mystikal.

The jukebox concept has been a staple in the U.K. music market since the early 1980s, and despite initial skepticism among some U.S. music companies, the “Now� series has become a lucrative force since its debut here in 1998.

Some record executives had worried that plucking hit singles from the albums of their artists and including them on a sampler would cannibalize sales of the individual artists, but the conventional thinking now is that intense television advertising for “Now� only enhances the marketing of the artists involved. Also, for newer acts featured in the “Now� collections--such as City High or American Hi-Fi on Vol. 7--the series provides a potential gateway to new fans.

“Now� takes the top spot from ‘N Sync’s “Celebrity,� which settles for No. 2 in its second week in stores. “Celebrity� sold 460,000 copies during the week, down dramatically from its first-week total of 1.88 million. Retailers say the slide is more a testament to the group’s intense fan loyalty than anything else--the pop harmony quintet’s followers were ready and waiting when the disc hit stores, setting the album up for a sharp drop-off in its second week.

At No. 4 on the chart, the gangsta rap duo Tha Eastsidaz is back with its mentor, fellow Long Beach rhymer Snoop Dogg, and a new album called “Duces N Trayz ... Old Fashioned.� The disc, the second from the team of Tray Deee and Goldie Loc, sold 116,000 copies. The collection also features guest turns by Nate Dogg, Mobb Depp and RBX.

The next highest debut belonged to R&B; singer-songwriter Blu Cantrell and her “So Blu,� which opens at No. 8. The album, featuring the hit single “Hit ‘Em Up Style (Oops!)�, is the debut effort from the 25-year-old Rhode Island native.

The rest of the Top 10: “Songs in A Minor� by Alicia Keys at No. 3, “Break the Cycle� by Staind at No. 5, “Devil’s Night� by D12 at No. 6, “Hybrid Theory� by Linkin Park at No. 7, “Survivor� by Destiny’s Child at No. 9 and “The Saga Continues� from P. Diddy & the Bad Boy Family at No. 10.

On the singles chart, Mariah Carey’s recent personal travails have not affected the fan hunger for her music--her “Loverboy� retains its hold on No. 1, followed by “Bootylicious� by Destiny’s Child.