Buyers are ready for a new ‘Party’

Usher holds on to the No. 1 spot on the national album sales chart, but not by much, due to a strong challenge from country newcomer and self-proclaimed “Redneck Woman” Gretchen Wilson.

The Illinois native’s spunky debut album, “Here for the Party,” sold 227,000 copies during its first week of release, barely 1,300 short of the week’s total for Usher’s “Confessions,” which logs its seventh week in the top spot, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Wilson’s album is propelled by the success of her rowdy debut single, “Redneck Woman,” the first by a woman to top Billboard’s Country Singles chart in two years. “It’s like that song was launched out of a rocket onto radio,” says Lon Helton, country music editor for Radio & Records.

Rap group 8-Ball & MJG finished a distant third behind Wilson, selling 121,000 copies of its new “Living Legends” album and pushing Eminem’s rap crew D12 to No. 4 with sales of 117,000 for “D12 World.”

R&B; singer Teena Marie entered at No. 6 with “La Dona,” on sales of 75,000. The other slots in the top 10 are held by Hoobastank (No. 5), Prince (No. 7), Vol. 15 of the “Now” hits compilation series (No. 8), Mario Winans (No. 9) and Petey Pablo (No. 10).