Kelly Clarkson's 'Breakaway' #3 Best-Selling Album of 2005

Kelly Clarkson's 'Breakaway' #3 Best-Selling Album of 2005

RCA Recording Artist Takes #1 Position on 11 Different Year-End Billboard Recaps

LOS ANGELES, Jan. 6 /PRNewswire/ -- It was a very "Happy New Year" for Kelly Clarkson, as her album "Breakaway" finished 2005 as the No. 3 best-selling album of the year. In the final week of 2005, "Breakaway" surpassed Green Day's "American Idiot" to claim third place on the year-to-date album sales chart, according to SoundScan. "Breakaway" has now sold over four million copies in the U.S. and is certified quadruple-platinum by the RIAA. Worldwide, the album has sold more than seven million copies, and is No. 3 in the United Kingdom this week.

The sales surge for "Breakaway" pushed the album back into the top 10 in December on The Billboard 200. The CD climbed back to No. 8 and now sits at No. 12 in its 57th chart week. "Breakaway" debuted in the top 20 over a year ago, and has been in the top 20 for its entire chart life. It is the only album in the last five years to achieve such an amazing chart feat.

"Breakaway" includes four No. 1 singles: the title track, "Since U Been Gone" (only the third song in SoundScan history to sell over one million digital downloads), "Behind These Hazel Eyes" and "Because of You." Clarkson's new single, "Walk Away," just went to radio and is already the most added song at top 40 radio. "Walk Away" is the highest new entry on Billboard's Mainstream Top 40 chart for the week ending Jan. 14.

The year 2005 was truly the "Year of Kelly Clarkson," as the RCA Records artist captured the No. 1 spot on 11 different year-end recaps published in the Dec. 24 issue of Billboard magazine.

Clarkson's impressive sweep of the annual tallies crossed over many genres. She is the No. 1 Hot 100 Female of the year. She is also the No. 1 pop female artist on the chart that combines results from the Hot 100 singles chart and The Billboard 200 album chart. Clarkson has the No. 1 Pop 100 song of the year, "Since U Been Gone," and is the No. 1 Pop 100 artist and Pop 100 Airplay artist. She also has the No. 1 Digital Track of 2005, "Since U Been Gone."

On the recap of the Adult Contemporary chart, Clarkson has the No. 1 song of the year, "Breakaway." That song reigned over the AC chart for 21 weeks, tying the record set by Celine Dion's "A New Day Has Come" as the longest-running No. 1 song by a female artist in AC history. "Breakaway" is also the No. 1 Soundtrack Single of the year, and Clarkson is the No. 1 Adult Contemporary artist, as well as the No. 1 Adult Top 40 artist. Finally, Clarkson is the No. 1 Hot Dance Radio Airplay artist of 2005.

Kelly's 11 No. 1s on the Billboard year-end charts caps a year in which she was nominated for two Grammys for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance "Since U Been Gone", Best Pop Vocal Album "Breakaway" and won two American Music Awards, for Favorite Adult Contemporary Female Artist and the T-Mobile Text-In fan award. She won two MTV VMA Awards as well, for Best Pop Video and Best Female Video.

Source: RCA Records

CONTACT: Roger Widynowski, VP, Publicity of RCA Records,
+1-310-449-2638, rogerw@sonybmg.com

Web site: http://www.rcarecords.com/

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