Alanis Morrisette's Jagged Little Pill at 16 milllion sold, is the best selling debut album of all time, indeed one of the biggest selling CDs, ranking number 10 overall. The Eagles Greatest Hits remains in the #1 spot (28 million copies; although I think "Greatest Hits" albums are cheating), with Michael Jackson's Thriller and Pink Floyd's The Wall rounding out the top three with 26 million. The others on the list include Guns N Roses' "Appetite for Destruction", AC DC's Back in Black, The Beatles (white album) and Shania Twain's Come On Over. The stats may fluctuate with differing results from Rolling Stone or Billboard or the RIAA, the rankings remain relatively similar. The album with the most staying power is Pink Floyd's DSotM, which includes a stretch of 714 weeks on Billboard's Top 100 (that's nearly 15 years!). Although the classics will continue to sell as others topple off the charts, Jagged Little Pill will remain at the top for years to come with the next closest debut album, Meatloaf's Bat Out of Hell, selling a mere 14 mil. Funny thing about its "Debut" album status. It is NOT her debut. Alannis was a recording artist in Canada long before Pill was released, but with 16 million sold, and classics like "Ironic" and "Head Over Feet," who's going to argue? Rounding out the top ten list are Billy Joel and Garth Brooks, whose live set is the only double album on the list.

One of my new obsessions is the website mixwit.com. Today we talked about the mixed tapes that were so popular in the 80s and 90s that have now, due to technology and the iPod, become outmoded. mixwit.com is a way fun way to share music with friends. It's free and now it's a way that you can earn extra credit. Click on the cassette tape at the bottom of the page to hear my mix. Then click on the Make a Mix icon. Create a mix and share it with me by pasting the url in an email (once you complete your mix, you'll see a tab marked share; at the bottom it says "Copy and paste the link to an IM or email." Send that link to stowellr@lake.k12.fl.us and I will give you one extra credit point for each song (up to 10).