Best Selling R&B Albums of the 1st Half of 2010

The latest albums by Sade, Usher and Alicia Keys were among those that led the pack when it comes to sales during the first half of 2010, according to newly-released data by Nielsen Soundscan and printed in the latest issue of Billboard magazine. The overall leader was Soldier of Love, the release that marked the return of Sade after a 10-year gap between albums. Soldier of Love, which was released in February, has sold 1.2 million copies so far, significantly more than the second-highest selling R&B release, Usher's Raymond V. Raymond, which sold 898,000 copies between its release on March 30 and the end of June. The full list of the top 10 selling R&B and Hip-Hop albums of the fist six months of the year is below.

1. Soldier of Love, Sade (1.21 million)
2. Recovery, Eminem (1.05 million)
3. Raymond V. Raymond, Usher (898,000)
4. The E.N.D., Black Eyed Peas (853,000)
5. Thank Me Later, Drake (709,000)
6. Rebirth, Lil Wayne (617,000)
7. The Element of Freedom, Alicia Keys (575,000)
8. Battle of the Sexes, Ludacris (479,000)
9. Still Standing, Monica (454,000)
10. Rated R, Rihanna (433,000)