Barbra Streisand has the World's best-selling Album this week and the largest sales week for a female artist so far this year! Nearly 50 years after her first no.1 album in America, the legendary Songstress is top of the US and World's best-selling Albums charts with her 36th album 'Partners'. She is the only Artist to go to no.1 in America in each of the last six decades!

The Album sold 281.000 copies its first week, 195.700 of those in the USA, 38.100 in United Kingdom and 13.000 in Canada. The 72 year-old American singer has sold nearly 250 million records so far, according to Wikipedia, won eight Grammy Awards, two Academy Awards, five Emmy Awards, and four Golden Globes. Barbra's biggest success was the ballad 'Woman In Love' from 1980, written by Barry and Robin Gibb of the Bee Gees. The song was no.1 worldwide for nine whole weeks. 

Streisand performs duets of classic tracks with some of the biggest male artists including Michael Buble and a Virtual duet of "Love Me Tender" with Elvis Presley. There's "New York State of Mind" with Billy Joel and "The Way We Were" with Lionel Richie. 

Taylor Swift's 'Shake It Off' is no1 for the 3rd non consecutive week. 'All About That Bass' by newcomer Meghan Trainor, remains at no.2.

Calvin Harris' new single 'Blame' (feat. John Newman) is the first song ever, to surpass ten million Spotify streams in a week! On the global chart 'Blame' opens as this week's highest debut at no.9.

'Centuries' at no.18 this week is the first sign of the upcoming sixth album from this years Best Alternative Group Winner Fall Out Boy. Fall Out Boy's biggest hit so far was 'This Ain't A Scene, It's An Arms Race', which climbed to no.5 on the world chart in March 2007. 

Every year between September and November, after the summer break and before the holiday season starts, there's a flood of new releases. Now the time has come again, this week there are 22 new entries on the Top 40 list, a very rare incident! But despite so many debuts, Maroon 5 remains at no.1 for a second week with their latest effort 'V'. The set moved another 130.000 copies last week, a total of 405.000 since its release. Sorted by countries 'V' sold 80.000 last week in the USA, 8.800 in Japan, 7.700 in Canada and 6.100 in United Kingdom. Close behind starts this week's highest debut, the new album by Japanese singer / songwriter Mariya Takeuchi. Her new set 'Trad' bows at no.1 in Japan and at no.2 globally with 119.000 initial sales, according to Oricon. New chart-leader in the USA is Reformed Christian rapper, record producer and actor Lacrae. His 7th studio album 'Anomaly' storms in at no.4 on the global chart with 91.000 sales, 88.400 of it in the USA alone, according to Billboard. In France rules casting star Kendji Girac with his first full and self-titled album. It sold a total of 70.000 units in France, Belgium and Switzerland and rockets at no.8 on the world chart. In Germany Ghetto rapper Majoe jumps atop the official chart with his first solo album 'Breiter Als Der Türsteher' (brouder than the bouncer) and 46.000 estimated sales, enough for a no.16 entrance on the global tally. A final look to United Kingdom, no.1 for a fourth non-consecutive week is Sam Smith's 'In The Lonely Hour' (no.7 on the global chart with 71.000 sales) and the highest debut comes from former lead vocalist of the legendary rock-act Led Zeppelin, Robert Plant. His new effort 'Lullaby And...The Ceaseless Roar' opens at no.2 there and at no.3 globally with 96.000 sales. Some additional sales stats: 'Night Visions' by Imagine Dragons sold 13.000 copies last week and reaches a total of 4,03 million so far, 'Xscape' by Michael Jackson sold 14.000 units last week, 1,42 million so far, 'The Hunting Party' by Linkin Park sold 17.000 units last week and has a total of 783.000 units so far, Shakira's self-titled album sold 695.000 copies so far, 'Britney Jean' by Britney Spears around 600.000 and 'Swings Both Ways' by Robbie Williams 1,76 million.

Whitney Houston is set to leave us all speechless once again, with the release of her first live CD/DVD November 11.

According to Houston’s mentor, Clive Davis, Whitney Houston Live: Her Greatest Performances will showcase her unparalleled legacy.

“It shows why she is at the absolute historic top rank up there with Aretha Franklin and Barbra Streisand as the greatest singers of our lifetime,” he said in a recent interview. “It really has been a labor of love on my part to go through every concert performance, every TV appearance.”

Some of the songs are ones that Houston performed live, but never recorded.

The album, which is produced by Clive Davis, will include 16 lives songs and 19 live performances on the DVD, including Whitney's unforgettable Tribute to Clive himself at the 2004 World Music Awards in the Thomas and Mack Center on September 15, 2004, in Las Vegas, Nevada, her 1994 performance of “I Will Always Love You” at The Concert for a New South Africa, the 1991 performance of “The Star Spangled Banner” at Super Bowl XXV and a 2009 performance on The Oprah Winfrey Show.

Davis said he found the CD/DVD a success when he played it for his guests at a recent dinner party.

“It just couldn’t have been a better entertainment and emotional experience because the bittersweet part of it is the greater you see she was,” he said. “How tragic that she went so young, so that’s the bittersweet part of it.”