Jimmy Buffett’s latest album Songs From St. Somewhere debuts at #4 in its opening week on the Billboard 200 album chart, selling 55,000 copies.

The new album is his 11th top 10 set, stretching back to 1978’s “Son of a Son of a Sailor” (which peaked at No. 10). The former Billboard writer (he wrote for this publication in 1969 and 1970) didn’t return to the top 10 until 1994’s “Fruitcakes” (No. 5).

See Buffett’s chart history here.

Here’s the top 5 this week:

1. Luke Bryan – 159,000 (second week)
2. John Mayer – 144,000
3. TGT – 76,000
4. Jimmy Buffett – 55,000
5. Earl Sweatshirt – 49,000

Check out this official music video for “I Want to Go Back to Cartagena”, the bonus track version with Fanny Lu.

Haven’t picked up Songs From St. Somewhere yet? Get it now at iTunes.

As you probably know, Jimmy Buffett has long had an affinity with flying and space. On his new album Songs From St. Somewhere is the song The Rocket That Grandpa Rode, written about an encounter with Neil Armstrong’s family on the day of the final space shuttle launch.

Neil’s son relayed the following about the meeting:

As recalled by Rick Armstrong, one of the moonwalker’s two sons, he and his children were seated in the very last row of the bus. As they were driven past the voluminous Vehicle Assembly Building, he remarked something along the lines of “that’s where the rocket that grandpa rode was put together.”

Hearing this, the man seated in front of Armstrong and his family turned around and replied, “That sounds like a good idea for a song,” Rick Armstrong recounted in an e-mail to collectSPACE.

The exchange led to introductions, and Jimmy Buffett met the Armstrongs.

Buffett remembers it similarly, as told during the Radio Margaritaville album preview special for Songs From St. Somewhere:

Behind us there was this quiet couple and a couple of kids sitting there with their iPads like kids on a bus ride with a bunch of boring adults saying “when we gonna get there dad?” Then the dad says when we get there we’re going to go to the museum, we’re gonna go look at the shuttle, then we’re going to go see the rocket that grandpa rode. And I went “that is some kind of statement. The rocket that grandpa rode.” I was thinking “who could this be?” I snuck a look back and on the nametag was ‘Armstrong.’ It wasn’t Neil. It was his son and grandson.

We went through the tour and saw the Atlas rocket on display and the Apollo rockets, and when we got off the bus I introduced myself and said “you know there aren’t many people who could say that line you said to your son. You may see that line again. Is that ok?” And he said “sure.” So I can’t wait for the Armstrong family to hear that song.

In the album special, Jimmy added “I’m going into space, by the way. Before I’m done here.”

Read the full lyrics to “The Rocket That Grandpa Rode” and what Jimmy had to say about the song during the album special here.

Jimmy Buffett released his latest album Songs From St. Somewhere this week and it’s heading for a top 5 debut on the Billboard 200 all-genre album chart:

Veteran singer/songwriter Jimmy Buffett is set to score his tenth top 10 album, as “Songs From St. Somewhere” should bow in the top five next week. It is on course to sell around 55,000. He last visited the top 10 with 2010’s “Encores,” which debuted and peaked at No. 7.

Billboard expects Luke Bryan to remain at #1 with ‘Crash My Party,’ followed by John Mayer at #2 with ‘Paradise Valley.’ R&B supergroup TGT and rapper Earl Sweatshirt are expected to be somewhere in the top 5 along with Buffett.

See Jimmy’s full chart history here.

Jimmy Buffett first studio album in five years hits stores today! Songs From St. Somewhere features 15 songs, plus a bonus track.

Download your copy now at iTunes or AmazonMP3, or order the CD at Amazon.

Tracks

1. Something Bout A Boat
2. Einstein Was A Surfer
3. Earl’s Dead Cadillac For Sale
4. Too Drunk To Karaoke – Duet with Toby Keith
5. Serpintine
6. Useless But Important Information
7. I Want to Go Back to Cartagena
8. Soulfully
9. Rue De La Guitare
10. I’m No Russian
11. Tides
12. The Rocket That Grandpa Rode
13. I Wave Bye Bye
14. Colour Of The Sun
15. Oldest Surfer On The Beach
16. I Want to Go Back to Cartegana – Spanish version duet with Fanny Lu

Listened to the album yet? Give us your review in the comments.