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'Frozen' tops Billboard album chart for fourth consecutive week

Kristen Anderson-Lopez and Robert Lopez hold their Oscars for best original song for "Let it Go" in the film "Frozen" at the 86th Academy Awards in Hollywood, California March 2, 2014 REUTERS/ Mario Anzuoni

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - "Frozen," the soundtrack to Disney's $1 billion (595 million pounds) grossing animated film, spent its fourth consecutive week atop the Billboard 200 album chart on Wednesday, edging Australian pop rock band 5 Seconds of Summer for the top spot.

"Frozen," which has ridden the popularity of the film and its hit song "Let It Go" by Broadway actress Idina Menzel, sold 149,000 copies last week to reach 1.9 million in U.S. sales since its release in November 2013, according to figures compiled by Nielsen SoundScan.

It is 2014's biggest-selling album so far with about 1.6 million copies sold this year.

"She Looks So Perfect," an EP (extended play) from 5 Seconds of Summer, sold 143,000 copies in its opening week. The Aussie quartet, which developed a strong following on YouTube, gained international exposure as the opening act of popular boy band One Direction.

Album "La Gargola" from rock group Chevelle entered the chart at No. 3 with 45,000 in sales and singer-songwriter Christina Perri's "Head or Heart" debuted at No. 4 with 40,000 in sales.

Other new releases in the top 10 include country duo Dan + Shay's debut album "Where It All Began" at No. 6 with 29,000 in sales and bluegrass group Nickel Creek's "A Dotted Line" at No. 7 with 27,000 in sales.

Last week's No. 2 album, the self-titled release from Colombian pop star Shakira, fell to fifth with 29,000 in sales, a 66 percent drop.

Singer-producer Pharrell Williams' song "Happy," which is from the soundtrack to the animated film "Despicable Me 2," was again atop the digital songs chart with 284,000 downloads in the past week.

Overall album sales for the past week totalled 4.9 million, a 14 percent decline from the same week last year. Album sales so far in 2014 total 66.6 million, a 16 percent decline from the same period last year.

(Reporting by Eric Kelsey; Editing by Patricia Reaney and Lisa Shumaker)