Madonna's album sales fall off worse than Gaga's

Madonna's new album, "MDNA," is now in the record books the largest second-week percentage sales drop for a No. 1-debuting album since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales in 1991, according to Billboard.

This week, the album slid from No. 1 to No. 8 on the Billboard 200 with an 86.7% sales decline. It debuted with 359,000 copies sold, but sold only 48,000 copies in its second week, according to SoundScan.

That beats the record set by Lady Gaga's "Born This Way," which fell 84.27% during its second week on the charts last year. "Born This Way" debuted with 1.11 million copies moved and then sold 174,000 in its second week.

No crime in Houston death

Beverly Hills, Calif., police say they have concluded Whitney Houston's death investigation and found no signs that a crime occurred.

Lt. Mark Rosen said Wednesday the determination was made after reviewing the singer's full autopsy report, which attributed her death to accidental drowning. A coroner's report said heart disease and cocaine use were contributing factors.

Houston was found dead in a bathtub in the Beverly Hilton Hotel on the eve of the Grammy Awards in February. She was planning a comeback and had completed filming a remake of the 1970s movie "Sparkle." The film, shot in Detroit, is due for release this summer.

Wednesday's announcement follows news that investigators are looking into prescription drugs that were found in her hotel room Feb. 11. Two prescriptions were filled at Detroit pharmacies.

Briefly

Lollapalooza creator Perry Farrell announced that the Red Hot Chili Peppers and Detroit native Jack White will play the 2012 edition of the three-day music festival, which begins Aug. 3 in Chicago. For ticketing info and the full lineup, go to www.lollapalooza.com.

As part of the network's 25th anniversary celebra! tion, Fo x said Wednesday that it will air the 1987 pilot episode of "Married ... with Children" at 7 p.m. April 22, followed by an encore showing of the landmark 500th episode of "The Simpsons." Then the two-hour Fox 25th anniversary special, featuring a reunion of stars from the network's most popular shows, will kick off at 8 p.m.

Sorry fans, but Axl Rose says he won't attend Saturday's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame ceremony. Guns N' Roses, the band he founded, will be inducted, but Rose told Rock and Roll Hall officials in a letter released Wednesday that he has no intention of reuniting with his former band mates. Rose said he wanted to "respectfully decline" induction and also said he did not want to be inducted "in absentia."

Jimmy Buffett will replace Pearl Jam singer and guitarist Eddie Vedder in the May 3 lineup at the New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival. Vedder canceled when he postponed his 15-city U.S. solo tour because of nerve damage in his right arm stemming from a back injury earlier this year. Buffett is a Jazz Fest veteran who first performed there in 1989.

While speaking to reporters earlier this week in New York for the opening of his painting exhibition "Faces, Time and Places," Rolling Stones guitarist Ron Wood said that the British rock group plans to go into a recording studio later this month "to just bat some ideas around" and "get the feel again." Band members are kicking around ideas regarding what, if anything, they'll do to commemorate their 50th anniversary.

Marvel Comics says Spider-Man alter ego Peter Parker will have the ultimate crossover in June by meeting his counterpart, Miles Morales. Morales is Spider-Man in the publisher's Ultimate Comics Universe -- a grittier, more contemporary place where characters who are killed stay dead, just like Parker, whom Morales replaced. Their meeting will take place in a five-issue miniseries written by Brian Bendis and drawn by ! Sara Pichelli.

Gary Cole ("Office Space"), Holly Robinson-Peete and WXYZ (Channel 7)'s Erin Nicole will appear at Autism Heroes: Celebrating Those Who Make a Difference. The fund-raiser will be held April 28 in Northville. Tickets, which can be purchased at www.neptix.com, start at $50. For more about the event, call Melissa Sampey at 734-637-2078 or e-mail her at m.huntsampey@gmail.com.

Proceeds from tonight's Mary Quirey Thrive & Jive show at the Magic Stick in Detroit will benefit the Pink Fund, which provides short-term financial aid to breast cancer patients in active treatment. The benefit show is inspired by Mary Quirey, a Ferndale resident who lost her battle with cancer in March 2011. Tickets are $15. For more, 313-833-9700 or www.thepinkfund.org.

COMPILED BY B.J. HAMMERSTEIN, FREE PRESS STAFF WRITER. CONTACT HIM AT 313-223-4528 OR BJHAMMERSTEIN@FREEPRESS.COM.