Jackson best-of denied US top 10

Jackson has denied allegations of child abuse

Singer Michael Jackson's best-of album Number Ones has failed to make the US top ten amid allegations he abused a 12-year-old boy.

The album charted at number 13 in the US charts on Wednesday, after one week on sale.

It sold more than 121,000 copies, said US music magazine Billboard.

Some analysts had predicted the album would struggle to sell 100,000 copies because of the negative publicity generated by Mr Jackson's charges.

The album went to number one in the UK on Sunday, selling more than 120,000 copies in its first two days, Sony Music communications vice-president Gary Farrow told BBC News Online.

Platinum sales

The album is expected to be awarded platinum sales - more than 300,000 copies sold - in the next week, he said.

Mr Jackson's lawyer fired a warning to the media on Tuesday, saying the singer would take legal action against anyone trying to make money out of what he described as "scurrilous accusations".

His comments follow an alleged attempt by a private charter flight company to sell a video tape it had made secretly of conversations between the singer and his lawyer.

The FBI has said it is investigating the firm.

The singer's legal team has won a restraining order against the company blocking it from selling, duplicating or even showing the tape to anyone.

'True motivation'

"If anybody doesn't think, based upon what's happened so far, that the true motivation of these charges and these allegations, is anything but money, and the seeking of money, then they are living in their own Neverland," solicitor Mark Geragos told reporters.

The album also broke the top 10 in Ireland, making number five in the charts, and also charted in Australia (number eight), New Zealand (14) and Argentina (17).

"It was always going to be a bigger record in the UK. Best-ofs never do as well in the US anyway," said Music Week magazine news editor Paul Williams.

"The REM compilation went to number one in the UK, and only just made it into the top 10 in the US," he said.

He added: "The US always seem much more interested in new studio albums than best-ofs."