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"The power of MTV should never be underestimated. Ashlee Simpson blew by any reasonable expectations, landing easily in the #1 position with us this week."
——Kevin Hawkins, Tower Records

SIMPSON HITS HOMER!!

Ashlee’s Autobiography Tops 400k, While WB’s Van Halen Jumps to #2, with Buffett, Usher, Wilson Rounding Out First 5
The singing Simpsons are throwing down the gauntlet to Homer, Marge and their brood as pop culture’s most successful family.

Jessica’s little sister Ashlee is the latest clan member to achieve stardom with the #1 debut of her Geffen Records bow, Autobiography, which sold more than 407k on the strength of the hit single, "Pieces of Me."

Tower Records' Kevin Hawkins, who claims never to have heard of either buffalo wings or Chicken of the Sea tune, admits: "The power of MTV should never be underestimated. Ashlee Simpson blew by any reasonable expectations, landing easily in the #1 position with us this week."

Warner Bros.’ two-CD Van Halen greatest hits with two new tracks, The Best of Both Worlds, debuts in the second slot with almost 150k in sales as the band continues its U.S. tour with Sammy Hagar. Eat your heart out, Dave. Def Jam/IDJ rapper Lloyd was the other newcomer to the Top 10 at #9.

Says Hawkins: "The Van Halen greatest hits package fared very well, but I still wish they'd bring back Diamond Dave."

Last week’s chart champ, Mailboat/RCA Nashville/RLG’s newly minted Country crossover star Jimmy Buffett drops to #3. The rest of the Top 10 is completed by LaFace/ZLG’s Usher (#4), Sony Nashville/Epic’s Gretchen Wilson (#5), G-Unit/Interscope’s Lloyd Banks (#6), Arista/RMG’s Avril Lavigne (#7), Warner Bros. Nashville’s Big & Rich (#8) and Hollywood’s Cinderella Story soundtrack featuring Hilary Duff (#10).

Other chart newcomers include Interscope’s The Hives (#38) and Sony Music Soundtrax/Columbia’s De-Lovely soundtrack (#44).

Maroon 5 lands two entries in the Top 50, with its Octone/J/RMG bow, Songs About Jane, showing the week’s biggest increase moving #29-22, with a 17% jump, thanks to the fas-tirins single, "This Love." The band’s Live Acoustic EP re-enters the chart at #48.

Other albums showing double-digit increases are WB’s Linkin Park (#48-43, +12%), Columbia/CRG’s Jessica Simpson (#27, +11%) and Lavigne (+10%).

Next week, look for chart debuts from UME’s star-studded Now 16, Victory’s emo rulers Taking Back Sunday, Steve Rifkind’s SRC/Universal rap group Terror Squad, featuring Fat Joe, and Atlantic’s Pop Rhythm Kevin Lyttle.

Adds Hawkins: "The new Now 16 has a very strong line-up and should do big numbers. Whaddaya mean the William Hung single isn't on there?"

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