NOW AND FOREVER

Nothing like a few hits to put some window dressing on a chart that otherwise has placed a chill in the summer heat.

Sony Music Group’s Now 22 sells another 214k, following last week’s 388k, to top the gold mark in its second week. Now that’s what we call business. When’s Now 23 coming?

Epic’s Los Lonely Boys are the week’s top debut with their sophomore release, Sacred, which lands at #2, chalking up more than 62k in sales for the Latino-rock brothers. Curb’s country star Rodney Atkins was the other top finisher, bowing at #4 with If You’re Going Through Hell, which may well describe weather conditions in the heat-soaked San Fernando Valley.

Downtown/Atlantic’s Gnarls Barkley continue their “Crazy” ways, as St. Elsewhere climbs to #3 with an impressive 55k in sales, bringing the total close to 600k.

Lyric Street’s Rascal Flatts climb into the Top 5 as Me and My Gang soars over 2.1 million, making Buena Vista Music Group boss Bob Cavallo one happy Disney exec, with High School Musical still going strong at #6. Flatts are up 4% while Musical shows a 5% increase over the previous week.

The rest of the Top 10 includes Geffen’s Nelly Furtado (#7), Def Jam/IDJ’s Rihanna (#8), A&M’s Pussycat Dolls (#9) and Open Wide/Monument/Columbia’s Dixie Chicks (#10).

Virgin alternarockers Red Jumpsuit Apparatus (#25) and Capitol Nashville’s Eric Church (#33) are the other two chart newcomers.

Roadrunner’s Nickelback (#25-14, +13%), Universal Republic’s Hinder (#33-26, +16%) and Show Dog Nashville/Universal’s Toby Keith (#40-32, +12%) are the week’s double-digit gainers.

Next week, there’s some relief in sight, as Capitol soul diva/ex-Destiny’s Child member LeToya and Star Trak/Interscope’s Pharrell will vie for #1 on the HITS Top 50 album chart, with American/WB’s Tom Petty also in the loop.