KID ROCKS CHART WITH JESUS

Fresh from his battle for the honor of Pamela Anderson (more than she’d ever do, as Groucho would say), Atlantic’s Kid Rock captures the #1 spot on this week’s HITS Album Sales chart with a one-week total of 163k for his Rock N Roll Jesus.

That’s more than enough to overtake Bruce Springsteen’s one-week reign at the top spot, as Columbia’s superstar drops to #2 with Magic totaling 121k in sales.

Lyric Street’s Rascal Flatts is just shy of 100k, good for #3, which Still Feels Good to the country-rockers. Family, from Curb’s grown-up country sweetheart LeAnn Rimes, enters at #4 with 74k, just ahead of Roc-A-Fella/IDJ’s Grammy front-runner Kanye West at #5 with 72k.

MCA Nashville’s Reba McEntire is #6, followed by the debut from SBMG Nashville’s Sara Evans at #7, Walt Disney Records’ High School Musical 2 at #8, Reprise’s Josh Groban Christmas album Noel bowing at #9 and Atlantic’s Matchbox Twenty at #10.

For those keeping track, that gives Country three of the Top 10.

Other chart newcomers include Epic’s Jennifer Lopez (#11), Universal Republic’s Creed spinoff Alter Bridge (#13), Reprise’s Eric Clapton greatest hits companion to his autobiography (#14), Nickelodeon/Columbia’s Naked Brothers Band (#21), Flawless/Geffen’s Puddle of Mudd (#27), Sub Pop indie fave Band of Horses (#44), The Inc./Universal Motown’s Vanessa Carlton (#46) and Columbia Nashville’s Van Zant (#49).

Interscope’s Across the Universe soundtrack is the week’s biggest double-digit gainer, moving #28-20, up 33%, trailed by Universal Republic’s Colbie Caillat (#23-16, +28%), Interscope’s Timbaland (#30, +14%) and Hollywood’s Jonas Brothers (#37, +12%).

This week, Arista releases Ultimate Santana, with Grammy and Idol-winning Carrie Underwood waiting in the wings for Oct. 23, along with Columbia prog-rockers Coheed & Cambria.