REBA COOLS IT!

With the Michael Jackson effect cooling down, this week, we get the second consecutive chart-topping debut by a country artist. Last week, it was George Strait, and now it’s Reba McEntire’s turn.

The veteran Country crooner enters at #1 with Keep on Loving You, her first album for Scott Borchetta’s Big Machine imprint Valory, with 95k in sales.

Michael Jackson’s Number Ones remains at #2, with almost 70k, followed by Strait’s MCA Nashville album Twang at #3, boasting 60k in sales. Jackson’s Essential also remains ensconced in the Top 10, at #9.

The week’s next-highest debut at #4 is Third Eye Blind’s left-field smash Ursa Major, a release on their own Megacollider label through RED, which scared up more than 50k, almost a third of them on iTunes, with the $3.99 Amazon deal fueling sales. A shout-out to both Bob Morelli's RED machine and indie label Megaforce Records for its marketing, promotion and financing of the album.

RCA/RMG rock breakthrough Kings of Leon are up another 9% at #5, bringing their total sales over 1 million, with Interscope’s Black Eyed Peas behind them at #6.

Walt Disney’s Hannah Montana: The Movie soars #15-7 and a chart-leading +41%, thanks to the DVD release of the movie.

Columbia’s Neil Diamond CD/DVD Hot August Night NYC is next at #8, while Big Machine’s Taylor Swift rounds out the Top 10, now up over 3.7 million sold.

Atlantic’s Sean Paul leads the other chart newcomers, coming in at #14, followed by former Grammy Best New Artist nominee Ledisi’s Verve album Turn Me Loose (#17), Reprise art-rockers MuteMath (#22), Rock Ridge Music’s Sister Hazel (#45) and Windy City indie Victory’s OTEP (#50).

Columbia’s Beyonce (#43) and Mercury Nashville’s Billy Currington (#49) both re-enter, the latter thanks to a glowing on-air recommendation from David Letterman prior to a performance on the show.

The only other double-digit gainer is Capitol Nashville’s Keith Urban, moving #49-36, +11%.

Hitting retail this week and debuting next are Universal Republic’s Colbie Caillat, RCA’s Imogen Heap, Capitol’s LeToya, Domino/ADA’s Arctic Monkeys, Flavor Unit’s Queen Latifah, Blue Note’s Willie Nelson, Lakeshore/RED’s Fame soundtrack, Universal Motown’s Ingrid Michaelson, Loud & Proud/Roadrunner’s Collective Soul and Hollywood’s Love & Theft.