AMOS RINGS THE BELL

Citigroup has its first #1 album. With its deal for EMI Music closing this morning, the bankers are toasting themselves with the chart-topping debut of veteran Blue Note singer-songwriter Amos Lee’s Mission Bell, and its first-week total of 41k.

Those sales represent a personal high for Lee, whose previous high through three albums was 16k.

It’s also the second week in a row at #1 for Team Capitol, which saw The Decemberists’ The King Is Dead bow there last Tuesday.

Give credit to a comprehensive set-up that included Lee performing this week on the Tonight Show and Ellen; several NPR pieces, including All Things Considered and World Café, listening parties at MSN and AOL, a Starbucks pick of the week and a much-Tweeted American Idol performance by hopeful Scott Dangerfield of Lee’s “Dreamin’.”

Young Money/Cash Money/Universal Motown hip-hop diva Nicki Minaj takes advantage of her SNL appearance to go #10-2, with nearly 40k, a rise of almost 50%.

Jive/JLG’s Grammy Nominees 2011 debuts at #3, while Glassnote’s resurgent Grammy hopefuls Mumford & Sons (#12-4, +35%) and New Elektra’s Bruno Mars (#5) round out the leader board.

Warner Bros.’ indie faves Iron & Wine make their major label debut with Kiss Each Other Clean entering at #6, with the other Top 10 newcomer Machete Music Puerto Rican reggaeton duo Wisin Y Yandel breaking in at #8.

Big Machine’s Taylor Swift (#7), Capitol/EMI’s The Decemberists (#9) and Razor & Tie’s Kidz Bop Kids (#10) complete the Top 10 holdovers.

Other Top 50 debuts go to Blacksmith/Javotti/3D’s Talib Kweli (#47) and Show Dog’s Joe Nichols (#48), while Universal Republic Nashville’s The Band Perry (#34) and Columbia’s Train (#39) both re-enter.

Others that gain more than 20% this week include Capitol Nashville’s Lady Antebellum (#22-18, +42%), LaFace/JLG’s P!nk (14-11, +31%), Island/IDJ’s Justin Bieber (#37-25, +30%), Warner Bros’ Linkin Park (#50-40, +29%), Geffen’s Keyshia Cole (#44-36, +25%) and Nonesuch’s Black Keys (#20-17, +21%).

Hitting stores today are J/RMG’s Rod Stewart Best of American Songbook, Sony Music Latin’s Ricky Martin and Sensibility Music's The Civil Wars, currently #1 at iTunes.