ALL HAIL THE QUEEN

With no warning, tease or other preamble whatsoever, Columbia delivered the new, self-titled "visual album" from Beyoncé directly to iTunes, smashing the e-tailer’s one-week record in three days with a dazzling 618k, which naturally places her at #1 on the HITS Album Sales Chart by a country mile.

With a lavish physical package coming at week’s end (as well as an unbundling that will enable consumers to buy individual tracks), Queen Bey’s sales story is just beginning.

Meanwhile, the rising holiday tide is lifting many boats. Garth Brooks’ priced-to-move Walmart-only box would’ve been the chart-topper had the above blitzkrieg not occurred, but he gets second place with 158k (+12%). #3 is RCA’s Kelly Clarkson, who continues to ramp up as Xmas approaches, garnering 137k (+26%). Her labelmate R. Kelly’s charmingly titled Black Panties bows at #4 with 130k (his 2012 set, Write Me Back, opened with 68k and has sold 253k RTD). SYCO/Columbia’s One Direction rounds out the Top 5 with 121k (+10%).

Glassnote’s Childish Gambino, whose because the internet bows at #7 with 94k, is the Top 10’s only other debut; it’s an impressive jump over the rapper/actor/comedian’s prior release, 2011’s Camp, which bowed with 52k.

Of the chart’s other veterans, EMI Nashville’s The Robertsons continue to hunt up sales, holding steady with 109k and #6; Shady/Aftermath/Interscope’s Eminem adds 2% and 83k for #8; Capitol’s Katy Perry is the Top 20’s greatest gainer with 63k (a tidy 31% boost) and the #9 spot; Disney’s Frozen ST increases 15% with 57k to finish up the Top 10.

Verve’s Mary J. Blige is down just 2% with 50k for #11; Capitol Nashville’s Luke Bryan nabs 48k for #12 (+29%); #13 Florida Georgia Line (Republic Nashville) climbs 22% with 48k; Republic’s Lorde is up 24% at #16 with 44k; SYCO/Columbia’s Susan Boyle is feeling the Yuletide rush with a 27% spike with 44k, good for #17; and KidinaKorner/Interscope’s Imagine Dragons ascend 25% and grab the #19 spot with 33k.

Streeting this week is … well, us. By which we mean we are running out into the street right now.