’SCOPE-ING THE TOP 10!!!

Eminem is not only a movie star, he’s dominating the record charts too, with two hit albums, giving Jimmy Iovine’s Interscope label group four entries in the Top 10.

Shady/Interscope/UMG Sdtrx’s 8 Mile spends its second week at #1, topping the debut from NSYNC’s Justin Timberlake on Jive (#2) and Interscope labelmates U2’s Best of 1990-2000 (#3), while The Eminem Show remains strong at #9.

Wherehouse’s Bob Bell put on his rubber gloves, grabbed the bleach and hacked off Ralphie’s head and hands before adding: "A huge breakthrough solo debut for Justin Timberlake, which would easily have been #1 in any normal week. But, of course, any week where there’s an Eminem record is not a normal week. This shows he’s a real artist who’s going to be around for a long time."

DGC’s Nirvana restrospective held at #7, making it the fourth Interscope Top 10 entry. The HITS list is rounded out by RCA’s Christina Aguilera (#4), Arista’s Santana (#5), WB’s Faith Hill (#6), Philips’ Andrea Bocelli debuting at #8 and RCA’s Dave Matthews Band, whose live album enters at #10, giving the Nipper a pair of Top 10s.

The Q4 release slate kicked into high gear this week, with 12 albums scoring more than 100k in sales, including WB’s Jaheim, debuting at #11, while Riviera’s Insane Clown Posse just missed the magic six-figure mark with 96k and a #13 bow.

Other chart debuts were scored by ATO/RCA’s David Gray (#17), Murder Inc./IDJ’s Irv Gotti Presents the Remixes (#26), Interscope’s Wallflowers (#28), Columbia/CRG’s Tony Bennett/k.d. lang (#30), Rounder/IDJ’s Alison Krauss (#34), Artemis’ Boston (#40), Beat Club/Interscope’s Ms. Jade (#43), J Records’ Deborah Cox (#45), Reprise’s Eric Clapton (#47) and Motown’s Brian McKnight (#48).

Added Bell: "We also saw very strong sales this week from U2, Dave Matthews, Insane Clown Posse and David Gray. The performance of the last several weeks of new releases has been very encouraging for the overall holiday season. Now will you please tell the chubby old man with the beard and the red suit to move away from the store entrance? He’s scaring away customers."

Double-digit increases in sales were registered by J’s Rod Stewart (11%) and Blue Note’s Norah Jones (11%), while the nationally televised CMAs boosted BNA’s Kenny Chesney (30%), DreamWorks Nashville’s Toby Keith (45%) and Arista Nashville’s top award-winner, Alan Jackson, who returned to the charts at #23.

Next week, it’s all about Elektra’s Missy Elliott, Roc-a-Fella/IDJ’s Jay-Z and Arista’s TLC, with debuts expected from Epic’s Pearl Jam, Republic/Universal’s 3 Doors Down, Island/IDJ’s Saliva, Atlantic’s Phil Collins and J’s O-Town.