LINKIN PARKS AT THE TOP WITH 625K

Not this week, as WB’s rap-rockers debut at #1 on the HITS Top 50 Album chart with their Rick Rubin-produced Minutes to Midnight, boasting the year’s largest first-week sales total to date, 625k.

That dwarfs the year’s previous best, Norah Jones’ Blue Note album, Not Too Late, which sold some 418k albums on its release back in February. It’s the biggest rock release since Avril Lavigne’s Arista/RMG album, Best Damn Thing, which bowed with 289k in sales last month.

Blackstreet/Universal Motown’s smoove R&B singer Tank’s Sex, Love & Pain debuted at #2 with 105k in sales. Nonesuch/Atlantic critical alterna-darlings Wilco rode an impressive iTunes showing to a #4 bow, with 75k in sales, while Columbia Nashville’s Gretchen Wilson (#5) and Megadeth’s Roadrunner debut, United Abominations (#8), are the other Top 10 newcomers.

Holdovers include last week’s #1, Reprise crooner Michael Buble (#3), Lavigne (#6), Def Jam’s Ne-Yo (#7), RCA/RMG’s Daughtry (#9) and Interscope’s Bone Thugs-N-Harmony (#10).

Other newcomers include Rufus Wainwright’s new Geffen CD, Release the Stars (#28), Geffen’s Shrek the Third soundtrack (#46) and Metal Blade’s Job for a Cowboy album (#50).

Universal Republic’s scorching diva Amy Winehouse (#12, +6%) and Big Machine country heartthrob Taylor Swift (#13, +7%) both show upward mobility, while Island’s Fall Out Boy (#43-34) sports the biggest chart jump.

In addition, Idol alum Elliott Yamin’s self-titled debut on Sony/ATV’s Hickory label re-enters at #18, thanks to his performance on last week's edition of the hit Fox program. John Mayer’s Columbia album, The Village Sessions EP, released exclusively to indie retailers several months ago, enters the chart at #29, thanks to now being available digitally.

Next week, look for A&M/Octone’s multiplatinum stars Maroon 5 to debut in the Top 2 with its much-anticipated sophomore album, It Won’t Be Soon Before Long, while Epic metal god Ozzy Osbourne’s Black Rain (which includes two free tickets to Ozzfest) looks right now like a lock for the top 5.