ADAM LAMBERT IDOLS AT #1

Adam Lambert, who finished second in the eighth season of the Fox music competition to champion Kris Allen, sees his sophomore 19/RCA album, Trespassing, debut at #1 on this week’s HITS chart, selling nearly 78k.

XL/Columbia chanteuse Adele’s 21 remains steady at #2, adding another 60k to a total that is now at 9.14 million and counting.

Lambert’s fellow Idol contestant, 19/Arista Nashville country star Carrie Underwood’s Blown Away, slips from #1 last week to #3, with 52k, giving her a three-week total of almost 450k.

Blue Note/EMI singer/songwriter Norah Jones’ Danger Mouse-produced Little Broken Hearts settles in at #4.

Columbia rock parodists Tenacious D—Jack Black and pal Kyle Gass—debut at #5 with Rize of the Fenix, one of four newcomers to the Top 10 along with Columbia’s Glee Cast: The Graduation Album (#7) and Sub Pop’s Baltimore dream-pop duo Beach House’s Bloom (#9).

Capitol/EMI’s Now 42 (#6), Mercury Nashville’s Lionel Richie (#8) and Syco/Columbia’s One Direction (#10) round out the leader board, giving Team Stringer/Barnett four of the Top 10 and Doug Morris’ Sony Music six of them.

Other new entries in the Top 50 include Starfaith’s Santana (#15), Stun Volume’s Garbage digital-only release (the physical comes out this week) Not Your Kind of People (#16), Legacy’s Willie Nelson (#19), Universal Republic’s Godsmack live set (#20), Mexican Summer’s L.A. indie hot shots Best Coast (#24), Razor & Tie’s Shadows Fall (#38), Strange Music’s Krizz Kaliko (#39), Universal Republic’s Lisa Marie Presley (#41) and Owl City EP (#47).

Columbia’s Music of Smash album is the week’s biggest double-digit gainer, moving #18-11, +34% on the strength of the NBC season finale.

Fueled by Ramen’s fun. (#40-27, +3%) is the Top 50’s only other positive gainer.

Columbia’s John Mayer tops this week’s release schedule along with Epic’s Sara Bareilles EP, Fair Trade/Columbia’s MercyMe, Dik Hayd/EMI’s Slash, WB’s Kimbra, 19/Interscope’s Haley Reinhart, 19/RCA’s Kris Allen, Cooking Vinyl’s The Cult and the physical release of Stun Volume’s Garbage.