HATS OFF TO GARTH

This is the time of the year when shoppers are in the stores, superstar records are hitting the shelves and turkeys are running scared. Laid out like a giant cornucopia—whatever that is—are this week's debuts in the Top 10...all five of 'em. Capitol Nashville's Chris Gaines, er, Garth Brooks is giving thanks, as his latest record bows on top with first-week sales of 472k.

"It was a definitely a fourth-quarter kind of week, with so many new records streeting. Garth came back in a big way," said Hastings' Mike Fuller, giving away the reason we call him for deep insight. "And Epic has run a great marketing campaign, getting Shakira to crossover to a mainstream audience with this one."

That's right, the Latin superstar is the big winner this week, debuting at #3 on sales of 206k. Said manager Freddy DeMann, "Yo tengo much calor, no?"

Garth and Shakira are joined in the Top Five by Jive's Britney (#2), Epic's Michael Jackson (#4) and Reprise's Enya (#5). Jackson stayed very strong, thanks in part to his well-watched CBS 30th Anniversary special.

Geffen's Rob Zombie debuted at #7, proving that any day is a good hair day when you sell 150k records. Two Warner Music Group debuts, Madonna's second greatest-hits on Warner Bros. and Atlantic's Jewel (at #8 and #9, respectively), combined with the still-strong Enya, giving WMG three ladies in the Top 10.

Next week, as the holiday-shopping frenzy kicks into overdrive—hopefully—retailers expect a messianic fervor for Wind-up's Creed, with Virgin's turn on the "Now" series, Now Vol. 8, Arista's Pink and Lava/Atlantic's Kid Rock also expecting a good chunk of post-tryptophan-ingestion spending.