GREEN DAY’S IDIOT WIN

The band’s new Reprise album, American Idiot, a punk opera no less, climbs to #1 this week on the HITS Top 50, with more than 270k in sales. Their last studio album, Warning, entered at #2 back in Oct. 2000, with 170k in first-week sales.

Said Launch Head of Label Relations Jay Frank, after denying his informal Internet findings show Ralph Nader leading the presidential race, commented: "Green Day debuting at #1 is an affirmation of the wide appeal this band still has. Launch’s ‘Artist of the Month’ promotion with the band has been viewed by everyone from pre-teens to their parents and beyond and has made it one of our most successful promotions this year."

Capitol Nashville country hunk Keith Urban (#3) and Epic rockers Chevelle (#6) are the other Top 10 newcomers.

The rest of the Top 10 includes Fo’ Reel/Universal holdover Nelly (with Suit at #2, Sweat at #4), Curb’s Tim McGraw (#5), Concord’s Ray Charles (#7), UTV’s Now Vol. 16 (#8), Geffen’s Ashlee Simpson (#9) and Octone/J/RMG’s Maroon 5 (#10).

Other chart bows are registered by Century Media metallers Shadows Fall (#16), Geffen’s John Fogerty (#22), Geffen’s Shark Tale soundtrack (#40) and Lost Highway/IDJ’s Elvis Costello (#46).

Cash Money/Universal’s Lil’ Wayne leads the week-to-week gainers with an 8% rise (#46-43), followed by Geffen’s Guns N’ Roses (#28), Capitol’s Yellowcard (#29) and Columbia/CRG’s Switchfoot (#33), all up 6%. Island/IDJ’s The Killers (#26) rises 5%, while RCA/RMG’s Velvet Revolver (#27) and J Records/RMG’s Alicia Keys (#32) are both up 2%.

Next week, a slew of new releases will be headed up by Lyric Street’s country-rockers Rascal Flatts and Hollywood’s teenpop idol Hilary Duff, with Reprise’s The Used, Rawkus rapper Talib Kweli, Matador’s indie darlings Interpol, Nonesuch’s Brian Wilson SmiLE album and S-Curve’s Joss Stone, all looking to debut in the Top 50.