KEYS UNLOCKS #1

Coming off a scintillating American Music Awards perf, the J Records superstar provides plenty of reason for Clive Davis and company to give thanks with the year’s second-biggest debut week, with As I Am bowing at #1, scoring an impressive 723k in sales.

Only Kanye West’s Graduation has done better in 2007, with 930k in first-week sales back in September. Two weeks ago, the Eagles bowed on the HITS Top 50 with 707k.

Reprise’s Josh Groban catapults to #2 with Noel, up an amazing 90% to 229k.

Celine Dion makes her first album for Columbia a successful one as Taking Chances bows at #3 with 207k.

EMI’s Now 26 at #4 with 204k and Rhino/Atlantic’s Led Zeppelin Mothership compilation at #7 with 134k, are the week’s two other Top 10 newcomers.

Pearl Records’ Garth Brooks (#5), Wal-Mart’s exclusive Eagles album (#6), last week’s chart-topper, Roc-A-Fella/IDJ’s Jay-Z (#8), Arista Nashville’s Carrie Underwood (#9) and Jive/ZLG’s Chris Brown (#10) are the Top 10 holdovers.

All 10 albums sold more than 100k, and that’s the first time that’s occurred since, well, last year at this time.

Comedy Central’s Dane Cook finishes just below at #11, with Island’s The Killers (#12), Hear Music’s James Taylor (#18), Decca’s Boyz II Men (#27), WB’s Goo Goo Dolls (#32), Big Machine’s Trisha Yearwood (#34), WB’s Seal (#35), Disney’s Disney Channel Holiday (#37), Epic’s Duran Duran (#42) and Show Dog/Universal Nashville’s Toby Keith (#45) also bowing in the Top 50.

Double-digit gainers include American Gramaphone’s Fontana-distribbed Mannheim Steamroller (#25-17, +83%), Disney’s Hannah Montana 2 (#19-15, +54%), Decca’s Andrea Bocelli (#19, +37%), Disney’s High School Musical 2 (#13, +30%) and 1 (#44, +29%), Atlantic’s Matchbox Twenty (#41, +25%), Disney’s Hannah Montana (#47, +21%), Universal Republic’s Colbie Caillat (#20, +15%), Geffen’s Keyshia Cole (#26, +11%) and RCA/RMG’s triple AMA winner Daughtry (#48, +10%).

Hitting stores today and the charts next week with Black Friday in their sights are Jive/ZLG’s Idol winner Jordin Sparks, Capitol’s Keith Urban, Interscope’s OneRepublic, Roc-A-Fella/IDJ’s Freeway and Universal Republic’s release of the first Amy Winehouse album.