BOSS NOT AT A LOSS FOR MAGIC

Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band pull a sales rabbit out of their hat, with a #1 debut and 328k in sales for their first Columbia album together since 2002’s The Rising.

The Boss is one of five newcomers to the HITS Album Sales chart Top 10, with Lyric Street’s Rascal Flatts the only holdover in the Top 5, dropping from #1 to #2 with 162k.

Atlantic’s Matchbox Twenty is up next at #3 with 129k, followed by Interscope Dirty South rapper Soulja Boy at #3 with 118k and Capitol R&B crooner J. Holiday, riding the smash hit “Bed” to a #5 debut and 103k. Arista/RMG's Annie Lennox is the other debut in the Top 10 at #9.

Roc-A-Fella/IDJ’s Kanye West (#6), Geffen’s Keyshia Cole (#7), MCA Nashville’s Reba McEntire (#8) and Walt Disney Records’ hardy perennial High School Musical 2 (#10) round out the Top 10.

The next five slots are all occupied by chart bows, including Atlantic’s Trey Songz (#11), Warner Bros.’ Faith Hill hits album (#12), Arista Nashville’s Brooks & Dunn (#13), Fantasy’s John Fogerty (#14) and Vagrant’s Dashboard Confessional (#15).

Legacy/Columbia’s Bob Dylan greatest hits collection (#33) and Sub Pop’s Iron & Wine (#46) are the other debuts.

Disney Records’ Hannah Montana 2 (#21, +7%) and High School Musical (#48-40, +6%) soundtracks are the week’s leading positive gainers, followed by Universal Republic’s Colbie Caillat (#23, +5%), Island/Mercury Nashville’s Sugarland (#47-43, +3%) and Interscope’s Across the Universe (#28, +1%).

Hitting the street today and the HITS Albums chart next week are Columbia’s J. Lo, Atlantic’s Kid Rock, Curb’s LeAnn Rimes, Flawless/Geffen’s Puddle of Mudd and She Wants Revenge, Nickelodeon/Columbia’s Naked Brothers Band, WB’s Eric Clapton greatest hits, Universal Republic’s Alter Bridge and Murder Inc./Universal Motown’s Vanessa Carlton.