CHRISTINA’S BACK AT #1

Aguilera easily tops the HITS’ album chart this week, with an impressive 355k sales total, more than enough to beat back the other four debuts in the Top 5.

Sony Urban/Columbia R&B singer Lyfe Jennings’ The Phoenix rises to #2 with 137k, followed by Capitol Nashville country crooner Trace Adkins’ Dangerous Man at #3 with 107k, Sho’Nuff/Capitol sister soul foursome Cherish’s Unappreciated at #4 with 91k and Walt Disney Records’ Cheetah Girls 2 soundtrack landing at #5 with 80k.

Shady/Interscope Eminem posse member Obie Trice’s Second Round’s on Me is the only other newcomer to the Top 10 at #7.

Holdovers include Sony Music Group’s Now 22 at #6, last week’s chart-topper Def Jam/IDJ’s Rick Ross at #8, LaFace/ZLG’s Step Up soundtrack at #9 (+12%) and Roadrunner/IDJ’s Nickelback still going strong at #10 (+15%).

The only other chart newcomer is New Line’s Snakes on a Plane soundtrack (#43), while Virgin’s KT Tunstall (#45), Custard/Atlantic’s James Blunt (#48) and A&M/Interscope’s Snow Patrol (#50) re-enter.

Josh Turner’s MCA Nashville album Your Man was the week’s highest gainer, moving #26-17 with a whopping 30% boost, followed by Capitol’s Corinne Bailey Rae, sporting an impressive 18% increase at #31, and Universal Republic’s Hinder, continuing upward with a 14% rise at #19.

One additional note: Busta Rhymes’ Aftermath/Interscope album The Big Bang was up 3%, even with the rapper’s well-publicized beat-down of a fan on the west side of Manhattan. Or maybe because of it, though he’s certainly minus one potential record buyer.

Next week, the decks are clear for the chart debut of LaFace/ZLG rap icons OutKast’s eagerly anticipated Idlewild soundtrack, which hit stores Tuesday in advance of the movie’s Friday opening.