WE KID YOU NOT!: ROCK REPEATS

Atlantic’s Kid Rock returns to #1 this week with the lowest October chart-topping total in modern history as Rock N Roll Jesus scores 74k in sales to edge Columbia’s Bruce Springsteen, whose Magic is just behind at 73k.

If only the industry could pull a rabbit out of its hat.

Lyric Street’s Rascal Flatts is third with 70k, just ahead of the week’s top debut, Interscope emo-rockers Jimmy Eat World’s Chase This Light, which scores 66k.

Reprise crooner Josh Groban’s Noel is next with 63k, followed by MCA Nashville’s Reba McEntire (#6) and Walt Disney Records’ High School Musical 2 (#7).

The week’s other Top 10 debut, Santana’s Arista/RMG greatest hits Ultimate Santana, lands at #8.

Roc-A-Fella/IDJ’s Kanye West (#9) and Universal Republic’s surging Colbie Caillat (#10, up 18%) round out the leader board.

Other Top 50 newcomers include Vagrant’s Thrice (#24) while Columbia jazz trumpeter Chris Botti (#42) re-enters on the strength of a Target flyer.

Caillat leads the double-digit gainers, which also include Interscope’s Across the Universe soundtrack (#20-14, +17%) and the label’s teenage crunkster Soulja Boy (#19-15, +14%), Capitol’s J. Holiday (#26-17, +18%) and Island/Mercury Nashville’s Sugarland (#42-33, +10%).

Among the albums that hit retail today are next week’s inevitable chart-topper, Arista’s Carrie Underwood, as well as Columbia’s Coheed & Cambria, Reprise’s Serj Tankian, Wind-up’s Seether, J’s emo conceptualists Say Anything and RCA’s Hurricane Chris.

Next Tuesday, Halloween promises some tricks, treats and razor-blade apples in Jive/ZLG’s Britney Spears and Backstreet Boys, Wal-Mart’s The Eagles and MCA Nashville’s Josh Turner. Now that’s scary.