THE EAGLES FLY TO TOP OF CHART

Despite that other chart’s initial refusal to recognize the Eagles’ sales feat this week, HITS has decided that the band’s Long Road Out of Eden album should be #1 on our Top 50, easily outdistancing Britney Spears’ Jive/ZLG effort Blackout.

According to Wal-Mart, the band’s first all-new studio album since 1979’s The Long Run sold 707,253 copies exclusively at the retailer’s outlets nationwide.

Britney’s new album is one of six newcomers to the Top 10, with a total of 290k, good for #2.

WB’s Avenged Sevenfold (#4), MCA Nashville’s Josh Turner (#5), Jive/ZLG’s Backstreet Boys (#6) and Decca’s Andrea Bocelli greatest hits album (#9) are the other new Top 10 entries.

If you’re counting, that gives ZLG’s Team Weiss two out of the top six in Britney and the Backstreets.

The only holdovers to the Top 10 are Arista Nashville’s Carrie Underwood (#2), Rounder’s Robert Plant and Alison Krauss (#7), Reprise’s Josh Groban (#8) and Lyric Street’s Rascal Flatts (#10).

Other debuts are registered by Red Ink rockers (and Tool leader Maynard James Keenan's solo project) Puscifer’s elegantly titled V is for Vagina (#31), despite being banned from several major retail chains, Def Jam/IDJ’s Playaz Circle (#33), Arista/RMG’s Baby Bash (#35) and Koch’s Project Pat (#45).

Hollywood’s Jonas Brothers lead the double-digit gainers for the week, rising #43-20 with an 84% boost, thanks to the relase of the "Jonas Bonus" deluxe edition along with their appearance on the Hannah Montana tour and a spate of TV performances. In addition, American Gramophone’s holiday perennial Mannheim Steam-roller is up #45-34, with a 44% boost.

Next week, Roc-A-Fella/IDJ’s Jay-Z, Jive/ZLG’s Chris Brown and Pearl/Big Machine's Garth Brooks will all be vying for the top spot.