JUNO BUSTS OUT

Juno, Rhino’s little soundtrack that could, rides a wave of Oscar buzz and a box office bonanza to climb to #1 on this week’s HITS album chart. This could start a whole wave of Moldy Peaches-mania.

Of course, it only takes 72k to reach the top these days, but who’s counting?

Well, we are.

In fact, that total is enough to top a pair of soulful divas in J/RMG’s Alicia Keys, with As I Am remaining at #2, scoring 70k in sales, followed by Geffen’s Mary J. Blige, whose Growing Pains grows another 64k copies at #3.

Last week’s chart-topper, tbd/ATO’s Radiohead album, In Rainbows, finds enough gold in the pot to land at #4, while Big Machine’s self-titled Taylor Swift rounds out the Top 5.

Last year at this time, Columbia/Sony Music Soundtrax’s Dreamgirls topped the chart for two consecutive weeks, with 66k and 60k, the lowest #1 sales total in modern history.

EMM’s Now 26 (#6), Jive/ZLG’s Chris Brown (#7), Razor & Tie’s surprise smash Alvin & the Chipmunks soundtrack (#8), Geffen’s Keyshia Cole (#9) and A&M/Interscope’s Fergie (#10) complete the Top 10.

Top newcomers are Hear Music’s Sia (#28) and Geffen’s Kate Nash (#39). Canvasback/Columbia/Sony Music Soundtrax’s Once soundtrack returns to the charts at #37, thanks to a Critic’s Choice award for Best Original Song last week, as does Capitol’s J. Holiday (#38), Def Jam’s The-Dream (#44) and Walt Disney’s Hannah Montana soundtrack (#45).

Aside from the Juno soundtrack, up a whopping 89%, the only titles showing positive momentum are Keyshia Cole and Epic’s Sara Bareilles (#27-18), both up 1%.

Among those making chart jumps are Island/Mercury Nashville’s Sugarland (#22-16), WB’s Linkin Park (#29-23), Roadrunner’s Nickelback (#32-27) and Interscope’s Timbaland (#45-40).

This week, hitting retail is Jive/ZLG’s Raheem Devaughn, Virgin’s Spice Girls (the regular street release after its Victoria's Secret exclusive) and Capitol’s Ringo Starr.