BLIGE BOWS BIG; GROBAN STAYS ON TOP FOR FIFTH WEEK

We know it’s the day the baby Jesus was born, but we figured you’re still interested in the HITS Album Sales chart.

Based on our figures, Josh Groban will once again be #1 this week, with 774k, adding to his total as the year’s top-selling album. That makes it five weeks in a row for those of you counting.

Mary J. Blige’s Geffen release, Growing Pains, will debut at #2, with an impressive 640k in sales.

Alicia Key’s J Records album As I Am and The Eagles are the holiday season's other big winners, with the former at #3, scoring 516k in sales and the latter’s Long Road Out of Eden cranking out another 324k, good for #4.

Disney’s Hannah Montana 2 and High School Musical 2 continue their reign, at #5 and #9, with 286k and 188k, respectively.

EMM’s Now 26 (#6, 239k), Arista Nashville crooner Carrie Underwood’s Carnival Ride (#7, 228k), Jive/ZLG phenom Chris Brown’s Exclusive (#8, 189k) and debuting Atlantic R&B star Jaheim (#10, 185k) will round out this week’s Top 10.

Atlantic rapper Lupe Fiasco appears the other chart newcomer at #15.

Big Machine country crossover teen Taylor Swift (#11), Lyric Street country rockers Rascal Flatts’ Still Feels Good (#12), Pearl Records’ Garth Brooks (#13), Columbia’s Celine Dion (#14), Rhino/Atlantic’s Led Zeppelin hits compilation Mothership (#16), Universal Republic’s Colbie Caillat (#17), American Gramaphone/Fontana’s holiday perennial Mannheim Steamroller (#18), resurgent Island/Mercury Nashville act Sugarland’s Enjoy the Ride and Hollywood Records’ Jonas Brothers (#20) all appear headed over the 100k mark on the briskest sales week of the year.