RED HOT IN THE BLACK

The Red Hot Chili Peppers retained enough sizzle to return to the #1 slot on this week’s HITS Top 50 with a total of 156k.

That was more than enough to beat back the chart’s biggest debut, Asylum/Atlantic’s original soundtrack to the direct-to-DVD release of Killa Season, featuring top rapper Cam’ron, which bowed at #2 with 113k in sales, giving WMG the top two slots.

Blackground/Universal Motown’s boy band/reality TV grad Ashley Parker Angel was the other newcomer to the Top 5, debuting at #5 behind Volcano/Zomba’s Tool (#3) and Walt Disney Records’ High School Musical (#4).

White Stripes ruler Jack White and singer-songwriter pal Brendan Benson’s The Raconteurs showed some real strength for their V2 album, debuting at #7 with 62k in sales, just behind Lyric Street’s Rascal Flatts (#6) and ahead of UTV’s Now 21 (#8). Jive/ZLG’s Nick Lachey (#9) and J Records’ Pearl Jam (#10) round out the Top 10.

Other chart newcomers include Island/IDJ’s Hoobastank (#11) and Def Jam/IDJ’s Christina Milian (#12), while Universal’s Blue October re-entered at #47 on the heels of radio airplay for “Hate Me.”

Several albums showed upward chart mobility, including Downtown/Atlantic’s Gnarls Barkley (#23-14), Def Jam/IDJ’s Rihanna (#20-15, on the strength of the hit single, “S.O.S.”), Roadrunner/IDJ’s Nickelback (#29-21), Fueled by Ramen’s Panic! at the Disco (#46-31) and Epic’s The Fray (#45-36).

Next week, look for Open Wide/Columbia’s Dixie Chicks to reach 400k, with an outside shot at 450k, followed by Walt Disney Records’ limited edition High School Musical (125-150k), Geffen’s Angels and Airwaves, the offshoot group of Blink-182’s Tom DeLonge (75k-100k), RCA’s American Idols compilation (85-100k) and Maverick/WB’s Wreckers, a country-rock project featuring Michele Branch (65-70k).