INCUBUS’ EPIC BOW!

Epic Calabasas rockers Incubus debut at #1 with their sixth studio effort, logging in a total of 169k in sales, good enough to beat back RCA Idol Daughtry’s self-titled album, which notched nearly 150k in its second week for #2.

Sony Label Group’s Now 23 compilation gives SBMG two of the top three, just ahead of Disney’s Hannah Montana soundtrack, up to #4, its148k in sales a little more than 300 behind.

Last week’s chart-topping Roc-A-Fella/IDJ Jay-Z Kingdom Come album is off more than 80% at #5, followed by Apple/Capitol’s Beatles Love mash-up at #6 and Arista/RMG’s surging Sarah McLachlan holiday song collection at #7. The Top 10 is rounded out by SRC/Universal Motown’s Akon (#8), Sony Label Group’s Now Christmas Vol. 3 (#9) and 143/Reprise’s Josh Groban (#10).

StarTrak/Jive/ZLG’s Virginia rappers Clipse have the week’s highest chart bow outside the Top 10 with Hell Hath No Fury. Other Top 50 newcomers include holiday-oriented discs such as Fantasy recording artist Vince Guaraldi’s A Charlie Brown Christmas (#30), Columbia legend Bette Midler’s Cool Yule (#35) and Columbia’s Il Divo Christmas Collection (#39). TVT crunkmeister generals Ying Yang Twins debut at #49, with re-entries from Reprise’s J.J. Cale/Eric Clapton (#45) and MCA Nashville’s Josh Turner (#46).

With Christmas titles leading the way, Top 10 entries McLachlan (+24%) and Now Christmas Vol. 3 (+26%) are both up in double-digits, as are Columbia’s James Taylor holiday disc (#40-19, +36%), Decca’s Andrea Bocelli (#44-23, +40%), Lava’s Trans-Siberian Orchestra (#41-28, +18% and #48-36, +31%) and RCA’s Christina Aguilera (#49-34, +36%).

Look for Interscope’s Gwen Stefani and Eminem Presents the Re-Ups, LaFace/ZLG’s Ciara, Geffen’s Mos Def and Sony Urban/Columbia’s Dreamgirls soundtrack to hit the streets in time for next week’s chart.

RCA’s Idol winner Taylor Hicks and Def Jam’s Young Jeezy are among the records going on retail shelves a week from today (12/12).