NOW IS NO. 1

The Now franchise may be on the decline in the post-iTunes era, but UMe’s 30th installment of the hits series has enough support to land at #1 on the HITS album chart, with almost 150k in total sales.

That’s enough to top Disney’s Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack, which bows at #2 with almost 140k, although the actual film doesn’t open until a week from Friday (4/10). For Airhead’s exclusive take on the marketing rollout, click here.

Following the lone remaining holdover from last week’s Top 5, Chop Shop/Atlantic’s Twilight soundtrack at #3 and up another 32% with 103k, both Mosley/Interscope’s Keri Hilson (#4) and Legacy’s multi-format reissue of Pearl Jam’s classic Ten (#5) debut on the leader board.

For the second time this year, that gives us three six-figure sellers on the HITS Top 50.

Other Top 10 newcomers include Geffen’s Papa Roach (#9) and RCA Nashville’s Martina McBride (#10), while Interscope’s U2 (#6), RCA/RMG’s Kelly Clarkson (#7) and Interscope’s Lady GaGa (#8) round out the big chart playas.

Hats off to Jimmy Iovine’s Team IGA for scoring four in the Top 10, including two debuts.

There were a slew of new chart entries, including Columbia’s Jim Jones (#12), Universal Motown’s Blue October (#14), Reprise’s Mastodon (#15), Warner Bros. Nashville’s John Rich (#16), E1 Music’s Slim Thug (#18), Disney’s Yanni (#19), Capitol Nashville’s Eric Church (#20), Integrity/Columbia’s Israel Houghton (#25), Vanguard’s Indigo Girls (#30) and UMe’s Now Power Ballads (#31).

Thanks to an appearance on Dancing with the Stars and the Target circular, Grammy-winning Best New Artist Adele’s 19 jumped #41-22, +108%. Other double-digit gainers include Capitol artists The Decemberists, whose rock fable The Hazards of Love made its physical debut after a week-long iTunes digital exclusive, up 22%, as are Atlantic’s Jason Mraz (#28, +11%) and Roadrunner’s Theory of a Deadman (#41, +10%).

Next week’s front-runner for #1 is Capitol Nashville’s Keith Urban, with other new chart releases on tap from Verve’s Diana Krall, Jive’s UGK, Columbia’s Bow Wow, Victory’s Silverstein, Atlantic’s Flo Rida and Interscope’s Yeah Yeah Yeahs.