KING OF POP RULES OVER CHARTS

Jackson’s Epic/Sony Legacy collection Number Ones tops this week’s chart with 337k, with a remarkable 225k from Wal-Mart stores alone, while Thriller lands at #3 (165k) and Essential at #5 (122k).

In all, a total of six Jackson albums hit the Top 50, including Off the Wall (#11), Dangerous (#22) and Bad (#28).

Sony Music’s Now 31 is the week’s top debut at #2, with 168k, followed by Arista Nashville’s Brad Paisley (#4), with 130k, giving Rolf Schmidt-Holtz's SME every one of the Top 5 albums this week.

Atlantic’s Rob Thomas (#6), Nonesuch’s Wilco (#7), Def Jam/IDJ’s Jeremih (#9) and Roadrunner’s Killswitch Engage (#10) round out the new entries, with Interscope’s Black Eyed Peas the only other holdover outside of Michael at #8.

Other chart newcomers include Def Jam/IDJ’s Ace Hood (#26), Atlantic rapper Maino (#32), Mute’s Moby (#36), 19/RCA/RMG’s American Idol Season 8 (#39), Sony Music’s Now 80s, Vol. 2 (#42) and Koch Urban’s Wu-Tang (#50).

Aside from Jackson, the double-digit gainers for the week include a slew of Country titles benefiting from July 4 and Wal-Mart store traffic in Atlantic’s Zac Brown Band (#21, +10%), Broken Bow’s Jason Aldean (#23, +14%), Capitol Nashville’s Darius Rucker (#29, +16%) and Lady Antebellum (#34, +11%), as well as LaFace/JLG’s Pink (#38, +10%) and Interscope’s Keri Hilson (#47, +12%).

Next week, look for a robust chart debut for Columbia’s Maxwell, who seems to be gaining from the Michael Jackson spillover effect, and Disney’s Hannah Montana 3 soundtrack.