DYLAN’S KNOCKING ON #1

Bob Dylan’s 33rd studio album, Together Through Life, for longtime label Columbia, bows at #1 on this week’s HITS Album sales tally, sporting a total of 121k. It also debuted at #1 in the U.K., the first of his releases to do so since 1970’s New Morning, which represents a real feather in the hat for Sony Music ruler Rob Stringer and label President Steve Barnett.

The bard’s previous album, Modern Times, debuted at #1 in Sept. 2006, with a total of 192k. It was the first LP in Dylan’s long career to bow at #1, and his first chart-topper since Desire back in 1976.

Walt Disney’s Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack remains at #2, with a one-week total of 85k, while last week’s chart-topping Rick Ross album on Def Jam/IDJ drops to #3 with 52k.

Lyric Street’s Rascal Flatts (#4) and Interscope’s resilient Lady GaGa (#5) round out the leader board.

The week’s other top debut is Rhino’s Heaven & Hell, a heavy metal supergroup of current and former Black Sabbath members, including Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler, along with ex-cohorts Ronnie James Dio and Vinny Appice—which bows at #8.

Chop Shop/Atlantic’s Twilight soundtrack (#6), UMe’s Now 30 (#7), Big Machine’s Taylor Swift (#9) and Roadrunner’s Nickelback (#10) complete the Top 10.

Strange Music’s Kansas City rap legend Tech N9ne (#11) leads a group of newcomers that includes Asylum/Atlantic’s Mike Jones (#14), Hear Music’s Playing for Change benefit album, Songs Around the World (#22), Machete Music’s Don Omar (#28), Arista/SBMG Nashville’s Jason Michael Carroll (#29) and Verve’s Melody Gardot (#40).

J Records/RMG’s dual threat Jamie Foxx rides his huge hit, “Blame It,” and an American Idol mentoring appearance to the week’s biggest double-digit increase, moving his album, Intuition, #27-16, +47%.

Other double-digit gains are registered by Atlantic’s Shinedown (#39, +18%), LaFace/JLG’s Pink (#34, +14%), Atlantic’s Zac Brown Band (#20, +12%) and Interscope’s Keri Hilson (#17-13, +11%).

Next week’s chart debuts will include LaFace/JLG diva Ciara and Island/IDJ’s Chrisette Michele.