MAY THE FIERCE BE WITH YOU

The Columbia Records superstar diva rides her two hit singles to a #1 debut on the HITS Album sales chart, racking up 505k for her double-CD set, I Am… Sasha Fierce.

Not a bad start for the most hectic retail week of the season, leading into Black Friday and the Thanksgiving weekend.

Roadrunner’s Nickelback ride the Dark Horse to #2, with 320k, followed by 19/RCA/RMG American Idol winner David Cook’s self-titled debut at #3 and Columbia’s natty crooners Il Divo, who show Promise with a #5 bow and 154k, giving label chief Steve Barnett and his gang two of this week’s Top 5 and three in the Top 10.

Last week’s chart-topper, Big Machine country princess Taylor Swift’s Fearless is the only holdover at #4.

Atlantic’s Twilight soundtrack (#6), UMe’s Now 29 ((#7), Disney’s High School Musical: Senior Year (#8), Reprise’s Enya (#9) and Columbia’s AC/DC Wal-Mart exclusive (#10) round out the Top 10.

Arista/RMG singer/songwriter Dido’s Safe Trip Home enters at #13, topping a list of chart newcomers that includes Epic’s Mudvayne (#16), Atlantic’s Zac Brown Band (#18), the Hollywood Records seasonal compilation All Wrapped Up (#24), Reprise’s Blake Shelton (#26), Legacy’s Elvis Presley Christmas Duets (#32), Def Jam’s Ace Hood (#34), Asylum/Atlantic’s Slim (#35) and RPM/SMEI’s Tony Bennett (#41).

Biggest gainer of the week is Warner Bros. Nashville’s Faith Hill (#24-14, +102%), followed by Hollywood’s Miley Cyrus (#46-25, +86%), Columbia’s Harry Connick Jr. (#47-44, +39%), J Records/RMG’s Leona Lewis (#48, +31%), Hollywood’s Jonas Brothers (#31-27, +22%), Sony Classical’s Yo-Yo Ma (#31, +20%), Provident/ Reunion’s Casting Crowns (#40, +12%) and Def Jam/IDJ’s Rihanna (#33, +10%).

Next week, Geffen’s Guns N’ Roses Best Buy exclusive Chinese Democracy and IDJ’s Big Monday threesome of Kanye West, Ludacris and The Killers will all bow high on the charts.