LINKIN PARKS ONE,
MAROON 5 BOWS

Warner Bros. rap-rockers Linkin Park's Living Things debuts at #1 this week on the HITS Album sales chart with a total of 235k, just about equal to their last release, 2010’s stylistic departure A Thousand Suns, which debuted in September that year with 241k. That makes it WEA’s first album chart-topper of the year.

A&M/Octone’s Maroon 5 takes advantage of leader Adam Levine’s role as a coach on NBC’s hit The Voice and a smash single in “Payphone,” to enter at #2 with 221k, more than 80k above the first week of 2010’s Hands All Over. Kudos to out to the label’s James Diener and manager Jordan Feldstein for a slam-dunk set-up that puts the lie to the band’s album title, Overexposed.

Maybach Music Group’s MMG Presents Self-Made, Vol. 2, a compilation from Rick Ross’ Warner Bros. label, is the week’s other top debut at #4, with more than 94k, just behind last week’s topper, Island/IDJ’s Justin Bieber at #3. RCA’s R. Kelly rounds out the Top 5, entering with his latest, Write Me Back.

Blue Chair/Columbia Nashville’s Kenny Chesney (#6), XL/Columbia’s Adele (#7 in her 71 st week, approaching 9.5 milion), Syco/Columbia’s One Direction (#8), RCA’s Usher (#90) and WaterTower Music’s Rock of Ages soundtrack (#10) round out the leaders.

Other new entries include Columbia’s Offspring (#12), Bigger Picture’s Chris Cagle (#23), Rise’s Sleeping with Sirens (#30) and Memphis May Fire (#31).

WaterTower Music’s Project X soundtrack (#29), Dualtone’s Lumineers (#35), A&M/Octone’s Maroon 5 Hands All Over (#37), Grand Hustle/Atlantic’s B.o.B (#44), Big Machine’s Brantley Gilbert (#45) and YM/CM/Republic’s Drake (#48) all re-enter the Top 50.

Def Jam/IDJ’s Rihanna leads all gainers, moving #41-33, +16%, while Capitol/EMI’s Katy Perry climbs #29-24, +5%, with her new 3D movie premiering this week.

RCA’s Chris Brown heads the list of new releases, with Atlantic’s Flo Rida also on tap, while labelmates Zac Brown Band are due July 9.