“THE KING” TAKES THE THRONE

Dude, this week’s chart is totally about rock. We mean, like, rawwwwwk, dude. We’re talking the #1, 165k debut by Warner Bros.’ Avenged Sevenfold, which fully makes us want to fire up the skull-shaped bong and play air guitar. (Note to self: Return skull-shaped bong to UMPG.)

Last week’s #1, Capitol Nashville’s Luke Bryan, moved 96k (-39%) to score the #2 spot. Next come debuts from Def Jam/IDJ’s Big Sean (72k) and Kemosabe/Columbia’s Juicy J (64k). #5 is Star Trak/Interscope’s Robin Thicke, up a spot from last week with 57k (+25%).

Thicke, RCA’s Justin Timberlake (37k, up 135% and jumping 22-6), Atlantic’s Bruno Mars (#9, 27k, +20%) and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis (Macklemore/ADA/WB, #14, 24k, +47%) benefited from nice post-VMA bumps. Just imagine if they’d done some twerking.

The only other bow in the upper reaches of the chart is the Alabama & Friends tribute set on Show Dog, which nabbed a #8 premiere with 31k.

Streeting today are Republic siren Ariana Grande, Columbia’s Nine Inch Nails, Atlantic’s Jaheim, Epic’s Tamar Braxton and Virgin’s Bastille, among others. Next week sees big debuts from Def Jam/IDJ’s 2 Chainz, Republic’s The Weeknd and Capitol Nashville’s Keith Urban.