AFI’s “Decemberunderground” debuted at the No. 1 spot on the Billboard 200, making it the band?s first chart-topping album and ending the Dixie Chicks two-week run at the top of the chart.

AFI scored its best one-week tally with 182,000 copies sold, nearly double the opening sales figures for their previous album ?Sing the Sorrow,? according to Nielsen SoundScan.

The Dixie Chicks maintained strong sales of 175,000 to land at No. 2.

The Top 10 was rounded out by the debuts of rappers Yung Joc and Ice Cube, ?High School Musical,? the Red Hot Chili Peppers, the debut of the ?Cars? soundtrack, Rascal Flatts, Rihanna and ?Now 21.?

Other notable debuts included Miami’s DJ Khaled’s ?Listennn … The Album? compilation at No. 12 and two tour collections, ?Blue Collar Comedy? at No. 19 and ?Warped? at No. 27.

At 9.5 million units, overall CD sales were up 3 per cent from the previous week and down 14 per cent compared to the same week a year ago, reports Reuters. Sales for 2006, at 241.2 million units, are down 3 per cent compared to 2005.

Meanwhile, Shakira’s ?Hips Don’t Lie? sold 165,000 to stay at the top of the track-download chart for a second week. Track downloads are up 77 per cent over last year, bringing the year-to-date total to 247.8 million.






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