Billboard: Britney’s ‘Circus’ Debuts Atop Album Chart, making Spears “the only act in Nielsen SoundScan history [1991 to present] to have four albums debut with 500,000 or more.”

1. Britney Spears – Circus – 505,000 (debut)

2. Taylor Swift – Fearless – 193,000 (-28%)

3. Beyonce – I Am … Sasha Fierce – 153,000 (-41%)

4. Kanye West – 808s & Heartbreak – 142,000 (-69%)

5. Nickelback – Dark Horse – 133,000 (-25%)

6. Twilight soundtrack – 133,000 (-18%)

7. Akon – Freedom – 111,000 (debut)

8. High School Musical 3: Senior Year – 91,000 (-7%)

9. Now 29 – 90,000 (-38%)

10. David Cook – David Cook – 87,000 (-22%)

Missing in action: Guns N’ Roses – Chinese Democracy. Ouch. Rumor has its sales this week at 58,000 (-78%). That would put it at #18. Beat by David Cook? Oy. Related: 8 reasons why Chinese Democracy stiffed.