Alicia Keys debuts at the top of the Billboard 200 charts with her new album, "As I Am", selling selling 742,000 copies in the United States, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
It's the best sales week for a solo female artist since Norah Jones' "Feels Like Home" sold 1 million copies in 2004.
Josh Groban's "Noel" rises from sixth to second with a 93% increase to 223,000.
Celine Dion's "Taking Chances", her first new pop album in four years, opens at No. 3 with 214,000. The multi-label, multi-artist "Now 26" collection is new at No. 4 with 208,000, the third lowest opening tally for the "Now" line.
Garth Brooks' "The Ultimate Hits" slips from No. 3 to fifth with 204,000, while the Eagles' "Long Road Out of Eden" drops from second to no. 6 with 197,000. Led Zeppelin's two-disc retrospective "Mothership" debuts at No. 7 after selling 136,000, 25% of which came digitally.
Last week's chart-topper, Jay-Z's "American Gangster" plummets to No. 8 with a 70% decrease to 131,000, while Carrie Underwood's "Carnival Ride" drops from fifth to No. 9 despite a small 6% decrease to 113,000.
Chris Brown's "Exclusive" falls from No. 4 to tenth in its second week with 110,000.
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