Charts: Christian act TobyMac slaughters the competition, earns No. 1 album

Slaughterhouse didn’t see this one coming.

The Shady Records foursome was outgunned on this week’s Billboard Top 200 albums chart by “Eye On It,” Christian act TobyMac’s sixth studio set. “Eye On It” sold 69,000 copies its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan, besting the 52,000 copies sold by Slaughterhouse’s second album (and its highly touted Shady Records debut), “Welcome to: Our House.”

Now ask yourself…

The surprise No. 1 gives TobyMac the first Christian set to top the Billboard charts in 15 years, Billboard reports. The last Christian album to hit No. 1 was LeAnn Rimes’ set of inspirational songs “You Light Up My Life,” which was No. 1 for three weeks in 1997.

Slaughterhouse — the group comprised of Royce da 5’9″, Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz and Crooked I — settles for a No. 2 debut, which bests the No. 25 debut of the group’s first album. Early sales projections had Slaughterhouse and TobyMac locked in a dead heat for No. 1 before TobyMac pulled away — perhaps with a bit of divine intervention?

Last week’s No. 1, Trey Songz’ “Chapter V,” falls to No. 3 this week, while the “Now 43″ compilation drops one spot to No. 4. Alanis Morissette’s latest, “Havoc and Bright Lights,” debuts at No. 5.

Next week, new albums from Matchbox Twenty, Cat Power and Animal Collective look to make a dent on the chart.

Billboard’s Top 10 albums (sales in parentheses, figures according to Nielsen SoundScan)

1. TobyMac, Eye On It (69,000)

2. Slaughterhouse, Welcome to: Our House (52,000)

3. Trey Songz, Chapter V (41,000)

4. Now 43, (41,000)

5. Alanis Morissette, Havoc and Bright Lights (33,000)

6. Maroon 5, Overexposed (31,000)

7. 2 Chainz, Based on a T.R.U. Story (29,000)

8. Carrie Underwood, Blown Away (28,000)

9. fun., Some Nights (25,000)

10. Adele, 21 (23,000)