Country singer Eric Church snags his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 this week as “Chief” lives up to its name and leads the tribe.

The title sells 145,000 copies, soaring above the first-week sales of his last album, 2009’s “Carolina,” which sold 31,000 in its opening frame, according to Billboard.

Church is a true story of artist development as he’s consistently increased his fan base through near non-stop touring even though he has never had a song chart higher than No. 10 on Billboard’s Hot Country Songs chart.
His arrival at the top pushes Adele’s “21” down to No. 2, but if that album has proved anything in the last six months, it is its ability to bob back up to the top repeatedly.

Former Destiny’s Child member Kelly Rowland starts at No. 3 with her third solo album, “Here I Am,” which sells 77,000 copies, according to Billboard. First single, “Motivation,” spent seven weeks at No. 1 on Billboard’s Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.

Soaring 9-4 is Amy Winehouse’s “Back To Black.” The title came back on the Billboard 200 last week following the British singer’s death July 23. Her first album, “Frank,” rises 57-33.

Church shares Top 10 space with two other country acts: Jason Aldean’s “My Kinda Party” moves 8-5, while former No. 1, Blake Shelton’s “Red River Blue” falls 6-8.

Rounding out the Top 10, Beyonce’s “4” drops 4-6, “Kidz Bop 20” slips 2-7, Joss Stone’s “LP1” debuts at No. 9 and Bad Meets Evil’s  “Hell: The Sequel” rise 11-10.

Overall album sales are running about 2% ahead of the same time last year.