Richie slated to lead charts again

Luke Bryan's "tailgates & tanlines" was the only other country disc in the top 10 - at 10 - with 28,000 units sold, up 11 percent.

The CD is the first country album in more than a year to spend two consecutive weeks atop the Billboard 200. The album's total sales are 536,967.

"I am excited, overwhelmed, and most importantly, very grateful," Richie says. "Making this album has been one of the best times I've ever had in the studio, so that in and of itself was my wonderful reward. The fact that Tuskegee is being so well received is just icing on the cake. What makes this even sweeter is that I'm sharing this success with my 13 talented friends who gave so generously of themselves to make Tuskegee the album that it is.

"I continue to thank my duet partners, to whom I will remain eternally grateful. Of course, none of this would have been possible without the support of my fans, who continue to inspire me on a daily basis."