Chesney settles in behind Kanye, 50 Cent

But there wasn't much of a battle at all because West had the top selling disc at 957,000, followed by 50 at 691,000 and Chesney's "Just Who I Am: Poets & Pirates" at 386,685.

That means, of course, that Chesney enjoyed the best selling country disc in the U.S.

"There are some things you can't fight," Chesney said. "And I've never been very good at that sort of thing. I think the music will do the talking for me in the long run - and I know that our albums tend to keep selling week-after-week-after-week..."

Chesney just wrapped his sold out Flip Flop Summer Tour, playing six NFL Stadiums in Foxboro, Mass., Cleveland, Detroit, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh and Seattle. "Never Wanted Nothing' More," the lead single for "Just Who I Am," was Chesney's fastest number one in seven weeks and the year's longest running chart-topper at five weeks. Second single "Don't Blink" hit the Top 10 after 4 weeks on the chart.

"It's crazy how fast these records are moving," Chesney said. "I've never ever had to learn two songs from an upcoming album before the tour came off the road. But what's crazy is the way people respond: as soon as they hear that banjo lick of 'Never Wanted Nothing' More' or the opening of 'Don't Blink,' the crowd responded every night like it's 'Young' or 'The Good Stuff.' To see people react like that, especially with just these few weeks of radio, well, that tells me you're saying something about who they are, what they value and how they feel."

"It's amazing to be able to grow as an artist and take your audience with you," said Chesney. "But I think like me, my fans are growing, seeking, trying to figure stuff out. When I look in those faces every night onstage, I see a lot of people I know - and I know they're a lot like me."

Chesney is slated to be on CBS' "The Early Show," rescheduled to tomorrow.