Still, it seems like some industry folk outside the 615 (Nashville) area code had larger expectations, based on the success of the artist's previous two sets.

In the wake of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Jackson penned the heartfelt "Where Were You (When the World Stopped Turning)," a song that not only extended beyond his fan base but also pulled in consumers who do not normally imbibe country fare.

The result was a career-best Nielsen SoundScan week of 423,000 copies when his album "Drive" hit stores in January 2002.

That song also appeared on the August 2003 release "Greatest Hits Volume II and Some Other Stuff." Further aided by then-new track "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere," the duet with Jimmy Buffett that led Hot Country Singles & Tracks for eight weeks, that double album began at 328,000.

The starts by those two chart-topping sets lend a ho-hum tint to the 178,000-unit opening that makes Jackson's new "What I Do" his ninth No. 1 on Top Country Albums. Take the long view, though, and this album's opener stands almost as tall as the singer himself.

Before "Drive," Jackson's biggest SoundScan week belonged to the 1995 anthology "The Greatest Hits Collection," which opened at 115,000 copies and moved 318,000 during Christmas week of that year. His largest week for a studio set before "Drive" was for 1999's "Under the Influence," which drew first-week sales of almost 114,000.

Including two Christmas albums and a single-disc edition of his second hits package, Jackson has released 14 albums since SoundScan signed on in 1991. Exclude the two Christmas projects, and his first-week average prior to this issue was 126,250.

Even if you exclude a later single-disc version of "Volume II" and only factor the albums since 1995 (when he saw his first 100,000-plus start), Jackson's average opener in that span was 166,204 -- and that figure is swelled significantly by "Drive" and "Volume II."

If you consider those numbers and the fact that an album as recent as 2000's "When Somebody Loves You" began with 87,000, his new set's start looks downright impressive.

Tim McGraw's handoff to Alan Jackson marks the first time in more than a decade that one country artist has replaced another at No. 1 on the Billboard 200.
The last time it happened was 1992, when Garth Brooks' "The Chase" opened at No. 1, ending the 17-week hold that Billy Ray Cyrus' rookie set, "Some Gave All," had on the big chart's throne.

McGraw sees a 32% drop in his third week (No. 2 on The Billboard 200 and Top Country Albums, 153,000 copies). His total to date for this title: 1.1 million.

A busy TV schedule helped ensure Jackson's fast start. He visited "Late Show With David Letterman" and was seen twice on "Today" during release week. He was also featured online on Sessions@AOL.

Including Jimmy Buffett's Nashville-flavored "License to Chill," Jackson's "What I Do" is the fourth country album to top the Billboard 200 in 2004.

Three of those four, including the current champ, belong to RCA Label Group, which also fielded Kenny Chesney's "When the Sun Goes Down" in February.