The singer's new album, 'Fearless', pushed Spears 'Circus', which was released two weeks ago, into second place, while Beyonce stayed at three with 'I Am...Sasha Fierce'.

Meanwhile, Guns N' Roses 'Chinese Democracy' and The Killers' 'Day And Age' both continued to plummet down the chart, falling to 25 and 29 respectively.

As previously reported, 'Chinese Democracy's' poor performance has been blamed on frontman Axl Rose's lack of promotion.

However, in a web chat with fans last weekend, Rose promised to be more prominent in 2009.

He also defended himself against accusations that the band's new album was simply his solo album.

(by Jason Gregory)