ASHLEE SIMPSON - ASHLEE SIMPSON DEBUTS AT NUMBER ONE

ASHLEE SIMPSON has stormed to the top of the US album charts, beating crooner ROD STEWART to number one.

The punk pop singer's new album I AM ME sold 220,000 in its opening week to debut at the top, while Stewart's fourth GREAT AMERICAN SONGBOOK collection of standards sold 193,000 copies to come in at number two.

Country singer MARTINA McBRIDE and STEVIE WONDER are also celebrating - McBride's sixth studio album, TIMELESS, debuts at number four on the new chart, while soul great Wonder's first album in more than a decade, A TIME TO LOVE, enters the chart at number five.

Meanwhile, DEPECHE MODE's comeback album PLAYING THE ANGEL debuts at number seven, selling just under 100,000 copies in its opening week.