System Of A Down Debuts At No. 2; Alicia Keys Returns To No. 1

LOS ANGELES (Top40 Charts) - In the wake of a mini-riot in Los Angeles on the eve of its release (allstar, Sept. 4), System of a Down's latest effort, Toxicity, debuts on The Billboard 200 at No. 2 in its first week.

Last week's No. 1 (allstar, Sept. 5), Aaliyah's self-titled third effort, fell to No. 3 in the wake of the tragic plane crash that took her life and eight others on Aug. 25. Alicia Keys, who shocked the entertainment industry when her inaugural J Records effort, Songs in A Minor, debuted at No. 1 in July, rose back to that position after a chilling performance at the 2001 MTV Video Music Awards last Thursday.

The only other artist that seemed to receive a significant sales boost due to its VMA showing was Mudvayne, which won the MTV2 Award for its "Dig" video. The shock metal group's latest effort, L.D. 50, reentered the charts at No. 151 after falling off last week.

Other notable debuts include the Doobie Brothers' Greatest Hits at No. 142 and the soundtrack to Rock Star, featuring classic tracks form Motley Crue, Bon Jovi, and Kiss, at No. 180.