Blake Shelton’s ‘Sunshine’ beams to No. 1 on Billboard album chart

Here’s something to brighten Blake Shelton’s day: His new album is at No. 1.

“Bringing Back the Sunshine” debuted atop the Billboard 200 on Wednesday, reflecting sales of 101,000 copies in the week that ended Sunday, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

It’s the country star’s second No. 1 on Billboard’s all-genre chart, following “Red River Blue” in 2011. (Last year’s “Based on a True Story” entered at No. 3, though it actually outsold the other two albums, moving 199,000 copies in its first week.)

As Billboard’s Keith Caulfield points out, “Bringing Back the Sunshine” marks the third time a country album has topped the Billboard 200 so far this year. In March, Eric Church got there with “The Outsiders,” and Shelton’s wife Miranda Lambert hit No. 1 three months later with “Platinum.”

And there’s more on this week’s tally from Nashville, headed up by Lady Antebellum, whose “747” starts at No. 2 with sales of 74,000 copies. Last week’s No. 2, Kenny Chesney’s “The Big Revival,” fell to No. 6 in its second week with 39,000 copies sold.

Other new albums making their chart debut include a pair of titles from Prince -- “Art Official Age” at No. 5 and “PlectrumElectrum” (with his backing band 3rdEyeGirl) at No. 8 -- as well as the latest from the Script. The Irish band’s “No Sound Without Silence” is at No. 10.

Twitter: @mikaelwood