For the first time ever, the Billboard 200 was topped by topped by a digital exclusive set -- the Hope For Haiti Now charity album. It was the first time this has happened in the chart's 54-year history.

The recently released compilation, featuring performances from the "Hope For Haiti" telethon last Friday (January 22) was only available via digital retailers over the past week, but it was able to sell 171,000 copies to make it the no. 1 album.

Actually, the tally comes from over the weekend. According to Billboard.com, SoundScan's sales tracking week ends at the close of business each Sunday, so Hope for Haiti's brisk sales came from no more than two full days.

With the project's sales, it marks the first time since 2005 that the first three tracking weeks of the year had an album that sold at least 100,000 copies.

Aside from Hope For Haiti Now, the next best debut this week is the 2010 Grammy Nominees album, which opened at no. 5 with 49,000.

Other top-selling albums this week include Lady Gaga's The Fame, which rose one spot to no. 3 with 62,000; Alicia Keys' The Element of Freedom fell two slots to no. 7 with 40,000; Ke$ha's Animal crawls down five rungs to no. 8 with 35,000; and the Black Eyed Peas' The E.N.D. was up to no. 9 with just under 35,000.

Later down the ranks is Mary J. Blige's Stronger With Each Tear at no. 14 with 29,000 copies sold.

And way outside the top 20 is RJD2's project, The Colossus, debuting at no. 168 with 2,800 copies sold.

That wraps things up this week. To cop any of these new releases, head over to Amazon.com.

According to Billboard.com, overall album sales in this past chart week (ending Jan. 24) totaled 5.84 million units, up 3% compared to the sum last week (5.69 million) and down 9% compared to the comparable sales week of 2009 (week ending Jan. 25; 6.43 million).