It was a cross-generational battle for first-place on the Canadian album charts this week, with youthful Britney Spears besting vets Pink Floyd.

Spears' new album, "Britney," entered SoundScan's Canadian charts at #1 on sales of 44,550 copies, well ahead of the second-place debut by Pink Floyd's "Echoes: The Best Of Pink Floyd" (28,894), although it should be pointed out that the latter is a two-disc set.

Spears success will come as a surprise to participants in JAM! Music's weekly Chart Battle, which asked readers which album would place higher this week. Pink Floyd was favoured by 73% of respondents, while only 27% gave the edge to Spears.

Last week's #2 debut, Enrique Iglesias's "Escape", was pushed down to third (28,645), while last week's #1 debut, "The Hits -- Chapter One" by Backstreet Boys, dipped to fourth on sales of 20,598.

Enya's "A Day Without Rain" (17,197) spent its 51st week by climbing from sixth to fifth place, while the "Now! 6" hits collection (15,889) dropped one place to sixth.

Nickelback's "Silver Side Up" (14,232) held fast at seventh, while Michael Jackson's "Invincible" (11,976) tumbled from third to eighth. Diana Krall's "The Look Of Love" (11,159) fell one place to ninth. The Dr. Dre/Snoop Dogg soundtrack "The Wash" (10,297) debuted at 10th.

In the U.S., the chart complexion was much the same: Spears led the way with 745,744 copies sold, followed by Floyd's 214,650. Iglesias, however, placed fourth with 182,950 sold, held out of third place by last week's U.S. #1 debut -- Michael Jackson's "Invincible," which sold 202,341 and continues to proportionately out-perform the album's Canadian sales, based on the industry-standard 10 to 1 sales differential between the U.S. and Canada.

Anyone looking for signs of the "Harry Potter" hurricane hitting ahead of the film's Friday opening should consider this: Before the majority of the public has seen a single frame of "Harry Potter And The Philosopher's Stone," the soundtrack entered the Canadian album charts at #44 -- ahead of System Of A Down's "Toxicity."

In the U.S., where the film is titled "Harry Potter And The Sorcerer's Stone", the album didn't break the top 50.

1. BRITNEY SPEARS-- "BRITNEY" (44,550)

2. PINK FLOYD -- "ECHOES-THE BEST OF PINK FLOYD" (28,894)

3. ENRIQUE IGLESIAS -- "ESCAPE" (28,645)

4. BACKSTREET BOYS -- "THE HITS -- CHAPTER ONE" (20,598)

5. ENYA -- "A DAY WITHOUT RAIN" (17,197)

6. VARIOUS ARTISTS -- "NOW!6" (15,889)

7. NICKELBACK -- "SILVER SIDE UP" (14,232)

8. MICHAEL JACKSON -- "INVINCIBLE" (11,976)

9. DIANA KRALL -- "THE LOOK OF LOVE" (11,159)

10. SOUNDTRACK -- "THE WASH" (10,297)