MATCHBOX Twenty’s Rob Thomas lit up the charts this week, striking the top spot with ” . . . Something to Be,” his solo debut disc.

The DualDisc (CD on one side and DVD on the other), marks the first time a male artist from a rock or pop group debuted at No. 1 with his first solo album.

The combo disc, boosted by the single “Lonely No More” (which is more Justin Timberlake dance-pop than Matchbox Twenty pop-rock), sold 252,000 copies according to Nielsen SoundScan

Beyond the No. 1, diva Mariah Carey watched “The Emancipation of Mimi,” last week’s chart topper, slip to No. 2.