NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - Michael Jackson's latest album made a better-than-expected debut and landed at No. 13 in Billboard's top 20 chart for the week ended Nov. 23, reports said Wednesday.

"Number Ones," which features top hits from the King of Pop's 30-year solo career, sold 121,000 copies in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Michael Jackson's Epic hits package "Number Ones," above, landed at No. 13 on the Billboard top 20 with 121,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Based on first-day numbers cited by music merchants, most expected Jackson's new album, which was released on Nov. 18, to sell anywhere between 85,000 and 100,000 copies in its first week, according to music trade site HitsDailyDouble.com.

Jackson's greatest hits album, the final project under his contract with Sony's Epic Records, was released the same day the warrant was issued for the singer's arrest, and some merchants were worried that the news would affect the album's sales.

His 1991 album, "Dangerous," had been in stores almost two years when a similar allegation made headlines in August 1993. Despite the widespread notoriety, the album saw only an 8 percent dip that week, sliding three spots to No. 44. This is not unusual for an album in its 92nd chart week.

Jackson's big comeback bid in 2001 with "Invincible," his first album of original music since "HIStory: Past, Present and Future" in 1995, sold 366,000 copies in its first week and 2.1 million units in total, according to the latest Nielsen SoundScan data.

While 2.1 million copies would be considered a respectable figure for less lofty talent, it pales in comparison with the success of Jackson's 1982 megahit "Thriller," the biggest-selling studio album of all time, with certified domestic sales of 26 million copies and more than 40 million units worldwide.

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The only tracks on "Number Ones" that have not appeared in his previous greatest hits albums are from the 2001 album "Invincible" and a new song, "One More Chance."

Jackson turned himself into the Santa Barbara County Sheriff's office last week to face charges of child molestation. He surrendered his passport and was released after posting a $3 million bond. His lawyer rejected the accusations as "a big lie."

Several radio station programmers said they will follow listeners' desires when deciding whether to drop "One More Chance" from their playlists. Many also believe it is too early to gauge public reaction regarding the allegations.