The Black Keys have earned their first number one album, Turn Blue, having outsold Michael Jackson's posthumous release Xscape by just 7,000 copies in the US. Meanwhile, the rock duo's lead single 'Fever' has managed to top both the Alternative airplay and Rock Airplay charts.

Patrick Carney
The Black Keys Have Taken First Place In This Week's Chart Race With 'Turn Blue.'

Turn Blue sold 164,000 copies in the week ending May 18, according to Nielsen SoundScan, via Billboard, while Xscape sold a close 157,000. The sales figures are good news for both records, which were only predicted to sell around 150,000 to 155,000 each.

More: Patrick Carney felt sorry for Jack White over leaked email.

The band's chart triumph comes not long after drummer Patrick Carney's sour words towards their late chart rival, describing the release as "bulls**t" and said that the tracks were only being released because "LA Reid needed a new boat."

The Black Keys
The Black Keys Celebrate Their Highest Debut With 'Turn Blue.'

"[It's] some f***ing bulls**t that sucks so bad that it took them three years after he died to make it listenable," he told Rolling Stone. "Like he had to be dead for three years for it to be released." The Black Keys' new release is their third top ten album, following 2011's Grammy-winning El Camino and 2010's Brothers, which debuted at second and third place respectively.

Both releases have received a great deal of publicity: Michael Jackson, who died in 2009, appeared "resurrected" via hologram at the Billboard Music Awards last weekend whereas The Black Keys performed some of their new music on Saturday Night Live on the previous Saturday.

Patrick Carney Drumming
The Band's Chart Success Follows Drummer Patrick Carney's Furious Tirade Against 'Xscape.'

Xscape has given Jackson the tenth top ten album of his career and even at number 2 exceeds the peak chart position of the pop singer's 2010 release, Michael, which reached number 3 in the USA.

Perhaps it was The Black Keys' slightly mesmerising Turn Blue cover art that did it?

More: Patrick Carney fears The Black Keys have been blacklisted by ad agencies.