Chrome is a fantastic browser but it has one major flaw: a setting to open tabs in background tabs.  This extension fixes that problem:
https://chrome.google.com/extensions/detail/bblhflcbilbefagmeoanbdiofmmnehda?hl=en


Originally found here:
http://www.google.com/support/forum/p/Chrome/thread?tid=4923f1a6f588ab73&hl=en

Thanks to the author of the extension, Samir.