USHERING IN A NEW #1
His new album will debut at #1 with a total between 120-130k, 200k less than the first-week sales for his last album, Raymond v. Raymond, which came out Easter week in March 2010 with 329k following his mentoring appear on American Idol. That one went on to sell 1.3 million.
The results are based on one-day sales reports from those music retailers who haven’t converted their stores to laser-tag warehouses.
Canadian prog-rock icons Rush’s debut for the Roadrunner label, Clockwork Angels, is the next biggest debut, with estimates in the 85-95k range. That would match, or best, the total of their last album, 2007’s Snakes & Arrows on Atlantic, which bowed with 93k. The veteran band’s following is among the most loyal—and unabashedly geeky—in all of rock.
New Elektra Brit award winner Ed Sheeran’s debut + is headed for a surprisingly robust 40-50k bow, while MCA Nashville country-rocker Josh Turner’s Punching Bag is headed for 35-40k.
WB southern hip-hopper Waka Flocka Flame’s Triple F Life: Fans, Friends & Family looks in the 25-30k range.
Hollywood Records rocker Grace Potter & the Nocturnals’ The Lion the Beast the Beat, the studio follow-up to their 2010 debut, should sell between 20-25k. That self-titled album has sold 235k to date.
Album sales were up 5% vs. last week, down 5% vs. same week last year and down 3% year to date.
Track sales were down 1% vs. last week, up 3% vs. same week last year and up 6% year to date.
TEA sales were up 3% vs. last week, down 2% vs. same week last year and flat year to date.
Is it time to light up some cherry bombs yet?
