WEEK IN PREVIEW: SAME HITS, DIFFERENT SELL

As Washington ponders invading Iraq, and as Mother Nature drowns the European continent, we here at HITS are far more concerned about what REALLY matters: What’s gonna happen with sales and airplay this week. Hey, we know what’s important.

Yes kids, like so many weeks before this one, Aftermath/Interscope’s Eminem and Universal’s Nelly find themselves atop the chart, battling it out for #1. Early edge to Eminem, but anything can happen in this wacky biz, eh?

Also on the album chart, Arista’s Avril Lavigne continues her amazing run, picking up more steam this week and continuing a textbook setup for her fourth-quarter sprint. She’ll be Top Five again.

That said, look for Arista newcomers Clipse to battle it out with Columbia’s James Taylor and Bruce Springsteen for a Top Five spot. We’re talking drama, kids.

Over in Top 40 radio land, where the sheep are still nervous, but now they’re consolidated, both Lavigne’s "Sk8er Boi" and Jive’s Justin Timberlake are experiencing solid action before their impact dates. As for the tracks officially impacting this week, look for Enjoy/Universal’s Jack Johnson and 143/Reprise’s Josh Groban to have very solid weeks. Amid all that neat stuff will be great clean-up action by Lava/Atlantic’s Uncle Kracker, Island/IDJ’s Bon Jovi and Maverick/Reprise’s Paul Oakenfold.

And if that’s not enough to make you forget about the West Nile virus, the wacky kids at Post Modern are screaming for Velvet Hammer/Atlantic’s Taproot, while the Blockheads are all about Epic’s B2K.

But it really is all about next week’s chart, isn’t it? "Why yes" would be the definitive answer, if you knew that Columbia’s Dixie Chicks, Ruff Ryders/Interscope’s Eve, Nettwerk/Capitol’s Coldplay and Hollywood’s BBMak will make their chart debuts.
Hey, who cares about nuclear war between India and Pakistan? The fourth quarter is coming!