Adele, Whitney Heat Up

ADELE, WHITNEY HEAT UP: It’s the perfect storm for six-time Grammy winner Adele’s XL/Columbia album 21, as the release explodes at retail, marking a year since its release last Feb. Judging by how sales settle after the post-Grammy, post-Valentine’s Day rush, Adele should do, conservatively, between 550-600k this week—her best to date—making her #1 for the, coincidentally, 21st week, tying the pre-Soundscan mark set by MC Hammer’s Please Hammer Don’t Hurt ‘Em in 1990. And, ironically, bettering the 20 weeks logged at #1 by the late Whitney Houston's The Bodyguard soundtrack. Adele's previous album, 19, and live DVD are also catching fire in the marketplace. Meanwhile, retail is getting re-stocked with Houston's Greatest Hits album, making 100k in sales for the week a distinct possibility. In addition, VEVO reports 5.3 million views on combined Whitney videos in the 24 hours after her death, a 4,000% increase. The total is now up to 124 million. To check out some of those videos, go here. (2/15p)