ONE-DAY SALES: AIN’T THAT
A SHAMAN!
According to early reports from national accounts, the album is on track to sell around 300k for the week, and could go higher if sales accelerate over the weekend (as they sometimes do). Sales are being driven by first single “The Game of Love,” featuring singing-songwriting upstart Michelle Branch. By comparison, Supernatural, which first saw Santana paired with guest stars such as Matchbox Twenty’s Rob Thomas, sold 70k in its debut week.
The early reports are directly in line with what retail prognosticators prognosticated for the album’s first week, and if it continues to perform as predicted, it could vie for #1 with Faith Hill’s Cry (Warner Bros.), which came in at #1 this week at just over 463k. Assuming the normal second-week drop-off, it could be a real horserace. Not to call either Mr. Santana or Mrs. McGraw a horse (of course).
In other debuts, the Foo Fighters return with One by One (RCA), which appears headed for a first week in the neighborhood of 125k, which should put it right up there in the Top 5 or so. Child of Destiny Kelly Rowland, meanwhile, should see her solo debut, Simply Deep (Columbia/CRG), come in at around 60-70k.
And Rod Stewart’s latest, It Had to Be You... The Great American Songbook (J Records), in which the classic rocker croons standards including “I’ll be seeing you” and “Moonglow,” likewise appears on track to sell about 60-70k in its first week. However, a record as adult-leaning as this stands a very good chance of trending up sharply over the weekend, as all the old fogies get around to remembering there’s music they want to buy.
“Charge up the Mart Cart, mother! We’re going to purchase us some long-playing record albums!”
