ONE-DAY SALES: THEY’VE GOT IT DOWN TO A SYSTEM

System of a Down is at it again. Six months after topping the album chart with Mezmerize, Glendale’s biggest band comes with companion piece Hypnotize, and the fans obviously haven’t yet been sated, because the Columbia album is rawkin’ its way to a first-week total north of 350k, which’ll make it an easy #.

After that we’re looking at a stylistic mixed bag of debuts in stores Thanksgiving week. In the 100k and over category, you got yer hip-hop, with Juelz Santana (Roc-A-Fella/IDJ, 150k plus) and Chamillionaire (Universal, 140k-150k), yer New Age-y pop with Enya (Reprise, 125k, give or take), yer heart-on-sleeve rock with ex-Creed frontman Scott Stapp (Wind-up, 100k-125k) and yer country diva with sitcom protagonist Reba McEntire (MCA Nashville, 90k-100k).

The other noteworthy bows are from Fort Minor (WB, 50k-60k), Derrty/Universal’s stitching together of Sweat and Suit (40-50k), a live debut from the John Mayer Trio (Aware/Columbia, 35-40k) and Vol. 2 of Big Boi Presents on the OutKast member’s Virgin imprint (35k-40k)

Qualifying note: It’s Thanksgiving weekend, and as always there will be a ton of wild discounts announced on Thanksgiving Day proper that kick in on Freakout Friday, so any or all of the above-mentioned titles could be impacted. What we’re trying to say, kiddies, is take these projections with a grain of salt and a beer chaser.

OK, reality-check time (aka the old up and down). The market was up 9.8% vs. last week on 13.1 million units, and down 14.1% from same week last year. That puts the music biz year to date off last year’s pace by 9.8%. Last year at this point: 545.8 million. This year: 492.4 million.