ONE-DAY SALES:
A BAND STAINDS ALONE

Traditionally, summertime means sluggish time in retail land, and next week is shaping up as just that, with only one debut of any import.

We’re talking about Flip/Elektra stalwart Staind, which is churning toward a first-week total in the 185k-190k range, with a shot at 200k. That should be enough to score the band a #1 debut, assuming Faith Hill’s week-two fall-off holds to form.

The Warner Bros. country star, who moved 311k units to secure the top spot this week, isn’t likely to surpass 150k next week, and none of the other summer chart mainstays—Mariah, Black Eyed Peas, Coldplay, the Gorillaz or Kelly Clarkson, Fall Out Boy or Gwen Stefani—will be in six figures unless something highly unusual happens. Now 19, which had another solid week, with 177k, may well have the staying power to stay at #2. But that’s all the drama we can simulate, kids.

When you get back from Paradise Cove, ponder this: While business was up 1.7% (or 178k units) over last week on total sales of 10.5 million, that total was below the comparable week of 2004 by a whopping 13.4%, reason being the release of Now 16 on the first Tuesday of August last year, bolstering the tally by 504k. That brings the year-to-date deficit to a troubling 8.1%. Total 2005 sales are now at 334.5 million units.