BECAUSE OF YOU, NE-YO’S ON TOP

His new album, Because of You, could hit the 250k mark in first-week sales, according to one-day sales reports from our crack group of retailers around the country… at least those still sober enough to call in after four rousing days close-talking with our own Mark Pearson at NARM.

Reprise crooner Michael Buble’s Call Me Irresponsible is proving irresistible to record buyers to the tune of just this side of 200k, enough to make it #2 next week.

Anthem/Atlantic prog-rock progenitors Rush return with Snakes and Arrows, the latest album in the Canadian group’s long and impressive career, with an estimated one-week total of 110k.

WB Nashville’s Blake Shelton is up next with a projected total of 55k, with SBMG Nashville’s Miranda Lambert and Epic’s Tori Amos at around 50k apiece.

Record Collection/WB’s Spider-Man 3 soundtrack won’t do as well as the movie, though it could do as much as 20k, while RCA’s Black Rebel Motorcyle Club are up next with the critically praised Baby 81, now slated to sell around 15k.

You may now return to combing the Internet for porn sites.