THEY [HEART] BOCELLI AND JAHEIM
In a post-Valentine's Day run for the roses, opera guy Andrea Bocelli and Jaheim will go head-to-head for the top spot on the HITS Top 50 album chart this week.
Bocelli's Decca/Universal Classics collection is poised for another impressive sales week with between 140-150k in sales, exactly the total that Jaheim's third Warner Bros. album, Ghetto Classics, is headed for, making it a two-man race for the gold. Let's just hope no one styles in the stretch run and blows it like Lindsey Jacobellis.
The rest of the Top 10 will include Arista Records comeback king Barry Manilow with around 100k, which would put him about even with labelmate Carrie Underwood and Geffen's Mary J. Blige. Last week's chart topper, Universal's Jack Johnson (95k-100k), is currently at #6, Custard/ Atlantic's fast-charging double Brit winner James Blunt (90-95k) is #7, Disney's robust High School High (85-90k) hangs at #8, RCA/RMG Grammy gal Kelly Clarkson (80-85k) is now #9 and Columbia's divino Il Divo (80-85k) round out the Top 10. Look for debuts from Concord/Hear Music's Sergio Mendes (20-25k) and Epitaph punk vets (and Warped Tour alum) Matchbox Romance (15-20k).
Among the albums hitting the streets today are Domino's Arctic Monkeys, Capitol's Dilated Peoples, V2's Ray Davies, Verve's Teddy Thompson and Vagrant's Eels live album.
As always, keep your eye on our building album sales chart throughout the day to see how the race turns out. But please, no betting.
