MACCA MANS THE BISTROS

Thanks to its presence in more than 9,000 Starbucks in the U.S. alone and a worldwide marketing campaign and set-up by Hear Music and Concord Music Group, Paul McCartney’s Memory Almost Full looks like it will debut at #1 on next week’s chart, with a total of 180k in first-week sales.

Considering Macca’s last album, 2005’s Chaos and Creation in the Backyard, on his long time home, Capitol/EMI, sold around 95k its first week, the total on the new disc will be nearly double that and, according to insiders, attributable to baristas hawking it with mocha cappuccinos across this great land of ours.

With the album debuting yesterday by being played all day long on Starbucks PA systems, the coffee giant has commanded the largest marketshare ever on any title.

Kudos also to Concord’s Gene Rumsey and newly named head of sales Mike Gillespie for making sure the album maintained its traditional retail base, insisting Starbucks’ presence would not hurt business.

A couple of red-hot R&B artists riding radio hits will also challenge for the lead, but according to one-day sales reports from grateful retailers around the country, both will fall just short.

Def Jam/IDJ’s Rihanna, thanks to her hit duet, “Umbrellas,” with label boss Jay-Z, will see her third album, Good Girl Gone Bad, debut near the top, where it will be challenged by Jive/ZLG soul star T-Pain’s Epiphany, for the next two slots after Paul, both at around 160-170k. Have the guy "buy u a drank" at the nearest Starbucks in celebration.

El Cartel/Interscope reggaeton superstar Daddy Yankee follows, with his total of 110-115k for El Cartel: The Big Boss buttressed by major sales in his native Puerto Rico.

WB’s Music City mafia country kingpins Big & Rich are also looking at six figures, with a total of around 100k, give or take.

Interscope’s Marilyn Manson is looking to scare up sales of between 90-100k for his new album, Eat Me, Drink Me.

Police’s greatest hits on A&M/UMe is looking at 40-45k, maybe even more, thanks to Starbucks, while Suretone’s ex-Soundgarden, ex-Audioslave vocalist Chris Cornell is on target for 40k.

The market was down less than a percent vs last week, down 10.6% vs. same week last year and now down 16.4% year-to-date.

Relax and have a frappuccino, folks.