SADE, LADY A BATTLE FOR TOP

Epic’s Sade and Capitol Nashville’s Lady Antebellum are a toss-up for #1 on next week’s chart based on one-day sales reports from all those retailers who haven’t chucked it all and opened medical marijuana dispensaries. Antebellum’s appearance in this week’s Target circular makes it the early favorite for a return trip to the top.

Now the question is if either one can break 100k and maintain the momentum of six-figure chart-toppers since the start of the year.

Warner Bros. Nashville’s Blake Shelton, with his six-song Hillbilly Bone, appears to be week’s major debut, with a projected total of 65-70k, based on the album selling for $4.99 at Target and $5.99 at iTunes.

Disney’s Almost Alice “companion piece” to the heavily promoted Tim Burton/Johnny Depp Alice in Wonderland 3D movie opening this Friday, is up next, on target for 55-60k, after single/videos from Avril Lavigne and Shinedown.

RCA Nashville’s American Idol alum Danny Gokey’s country debut, My Best Days, looks like an impressive 45-50k, the same as IGA’s Lifehouse album, Smoke & Mirrors.

Beluga Heights/WB’s J.R. Rotem-produced Haitian American phenom Jason Derulo rides his two giant downloads, the Top 10 “In My Head” and “Whatcha Say” to a good first-week total of 40-45k for his self-titled debut.

That’s the same total earmarked for Jive/JLG’s Raheem Devaughn, a $3.99 daily special on Amazon.com yesterday, for The Love and War Masterpeace.

Mercury’s country artist Easton Corbin look to be in the 35-40k range, followed by E1 rapper DJ Khaled (20-25k) and Verve’s Jamie Cullum album, The Pursuit (12-15k).

The market was down 8% vs. last week, down 13% vs. same week last year and now down 8% year to date. You may now continue to count down until Daylight Savings Time kicks in later this month.