CARRIE’S ON: UNDERWOOD OVER THE TOP

Hits to her record labels, that is. 19/Arista Nashville country crossover queen Carrie Underwood’s Play On, her third album and first since 2007’s Carnival Ride from the 2005 American Idol champ, is headed for a first-week bow at #1, with a total anywhere between 300-350k.

Those figures were derived from one-day sales reports a Best Buy employee in Niles, IL, texted to us in between selling flat screens TVs. Thanks, Vic.

Columbia’s Glee, Vol. 1 will choreograph a pretty solid week of sales between 100-125k, where it will be neck and neck with Decca’s operatic icon Andrea Bocelli, not that he’ll know the difference, but we digress.

Just below the jocks, cheerleaders, nerds and the blind Italian tenor comes Sony Music’s warhorse Now 32, which somehow will sell in the 80-100k range, while most everyone else you know can download any of the individual singles from iTunes. Go figure.

DGC’s Weezer exhibit some Ratitude with 60-65k for their venerable alternapop, while Foo Fighters’ Greatest Hits on RCA/RMG is in the 35-40k range, same as Columbia’s death metal stalwarts Slayer. RCA/RMG emo auteurs Say Anything check in with 20-25k.

In all, the market was up 10% vs. last week, down 9% vs. same week last year and now down 13% year to date. You may now return to making your plans for Jan. 1, 2013.