SOUNDTRACKS LAY CLAIM TO TOP SPOT
Chop Shop/Atlantic’s Twilight Saga: Eclipse, the third in the series of popular teenage vampire movies, goes up against yet another Columbia Glee Cast album, Journey to Regionals, in a race for the top spot on next week’s HITS sales rundown.
Give Twilight a slight edge at 150-170k, with Glee at 140-160k, though the full effect of last night’s finale hasn’t quite impacted physical, meaning the franchise could well score its third #1 in less than two months. So don’t stop believin’ Gleeks.
That, of course, is based on results from those retailers around the country who are using CD sales to bring in toothpaste customers.
The week’s other big debut is RCA/RMG diva Christina Aguilera’s techno-heavy Bionic, just her fourth studio album since her self-titled 1999 bow, and expected to do between 120-125k. Her previous studio album, Back to Basics, came out in August 2006, selling 350k in its first week. A greatest hits album was released in Nov. 2008, debuting with 73k in sales.
That will give the top of the charts at least three 100k+ sellers next week.
Atlantic rappers Plies could do as much as 55-65k, while Capitol Nashville/EMI veteran Dierks Bentley’s new bluegrass album, Up on the Ridge, should sell in the 40-45k range.
Valory singer-songwriter turned country star Jewel’s latest, Sweet and Wild, is on target for 25-30k.
Also eyeing Top 50 debuts on next Tuesday’s chart are Curb’s Clay Walker (17-20k), Fueled by Ramen’s Travie McCoy, moonlighting front man for Gym Class Heroes (15-18k), Hollywood Records’ highly touted roots rockers Grace Potter and the Nocturnals (15-18k) and Virgin's Saving Abel (15-18k).
The market was up 4% vs. last week, down 19% vs. same week last year and still down 11% year to date. With all due credit to the great Johnny Rotten, ever get the feeling you’ve been cheated?
