GLEE WHIZ! LATEST COLLECTION TO BOW #1

That’s based on one-day sales numbers crunched by our crack (-addled) team of retail experts surveying every store whose owner wasn’t too busy plying our own Mark Pearson with cocktails at last week’s NARM convention in Chicago.

The Rolling Stones’ much-ballyhooed UMe/Universal Republic deluxe reissue of their 1972 classic, Exile on Main St., is riding a massive wave of publicity and “making of” features to a #2 bow, with a nice total of 65-70k.

Nonesuch critical darlings The Black Keys’ new album, Brothers, its eighth in a career which started in 2002, looks headed for 55-60k, which would be the best of their career for the QPrime-managed Akron duo of vocalist/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer/ producer Patrick Carney.

Universal Republic’s Nas and Damian Marley collaboration, Distant Relatives, could do as much as 45-50k.

Right behind it is Fat Possum/Columbia Americana alternarockers Band of Horses, who have relocated from Seattle back to their native South Carolina for Infinite Arms, their major label debut, which is set for a robust 40-45k in its first week.

Virgin’s LCD Soundsystem release their much-anticipated third album, This Is Happening, which is happening to the tune of 28-32k in sales.

The new album from Blacksmith/Rawkus/WB conscious rap duo Talib Kweli +Hi-Tek, Revolutions Per Minute, should bow with 22-25k.

Finally, highly touted Bad Boy diva Janelle Monae’s The ArchAndroid is on track for between 15-18k. The Atlanta-based singer, mentored by OutKast’s Big Boi and signed by Puffy Combs, has been compared to Toni Morrison, Mad Max, Prince and Parliament.

The market was down 12% vs. last week, down 9% vs. same week last year and still down 10% year to date. You may now return to figuring out if that Greyson Chance dude playing the Lady Gaga song on YouTube is real or just a figment of our collective imagination.