Chart preview

YOUR WEAKEND CHART PREVIEW

Eminem will rack up enough units in his third week at #1 to reach nearly 1.3 million in total sales. The last album to sell more than 200k in its third week, outside of a holiday, was Lil Wayne's Tha Carter III, which sold 209k for the week ending 6/29/08. That album has gone on to sell just south of 3.5 million since release. Since then, the only LPs to sell 200k+ in their third week were Lady Antebellum with 207k during Valentine's Day 2010, Susan Boyle with 582k during Christmas 2009 and Taylor Swift with 267k during Thanksgiving 2008. But enough statistical reminiscing—here’s a sketch of next week’s UMG-intensive Top 15 as we head into the weekend:

Eminem (Shady/Aftermath/Interscope) 225-250k
Drake (Young Money/Cash Money/Universal Motown) 75-80k
* Big Boi (Def Jam/IDJ) 55-60k
Twilight Saga: Eclipse (Chop Shop/Atlantic) 50-55k
Justin Bieber (Island/IDJ) 40-45k
Now 34 (Capitol/EMI) 35-40k
Jack Johnson (Brushfire/Universal Republic) 30-35k
Lady Antebellum (Capitol Nashville/EMI) 30-35k
* Enrique Iglesias (Universal Republic) 27-30k
Lady Gaga (Interscope) 27-30k
The-Dream (Def Jam/IDJ) 25-28k
Miley Cyrus (Hollywood) 25-28k
* Bret Michaels (Poor Boy/Mailboat) 24-27k
Sarah McLachlan (Arista/RMG) 24-27k
Zac Brown Band (Atlantic) 21-24k
* Denotes debut

You may now return to ordering your Miami Heat #6 jerseys. (7/9a)