Bruce Springsteen Aiming for 11th No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart
The singer's "High Hopes" should freeze the "Frozen" soundtrack out of the top spot
Bruce Springsteen seems set for his 11th No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart with his new release, "High Hopes."
Industry sources forecast the set, which was released on Jan. 14, to sell around 95,000 copies by the end of the tracking week on Sunday, Jan. 19.
Meanwhile, the current No. 1 album,
the soundtrack to Disney's "Frozen" movie, may fall to No. 2 with around 85,000. (Last week, it sold 86,000, according to Nielsen SoundScan.)
The top 10 of next week's Billboard 200 chart will be revealed on Wednesday, Jan. 22.
Next week's second-highest debut will likely be the new "Kidz Bop 25" album, with around 60,000 or so. The long-running series, which features kid-friendly covers of popular songs, has charted 38 albums on the Billboard 200, with 17 reaching the top 10. In addition to the 25 numbered albums, the Kidz Bop franchise has spawned themed collections like "Kidz Bop Christmas," "Kidz Bop Sings the Beatles" and "Kidz Bop Halloween Hits!"
After the "Kidz Bop 25" album, look for
Sugarland's Jennifer Nettles to bow with her first solo album,
"That Girl." Sources say it may sell around 45,000, which should land it in the top five of the Billboard 200 -- and at No. 1 on the Top Country Albums chart.
As one-half of Sugarland (with singer/guitarist Kristian Bush), Nettles racked up six earlier albums on the Billboard 200, with three of them hitting No. 1. The pair topped the list with "Love On the Inside" in 2008, the live set "Live On the Inside" the following year, and then "The Incredible Machine" in 2010. Collectively, Sugarland's albums have sold 9.9 million copies in the U.S., according to SoundScan.
One more debut seems set for the top 10 next week:
Switchfoot's "Fading West" with around 35,000 or so. It's the first album for the act since 2011's "Vice Verses" debuted and peaked at No. 8 on the Billboard 200, selling 45,000 in its first week. "Fading West" should also land the band its fifth No. 1 on the Christian Albums chart, following "Vice," "Oh! Gravity," "Nothing Is Sound" and "The Beautiful Letdown."
On SoundScan's Building chart (below), Springsteen is No. 1 while the "Frozen" soundtrack is at No. 2. The Building tally is a precursor to the final Billboard 200 ranking -- reflecting the first four days (Monday through Thursday) of SoundScan's tracking week as reported by six major merchants.
As for the rest of the top 10: Nettles, "Kidz Bop 25" and Beyonce's self-titled album are Nos. 3-5, respectively. Switchfoot is No. 6, while Lorde's "Pure Heroine" is No. 7. Eminem's "The Marshall Mathers LP 2," Katy Perry's "PRISM" and Imagine Dragons' "Night Visions" are Nos. 8-10.
NIELSEN SOUNDSCAN BUILDING CHART
Rank LW BB 200 Artist Title
1 NEW Bruce Springsteen "High Hopes"
2 1 Soundrack "Frozen"
3 NEW Jennifer Nettles "That Girl"
4 NEW Kidz Bop Kids "Kidz Bop 25"
5 2 Beyonce "Beyonce"
6 NEW Switchfoot "Fading West"
7 5 Lorde "Pure Heroine"
8 4 Eminem "The Marshall Mathers LP 2"
9 7 Katy Perry "PRISM"
10 9 Imagine Dragons "Night Visions"
http://www.billboard.com/articles/ne...oard-200-chart
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