Thursday, April 9, 2009

Rascal Flatts On Track To Score No. 1 On Billboard 200

Rascal Flatts' new album "Unstoppable" looks like it'll live up to its name, as it's on course to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart next week. Industry prognosticators project the Lyric Street set will sell over 300,000 copies in its first week, and suggest that number could grow even higher.If it does open at No. 1, it will be the fourth chart-topper for the band -- the most of any country group. They are currently tied for the most with the Dixie Chicks.Unsurprisingly, "Unstoppable" leads the Nielsen SoundScan Building chart that was released on April 8, which reflected unweighted sales through the close of business on Tuesday, April 7.Billboard estimates the seven merchants who report to Nielsen SoundScan's Building chart -- Trans World Entertainment, Best Buy, iTunes, Starbucks, Borders, Target and Anderson Merchandisers -- comprise about 60% of all U.S. album sales.Rascal Flatts' last studio album, 2007's "Still Feels Good," opened at No. 1 with 547,000 and has sold 2.2 million in the U.S.
Other albums looking good for a top 10 debut on next week's Billboard 200 chart include Jadakiss' "Last Kiss" (Ruff Ryders/D-Block/Def Jam) and Jason Aldean's "Wide Open" (Broken Bow). Also, watch for Walt Disney's "Hannah Montana: the Movie" soundtrack to post a big gain next week, as the film bows in U.S. theaters on Friday, April 10. The Easter holiday, which falls on Sunday, April 12, will also likely be a sales driver for the set.Nielsen SoundScan's sales tracking week, as reflected in the official Billboard 200 chart, runs from Monday through Sunday of each week. The newest Billboard 200 chart, released today (April 8) -- where Keith Urban's "Defying Gravity" debuted at No. 1 with 172,000 -- reflected the week that ended on Sunday, April 5.

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