May 12, 2010

By By Keith Caulfield, L.A

? On next week's Billboard 200 albums chart, none of the albums that were released on May 11 look likely to debut with strong enough sales to enable a No. 1 entry. So perhaps we'll see Lady Antebellum return to the top slot with "Need You Now."

? Considering Godsmack's "Oracle" -- which debuted at No. 1 this week --will likely take slide an expected 50% to 60% in sales, that'll leave the sturdy "Need You Now" as the likely candidate for No. 1.

? The highest debut next week will probably be either the Dead Weather's "Sea of Cowards" or the National's "High Violet." Industry prognosticators think each album will perhaps sell around 35,000 to 40,000 by week's end on Sunday, May 16. That sum should be enough to trigger a top 10 debut for both sets.

? Also looking to bow in the top 20 are the debut album from teen phenomenon Charice with her self-titled set. The 18-year-old visited both "The Oprah Winfrey Show" and QVC yesterday. Depending on how Winfrey's army of viewers reacts to the big-voiced teen's album, it could sell around 20,000 to 30,000 -- though there is a chance it could sell more.

? Christian rock band Tenth Avenue North's second major label album "The Light Meets the Dark" could shift in the range of 20,000 to 30,000, which will easily be the act's best sales week yet. Its last set, "Over and Underneath," has been perched atop the Pop Catalog Albums chart for the past month, selling about 10,000 on a weekly basis according to Nielsen SoundScan.

? Another rock act, of a slightly different flavor, could also see its new effort begin with around 20,000 to 30,000: metal act As I Lay Dying's "The Powerless Rise."

? Over on the Hot Digital Songs chart, after an exciting week where we had Eminem's "Not Afraid," 3Oh!3's "My First Kiss" and the cast of "Glee's" "Total Eclipse of the Heart" bulldoze into the top 10 with big first weeks, next week looks a bit tamer. Presently, it's looking like the highest new entry will come from Katy Perry's "California Gurls," which features Snoop Dogg. The cast of "Glee" could also find themselves with another top 10 Digital Songs hit on their hands with its cover of Rick Springfield's "Jessie's Girl."

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