WEEK IN PREVIEW:
YEAR IN REAR-VIEW

Unless you’re a radio geek scrambling for some Clear Channel love in Little Rock, then Tuesday’s chart is it for your year. We’d like to offer this advice as you encounter the gut-wrenching introspection that will undoubtedly occur when you’re given enough time off to actually contemplate the recent changes in your professional life:

Stay away from handguns. Thank you.

Now on to this week’s chart preview.

How about that nutty Shania Twain? Is there a rack jobber in America who doesn’t touch himself at the mention of her name? She’ll be #1 again this week, with an increase north of 30% and a final tally in 400k range. Chalk up another win for Wal-Mart.

Keep an eye peeled for sales numbers for Nas, as Columbia opened the pipeline on Friday following widespread leaks. The album, God's Son, looks like it will pass 150,000 units sold in just two days. It is the second time this year a traditional Tuesday release date has been blown off and pushed up due to the threat of piracy. You'll recall that Interscope jumped the release date on Eminem's The Eminem Show, which went on to become the biggest selling release of the year.

Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS) applauded the move, claiming it enables more of America’s youth to absorb the glorious artistic achievements of African-American culture.

Solid holiday numbers accompany the rest of the week’s winners, with Dixie Chicks looking like they’ll barely edge out the week’s top debut from Aaliyah. Both should do around 300k. The Chicks are riding a massive sales spike from last week’s primetime TV lovefest.

Hovering around 250k will be Now 11, 8 Mile, Tim McGraw and Avril Lavigne, all clearly designated by choosy parents as Christmas gifts for their kids to upload and burn.

Solid sales numbers around 200k will be bestowed upon J.Lo, Elvis and maybe even Justin. B2K’s gonna get the next-highest debut of week, as they edge out Diane Sawyer & Whitney Houston, who will come in around the 180k mark.