A TAYLOR-MADE SWIFT BOAT RIDE TO THE TOP

Q4 gets underway in earnest this week, with Big Machine/Universal Republic country phenom Taylor Swift leading the way, according to preliminary reports from record retailers whose doors are still open around Obamaland.

With Ellen DeGeneres devoting her entire show to the singer yesterday, and a performance of “Love Story” tonight at the nationally televised CMA Awards on ABC tonight, where she’s nominated for Female Vocalist of the Year, Swift’s new album Fearless is headed for first-week sales of between 550-600k, easily #1 next Tuesday.

The album is #1 at iTunes, while critics have been effusive, with Rolling Stone giving the disc four stars and the N.Y. Times raving, “Ms. Swift has quickly established herself as the most remarkable country music breakthrough artist of the decade. One of Nashville’s most exciting songwriters."

Jive/ZLG American Idol runner-up David Archuleta is headed for an impressive 225-240k for his self-titled debut album, good for second place, thanks to the smash single, “Crush.”

Labelmate T-Pain gives the House of Weiss two in the Top 3 with his latest effort, Thr33 Ringz, his tribute to the art of the Auto-Tune, looking at between 175-190k.

UMe’s Now 29 returns with first-week sales in the 160-170k range, a far cry from its glory days, but probably good enough for #4.

Reprise veteran New Age goddess Enya is back, looking like 85-95k, while RCA/RMG songstress Christina Aguilera’s greatest hits Target exclusive should do at least 75k, maybe more, with both locks for the Top 10.

WB’s Seal looks in the 30-40k range.

One caveat: with Veteran's Day this past Tuesday and many consumers off work and out of school, one-day sales could be somewhat higher than normal.

The market was up 1% over last week, down 29% vs. the same week last year and now down 13% year to date. You may now return to watching your 401(k) drop.