STRAIT TO THE TOP

Yep, that’s the sound of honky-tonk veteran George Strait’s latest MCA Nashville hitting the #1 spot on next week’s HITS Album chart, the latest success in a long and still-potent career.

Based on one-day sales figure from all those music retailers who haven’t become medical marijuana dispensaries shows the country star will sell a total close to 150k.

That’ll be more than enough to topple the King of Pop’s reign at #1, though expect Michael releases to dominate the rest of our Top 5, if not, inexplicably, Soundscan's.

Red-Hot Cobra Starship, the latest Decaydance/Fueled by Ramen release (home of Panic at the Disco, among others), distributed by Atlantic, are the next heighest debut at 40-45k, fueled by the Top 5 single, “Good Girls Go Bad,” featuring Gossip Girls’ Leighton Meester. The band’s led by clever Gabe Saporta, who fronted the group Midtown on Columbia several years ago.

Valory country singer/songwriter Justin Moore’s self-titled album could do in the 34-37k range, thanks to a hit single on the format, “Small Town USA.”

E1 (formerly Koch) rap all-star group Slaughterhouse, consisting of Crooked I, Joe Budden, Joell Ortiz and Royce Da 5’9”, should do between 23-25k.

Mercury/IDJ country pop pin-up Jessie James debuts with between 18-20k, while Vagrant thrash-rock perennials Thrice’s iTunes exclusive will net them 12-14k.

The market was up 1% vs. last week, down 16% vs. same week last year and still down 14% year to date.

Hey, what are you doing just sitting there? Go disrupt a town hall meeting or something.