ONE-DAY SALES: JAY-Z, LINKIN PARK COLLABORATION ROCKS
Collision Course on Track for Top Debut, Followed by Nas, Kelly Clarkson, T.I.

December 1, 2004

You throw some hottt superstar rhymes in a bowl. Grind in a liberal amount of nu-metal aggression and go at it with that potato-ricer thing you’ve had in the drawer for years but never knew what to do with.

That’s a recipe for a mash-up, and according to early reports from national accounts, there’s a big ol' healthy appetite for it across the country. Indeed, Jay-Z and Linkin Park’s new collaboration, Collision Course (Warner Bros.), is on track to be next week’s top debut, with early data indicating first-week sales of up to 350k.

That figure barely gets you into the Top Five on this week's turkey-bloated chart, but depending on how U2 fares in the coming days, it could mean a shot at #1 next week—though it would take a steeper than usual second-week drop for U2’s How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb (Interscope). With nearly 839k of the iPod ad-driven album moved this week, most at this point are giving the edge to U2. Get it? The edge? U2?

Anyway, Collision Course will lead a pack of newcomers on next week’s chart that will also include the new double CD from Nas, Street Disciple (Columbia), which is also off to a very strong start. Early reports point to a first week of 225k-250k.

And then there’s Kelly Clarkson’s Breakaway (RCA), the latest American Idol release from the J/RCA juggernaut, and T.I.’s slyly titled Urban Legend (Atlantic). Both appear headed for first weeks around the 200k mark.
That should give all of the above at least a spot in next week’s Top 10, but things could look even better by the end of the week, depending how bad the post-turkey week hangover is for those already on the chart.

I wanted the title to be Collision Course Breaks Away from Urban Legends and Street's Disciples, but it wouldn't fit. Gonna be a tight top 5 this week.

I would like to see it break 500k but thats dreaming. I thought that Nas came out next week. I guessed he released early

When I was at the store yesterday, they were sold out of Collision Course. For the other new CD's, they had plently of copies left.

Pretty good for Nas, its one of the best rap albums out this year. T.I.'s new one is garbage.

Too bad for Kelly Clarkson. I really wanted her to debut at number one!