After his record-breaking chart week, the late Michael Jackson will continue to shake up the charts next week, too.
Industry prognosticators project that his “Thriller” album may sell as much as 110,000-130,000 by week’s end at the close of business on Sunday, July 5. “The Essential Michael Jackson” may move 90,000-110,000 while “Number Ones” could blow through 60,000-80,000.
Additionally, according to Nielsen SoundScan’s Building Chart data, more than 110,000 Jackson albums were purchased during the first two days of the new tracking week (June 29-30). “Thriller” was his top seller in those two days, shifting 44,000 copies, while “The Essential Michael Jackson” and “Number Ones” were his second and third-best sellers. Billboard estimates that the seven merchants that report to Nielsen SoundScan’s Building chart — Trans World Entertainment, Best Buy, iTunes, Starbucks, Borders, Target and Anderson Merchandisers — make up about 60% of all U.S. album sales. Nielsen SoundScan’s sales tracking week runs from Monday through Sunday of each week. [read more here]
