HITS predix: Daughtry 240-260k

HITS Daily Double released its one-day sales estimates for the coming week, and Daughtry's highly anticipated album Leave This Town is expected to knock Michael Jackson out of the top spot. According to HDD:

After three straight weeks of Jackomania, yet another American Idol, this one named Daughtry, should be #1 on next week's HITS Top 50 with Leave This Town, his sophomore 19/RCA/RMG album, which will bow in the 240-260k range.

That's based on one-day sales reports from those retailers who still have Michael Jackson catalog on their shelves.

Continuing with my pattern of seriously overestimating first-week sales of new releases by Idol alums, I was way too optimistic with my prediction of 390k copies. Apparently the fact that it is not Thanksgiving week is playing a greater role than I expected, and the amount of promo and built-in fan base will not be enough to place Leave This Town's opening ahead of Daughtry's 304k take back in 2006.

Still, a debut at #1 is nothing to sneeze at, and it is nice that Chris and the guys will be the ones to unseat Jackson from the spot for the first time in a few weeks.