Eminem's 'MMLP2' Set for No. 1 With 750K, Celine Dion Heading for No. 2

Best Bets Albums 2013, Eminem

As reported earlier, Eminem's "The Marshall Mathers LP 2" album is unstoppable, as it will easily debut at No. 1 next week's Billboard 200 with the second-largest sales week of the year. Industry sources say the set could sell around 750,000 by the end of the tracking week on Sunday, Nov. 10.

The new Billboard 200's top 10 will be revealed on Wednesday, Nov. 13.

Currently, the year's second-biggest week is owned by Drake's "Nothing Was the Same," which entered at No. 1 with 658,000, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Justin Timberlake's "The 20/20 Experience" will continue to own 2013's biggest week, as it opened with 968,000 at No. 1 back in March.

If "The Marshall Mathers LP 2" sells between 725,000 and 750,000, it will instantly become one of the year's top 15-selling albums. At the present, the No. 15 seller is the "Pitch Perfect" soundtrack, which has moved 721,000 in 2013.

It's likely that within two weeks time, "MMLP2" will become one of the year's top 10 sets, as the No. 10 title (Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' "The Heist") has sold 911,000.

"MMLP2" will mark the seventh No. 1 for Eminem -- and seventh consecutive set to debut at No. 1.

Eminem's album will likely be one of three debuts in next week's top 10, as he will be joined by Celine Dion's "Loved Me Back to Life" and Avril Lavigne's self-titled album. Dion's effort is aiming for a start of around 80,000, while Lavigne is on course for a bow of perhaps 40,000.

Dion's "Loved" -- which looks like it will bow at No. 2 -- will bring her total of top 10 albums to 12. It will also mark her highest-charting album since 2003's "One Heart" debuted and peaked at No. 2.

However, her new album's first-week sales could be her smallest for a new studio set since 1993's "The Colour Of My Love" bowed with 16,000 (at No. 88). Her last studio release, 2007's "Taking Chances," debuted and peaked at No. 3 with 214,000 sold in its first week.

The new album's first single (its title track), has not charted on the Billboard Hot 100 yet, though it did peak at No. 24 on the Adult Contemporary airplay chart. It has so far sold 49,000 downloads.

As for Lavigne, her new album will be her fifth straight top 10 -- her entire output so far. Yet, like Dion, she's selling a lot less albums than she usually does. "Avril Lavigne's" first-week will be the singer/songwriter's lowest yet, dipping below the 62,000 start of her "Let Go" debut in 2002.

On the bright side, her current single, "Let Me Go" (featuring her husband, Nickelback's Chad Kroeger), rises 33-29 on the Adult Pop Songs airplay chart this week.

On SoundScan's Building chart (below), Eminem is No. 1, while Lavigne and Dion are Nos. 4 and 6, respectively. The Building tally is a precursor to the final Billboard 200 ranking -- reflecting the first four days (Monday through Thursday) of SoundScan's tracking week as reported by six major merchants.

Because of how Building Chart is compiled, the rankings can sometimes be misleading. While Dion is ranked only at No. 6 right now, she is indeed heading for a No. 2 debut once the official SoundScan sales figures have been compiled.

As for the rest of the top 10: Katy Perry's "PRISM" is No. 2, the Robertsons' "Duck the Halls" set is No. 3 and Pentatonix's "PTX Vol. 2" is No. 5. The latter set may not finish within the top 10 for the week, but could arrive in the top 15, with maybe 28,000 or so. That would mark the best sales week yet for the a cappella group. Their first album, "PTX: Volume 1," debuted and peaked at No. 14 off a start of 18,000. (However, it only spent two weeks on the chart.) It has so far sold 70,000.

Back on the Building Chart, Kelly Clarkson's "Wrapped In Red" is No. 7, followed by Drake's "Nothing Was the Same" at No. 8 and Lorde's "Pure Heroine" at No. 9. Miley Cyrus' "Bangerz" closes the top 10, at No. 10.

NIELSEN SOUNDSCAN BUILDING CHART
Rank	LW BB 200	Artist	Title
1	NEW	Eminem	"The Marhsall Mathers LP 2"
2	2	Katy Perry	"PRISM"
3	4	The Robertson Family	"Duck the Halls: A Robertson Family Christmas"
4	NEW	Avril Lavigne	"Avril Lavigne"
5	NEW	Pentatonix	"PTX Vol. 2"
6	NEW	Celine Dion	"Loved Me Back To Life"
7	3	Kelly Clarkson	"Wrapped In Red"
8	5	Drake	"Nothing Was the Same"
9	8	Lorde	"Pure Heroine"
10	9	Miley Cyrus	"Bangerz"
The Building Chart reflects the first four days (Monday through Thursday) of SoundScan's tracking week (which ends Sunday) as reported by six major merchants: iTunes, Trans World Entertainment, Best Buy, Starbucks, Target and Anderson Merchandisers. Billboard estimates that they make up about 85% of all U.S. album sales.