Despite the fact that Britney Spears is putting minimal effort into promoting her new album, she appears to be in command of the Billboard charts. Spears’ Blackout sold 124,000 copies its first day of release, according to the magazine’s Building Chart. By comparison, last week’s album-sales champ, Carrie Underwood’s Carnival Ride, sold 69,000 copies over the course of that same twenty-four hours. Spears is expected to sell in the ballpark of 350,000 albums her debut week, which would likely give her the top spot on the chart … by default. Industry insiders predict that the Eagles’ new Long Road Out of Eden is selling copies at a rapider pace than Blackout. However, Long Road is only available in Wal-Mart, and in keeping with Wal-tradition, the chain is refusing to report sales on exclusive releases (they withheld information regarding recent Garth Brooks exclusives). So while the Eagles may be, in actuality, this week’s chart kings, it might be Britney who wears the crown next week. Even Spears’ victories are marred by controversy.


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