Just when we declared the "Frozen" soundtrack had crossed over from successful to indomitable, along comes an album that's finally able to dethrone the Disney favorite: a compilation of repurposed pop hits.
The 50th edition of "Now That's What I Call Music!" is poised to see its most lucrative debut since "Now 41" arrived in March 2012. If industry forecasters' expectations hold steady, "Now 50" will sell more than 120,000 copies by the end of this week's tracking period on Sunday, likely placing it at No. 1. (The next Billboard chart will be released on Wed., May 14.)
It's a victory for "Now," which has seen each of its albums hit the Top 10. "Now 50" would be the 18th in the series to peak at No. 1. While riding this 13-week reign, "Frozen" flitted in and out of the No. 1 spot, having been dethroned by another "Now" entry -- the 49th one -- following a two-week victory in February.
Of course, there's always a chance the soundtrack will reclaim the top spot in the weeks to come. Bruce Springsteen's "High Hopes" bested "Frozen" in February, but it bounced back the next week. It spent another two weeks at No. 1 after that, until "Now 49," Eric Church's "The Outsiders," Schoolboy Q's "Oxymoron" and Rick Ross' "Mastermind" each staved it off intermittently prior to the album's current eight-week dominance.
We called it in February: The first half of 2014 has been a snoozefest for new music. Perhaps that streak is coming to an end, though: Despite the potential next No. 1 comprising regurgitated songs, a few original albums are on the horizon that could add a refreshing note to the music scene. Michael Jackson's "Xscape," The Black Keys' "Turn Blue," Coldplay's "Ghost Stories" and Mariah Carey's "Me. I Am Mariah ... The Elusive Chanteuse" all arrive this month.
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