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The National

Rock band the National is aiming for its best sales week ever — and perhaps highest-charting album — with its new Trouble Will Find Me album. The set should arrive at No. 2 on next week’s Billboard 200 chart, with perhaps 70,000 sold — so say industry forecasters.

Their last album, 2010’s High Violet, debuted and peaked at No. 3 off of a 51,000 start — their current chart peak and best sales week, according to Nielsen SoundScan. So far, the set has moved 298,000 in the U.S.

The new Billboard 200 chart’s top 10 will be revealed on the morning of Wednesday, May 29.

Country star Darius Rucker is headed for his third straight top 10 on the Billboard 200 with his latest set, True Believers. It may arrive in the No. 3 position with around 60,000. That sum should also easily give Rucker his third consecutive No. 1 on the Country Albums chart — his entire output of country albums. He previously led the Country tally with 2010’s Charleston, SC 1966 and 2008’s Learn to Live.

Rucker’s new album is currently supported by the hit single Wagon Wheel, which peaked at No. 16 on the Billboard Hot 100 and No. 1 on the Hot Country Songs chart. On the Country Airplay chart this past week, it jumped 2-1.

Both the National and Rucker will take the back seat to Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories, which is on track to debut at No. 1 with around 300,000 sold.

On SoundScan’s Building chart (below), Daft Punk is No. 1, followed by Rucker and the National at Nos. 2 and 3, 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.

As for the rest of the Building chart’s top 10: Thirty Seconds to Mars’ Love Lust Faith + Dreams is No. 4, while French Montana’s new Excuse My French is No. 5. Both albums could end up in the top 10 next week, with around 60,000 and 40,000 copies each, respectively.

The Great Gatsby soundtrack is No. 6 on the Building chart, followed by George Strait’s Love Is Everything, Justin Timberlake’s The 20/20 Experience, Vampire Weekend’s Modern Vampires of the City and Lady Antebellum’s Golden. [Billboard.biz]

Nielsen SoundScan Building Chart
Rank LW
BB 200
Artist Title
1 NEW Daft Punk Random Access Memories
2 NEW Darius Rucker True Believers
3 NEW The National Trouble Will Find Me
4 NEW Thirty Seconds to Mars Love Lust Faith + Dreams
5 NEW French Montana Excuse My French
6 4 Soundtrack The Great Gatsby
7 2 George Strait Love Is Everything
8 7 Justin Timberlake The 20/20 Experience
9 1 Vampire Weekend Modern Vampires of the City
10 5 Lady Antebellum Golden
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.