‘Elephant’ stampedes onto chart

The White Stripes’ “Elephant” album entered the national sales chart at No. 6 on Wednesday, an impressive showing for the raw-edged Detroit duo, which is at the forefront of a new wave of passionate rock ‘n’ roll bands that also includes the Strokes, the Vines and the Hives.

There has been widespread critical and alternative-rock radio support for these bands in recent months, and the record industry is watching “Elephant” closely to see if that enthusiasm translates into strong sales.

The highest previous chart entry for any of the bands was No. 11 for the Vines’ “Highly Evolved” in July. The first-week sales of “Elephant” nearly doubled the Vines’ figure -- 126,000 to 64,000, according to Nielsen/SoundScan.

The real test, in terms of convincing labels to sign similar bands, is how well “Elephant” continues to sell. The last Stripes album, “White Blood Cells,” has sold around 665,000 since its release in July 2001. If this one tops 1 million, the bandwagon may be rolling.

Linkin Park’s “Meteora” tops the chart for the second consecutive week, though its sales dropped from 810,000 in its first week in stores to 265,000 in its second. Besides the Stripes, the only other new release to enter the top 10 on Wednesday was Cher’s greatest hits package, which finished No. 7 by selling 122,000 copies.

Based on first-day sales Tuesday, Lisa Marie Presley’s debut album may top the 100,000 mark next week, probably enough to make it a Top 10 entry. But the new Godsmack album is the odds-on favorite to top next week’s chart.