As HMV Group's eponymous music, games and DVD stores and its Waterstone's chain of book stores gear up for Christmas, chief executive Simon Fox is optimistic about new titles coming out in time for the crucial trading season.

Here are the releases he tips for big sales:

Music

"Beatles is going to be huge," says Fox, pointing to next week's relaunch of the remastered Beatles catalogue, coinciding with the new Beatles: Rock Band computer game.

Other highlights are new albums from Pearl Jam, Mika, Mariah Carey, Whitney Houston, Sting and JLS.

Fox adds: "The X Factor starts to click in and will build." A new album by Alexandra Burke, last year's winner of the television talent show, is due out towards the end of the latest series.

DVD

Hannah Montana

Night at the Museum 2: Escape from the Smithsonian

Ice Age 3: Dawn of the Dinosaurs

Transformers 2: Revenge of the Fallen

Harry Potter and the Half-blood Prince

Games

Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2

Books

Fox believes that 2009 will be the Christmas of the comedy autobiography, with books from Peter Kay, Ant and Dec, Jack Dee and Jo Brand among others.