Rolling 2006 US Charts Thread

Hello Fred,

I just looked at the latest Hot 100 chart and I was quite shocked to see songs that have been on the chart throughout the last months of 2005 gain more airplay than newer songs. What is up with that?

Thanks again,

Jeevaka Weerasena
Leeds, U.K.

---

Dear Jeevaka,

This is something that happens at the beginning of every calendar year. Radio stations traditionally review the year just ended during the last week of December, and feature countdowns of the year's top hits. Older songs like Mariah Carey's "We Belong Together" and the Pussycat Dolls' "Don't Cha" experience airplay spikes that pushes them back up the Hot 100, though it's usually a temporary effect.

It was startling enough to generate more than a dozen e-mails from "Chart Beat" readers who wondered what was happening to the chart.

http://music.aol.com/news/articles?id=n20060108172109990007&cid=525

Seriously, how can anyone complain about "My Humps" when this song exists (and is technically more popular)

Andrew, if you're looking for something new to complain about: James Blunt is now in the Top 20.

However, it's very cool that both "Dance, Dance" and "Dirty Little Secret" cracked the top ten.

This is pennance for you not turning up for World War II at the fucking start like everyone else.

But I'm very encouraged that we've had different #1s each of the last three weeks. I like the rapid turnover and hope it lasts. "Grillz" doesn't have staying power, does it?

"Check On It" following "Grillz" into #1 = Mike Jones the only person still tippin' without a #1?

Yeah, I predict that "Check On It" goes number one next week but only lasts a fortnight before Mary J. Blige dislodges it. ("Check On It" is still reeling from the indignity of not being able to unseat "Be Mine!" on the Poptomists thread.)

"Bring Em Out" was #9. Is that close enough?

James Blunt at #8, people.

Natasha Bedingfield leaps 14 to #14.

BRITAIN REPPRRRESENT!!!

Last 10 songs played on Mega 95.7:

"Reggaeton Latino" Don Omar
"Don't Bother" Shakira
"Mayor Que Yo" Luney Tunes Feat Mas Flow Allstars
"Llame Pa Verte" Wisin & Yandell
"My Humps" Black Eyed Peas
"De Lao A Lao" Khriz Y Angel
"Noche De Travesura Ft. Don Omar Rmx" Dj Nelson / Mas Flow Family
"The G Way" Kilo Feat Snoop Dogg
"Cuentale" Ivy Queen
"My Angel" Mr. Capon-E

Ok, I'll buy that, but it doesn't explain why there are no *other* hip-hop or r&b songs on the Latin chart right now. Though maybe this week is a fluke? Have other non-Latin-identified hip-hop songs made the Latin chart in the past year? I have to admit I haven't watched the chart closely, though I will start. Right now, though, "My Humps" looks like a total anamoly. (And yeah, I'm sure a reggaeton remix of it might be an explanation, if one exists. But we're not just talking about isolated spins; it must be getting *plenty* or airplay, right?)

And I haven't watched it at all.

Reminds me of the "Crossover" stations back in the mid to late '80s, which were English-language stations that wanted to pull in lots of young Latinos and so would play a range that went from Brit. haircut disco such as the Pet Shop Boys and Bananarama to freestyle (a.k.a. "Latin hip-hop") such as Exposé and Cynthia to hip-hop/r&b such as Salt N Pepa and L.L. Cool J. (not to mention Lisa Lisa and Cult Jam, who had the same initials as L.L. Cool J.). KMEL in San Francisco did this, though in the '90s they gradually were taken over by hip-hop.

And speaking of Devo crossover, the #3 track, Miranda's "Don," doesn't sound altogether unlike Devo (Devo going more poppy and electroblippy), and their singer - Miranda are a they - looks kind of like David Byrne.

I also recommend Bebe's "Malo" from that chart; subdued flamenco-style rhythm that backs a vocal that goes from expository to fierce. The track is from 2004; otherwise, it'd be a candidate for my Pazz 'N Jop ballot (as Belinda's "Angel" would have last year if it hadn't been from mid 2004; not unlike "Malo" but with more of a Madonna-1985-goes-new-wave feel, with "wail" being Belinda's pathway to fierceness). By the way, Ricky Martin's "I Don't Know," which Launch Yahoo just started playing, is as passionate as anything I'd heard of his last time I was paying attention c. 2001.

Belinda's "Angel" is still in the Top Ten in Launch Yahoo's "Latino Pop" category - of course, so is Shakira's "Whenever Wherever" and another five Shakira songs as well. "Angel" would be Madonna in ballad mode, "Borderline" as a power ballad with an underlying layer of rock guitar, but it still feels like Madonna Goes New Wave. They're now playing Shakira's "Don't Bother," which, like "Angel," is more rock than "Malo" is. But then, Shakira is pop by definition, I guess, even when she's doing something that sounds rock. (The strange break in "Don't Bother" is grating in a way that's gorgeous in a way that's almost blinding, lasts just a couple of seconds.) Miranda seems to be on neither the "Latino Pop" or "Rock en Espanol" list, though if they aren't rock or pop, I don't know what to call them. Don is the only video of theirs that Launch has.

20 26 Black Eyed Peas My Humps (A&M/Interscope) 2232 ----
19 21 Ying Yang Twins f/Pitbull Shake (TVT) 1836 ----
18 21 R. Kelly Burn It Up (Jive/Zomba Label Group) 2051 ----

First column's spins last week, then this week; after song info the column's labeled "TA", and I dunno what that stands for. Last column, blank in all these cases, is add date, so apparently they just drifted in or something. These are #s 24-26 for this week. R Kelly's been on there forever, but the other two I haven't heard on that station yet, not that I listen a whole lot.

--"Malo" has only been on the charts for 9 weeks, so I can comfortably vote for it in next year's Pazz & Jop (though I'll be surprised if it makes my final Top 10).

--Leila Colo's writes that the Miranda LP's "feel-good mix of pop and electronica is making inroads at U.S. radio." They're Argentine.

--Young Jeezy's "Trap Star" is produced by Mr. Collipark (one of my favorites for his work with Ying Yang Twins) and is the best thing on the Young Jeezy album, and it's 73 with a bullet, but I don't think it's going to rise much higher, unfortunately.

--Two of my favorites, Miranda Lambert's "Kerosene" and Ashlee Simpson's "L.O.V.E.," score relatively low on the consumer taste tests Billboard runs (I forget what they call them), "Kerosene" in the mid 70s and "L.O.V.E." in the high 60s, and neither is getting much radio play, I'm guessing because "Kerosene" is too hard rock for the country audience and because Ashlee has been box-office poison since the SNL debacle. But neither single will go away - as a matter of fact, "L.O.V.E." is up to 22 with a bullet. Where "Kerosene" is getting support is CMT; maybe Don will have some insight into that. It's a hot video. Ashlee's video, on the other hand, seems ho-hum (at least on the postage-stamp size vid that Launch Yahoo gives me), and I don't know how it's doing on MTV; but where her song is scoring high is in downloads. I think downloads are what makes the Hot 100 so volatile this year. They're a new factor that doesn't match up with radio play or album sales. A track with strong support but which also inspires strong antipathy among the nonfans will get depressed airplay but will do well in downloads, where the haters don't have a negative vote. And a new, unproven act like D4L or Dem Franchise Boys will get lots of downloads from people not ready to buy an album.

--Morningwood's album was the top heatseeker last week (strongest sales for a performer that has yet to put an album in the top 100); I don't see how this album doesn't become big, unless "Nth Degree" mostly inspires downloads rather than CD purchases.

--Flyleaf was at 15 on the "Top Christian" chart. I haven't listened to my copy for a couple of months, but I recall it as Christian emo goth with death-metal tendencies.

--Reviewer Chuck Taylor calls Ashlee Simpson "the day's most contrived pop star." I wonder if he thought of that idea himself.

--Producer/songwriter/musician John Shanks has two songs in the country top 60 (SheDaisy's "I'm Taking the Wheel" and Bon Jovi's "Who Says You Can't Go Home?") and four in the Hot 100 (not only that Bon Jovi track but "Have a Nice Day," as well as Ashlee's "L.O.V.E." and "Boyfriend"), but this is relatively weak for him, in that none of those went top 10. This is a man who's helped define a lot of modern pop and teenpop (produced and co-wrote Michelle Branch's "Everywhere" back in 2001, setting the stage for Pink and Avril; produced and co-wrote all of Ashlee's stuff, the best of Hilary's, and the first of Lindsay's; produced Kelly Clarkson's "Breakaway"; co-wrote Keith Urban's huge country hit "Somebody Like You" several years ago).

Taboo is.

there's a video for it, but I got the impression that Jeezy just really liked the song and wanted to shoot a video for it, and got to because he has a lot of pull at Def Jam right now. but right after it came out, a video for "My Hood" came out too, which I think is the 'real' single they're pushing right now, so yeah, I don't think "Trap Star" is going to climb much higher. I like it, although the spelling in the chorus ("I'm a T-R-A-P S-T-R") makes me think of Homer Simpson ("I am so smart, I am so smart, S-M-R-T, I mean S-M-A-R-T").

If that's the same Chuck Taylor who's been writing for Billboard for the past few years, then I should point out that (a) he writes for a Top-40-centric crowd, and (b) he's wholeheartedly and non-chart-orientedly a huge fan of pop music, prefab or no. If he called her "contrived" it may well have been a compliment by his standards.

And Blunt's takeover is the greatest insult to our nation's intelligence since Reality Bites. What the fuck.

It wasn't. He also called her a puppet, and basically said that she was too white to do dance funk. He was being a numbskull.

And as for this phenomenon, that was the year's major new release until the Strokes came out! We were looking at some lame laydown weeks for awhile there.

hey slight digression but has anyone seen the source's (new i'm pretty sure, i seem to recall it saying 'premiere issue' or some such) reggaeton mag? tego calderon on the cover, it's in spanish - turn it around and flip it and it's in english! fuego (king magazine's new latin mag) is probably more my style for, um, personal reasons but i'm still curious.

"Check On It" is still #1, by the way.

On what chart?? I have the new Billboard in front of me, looking at the Hot 100 chart,and I don't see any of those songs. Not noticing them on the Hot Digitial Songs chart either; where are you looking?

Latin chart "My Humps" fell to 49, still no other English language tunes. Album chart Matisyahu's live album jumps from 44 to 32, and it's been out a year; is his *real* album, which comes out next month I think, going to enter at #1? That will be so weird. Also on album chart Morningwood drops 102 to 169 after heavily promoted on TV first week; is "Nth Degree" actually gettting airply anywhere? It's not on a single singles chart in Billboard so -- maybe not a hit after all?

Just a guess, though. In the meantime, this is one of the more interesting singles charts I've seen in a while, s'far as big movements; and I like it.

I don't pay attention to the British charts, but since when don't novelty songs make pop charts *more* fun? Seems to me like something to stive for!

But my guess is that not enough people are using iTunes to download whole albums -- which is why I speculated that this was sort of an anomalous case: a soundtrack that has gotten huge TV exposure among a young audience but lacks a specific single, so kids are downloading everything. They've already seen all of the songs performed on TV, anyway, so they know what they're getting when they download what might be considered a deep cut on any other pop album.

As I predicted, all the High School Musical songs take a big tumble this week.

I have so far not heard James Blunt. I am sure I have a treat in store.

Young Jeezy "Trap Star" number 11 ringtone, peaked number 6! Holy fucking shit! "My Humps" still ringing at number 2; "Candy Shop" in top ten. Mancini at 15 and Lynyrd Skynyrd at 21. Ash not top 40 in the phones but big advertising push to give the gift of "L.O.V.E." on Valentine's Day, which is ironic given that in the lyrics girl friendship love trumps failure of girl-boy thing. That part won't make it to ringtone, however.

"Stripper" not yet getting played on Radio Disney.

Also, not to get self-righteous or anything, but the Grammys don't seem to get it, do they?

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B000CNDIZO.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg

WHAT THE FUCK?!?!?!?

http://www.cbc.ca/gfx/photos/siegfriedroy_031004.jpg

I'm always mystified by the success of songs like Cascada's "Everytime We Touch." It's like there's a quota that a song with that generic pulsation has to have a radio presence every few months, so we get pointless stuff like that, the "Listen to Your Heart" and "Heaven" covers, and worst of all, that one about the girl who hits or hates the treadmill every day.

Kelly Clarkson scores her fifth Top 40 hit from Breakaway; I don't think anyone else but Usher's done that this decade, so accolades.

And YAY, Dolly Parton's back in the Top 40 for the first time since the ealy '80s. But alas, no new Grammy-related entries (though Madonna experiences a slight rebound with "Hung Up," perhaps aided by the exposure).

Gwen Stefani is SO CLOSE:

Hollaback Girl - 1
Rich Girl - 7
Cool - 13
Luxurious - 21
What You Waiting For - 47
Crash - 74

Cascada still don't make any sense in there, do they? Glee.

Pink debuts at #24. I can think of two or three songs that have debuted inside the 50 since I've been paying attention to it - that Gavin DeGraw thing, POD, and... possibly one of the High School Musical ones. They've all vamoosed rather rapidly - will this do any better? Does this kind of thing happen often?

I'd assume that the video for "Stupid Girls" is stoking the song's (and track's) downloads.

It happens a lot more now that the charts have been adjusgted to include digital songs. Other examples from the last year or so include Weezer's "Beverly Hills," The Foo Fighters' "Best of You," Coldplay's "Speed of Sound," The White Stripes' "Blue Orchid," and a few others--basically highly anticipated tracks by previously established artists. In the case of all but The White Stripes, the songs dipped slightly after their high debut and rebounded back afterwards.

Aly & AJ's "Rush" was played 74 times on the CHR Pop stations reporting to Mediabase; given that it was also played 71 times on Radio Disney (which is way more if you multiply it by each station in the chain), it's pretty much only the kids who are hearing it (and whoever is driving them to and from school).

Evanescence's "Bring Me to Life" was played 371 times on the CHR Pop stations, 36 times on the rock stations. Probably also got some mainstream AC and Hot AC action, but I couldn't find my way into the long versions of those charts.

Blunt is getting a lot of his airplay on the AC stations, and is also number one for downloads. Beyoncé is clobbering him on "mainstream hit" radio plays: 10,145 to his 3,890.

Crazytown - "Butterfly"
Matchbox 20 - "Bent"
Nickelback - "How You Remind Me"

all #1s

By the way, is "Since U Been Gone" generally perceived as a rock song? To me, the sound is overwhelmingly and obviously rock, but I get the feeling that many listeners simply won't count it as rock, because it's too melodic and too pop and because it's Kelly. Did it get much play on the rock stations? It's getting absolutely none right now on the active rock and alternative rock stations. Compare to System of a Down's "B.Y.O.B." which has also been around for a while and over the last week got 344 plays on alternative and 281 on active rock, putting it in 63rd place on alternative and 38th on active rock. "B.Y.O.B." got 1 play total on a CHR Pop station last week, while "Since U Been Gone" got 901 plays, placing it 57th. (These are of the stations reporting to Mediabase, that is.)

YOU HAVE POWTER, BITCHES! FEEL THE BURN OF THE SECOND COMING OF CRAP HAT!

http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0009G1HLG.03._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg = http://www.universalbuzz.com/ArtistCatalogPics/BadlyDrawnBoy.jpg

Whereas http://images.amazon.com/images/P/B0009OPNZO.01._SCLZZZZZZZ_.jpg = http://images.windowsmedia.com/img/prov_s/300_80/00000000000000013761-800x800_72dpi_RGB.jpg

Schoolboy error, really.

It does really suit her quite well, though.

Also, Bon Jovi now have a top 20 country single, if nobody noticed.

I really didn't expect "Check On It" to have this much staying power, but yeah, ummm, James Blunt and stuff.

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/entertainment/4764678.stm

Invasion of Britain iminent?

BYE-BYE BLUNTY, BLUNTY GOODBYE... Yep, the king of blandcore has been dislodged after one week as Ne-Yo storms to the top from last week's 9, doing the Hot 100-Billboard 200 double. Rock music is reportedly 'miffed'. Elsewhere in the ten, no major waves - Sean Paul's slow clamber continues, up to 2 this week, and The Mighty Trance Warrior Queen that is Cascada is nudged out to 11 by Dem Franchise Boyz climbing to 'lucky' #9.

CRAP HAT ON THE MARCH - up 15 to this week's #14, with Bubba close behind at #15. Keyshia Cole's up 5 to #20, and there's some yo-yo-ing about down below, most notably with 'Rompe's eight-place climb to #31. New in the 50 this week: Sheryl Crow & Sting's 'I No Longer Want To Ride My Bicycle' is straight in at #35, and Rihanna's 'SOS', Kanye's 'Touch The Sky' and Kenny Chesney's 'Living In Fast Forward' occupy numbers 46 thru 48.

Worth noting, I guess, is that "So Sick" is the 6th #1 of the year so far. At this point last year, I think "Let Me Love You" was just finishing up its nine-week reign. So I guess that's a step forward of sorts.

Also loving the rapid turnover at the #1 position.

This is a real song?!?

this is a sad state of affairs, Joseph.

He's pulling your leg. The real title is "We Met In The Bordello".

In the rest of the country, Laffy Taffy peaked at the time it hit number one. It wasn't played on the radio here (Seattle) til Octover/November. You have to remember that in Atlanta D4L are a local group and so radio there picked up on it before they were nationally known.

* - 'cuz now Ne-Yo passed them all on the right, right?

Well, the Times business section and Billboard both observed it before I did, so I can't take credit. Seemed interesting, though.

As a consumer, I really resent this line of reasoning; it's what led to the utter removal of the singles market in the late '90s (and thus can be held responsible for the dramatic Napster rise thereafter).

the print edition of Billboard magazine contains the charts that were announced a week earlier on the Billboard website, so you probably get your issue right on time, but it's info is always a week out of date. it's always kind of funny how the BB site phrases the announcements too, like "Ne-Yo will top next week's Billboard chart," as if it's predicting the future.

(*not that I can find anywhere on the Billboard online site that will tell me what the difference is between a downloaded song and a downloaded track)

Teen-rock (I guess) bands on the Billboad charts this week that I never heard or heard of before, and that I'm vaguely curious about:

THE FRAY - Who have a song with the intriguing title "Over My Head (Cable Car)" at #64 on the singles chart, so maybe they're from San Francisco? Also their album is at #110.

PLUMB -- "One woman rock act Tiffany Arbuckle," #177 on album chart.

FLYLEAF - #140 on album chart, and, judging from a photo elsehwere in the issue, they have a female singer.

Has anybody out there heard any of these bands? What sound they like?

>For Immediate Release
March 15, 2006

MATISYAHU DEBUTS AT #4 ON BILLBOARD 200
WITH NEW ALBUM ‘YOUTH'

With Sales Of 119,000, ‘Youth,' Finds Matisyahu The Only Artist With Two Albums Currently In The Billboard Top 40

‘Youth' Captures #1 Spots On Top Internet Albums Chart, Digital Albums Chart And Reggae Chart As ‘Live At Stubb's' Lands at #3 On Reggae Chart

Outside the top ten, there's reasonable climbs for 'Beep', 'Walk Away' and, er, 'Jesus, Take The Wheel'. Having peaked at #13 'Stupid Girls' slips for a second consecutive week, this week's #22.

New in the 50 - Matisyahu brings the great stuff kids go for at #28 from #61 last week, and Chamillionaire climbs from 57 to 36. Most intriguing one, though perhaps mainly from a British perspective, is Rascal Flatts at #49 with 'What Hurts The Most', the song that ex-S Club lead singer Jo O'Meara attempted to launch her solo career in the UK with last year. Over here, it peaked at #13 then vanished without trace. Its American progress may be slightly more successful, you'd reckon...

The big news for me this week is The All-American Rejects' "Move Along" shooting to #32, it's easily one of the best rock singles of the year so far (and much better than "Dirty Little Secret") and it's nice to see it pick up after a slow start. I hope it peaks as high as DLS did, making the AARs one of what, six rock bands this decade with more than one top ten hit? Nickelback, Creed, Fall Out Boy, Linkin Park and Green Day are the only other ones I can think of off the top of my head.

Sean Paul going to #1 is sorta unexpected but a pleasant enough surprise, it's a pretty scorching single. Daniel Powter really worries me at #2 though, I dunno if I can take him and Blunt going to #1 within the same month. Is this a genuine White Guys With Pianos and Guitars takeover or what?

E-40 sold 93,000 not 50,000. But it still should have sold better.

He's the new Connels!

I don't understand how this one is so mega-successful, though. Maybe it's just because I don't have a roommate anymore to play it on guitar, but I felt like I heard Blunt all the time when it was threatening the #1, I think I've maybe heard Powter twice. Is it just me? Are other people out there feeling the Powtermania?

In other news, Norah Jones's band the Little Willies is a top ten country album, and there is some band called Hinder at #137 on the album chart who I never heard of. Is "Hinder" prononced with a long or short "i"? Also climbing up the Heatseekers chart are heretofore unbeknownst to me Aqualung. Do they sound anything like Jethro Tull?

Speaking of Arctic Monkeys, though--up to #24 on the MR Charts, and album up ten to #32 in the album charts. Could be a start.

Aqualung. Oh... Christ. No, no they don't. They/he are/is a British singer-songwriter type. Who had a top ten hit over here in September 2002 off the back of a car advert, which was... OK. He then got to #37 with the better-than-average Brighter Than Sunshine and hasn't really done that much sales-wise over here at all... What have you lot done to deserve him?

Gwen Stefani's "Luxurious" leaped from #85 to #33 on the R&B charts and is the greatest airplay gainer. I was kinda under the impression that it was done with its run, especially considering that she'd moved on to her next single, and even that one was on the tail end of its run. "Crash" is barely hanging on at #100 on the pop chart.

my local hip hop/R&B station has been playing the Zone 4 remix of "Luxurious" featuring Ludacris in the last few weeks, so maybe other stations are starting to play that one too, which would make me happy since I like it way more than the original (which I never ever heard on R&B radio).

Does Lifehouse count as a rock band? Also Three Doors Down and Santana.

Rihanna's not ascending as quickly as I hoped/anticipated. Then again, same was true of "1 Thing" last year.

Speaking of Lifehouse--how the hell is "You and Me" still on the charts? I don't even remember being that inundated with this song when it was big, who could possibly still be listening to it now? Does prom season now last all year or something?

Double-figure clambers for 'Move Along' (16 from 32), Knickers Back (23 from 42), Teddy Geiger (31 from 44) and The Fray (37 from 48).

NEW IN THE 50: TI rides the crap hat wave to #39, I can quite possibly guess what Saving Jane sound like at #47, Rob Thomas is still around at #48, and after what seems like a fair old while but is somehow only 4 weeks, Panic! At The Disco are the all-American #50.

is it just me, or does that seem sort of insane?

And that Saving Jane song "Girl Next Door" is in my Worst of 2006 list already. Dreadful, every cliche of songwriting and production and bored-indie-hurtness vocal delivery. Might as well have been a commercial for a dish detergent or a crumbling cheese. And yeah, they sound exactly like their name. Wasn't there another, similar band a couple years ago called Marry Me Jane? Yawners.

"Beep" is already starting to stall. #1 would be a lofty ambition at this point.

24 Blondie Vs. The Doors Rapture Riders

Has anyone heard this? Interested in reactions.

Three songs debut in the 50 - Shakira & Wycliffe's Jeans are #41, Ne-Yo has another single that involves him being a drip at #42, and Toby Keith takes 13 weeks to get to #48. Because he's a man.

However, the King's #1 ambitions may be hitting a stumbling block, specifically at #8, where this week's big climber is... RASCAL FUCKING FLATTS, who, having dipped out of the top 50 last week, have somehow shot up 44 places in the past seven days.

Outside o' that, Pink slingshots up from 30 to 15, Shakira and Ne-Yo are both up eight to 33 and 34. Debuts in the 50 for Tim McGraw's 'When The Stars Go Blue' (#42) and Paul Wall's 'Girl' (#45), with the Red Hot Chili Peppers' 'Look, Look, We're Dressed Up Like Poison Or Something!!!' debuting at #21.

Meantime, Rihanna continues her slow 'n' steady, but I admit that "S.O.S." is starting to wear thin for me. I've bumped it from #1 to #4 in my Best of 2006 so far.

PS: Has MJB dropped another single yet? Her record-setting reign of (15? 16?) weeks atop R&B singles ends this week, with T.I. taking over.

Mary J.'s new single is "Enough Cryin'," it's a boring Aftermath-sounding track that I think is going to sink the momentum of her album just like the Dre-produced 2nd single from her last album did.

Is that a Ryan Adams cover?

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:8kqag4hctvoz

Indeed, they were the last, unless you count Tim McGraw and Nelly's "Over and Over."

Only other new entrant in the top 20 is ex-O-Town-ie Ashley Parker Angel, who makes his chart debut at #17. Outside o'that, The Fray and Shakira make decent advances to 22 and 29 respectively, and there's debuts in the 50 for 50 Cent & Olivia's 'Best Friend' (42) and THE MIKE SHINODA HIP-HOP EXPERIENCE featuring Holly Brook and Jonah Matranga, up from 86 to 45.

Def Jam only last week released the song to iTunes for sales, to coincide with the album's physical release.

Does anyone know where "Black Sweat" peaked? Or know of any sites that republish the entire Hot 100?

PS: That Rascal Flatts song is Tee.Dee.Yuss. And the video's a dud too.

obv rascal flatts at #1 is a huge factor in the single success

Ashley Parker Soldier Spy climbs to #12 in his second week on as RASCAL FUCKING FLATTS slide from 6 to 13. Further triumphs for rock include The Fray (#18) and Nickelback (#20) making their first incursions upon the top 20. Just outside are Fort Minor, whose vaguely nauseating emo-rap thing climbs from 45 to 21.

Three songs debut in the 50 - The Dixie Chicks are straight in at #28, Nick Lachey and Chris Brown climb to #33 and #42 respectively. P!ATD and Saving Jane re-enter at 46 and 47.

That Tim McGraw single - not too bad, is it?

The inexorable/inexcusable rise of Fort Minor continues at #12, Ne-Yo climbs to 18, SHakira to 19.

Possible Def Jam-related premonition as Ullcooldge slips from 6 to 22, one place ahead of the Dixie Chicks single. The Dixie Chicks single is awesome. Chris Brown climbs from 42 to 25, Saving Jane break the top 40 for the first time at 34. New in the 50 - Shawnna (39), Taking Back Sunday (48 from 78), Yung Joc (is that the crunk equivalent of deciding The Thrills is in some way a good name for your band? He's #49) and Dierks Bentley rounds it out at 50.

And I confess to mild disappointment that Kelly C has apparently stopped at #12 with "Walk Away." Same feeling as when Janet's "Pleasure Principle" peaked at #11.

But yay for Rihanna, as some predicted. She stops by sometimes at the restaurant where my friend Eddie works and is apparently a total sweetheart.

Biggest noise in the 20 gets made by Lil Jon ft. E-40 & Sean Paul Of The YoungBloodZ, whose 'Snap Yo Fingers' clambers from 58 to 13. Three other massive climbers land just outside - Rihanna gets her second single in the fifty, as 'Unfaithful' climbs to 21 from 51, and at #23, possibly to mark TashBed finally departing the top ten, KT TUNSTALL! 'Black Horse & The Cherry Tree' soars from 79 to 23 after nine weeks on, and is still her only good single. Oh, and Christina Milian is at #24 from last week's #56.

Yung Joc continues to defy his rubbish name at #33, but it's no longer the worst in the 50 - say hello to Mary J Blige collaborator Brook-lyn, who helps propel The Queen Of Hip-Hop Soul And Being Woken At 4 In The Morning With Your Disturbing Phone Calls from 60 to 39. Also - Field Mob ft. Ciara #45, Missy Elliott #48, Jason Aldean #49.

Also, among the Hot 100 debuts are Nelly Furtado's "Promiscuous" at 64 and Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy" at 91. The latter is getting airplay at KFOG in SF, which warms my heart.

1983 Castles In The Sand Pop Albums 179
1983 Greatest Hits Pop Albums 39

(unless AMG is missing some.)

I still have no idea who or what Saving Jane is, or even what kind of music they play. And I am intrigued by the existence of a Field Mob featuring Ciara single, which I also haven't heard, at #45.

Katharine sang it on American Idol last week, and if "Bad Day" is any indication that show is helping evens songs not by the contestants leap up the charts these days.

The song sucks.

Rihanna gets two singles in the top 20, as 'Unfaithful' climbs to #16. Yung Joc climbs to #26. New in the 50 - Nelly 'n' Timbaland are #30, and will probably be #1 in a few weeks time. 'Cassie' is #38, and Phil Vassar is #47.

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I listened to a few tracks at the Virgin store this week. Majorly unimpressed: the promoted tracks were too satin-y; and the presence of 16 tracks makes me suspect it's overbloated with filler. I'll be shocked if it's on the album charts for more than 4 or 5 weeks.

And the Tim McGraw cover of "When the Stars Go Blue" cracks the Top 40. Nice to see, though he didn't need to be so utterly faithful to the original.

Also soaring is Cassie, about whom I know nothing other than that 'Me & U' is one of the most fantastically eerie things I've heard this year - it climbs from 38 to 13. Ashley Parker Angel climbs from 46 to 29.

New in the 50 - CRAYYYYYYY-ZAY makes its long-awaited arrival at #38, LeToya (presuming this is the ex-Destiny's Child lass?) is #42, TI's 'Why You Wanna' is #44 (incidentally, this is now on the A-List at Radio 1, meaning his way of wearing a hat can now be mocked by British people that are more famous than me), Kenny Chesney is #46, and Kelis' 'Bossy' is #50. There is also a re-entry for Anna Nalick's 'Breathe' at #45 - is this American Idol-related?

(P.S. GO GNARLS!)

http://image.allmusic.com/00/amg/cov200/drc300/c357/c35724i1574.jpg

(You know, he was a star before she was, and both their careers were sputtering when the Newlyweds revived them.)

Gnarls makes slight movement to 34 with "Crazy." Is the Daughtry a cover of the Bon Jovi song?

Unless Ms. Furtado can slip in before then, the next U.S. #1 will crown the chart in 3 weeks: 6/13 sees the commercial release (physical and digital, whatta concept) of Taylor Hicks' "Do I Make You Proud." Should sell, hmmm, over 100K first week? Maybe a lot more?

uh, why wouldn't it top the country albums chart too? if it tops the main chart of course it's gonna top the chart of whatever genre it's in, and there's no reason DC wouldn't be on the country chart, despite what a lot of country fans think of them these days.

"Do I Make You Proud" might be the best sappy AI winner insta-hit yet, although that's not saying much.

Shakira will be #1 next week. "Hips Don't Lie" is #1 on the airplay chart and just recieved digital release.

Other than that, action is kinda hard to come by - those three singles excepted, everything else falls or stays the same in the top 20. Yr big gainers are P!ATD, Gnarls and the Dolls, who occupy slots 25 to 27. Cherish and LeToya climb to 38 and 39 respectively. Debuts in the 50 for AFI (43), Jamie Foxx ft. Twista (45 - 'DJ Play A Love Song', befitting Twista's status as one of the great romantics), Busta Rhymes ft. will.i.am and Kelis (46 - 'I Love My Bitch', also befitting Twista's status as one of the great romantics), and Carrie Underwood (49).

I might be misremembering, but I'm pretty sure the genre album-sales charts (R&B, Country, etc) report from a subset of stores rather than all-around like the Billboard 200 main chart.

And I know this is mainly a singles chart thread, but in utterly depressing news, AFI are a lock to notch their first #1 album on next week's chart; Hits is predicting (based on first day sales) 250K+. Oy.

and Taylor Hicks shouldn't have much of an issue getting to #1, three of the four AI idol winners did it on next-to-no airplay, the fourth being beaten than week by runner-up Clay Aiken.

Turns out Shakira has the best digital sales week ever by more than 100,000, at least for 2 weeks.

X-post

284,928 is the number.

Aguilera debuts at #19. DJ Khaled (#59), Natasha Bedingfield (#72), Outkast (#77), Rakim y Ken-Y (#90), the nigga you love to hate (#92), and Jeannie Ortega (#96) all debut. Ne-Yo (best song of the year), Don Omar, & James Blunt debut in the last 3 spots.

Gnarls (26-15), Rascal Flatts (59-25), and Cherish (38-29) are the big gainers.

I find it interesting that 5 of the last 7 #1s have been by foreigners, discuss.

On January 11, 1861 The State of Alabama adopted the ordinances of secession from the Union (by a vote of 61-39). Until February 18, 1861 Alabama was informally called the Alabama Republic. It never changed its formal name which always has been "State of Alabama."

Looks like it.

So what do folks think - Taylor Hicks #1 next week? HITS says he'll sell 150K singles based on first day, but I don't think that includes online... can he top Shakira with virtually no airplay? And wouldn't he have to sell at least 200K to do it?

(Then 2 weeks later there's McPhee's single, but I think she's more likely top 5 than #1.)

BOOM! is also the sound that is made by Gnarls Barkley and Rascal Flatts, as 'Crazy' and 'Life Is A Highway' make their first incursions upon the top 10 at 6 and 7 respectively.

Elsewhere: 'It Is Not The Case That There Is Any Other Man' climbs to #13 in its second week, as Pants! At The Disco make the top 20 for the first time at #19. Beyonce and Jay-Z debut at #44 with 'Deja Vu', E-40's 'U and Dat' and Brad Paisley's 'The World' say hello to the top 50 a bit below that.

Blimey, but Taylor Hicks is a slightly scary lookin' dude. Who bears a weird resemblance to Billboard's Chart Beat column man. Hmm.

Is it wrong of me to be a bit confused by this?

Huh.

http://www.chartattack.com/pics/2006/05/25-taylor.jpg http://www.billboard.com/bbcom/images/pic_interact_1.jpg

Incidentally, it's being changed to 'I Love My Chick' for its UK release, meaning if Buckcherry were to do the same thing, then people would think they were covering Charlotte Church. This would lead to a few surprised faces, possibly.

So Outkast's "Mighty 'O'" loses its bullet and slides 30-32 on the R&B singles chart, not a good sign. But at least "Crazy" made it far higher than I expected.

Does Shakira return to #1 next week, or is an AI runner-up single coming out?

'Cause that's how Busta's label (Aftermath, interestingly) wussed out and released it. The radio/video version is actually titled "I Love My Chick." Alternately known as "Big pussy song that blows, frankly, and wastes Kelis."

Katherine McPhee's single comes out next week, which means we have a one-week interim. (Though I still don't think hers is a sure-shot #1 - top 5, yes, but as for the top, we'll see.) Considering "Hips Don't Lie" lost its bullet - both airplay and, crucially, sales, are dropping - I think Furtado could slip in there, and since she's just gaining strength, then return in 3 weeks' time, post-McPhee. But watch for Christina and Beyoncé, whose contenders for "summer jam '06" could rise real fast. ("Deja Vu," in fact, is already up to #12 at R&B.)

So Outkast's "Mighty 'O'" loses its bullet and slides 30-32 on the R&B singles chart, not a good sign.
Remember, this is basically on R&B radio as a leak - I think it was just officially serviced a week or so ago. Once there's a video, and once there's a digital download, expect it to do better. (Assuming it's any good; I've not heard it yet.) We're still 2 months off from any attendant hysteria/press over the Idlewild movie/soundtrack, too.

As for the Panic! at the Disco single, if you heard "I Write Sins Not Tragedies" (the current video), you're not hallucinating; it's pretty damned great. If you heard "The Only Difference Between Suicide...," well, it's good but maybe not great.

Not to say that I don't watch it whnever it's on TV, though.

"Pretty good"? Really? How do you get around the terribleness?

This is praise, of a sort.

http://www.milliganbooks.com/images/bigmama.gif

Indeed it is--anything that confuses and fascinates me enough to make me always watch to the end must be doing something right (or something so wrong that the difference is fairly negligible). I call it the Carrot Top factor.

Still, it's these mildly positive reactions to IWSNT that I find so bizarre. Nobody says "Hey, I saw Gigli yesterday, pretty good movie." If for some reason someone was to find artistic merit in Gigli, they'd say something like "wow, Gigli, what a glorious trainwreck of a movie" or at least "wow, Gigli, I'm shocked to say, but I actually really liked that movie." These "Panic = pretty good" comments somehow manage to exist in a world where there is no unspoken base assumption that IWSNT is going to be awful. And that I can't comprehend.

Still, I suppoose it's better to listen to music for the first time with a sense of poise and rationality.

Seriously, watch the videos for "Helena" and IWSNT back to back and witness wit, style and pathos be transformed ever so subtly into immaturity, garishness and camp.

Ha, so the funny thing is, the easiest way to hear a pop song these days without downloading anything is just by going to YouTube and watching the video. So that's how I've been listening to IWSNT -- except I'm at work, so I've not actually been watching the video, just minimizing the window and keeping my headphones on. Also, the few glimpses I've seen do look pretty stupid.

uh, maybe I'm biased because of I have a cable system with MTV Hits and all those other all-video channels, but seriously, what the fuck is wrong with that sentence, nevermind the matter of listening to the radio.

for a few confused seconds I thought you were saying that "Over & Over" had jumped back up the charts a year later.

Both were 2004, actually.

All three of these songs are brilliant! (and Lumidee is 2003) What's this talk about empty vacuums?

Pussycat Dolls score their fourth Top 20 hit from their debut, which I'm not sure anyone has done since Exposé (any chart fiends want to weigh in on this?).

Wanksta, In Da Club, 21 Questions, P.I.M.P.

Al's also right about Cassie being the odd woman out in that trio. To me, "Me & U" sounds more like Teairra Mari's "Make Her Feel Good" or the original Tori Alamaze version of "Don' Cha."

Nope. No word yet on a digital release date. She's already top 10, however, at R&B (up 12-9).

Does Beyonce count, since it's a solo debut? (If so, "Crazy in Love," "Baby Boy," "Me, Myself, and I," and "Naughty Girl" all went top 5.)

So what's a bigger Nelly & Tim hit, "Promiscuous" or "Over and Over"? (I forget; did that go number one?)

(So now I'm trying to think if I had one of these last year, and the only thing that comes to mind is Natalie's "Goin' Crazy," which was hideous but in a different way.)

Thanks for reminding me about 50 (I'd forgotten about "Wanksta") and Beyoncé (though since she'd had so many group hits it's kinda hard to count her). Wilson Phillips went top 10 with three songs ("Hold On," "Release Me," and "You're in Love") but didn't go top 20 with "The Dream Is Still Alive." And now that I think about it, I think the Nelson twins charted four singles from their debut, but I can't think of their positions, or even their titles.

NELSON
(Can't Live Without Your) Love and Affection 1
After the Rain 6
More Than Ever 14
Only Time Will Tell 28

TIMBERLAKE
Like I Love You 11
Cry Me a River 3
Rock Your Body 5
Senorita 27

BRITNEY
...Baby One More Time 1
(You Drive Me) Crazy 10
Sometimes 21
From the Bottom of My Broken Heart 14

GWEN STEFANI
Rich Girl 7
Hollaback Girl 1
Cool 13
Luxurious 21

Hold On 1
Impulsive 4
Release Me 1
The Dream is Still Alive 12

x-post to McCombs

Genie in a bottle #1
What a girl wants #1
I turn to you #3
Come on Over Baby #1

but the last group before PCD to accomplish 4 top 20 hits from their debut album was
HOOTIE AND THE BLOWFISH!
hold my hand #10
let her cry #9
only wanna be with you #6
time #14

maroon 5 did give them a good run for the money.

Below that... Kath McPhee's take on 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow' (in this day and age? Good grief) debuts at #12, along with a sudden sense of dread that I'm going to have to put it in the Jukebox. Urgh. On a similar note - 'Shoulder Lean' is #31. Uck. Jessica Simpson's 'A Public Affair' debuts on the 100 at 39, and 'Sexy Love' is Ne-Yo's third hit this year at #50.

glancing at the chart - did 'why you wanna' really peak at 29? dixie chicks still hanging in there which surprises me a bit actually. pearl jam not haning in there - no surprise. interesting debut @ 34 on the albums chart.

yung joc + shakira >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> gnarls barkley + nelly flirtado btw

that reminds me - anyone know the name of that incredibly dramatic older 'wise' (role written for ron isley but isn't ron isley) male + younger cute aaliyah entrant female pro-abstinence r&b song? or the name of that eeny meany miny mo synth-kazoo hip-hop song?

Ashlee's "Invisible" is invisible compared to Jessica's "A Public Affair" ("Invisible" is in the 50s on Mediabase's mainstream airplay chart and somewhere below 50 on the Billboard main chart); deservedly so, as "Invisible" is the first song Ashlee's released (at least in the U.S.) that she didn't write, and she's got 25 or so songs that are better, including several of the album rejects. Whereas "A Public Affair" is a really nice Madonna "Holiday" evocation. Hope it keeps rising.

Bundle of minor climbers from 13 to 17, with Pants!, Cherish, Portrait Of the Artist As A Young Dro, Sean-eh and Kelis all inching towards the top 10. Rather more substantial climbs propel E-40 and Ne-Yo to 22 and 24 respectively, with John Cocking Mayer a new entry at #25. Erupting into the 50 - Chingy ft. Tyrese (#44) and The Wreckers (#48). NOW 22 is Bonnie Prince Album.

In other news, Ronnie Milsap's album is way the hell down the Country albums, like in the 40s. Can they not release a single? I vote for "It's All Coming Back To Me Now" or "Time Keeps Ticking Away" or whatever that one's called.

Pants! can practically taste the top 10 as they climb to 11, accompanied by slight upward edgings from Cherish (13) and Kelis (16). 'U And Dat' and 'Sexy Love' make their top 20 bows at 18 and 19 respectively. Reasonable climbs for John Cobblers Mayercamp (21), Bromsgrove Hilton (29), Simpson The Elder (30), Chingy (37) and The Wreckers (43).

NEU INS FUNFZIG: 'Janet' & 'Nelly' climb to 25 from 63. Ashlee Gon' Knock You Ahhht makes its debut on the Hot 100 at 28. Yung Joc's Difficult Second Single climbs to 42 from 66, and Rascal Flatts' 'Me & My Gang' gives them three singles in the top 50 at #50.

Jessica Simpson makes large gains, as 'A Public Affair' climbs from 30 to 14. Pants! might have peaked just outside the top ten, slipping from 11 to 15.

Significant climbers outside the 20 - Ashlee's "I Think That Jessica And Me Are Both The Greatest, In Our Own Kind Of Ways" (#21), Chingy & Tyrese's "The Most Acceptable Compromise Of Both Worlds" (#26), Yung Joc (#30) and Roddernee Atkins (#36). New in the #50: Nickelback (#43), FUCKING SNOW PATROL (#47), Steve Holy (#49) and sodding Blue October (#50).

I vote for "Something Dry," easily one of the best country tracks of the year.

One of my favorite performers, Various Artists, is atop the album chart. Flyleaf has climbed back up to 67th, probably on the strength of opening for Korn on the Family Values tour. This is an album that's been selling 10 to 12 thousand copies a week for about six months with no let up, will probably keep its pace long enough to go gold.

I feel rather alone on this thread. Where's bloody Swygart? (Oh, I forgot, I still owe him an email.)

By the way, a question I have for you all. Why did Cascada's "Everytime We Touch" hit? I like the song fine, but there are plenty of others like it that hit in Europe and Asia and Canada and Mexico but never do anything in the U.S., so why did this one get airplay? Was there a movie or ad tie-in?

Anyway, yes, as stated upthread Ferg y Ferg tops the chart after a mere three weeks on. There's top 10 debuts for Sean Paul ft. Keyshia Cole (#7) and - yes! - P!ATD!, who finally make it to #10 after 23 weeks. Fuck all really happens in the rest of the top 20, 'Sexy Love''s climb to #14 being the only major ascent of note. Other large climbs include Nickelback (43 to 29), The Wreckers (42 to 34), Snow Patrol (35 to 47), and, er, 'SOS', which is back up from 48 to 36. Two songs debut inside the 50 - Five For Fighting's 'The Riddle' climbs from 86 to 40 in its third week on, and is fucking horrible. Breaking Benjamin's 'The Diary Of Jane' is up from 55 to 50, and isn't really that much better.

I'm pretty sure 'Knights Of Cydonia' being top 20 in Modern Rock is still the thing that makes me happiest in the US charts.

I don't get why they're not playing "Supermassive Black Hole." "Knights" is a very strange choice for a single. And it's kind of annoying.

Now, here are specific charts (there are probably more if I can find out how to get 'em; I'm not sure Mediabase intends these full charts for the general public, since from their basic site they only link you to charts that list the highest 40 tracks):

country<

country w/ recurrents

mainstream top 40

mainstream top 40 w/ recurrents

Christian AC

Christian AC w/ recurrents

mainstream urban

mainstream urban w/ recurrents

alternative

alternative w/ recurrents

AC overall

AC overall w/ recurrents

CHR/pop(I think that this and the mainstream top 40 lists are now identical)

CHR/pop w/ recurrents(ditto)

CHR Rhythmic

CHR Rhythmic w/ recurrents

active rock

active rock w/ recurrents

Limitations of these numbers: Obviously, they only take into account stations that report to Mediabase, and they don't take into account size of listenership or what time of day a song is played.

The basic Mediabase URL is http://w2.mediabase.com/mmrweb/AllAccess.

For KDIS in Los Angeles, click on "7-Day Reports," click on "Station Playlists," tick "Station" rather than "Market," then type in "KDIS" and hit "Go," then click on "7-Day Playlist" on the right. Radio Disney has 51 affiliates, I think, so multiply each song's number by 51 to get national plays.

If you want to know whois playing a song, find it on some list and then click on the song. For instance, if you go to the "Rhythmic" list you see that the Pack's "Vans" is 25th with 1775 plays. If you click on "Vans," you get a list of the 20 stations in the genre ("Rhythmic") that are playing it the most. (Tops is WNHT-FM in Fort Wayne, with an incredible 121 plays. That's once every one-and-a-half hours.) Note that this won't list the stations in other formats (e.g., "Mainstream Urban" and "Mainstream Top 40") that are also playing it. If you go to the Mainstream Top 40 chart you'll see that "Vans" is 52nd with with 470 plays (up from 368 the week earlier). Also, for a song that's neither a "format leader" nor a "format starter" ("Vans" got played this week in Oklahoma City, Denver, San Antonio, and Seattle for the first time), you're out of luck unless you accidentally stumble on the station. Ebony Eyez "In Ya Face" got 5 plays on Mainstream Top 40 last week, but I can't get any info as to where.

(Checking further for Ashlee, I see that "Invisible" got the bulk of its airplay - 47 of its 63 plays - from two Wisconsin stations, one in Madison and one in Green Bay.)

site:http://w2.mediabase.com/mmrweb/AllAccess/Charts.asp "Kenny Chesney"

For some reason the results will get you some charts but not others (gives me a link to Mainstream Top 40 when I search for Kenny Chesney, but not Country).

Outside ae that, the most terrifyinggg advance is probably that of Nickelback, who go from 19 to 23 in their fourth week on. New in the 50: Ciara (#21 from #80), The Killers (new at #29), Brookeamania ft. Pauw Waww (#33 from #52), Justin Timberlake (#35 from #52 in its sixth week - you get the feeling this might be underperforming just a bit?), Jibbs (#39 from #69), and Hinder (#49 from #61).

It's taken a few weeks for radio to warm to it -- if radio ever does, that is. I'd be surprised if this peaked more than one week in the Top Ten.

Chicago radio is playing the hell out of it.

WBBM-FM Chicago - 96.3 FM (Rhythmic)
lw TW Artist Title spinsTW spinslw +/- Reach/Mill
1 1 JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE Sexyback 112 111 1 4.2449
3 2 CASSIE Me & U 104 106 -2 4.2027
2 3 BROOKE HOGAN About Us (f/ Paul Wall) 102 108 -6 4.1347
4 4 CHERISH Do It To It 99 103 -4 4.0106
6 5 YOUNG DRO Shoulder Lean f/TI 86 95 -9 3.3543
10 6 PUSSYCAT DOLLS Buttons 84 62 22 3.3608
5 7 PAULA DEANDA Doing Too Much (f/ Baby Bash) 82 103 -21 3.3302
9 8 KELIS Bossy 65 65 0 2.4867
7 9 FIELD MOB F/CIARA So What 64 76 -12 2.5208
12 10 YUNG JOC I Know You See It 62 55 7 2.4912

Here are Chicago's two Top 40 stations' current playlists:

B96* Top 10:

1 It's Goin' Down - Yung Joc
2 Get Up - Ciara (featuring Chamillionaire)
3 Deja Vu - Beyonce and Jay-Z
4 So What - Field Mob (featuring Ciara)
5 About Us - Brooke Hogan and Paul Wall
6 Me and U - Cassie
7 Torn - Letoya
8 Do It To It - Cherish
9 Sexy Back - Justin Timberlake
10 Gimme That - Chris Brown

Kiss 103.5** Top 10:

1. Sexy Back - Justin Timberlake
2. Crazy - Gnarls Barkley
3. Buttons - Pussycat Dolls ft. Snoop Dogg
4. Over My Head - Fray
5. I Write Sins Not Tragedies - Panic! At the Disco
6. Do It to It - Cherish
7. So What - Field Mob ft. Ciara
8. Crowded - Jeannie Ortega
9. Give It Up to Me - Sean Paul
10. U and Dat - E-40 ft. T-Pain

*"Chicago's Hits and Hip-Hop" = Top 40 without any rock, generally speaking; worth noting that "SexyBack" is currently their #1 request

**more comprehensive Top 40 station

I don't know his overseas totals, but Jutified is triple platinum, and two of its singles hit Top Five -- all in spite of N'Sync.

Interestingly, this station is not only giving more plays to "Vans" than is any other rhythmic station that reports to Mediabase, it's giving more plays to "Bossy," "Me & U," and "London Bridge" as well. I wonder what's doing in Fort Wayne?

[Goes to Wikipedia]

Fort Wayne is a city in northeastern Indiana, USA and the county seat of Allen County. As of 2005, an estimated 248,341 lived in the city proper. The MSA has a population of 502,141, as of the 2004 update of the 2000 census. Nearly equidistant from Detroit, Michigan, Chicago, Illinois, and Cincinnati, Ohio, it has historically served as a transportation and communications center for the region, and an incubator for many products and companies, much more so than its size might suggest.

Fort Wayne is named after Gen. "Mad" Anthony Wayne....

There are 90,915 housing units at an average density of 444.6/km² (1,151.5/mi²). The racial makeup of the city is 75.45% White, 17.38% Black or African American, 0.39% Native American, 1.56% Asian, 0.04% Pacific Islander, 2.91% from other races, and 2.26% from two or more races. 5.78% of the population are Hispanic or Latino of any race.

Whiter than I'd have expected. Maybe it's got a lot of punks and sk8ers who are giving the Pack a lift. They got their Vans on but they look like sneakers. You're wearin coke whites but my Vans are cleaner.

Yeah, but they're not playing the Pack, who are getting most of their biggest support in California and are doing very little in the Midwest. In fact, unless you count Charleston, West Virginia, and places like Oklahoma City and Tulsa as "Midwest," there's no other station in the Midwest that's giving them more than 20 spins (unless that station doesn't report to Mediabase). Compare to 120 spins in Fort Wayne.

Randy Orton's giving it the rub, baby! Randy Orton to save the US top 100! Next week: he shits in Rascal Flatts handbag.

1 1 FERGIE LONDON BRIDGE 106320 -7 114249 306320
2 2 GNARLS BARKLEY CRAZY 86320 -2 87883 956664
5 3 PUSSYCAT DOLLS BUTTONS 59359 -3 61208 672693
3 4 FURTADO*NELLY PROMISCUOUS 59038 -11 66728 1238622
6 5 AGUILERA*CHRISTINA AIN'T NO OTHER MAN 47844 -7 51647 580729
8 6 CASSIE ME & U 46568 1 45880 581251
12 7 PAUL*SEAN GIVE IT UP TO ME 44186 30 33913 213140
10 8 PANIC! AT THE DISCO I WRITE SINS NOT TRAGEDIES 43037 6 40607 753557
7 9 SIMPSON*JESSICA PUBLIC AFFAIR 42248 -16 50208 248311
4 10 BEYONCE DEJA VU 41882 -37 66327 182858

1 1 TITO 'EL BAMBINO' Caele (Caile) 650 684 -34 6.734
2 2 RAKIM & KEN Y Down 630 683 -53 8.536
6 3 TOBY LOVE Tengo Un Amor(f/Raki... 599 507 92 7.433
4 4 DADDY YANKEE Machucando 543 540 3 4.716
3 5 DON OMAR Angelito 531 563 -32 5.171
5 6 CALLE 13 Atrevete Te, Te! 483 533 -50 3.914
9 7 CASSIE Me & U 482 441 41 3.741
11 8 TITO 'EL BAMBINO' Flow Natural (f/ Bee... 477 430 47 4.771
7 9 SHAKIRA F/WYCLEF JEAN Hips Don't Lie 466 452 14 2.958
12 10 DON OMAR Salio El Sol 434 406 28 5.400

normally when i do get to the big city i gorge myself on the top 40 and urban (can't remember the right billboard term for the station), but this last time the car i was borrowing had sirius and i flipped around on that. theres like 8 hip-hop stations w/no commercials and a lot of them play pretty good shit except the djs are really terrible and like to talk over the songs even while people are rapping.

Both songs are all right. I really like the way the beat in "Sexy Love" has that drum-corps cadence that's been popular lately but really toned down and in the service of a slow jam. And "When You're Mad" has this one chord that kills me every time I hear it -- I think Ne-Yo in general takes cues from old-school R&B in song structure and chord progressions, which is nice to hear.

Exactly, where else do you hear anything that reminds of 1991 house music on your standard hip-hop/r and b station any more. I'll take it any day.

And yes, the drums and the bass of "Sexy Love," along with the MJ vocals, are perfection.

Yeah, it actually sounds a little like "Human Nature"!

Artist / Title / New Stations / New Spins
EVANESCENCE Call Me When You're Sober 15 283
JOJO Too Little Too Late 9 112
NICKELBACK Far Away 5 67
CHINGY Pullin' Me Back 5 52
NICK LACHEY I Can't Hate You Anymore 4 41
RIHANNA We Ride 1 28
LUDACRIS Money Maker (f/Pharrell) 1 28
TEDDY GEIGER These Walls 3 28
HEDLEY On My Own 3 27
THE PACK Vans 1 27
NE-YO Sexy Love 2 24
JIBBS Chain Hang Low 2 23
HINDER Lips Of An Angel 3 22
JESSE MCCARTNEY Right Where You Want Me 2 18
AFI Miss Murder 1 18
FRANKIE J That Girl 1 17
YOUNG DRO Shoulder Lean f/TI 2 17
RASCAL FLATTS What Hurts The Most 2 16
JOANNA Let It Slide 2 16
CODE RED Summer Jam 1 16

I'm guessing that by "new spins" they mean spins on stations that weren't playing the song previously.

I'm kinda meh on the Evanescence single; I like the lyrics, but it has neither the punch nor the beauty of "Bring Me to Life." It's good enough, but I think Flyleaf's "I'm So Sick" is this year's standard for the subgenre (whatever the subgenre is: angst-metal gothpop?).

I would also add that the video for CMWYS is such a piss-weak rip-off of 'Helena' that it does make me feel slightly sad. That horrible smirk Amy Lee has on her face as she's going down the staircase... urrgh.

Now, doing a different chart, "Spincrease," on the rhythm charts "Vans" gained 182 plays more than it had before, and is being played on 67 stations; and in mainstream top 40 it gained 141 plays and is being played on 34 stations.

JoJo's "Too Little Too Late" is up by 1,005 spins and is being played on 106 mainstream top 40 stations; and it's up by 181 plays and is being played on 25 rhythmic stations.

That, however, is for another thread entirely, I would imagine, so to go scrambling back on topic - P Diddy ft. Nicole Scherzinger's "I Couldn't Give Two Shits What This Is Called, Honestly" is #50 on Hot R&B/Hip-Hop. TS: Scherzinger's "This Bad Boy, bitch" vs. Hogan's "You're all up in my grill".

Blount, the Fergie song is pretty good. Not quite "My Humps" (and if you hate "My Humps" and/or fun, take that with a grain of salt). The production sounds kinda halfway inbetween early 90's jazz-rap (I hate that term, but it conveys what I mean well) and "Hollaback Girl". Her vocals are copped straight from Missy. Couple great lines here and there. Only part that doesn't work is the bridge, which seems really shoehorned. Worth downloading.

By "Fallen", do you mean the Mya song? If so, I find it incredibly bland. (Along with most everything else Mya's done. I just find Mya bland.)

I haven't seen Gnarls' "Smiley Faces" on any charts yet; is it not out yet? I'll be really sad if that doesn't chart at all.

Lastly, "London Bridge" is the only hip-hop song I can think of that repeats an entire verse. Yet another accomplishment for "Ferg y Ferg" (nice one, WBS).

"Chain Hang Low" is funny and allright.

"When You're Mad" was a great song.

I have one Mya album, the name of it escapes me but its pretty great, only a couple bad songs. It has a great song that samples "Out of my Head" by shuggie otis.

xpostness

Nickelback's "Canadians Have Feelings Too, Y'know" climbs to 11 from 23. Chingy is up to 16, and Danity Kane are new at 17 despite apparently not getting any radio play worth a stuff. "I Am Aware That You Are Seeing It" climbs three to debut in the top 20 at #19.

Evanescence are brand new at #25, just ahead of The Fabulous Bangor Boys. SexyBaaaack sets about making itself cosy at #31, just ahead of Jibbs, and Hinder clamber to #34 from #49 last week. In similarly tedious manner, Blue October go from 47 to 40. 'About Us' may not be the world beater I had been assuming, slumping to 44 from 33, and Chris Brown's 'Say Goodbye' climbs to 48 from 79.

Um...

Station/Format/Owner/Sum 05/Fall 05/Win 06/Spr 06/M-J-J 06
KYGO Country Lincoln 6.9 6.0 5.9 6.6 6.7
KQKS Top 40/R Lincoln 5.2 4.7 5.8 5.6 5.5
KOA-A Talk Clear Channel 5.9 6.4 5.5 5.3 5.0
KBCO AAA Clear Channel 4.7 4.9 4.7 4.6 4.8
KXPK Regional Mexican Entravision 3.3 2.7 4.5 4.8 4.7
KOSI AC Entercom 5.1 6.0 5.1 4.4 4.4
KRFX Classic Rock Clear Channel 4.1 4.9 3.9 3.8 4.1
KXKL Oldies CBS Radio 5.3 4.1 3.9 4.2 3.8
KALC Modern AC Entercom 2.9 2.3 2.9 3.0 3.7
KBPI Active Rock Clear Channel 3.2 3.7 3.1 3.8 3.6
KHOW-A Talk Clear Channel 2.8 2.5 2.7 3.1 3.2
KJCD Smooth Jazz Lincoln 2.9 2.7 3.3 3.2 3.1
KTCL Alternative Clear Channel 3.1 3.2 2.8 2.6 2.6
KIMN Hot AC CBS Radio 2.8 2.7 3.2 2.4 2.5
KQMT Classic Rock Entercom 2.6 2.6 2.5 2.9 2.5
KWLI Country CBS Radio 2.4 0.0 1.6 2.6 2.0
KJAC Adult Hits Newspaper Radio 1.9 1.6 2.0 1.8 1.8
KEZW-A Adult Standards Entercom 2.1 2.8 2.2 2.3 1.7
KMGG Spanish Cont Clear Channel 1.8 2.2 2.0 1.8 1.7
KNUS-A Talk Salem 1.3 1.6 2.0 1.8 1.7
KCUV AAA NRC -- -- 0.8 1.3 1.4
KKFN-A Sports Lincoln 1.3 1.8 1.5 1.2 1.4
KJMN Spanish Cont Entravision 1.6 1.6 1.2 1.4 1.3
KKZN-A Talk Clear Channel 1.9 1.8 1.4 1.3 1.1

I'm really astonished at how far ahead of the pack the country station is. The second-place station, described here as Top 40/R (R for rhythmic), is hip-hop/r&b. Also surprised at how poorly the reggaeton station (KMGG) is doing in relation to the Regional Mexican, and how well Triple-A is doing.

So, either young people are going to pot or Disney has its head up its butt promoting in-house product to the neglect of actual good music.

*"Chemicals React" probably qualifies as "reasonably good" and hence is our one and only exception, but it's still not nearly as heart-meltingly beautiful or intense as "Rush," so I have difficulty remembering that it's any good at all.

Which was one play too many. Yewwww. (It's in a dreck-duel with the new Stacie Orrico right now. I wish they'd both take up acting and leave music behind.)

You're dead to me.

My guess is that "Too Little Too Late" gets spins in the 30s like "L.O.V.E." rather than in the 70s like "S.O.S." but you can't tell. I hope it burns up the request lines. Teach Disney a lesson.

Elswhere, large climbs for Jibbs (24 from 32), Hinder (25 from 34), Blue October (34 from 40), and John Mayer (48 from 55). The Fray's 'How To Save A Life' presumably gets the benefit of being on the soundtrack to Grey's Anatomy, as it is suddenly #29 from out of nowhere. Debuts in the 50 for Lyfe Jennings (#49) and Josh Turner (#50).

by Spins This Week
Show Format Starters | 7-Day Chart | Taking Off | Jump!

LW: Aug 21 - Aug 27 TW: Aug 28 - Sep 3 Updated: Mon Sep 4 3:49 AM PST

Station Market Format Spins
by daypart Aud/Mill
TW lw +/- ovn am mid pm eve
WRSV-FM Greenville, NC Mainstream Urban 36 42 -6 9 3 2 8 14 0.039
WJKS-FM Wilmington, DE Mainstream Urban 35 15 20 8 1 7 11 8 0.069
WZFX-FM Fayetteville, NC Mainstream Urban 33 24 9 7 0 6 7 13 0.244
WPEG-FM Charlotte Mainstream Urban 28 24 4 6 4 2 9 7 0.352
WZHT-FM Montgomery, AL Mainstream Urban 21 18 3 5 0 3 3 10 0.120
WPHH-FM Hartford Mainstream Urban 20 17 3 9 2 1 4 4 0.130
WJTT-FM Chattanooga Mainstream Urban 16 5 11 12 0 1 1 2 0.031
WHTA-FM Atlanta Mainstream Urban 15 2 13 4 0 2 4 5 0.226
WWWZ-FM Charleston, SC Mainstream Urban 15 0 15 1 0 0 7 7 0.065
KKDA-FM Dallas Mainstream Urban 13 0 13 2 1 1 8 1 0.515
KPRS-FM Kansas City Mainstream Urban 13 1 12 4 0 0 8 1 0.160
WNOV-AM Milwaukee Mainstream Urban 13 8 5 0 0 3 7 3 0.008
WBLK-FM Buffalo Mainstream Urban 12 1 11 1 0 0 3 8 0.087
WWHV-FM Norfolk Mainstream Urban 12 9 3 1 0 2 3 6 0.039
WCDX-FM Richmond Mainstream Urban 11 8 3 1 0 0 4 6 0.070
WEUP-FM Huntsville Mainstream Urban 11 24 -13 0 0 0 6 5 0.055
WWPR-FM New York Mainstream Urban 9 6 3 0 0 2 3 4 1.100
WDKX-FM Rochester Mainstream Urban 9 10 -1 2 0 0 0 7 0.049
BET-TV * VideoTV Mainstream Urban 9 6 3 0 0 6 3 0 0.045
WBTJ-FM Richmond Mainstream Urban 9 1 8 6 0 0 0 3 0.036
WHTD-FM Detroit Mainstream Urban 8 3 5 1 0 2 1 4 0.137
WHXT-FM Columbia, SC Mainstream Urban 8 1 7 0 0 1 3 4 0.028
WTMG-FM Gainesville Mainstream Urban 7 4 3 0 0 1 5 1 0.023
WFXE-FM Columbus, GA Mainstream Urban 7 7 0 4 0 0 2 1 0.016
KBLR-FM Omaha Mainstream Urban 7 5 2 1 0 1 4 1 0.

Mainstream Urban
Mediabase - Published Panel
Past 7 Days - by Overall Rank
RANK
lw TW Artist Title TW lw Move
61 50 WEBSTAR & YOUNG B Chicken Noodle Soup 452 314 138 4.559

ALSO

7 Day
Charts Mainstream Top 40

169 154 WEBSTAR & YOUNG B Chicken Noodle Soup 18 15 3 0.331

http://laondatropical.blogspot.com/

Funny, I just noticed them myself in the last few days and it sounds like this is going to be their big album for US sales, although they've been around for a while.

Maná is often described as Mexico's U2. Wow, sounds like a band ILM will readily embrace.

#7, to be precise, as 'Chasing Cars' leaps eleven places from last week's #18. Fucking hell.

Oh, and Timbob's still #1, which this week gets commemorated by Sean-eh graciously ceding the #3 spot to Gnarls, and then letting PCD have the #4 spot. Because Sean Paul Is A Gentleman. Nickelback's 'Far Away' makes its top 10 bow at #9.

There's top 20 debuts for 'Chain Hang Low' (#12 from last week's #24) and 'Lips Of An Angel' (#18 from last week's #25). I am now imagining a battle for the #1 spot between Jibbs and Snow Patrol. Cos it's gonna happen. You know it is. Danity Kane collapse from #8 to #20. The Fray get two singles to nestle together oh-so-cosily at #22 and #23, there's fair-to-good-ish climbs for 'Say Goodbye' (up 5 to 34), 'A Public Affair' (up 7 to 38) and 'Why Doesn't John Mayer Get A Job?' (up 9 to 39), Heartland's 'I Loved Her First' and RHCP's 'Tell Me Baby' make their top 50 debuts at #45 and #50 respectively, and 'When You Were Young' sneaks back up to #49.

Would be well good if it did though, even though I can't imagine the two would actually go together that well.

BTW, did anyone tally how many weeks Gnarls spent at #2? I'm wondering if they threatened Missy Elliott's ("Work It") record for most weeks as runner-up without hitting the top spot.

Finally, I'm a little intrigued by a few chart rebounds: the Jessica Simpson and John Mayer singles initially tanked after their first-week iTunes sales, but both are sneaking snowly back up the chart, presumably owing to increased airplay? I like the unpredictability.

And lolz at the idea of Americans watching soccer. (I refuse to call it "football". We reserve that name for good sports.)

The odd bit of noise in the top 20, Jibbs up to 11, with Beyonce's 'I Am Enraged By You And I Will Beat Your Ass' debuting at #12. Chingy and Pants! up three each to 13 and 14, ahead of Ludacris, whose miming of a man chipping away at a wall entrances the nation into catapulting him from 56 to 15. The Fray get in the slipstream, with 'How To Save A Life' now at #16.

Apart from that and the curious phenomenon of 'Get Up' managing to be an AIRPLAY GAINER whilst simultaneously falling from 21 to 22, there's only two other big movers - Puffo Diddington and Whatsherface from Pussycat Dolls climb from 93 to 25 with 'Thrzz Brrd By, Brrrrtch', and OK Go have the year's least anticipated comeback (I know I've said that several times this year, but, y'know... OK Go? What next, The Bravery?) at #38 from last week's 87. Oh, and Janet and Nelly climbed from 52 to 37, but it's not like anything's gonna happen there... is it?

Nowt much to write home about beyond that, really - John Mayer is up from 40 to 27, Timbob gets two inside the top 50 as 'My Love' climbs 60 places to #29, and Jesse McCartney is as reliably inconsequential as ever at #33.

Elsewhere: big climb back for 'Call On Me' (#36), and rockets into the 50 for Maaaaaneater (37 from 62), Sugarland's 'Want To' (new at #41), Frankie J ft. Mannie Fresh and Chamillionaire (43 from 54), Carrie Underwood (48 from 56), Mario Vazquez (49 from 55), and, er, Aly & AJ (50 from 70).

Various bits of clamber go on below that, with 'Maneater' at 30, 'When You Were Young' at 32 and 'Before He Cheats' at 38. Oh yeah, and Weird Al is a new entry at #28 with 'White and Nerdy'.

BTW, is Clay Aiken's cover of "Without You" a single yet? I have to imagine that'll enter straight in at the top. But I wish he'd titled his album I'm Mandy, Fuck Me.

Plenty action between 11 and 20 too, as 'My Love' and 'Show Stopper' continue their slow but steady ascents at 13 and 16 respectively, while there's big-ass leaps for 'When You Were Young' (14 from 32) and 'Maneater' (19 from 30). Other gainers include 'Get Up' (21 from 25), 'Before He Cheats' (33 from 38), 'S.E.X.' (37 from 40), and 'Gallery' (40 from 43 - I swear I've heard this bloody record, but have no idea how it went). First incursions into the fifty for George Strait's half-decent 'Give It Away' (35 from 79), Webstar and Young B's 'Chicken Noodle Soup' (can you wait for this to go head-to-head with 'Chain Hang Low'? Can you? 45 from 51), Unk's 'Walk It Out' (47 from 59 - c.f. 'Gallery'), 'Everytime Tha Beat Drop' (48 from 57, which surprises me cos I could have sworn this had been around for ages) and Kenny Chesney's 'You Save Me' and its rubbish video are #50 from last week's #52.

It has. I think it got a renewed push -- or some added digi sales, or both -- by her album finally hitting last week.

The Weird Al chart achievement is blowing my mind: he's got his biggest hit 23 years after his first charting. Moreover, he's had 3 top 40 hits, each in a different decade, which I bet no one else has done on the U.S. charts.

tone is the killers album/single any good? i can't trust a review of it though sheffield saying 'dud' isn't a good sign in my book.

They reference the Boss in re: to Sam's Town because its all bulky showtunes with warbly, overemotional vocals. "When You Were Young" through "Read My Mind" is my favorite part.

Sorry for the ambiguity, that's exactly what I meant.

Yeah, I'm a geek about this stuff, but that's what this thread is for, ne?

I think, once upon a time, Cliff Richard could have made that claim, but then he messed it up (as Weird Al might still, and soon) by having two in the '80s or something.

Joseph, any idea what's the longest time span between initial-chart-entry and all-time-highest=charting-hit? (Didn't Louis Armstrong go #1 with "What a Wonderful World," or something like that?)

and I dunno about span between initial chart entry and all-time highest, but the longest between initial-chart-entry and first #1 is the thirty-some years it took Santana to get to the top with "Smooth" (and again with "Maria, Maria")

Something jumps out about this year's U.S. number ones: it's basically black music, but with a significant number of white faces fronting for it (four of the eleven r&b or dancehall tracks, counting Mariah as looking white even though she has some African heritage)(I'm not always sure of heritage and what to count as "white" anyway; decided not to count "Hips Don't Lie" as r&b, so as not have to figure out what Shakira is [part of a lot of things, I'd assume: Hispanic, South American Indian, Caucasian, Middle Eastern]).

Don't Forget about Us Mariah Carey; Laffy Taffy D4L; Grillz Nelly featuring Paul Wall, Ali and Gipp; Check on It Beyoncé featuring Slim Thug; You're Beautiful James Blunt; So Sick Ne-Yo; Temperature Sean Paul; Bad Day Daniel Powter; SOS Rihanna; Ridin' Chamillionaire featuring Krayzie Bone; Hips Don't Lie Shakira featuring Wyclef Jean; Do I Make You Proud Taylor Hicks; Promiscuous Nelly Furtado featuring Timbaland; London Bridge Fergie; SexyBack Justin Timberlake.

Bishop Thumpetty-Thump comes for the number one spot, and now he has got the number one spot, so what does he do now? Aside from the 1-2 switcheroo, unchanged top 6; JoJo climbs to 7, as TimberT.I. traipses into the top 10 at #8 with that synth noise thingy they have, so poor ol' Jibbs slips to 9, with Chad Kroeger's 'Sad' Face holding 10.

Al goes from 9 to 11, but he will be back. Possibly. There's continuing advances for Danity Kane (12), Chris Brown's 'Sad' Face (14), Maaaaaan-eater (16), Thzz Baad Boy Brrrtch (18 from 28) and Cia-Ra And The Masters Of The Universe (20). 'Before He Cheats' continues to gain steadily at 28, and there's gains for several other slices of country too - bloody 'What Hurts The Most' is still in there at #31, and is now joined by ANOTHER FUCKING RASCAL FUCKING FLATTS SINGLE as 'My Wish' makes its way to #41 from #52. Heartland climb to 34, Kenny Chesney and Sugarland sneak to 48 and 49. George Strait falls from 35 to 50, though. It's a good week for rubbish hip-pop stuff too - 'Fergalicious' climbs 20 to #35, Unk climbs to 43 from #47, and Bow Wow ft. Chris Brown's 'Happy' Face and Johnta Austin are #44 from last week's #80.

Ludacris, boooo. Why are his worst singles his biggest hits?

Not much happens from 11-20, aside from Fergalicious going from 35 to 19, with Bow-Wow climbing from 44 to 21 too. Continued steady progress sees 'Before He Cheats' get to #24, just behind 'Waiting On The World To Change'.

Also climbin' - 'Walk It Out' (31 from 43), Birdman & Lil Wayne's 'Stuntin' Like My Daddy' (32 from 51), Tim McGraw's 'My Little Girl' (35 from 53), Christina Aguilera's 'Hurt' (38 from 59), All-American Rejects' 'It Ends Tonight' (40 from 58 - has that really only been around four weeks? It was out over here ages ago, and we don't even really like them), Akon ft. Snoop Dogg (41 from 56), Lil Scrappy ft. Young Buck (45 from 55), and Dierks Bentley's 'Every Mile A Memory', which in the parallel universe of the Hot 100 has only been around 11 weeks (48 from 60).

When the Star Go Blue (37)
Live Like You Were Dying (29)
Back When (30)
Watch the Wind Blow By (32)
Real Good Man (27)
She's My Kind of Rain (27)
Red Rag Top (40)
The Cowboy in Me (33)
Unbroken (26)
Angry All the Time (38)

"Welcome To The Black Parade" takes a 56-13 jump, while "Irreplacable" rises 63 spots to number 24. And who the hell is Hannah Montana who debuted 7 songs (the Beatles were minor leagers) on the charts? I have a feeling Xhuxh/Kogan can answer that.

Considering that tykes and tweens are one of the only demos whose tendency to buy albums is unlikely to be diminished by filesharing/bootlegging/blogs, yeah, probably.

Which leads to my wondering about an artist like him and just how much he makes if, say, the core audience of 10 to 30 year olds just purchase his four hit singles from Itunes, etc. Can he make a career out of that? I mean, I would think 4 top 15 tunes in decades past would have album sales in the multi-platinum range and a situation where an artist could potentially live off of the success of one major album (see, say Hootie and the Blowfish or Alanis Morissette). Basically, will Chris Brown be able to start planning for his retirement at the age of 17 or whatever? Cause I think if this was 1996 he would be able to but in 2006 he's sold fewer than 2 million albums and I wanna know if the Itunes sales are gonna take care of him.

But I think the point of my question was missed by focusing on Chris Brown. The real question, I guess, is what does it mean to be a superstar in the era of downloads? Cause album sales clearly aren't a good indication of popularity, but can an artist make a "superstar's living" off of download success. I mean Nelly Furtado had a #1 for six straight weeks and has only gone gold. Fergie hasn't even gone gold yet. So album sales won't make you a monetary superstar anymore, so will musicians just make less money overall or is the money made from downloads commensurate?

Part of what lead to think about this stuff is that interview with Timbaland that was going around a couple months ago (I can't even remember where it was from) where he said he used to make up to $300,000 per track and he'd make a few tracks per week back when the music business was doing well in the late 90's, but that he can't charge nearly that now. So I guess less money is to be made in music, but I wonder just how much less given that the industry has now embraced paid downloads.

I think there's a big misunderstood distortion between artists who top the singles charts and artists who top the album charts, and it was there long before iTunes entered the picture. For every superstar who tops both charts, there's a ton who either have a #1 song but can barely get a plaque for their album, or sell millions without ever cracking the top 40. There are a lot of variables that depend on the genre and other factors, but there are also some pretty dependable patterns (i.e. it's a lot easier to sell an album with 2 or 3 hits than with 1, and artists may have dedicated fanbases who give them big numbers the first week, but they'll slip right off the charts in a month if there's no radio hit to keep momentum going). As for how much money is made off of album sales or download sales and how many units equal a "superstar's living," that kind of number crunching is way too involved for me to pretend I could predict or understand.

re: the Timbaland thing, a lot of hip hop producers went and priced themselves out of the game, to the point that only the top tier of artists can afford them. I think that's a big part of why a lot of producers are following Dre's lead and starting labels and/or taking artists under their wing, so they can make tracks without charging huge amounts per song because they'll be getting a big percentage of the profit on the back end (except, of course, Beat Club was an utter failure so Tim's sticking with pop singers that can afford his beats more easily than rookie rappers).

Doesn't have anything as funny as "face looks like you did a hundred-yard dash in a ninety-yard gym" or "get off, like a wedding gown." But it's a good song.

But at least Hinder got an entertaining review from AMG's Johnny Loftus (love the closing line):

http://www.allmusic.com/cg/amg.dll?p=amg&sql=10:llud6j6471l0

Released in September 2005, Hinder's Extreme Behavior revives the simpleton riffs and stupid misogyny of 2001 albums from Puddle of Mudd and Nickelback for a whole new batch of undergrads. This isn't even post-grunge -- it's straight-up dude rock. The artwork is a triggered response collage of boobs, lingerie, and Jäger, and the music is so obvious that it actually recedes from the ear. Like a stereo left on in the keg room, it's just a chatter of swear words and tuneless electric guitar blab. Austin Winkler sounds like a drunk shouting along with Chad Kroeger, and his lyrics? "Let's go home and get stoned/Cause the sex is so much better when you're mad," "She said she's sorry/With one finger/I said fuck that," "She said she loved the taste of my oh oh oh" -- Winkler doesn't even have enough class to fake sounding cool. When Hinder and producer Brian Howes (he co-wrote every song with the band; Nickelback producer Joey Moi also gets a credit) do try a little tenderness, they sound like a bludgeoned Wallflowers ("Nothin' Good About Goodbye"), thudding power ballad torchbearers ("Lips of an Angel"; cue the soaring solo stolen from hair metal), or bumbling Guns N' Roses thieves (the played-out "Sweet Child" rewrite "Homecoming Queen"). Extreme Behavior can't even make it as rote hard rock -- it's too insulting to women and your intelligence. That's why it's dude rock instead. Hinder are so egregiously dull they appeal not to fans of music, but fans of high fives.

What a weird band to be so popular at this point in time

All-American Rejected rise 18-11, "Before He Cheats" 25-16, Akon & Snoop doing teh Phil Collins crunk 20-17, "BAAALLLIN!" 29-19, Keith Urban 53-31, Sugarland 42-32, Brad Paisley 54-35, Gwen Stefani's "A Very Special Tribute to Goat Sex" 40-36.

Ciara places "Promise" at #45. Pussycat Dolls, Nelly Furtado, Lloyd, Bowling For fucking Soup, & Alejandro Sanz also debut.

Below, below: 'We Fly High' climbs to 16, 'Walk It Out' to 18. 'Waiting On The World To Change' has its habitual bit of inconsequential climbing - #22 from #27, if you're counting. Of larger consequence: 'Wind It Up' is up eleven to 25, 'Money In The Bank' is 29 from 37, Paula DeAnda's 'My Second Single Ever' is 30 from 43, 'Promise' is 34 from 45, and there's initial peeps into 50-land for KT Tunstall's 'Suddenly I See' (45 from 52 after nineteen weeks on), Fat Joe & Lil Wayne's 'Make It Rain' (47 from 55), and Cherish's 'Unappreciated' (50 from 57). Oh, and you know how the lead single off The Game's album was apparently 'It's Okay'? Apparently not - 'Let's Ride' shoots straight in at #46.

HOW the FUCK did Incubus's new album get to number one on the Billboard charts a couple weeks ago?? Seriously, how did this happen?? Did Sandbox ILM ever have a thread about this?? This is just insane!!

Incubus?? Fucking INCUBUS?!?!? All I know about Incubus is they had that one hit "Drive" LIKE TEN FUCKING YEARS AGO!!!! And then all of a sudden they release the number one album in the country???? Zuh???

Not that this explains why the fuck Incubus was number one, but I'm just sayin'

Totally forgot that this was once a rolling thread. Would love to resurrect it.

Funny how chart knowledge in 2006 was treated as this "wow, you're a real nerd" when like anyone now can just google "just timberlake discography."

i do find it charming that ilm used to do this (long before i came here)