This week’s chart action, courtesy of Billboard Magazine.
- Billboard Hot 100: Top 20 Singles
1) “So What” Pink
Pink. Photo courtesy of Joel Telling.
2) “Whatever You Like” T.I.
3) “Disturbia” Rihanna
4) “Paper Planes” M.I.A.
5) “Swagga Like Us” Jay-Z & T.I. feat. Li’l Wayne & Kanye West
6) “Forever” Chris Brown
7) “Closer” Ne-Yo
8) “Can’t Believe It” T-Pain feat. Li’l Wayne
9) “American Boy” Estelle feat. Kanye West
10) “Got Money” Li’l Wayne feat. T-Pain
11) ‘Dangerous” Kardinal Offishall feat. Akon
12) “Hot N Cold” Katy Perry
13) “I’m Yours” Jason Mraz
14) “Viva La Vida” Coldplay
15) “In the Ayer” Flo-Rida feat. will.i.am
16) “Love Story” Taylor Swift
17) “One Step at a Time” Jordin Sparks
18) “Better in Time” Leona Lewis
19) “I Kissed a Girl” Katy Perry
20) “Miss Independent” Ne-Yo
- Billboard 200: Top 20 Albums
1) “Death Magnetic” Metallica
2) “The Recession” Young Jeezy
3) “Rock & Roll Jesus” Kid Rock
4) “Do You Know” Jessica Simpson
5) “All Hope is Gone” Slipknot
6) “A Little Bit Longer” Jonas Brothers
7) “LAX” The Game
8) “Exit 13” LL Cool J
9) “Tha Carter III” Li’l Wayne
10) “Mamma Mia Soundtrack” Various Artists
11) “Love & Life” Eric Benet
12) “Good Girl Gone Bad” Rihanna
13) “Love on the Inside” Sugarland
14) “The Quilt” Gym Class Heroes
15) “Viva La Vida or Death & All His Friends” Coldplay
16) “The Block” New Kids on the Block
17) “Breakout” Miley Cyrus
18) “Do You Believe in Gosh” Mitch Hedberg
19) “Still Unforgettable” Natalie Cole
20) “We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things” Jason Mraz
*Pink sets up her upcoming album “Funhouse” quite nicely with the first #1 single of her career (not counting the multi-artist massacre of “Lady Marmalade” from 2001. While I’m sure most will agree that she’s a talented woman, did anyone think that this chick would still have a career after nearly ten years when they first saw the video for “There U Go”?
*Over on the album chart, Metallica scores their fifth #1 album debut, moving them to the top of the list among groups or bands. However, keep in mind that SoundScan made its’ debut in 1991. Had it been introduced 30 years earlier, I imagine that The Beatles and The Stones (and likely The Eagles, The Who, Pink Floyd and maybe even Earth, Wind & Fire) would all be ahead of them on the list.
*Despite being dead for three years, Mitch Hedberg has the highest-debuting comedy album of 2008 with “Do You Believe in Gosh”, as word of mouth (and sites like Youtube on which you can see his routines) seems to have grown his fanbase.
*Tired of seeing double on the singles charts? That won’t change anytime soon. Aside from Li’l Wayne’s three songs in the Top 10, Kanye West will add a third to his total next week when “Love Lockdown” debuts. It’s already #1 at iTunes despite not arriving until the end of the week.
*Speaking of Kanye, Estelle’s “American Boy” (which features a rap by Kanye) jumps back into the Top 10 after returning to iTunes, which it was briefly pulled off of in order to stimulate sales of the album. In related news, the album actually increases in sales this week. Hey, Estelle’s label, people like having a choice, y’know?
*What does Natalie Cole have to do to obtain a hit album? Sing standards, damn it!! “Still Unforgettable” is her highest charting album since…wait for it…the first “Unforgettable” album back in 1991. If you remember that far back, the album featured a “virtual duet” with Natalie’s long-deceased father Nat “King” Cole”, sold about eleventy billion copies and won Record and Album of the Year at the Grammys.
*Scoring the highest charting albums of their careers are R&B singer Eric Benet (who scores a surprisingly high debut at #11) and Gym Class Heroes (who are a bit of a disappointment at #14). Oh! and Jessica Simpson, who opens at #4 (and #1 country) with “Do You Know?”
*I keep coming back to this, but how weird is it that there’s such a disconnect between people who are buying albums and people who are buying singles? Only one artist (Li’l Wayne) appears in the Top 10 on both charts.
*Finally, this week’s Catch a Falling Star award goes to LL Cool J, who scores the worst first-week sales of his career with “Exit 13”. Even 2006’s “Todd Smith”, widely considered a flop, sold nearly three times as more in its’ opening frame. Might be time for LL to put on that hoody and those boxing gloves again and remember his grandma’s words.
