Author: Mikey Hersh

(Ed. note-These are the charts that were published last week (Billboard chart date was 9.20 because…well…they’re weird like that. The charts that were published this past Wednesday (9/17) and are dated 9/27…confused you yet?…will be discussed next week!

…That didn’t clear a damn thing up, did it?)

*Courtesy of Billboard.com

Mainstream Rock

1. The Day That Never Comes/Metallica  (3 weeks on chart, Peak#1)
2. Bad Girlfriend/Theory Of A Deadman (15 weeks on chart, Peak#1)
3. Use Me/Hinder (3 weeks on chart, Peak#3)
4. Believe/Staind (11 weeks on chart, Peak#4)
5. Rock & Roll Train/AC/DC (2 weeks on chart, Peak#5, ON THE RISE!)
6. Inside The Fire/Disturbed (24 weeks on chart, Peak#1)
7. Devour/Shinedown (19 weeks on chart, Peak #1)
8. Addicted/Saving Abel (31 weeks on chart, Peak#2)
9. Psychosocial/Slipknot (8 weeks on chart, Peak#8)
10. I Don’t Care/Apocalyptica Featuring Adam Gontier (11 weeks on chart, Peak#10)

Analysis: No surprise what the #1 song on the chart is.  Metallica did things right by sticking to their guns, and are rewarded with the #1 mainstream rock song in the nation.  Early reports also indicated they sold a half million copies of their new album, Death Magnetic in only three days which is the highest debut since the Jonas Brothers five weeks ago.  Metallica posted better first week sales on Death Magnetic than they did on their previous stinker, St. Anger.….  Hinder isn’t suffering a sophomore slump with their first hit off their upcoming album.  Use Me sounds more like an old-school 80’s anthem than anything off of their previous album…  AC/DC is back for the first time in eight years and is the biggest mover on the charts rising from 15 to 5 in the span of two weeks.  More radio play will only see the track rise to the top.  I’m curious to see if AC/DC can top Metallica…..  Disturbed’s Inside The Fire has been a mainstay on the charts over the last few months, but will they hit with another single on the album?  Looks doubtful, I think people have moved on.. Slipknot is hot right now coming off a surprise appearance and MTV video nomination for Psychosocial, although this critic still doesn’t understand the appeal of the band…  I’m surprised Buckcherry hasn’t lit up the charts with their new singles Too Drunk or Rescue Me.  Personally, I think they released the album too soon as people are still eating up “Sorry” from the previous album.

 

 

Modern Rock

1. Believe/Staind (11 weeks on chart, Peak#1)
2. Let It Die/Foo Fighters (23 weeks on chart, Peak#1)
3. I’m Not Over/Carolina Liar (19 weeks on chart, Peak#3)
4. Viva La Vida/Coldplay (14 weeks on chart, Peak#1)
5. Troublemaker/Weezer (9 weeks on chart, Peak#5)
6. You’re Gonna Go So Far Kid/The Offspring (7 weeks on chart, Peak#7)
7. The Day That Never Comes/Metallica  (3 weeks on chart, Peak#7)
8. Pork & Beans/Weezer (21 weeks on chart, Peak#1)
9. Inside The Fire/Disturbed (24 weeks on chart, Peak#4)
10. Addicted/Saving Abel (25 weeks on chart, Peak#7)

Analysis:  I personally loved the new Weezer album, and apparently so do others as they still have two singles from the Red album on the chart (Troublemaker and Pork & Beans).  Troublemaker has the right formula to be a hit.  Pork & Beans was a fun song, but did very well holding the #1 spot for an entire month…  The Offspring still keeps rolling along as their new single goes up a few spots to #6….Foo Fighters are still seeing success from their album Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace which was released a year ago.  They have had all three singles (The Pretender, Long Road To Ruin, and Let It Die) hit the top of the charts… Metallica is even appealing to modern rock fans with a song full of guitar shredding.  Nice!!!….  I still don’t understand Staind’s appeal.  Of all those post 9/11 anger rock bands, they seem to be the only one who stuck around using the same formula…Hmm, where is Buckcherry??

Gene Simmons wants to pluck some more dollars out of the fan’s wallets with the announcement of yet another Kiss compilation album which is going to be released on October 21st.  It will be four Disc set with each disc featuring the influential songs from each of the four members on vocals.  The die-hard KISS fanatics are going to buy it even though there isn’t anything remotely new on here.  Instead of perhaps taking off the make-up and recording new music with Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer, KIss just keeps cranking out these pointless compilation albums.  I’m surprised Gene and Paul didn’t have Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer rerecord the Ace and Peter songs to attempt to shit on their former bandmate’s contributions.  I will be a devoted member of the KISS army until the day I die, but the shit Gene Simmons has been doing really makes me embarassed to be a KISS fan.  Anyhow, my full-on KISS fant is due for another day.  Here is the information for anybody foolish enough to buy this compilation.

Disc 1: Gene Simmons

‘God Of Thunder’, ‘Almost Human’, ‘Calling Dr. Love’, ‘Ladies Room’, ‘Christine Sixteen’, ‘Deuce’, ‘Rock And Roll All Nite’, ‘Cold Gin’, ‘Parasite’, ‘Larger Than Life’, ‘Love ’em And Leave ‘Em’, ‘Plaster Caster’, ‘Radioactive’, ‘Charisma’.

Disc 2: Paul Stanley

‘Detroit Rock City’, ‘Love Gun’, ‘Take Me’, ‘Strutter’, ‘C’mon And Love Me’, ‘Hotter Than Hell’, ‘100,000 Years’, ‘Rock Bottom’, ‘Do You Love Me?’, ‘All American Man’, ‘Mr. Speed’, ‘I Stole Your Love’, ‘Wouldn’t You Like To Know Me’, ‘I Was Made For Lovin’ You’

Disc 3: Ace Frehley

‘New York Groove’, ‘Shock Me’, ‘2,000 Man’, ‘Rocket Ride’, ‘Snow Blind’, ‘Speedin’ Back To My Baby’, ‘Talk To Me’, ‘What’s On Your Mind’, ‘Rip It Out’, ‘Save Your Love’, ‘Hard Times’, ‘Two Sides Of The Coin’, ‘Dark Light’, ‘Into The Void’.

Disc 4: Peter Criss

‘Hard Luck Woman’, ‘Baby Driver’, ‘Hooligan’, ‘Beth’, ‘I Can’t Stop The Rain’, ‘Black Diamond’, ‘Mainline’, ‘Don’t You Let Me Down”, ‘Dirty Livin”, ‘Getaway’, ‘Strange Ways’, ‘That’s The Kind Of Sugar Papa Likes’, ‘Easy Thing’, ‘I Finally Found My Way’.