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Pop Rock Nation

Category: News

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  • Chart Chat 4/4/09: Now That’s What I Call a #1 Album

    now30

    A lot of folks have been complaining about the dearth of music releases so far in 2009, and I’d be inclined to agree. I can’t remember a year in recent memory when we’ve gotten to April and I’ve only bought maybe 5 new albums (Franz Ferdinand, The Fray, Lily Allen, Kelly Clarkson, Taylor Hicks). However, this week’s Billboard album charts features a cornucopia of new albums-12 new ones in the Top 20, actually. It’s the highest number of new releases to land in Billboard’s Top 20 since…well, since ever.

    Leading the pack is the 30th (!) installment of the “Now That’s What I Call Music series”, which debuts just short of 150K. It’s amazing that this series continues to sell when iTunes playlists exist. Right behind is Miley Cyrus with the soundtrack to the “Hannah Montana” movie, and R&B vixen Keri Hilson debuts at #4 with “In a Perfect World…”. Look for this one to stick around for a little while. Allegedly, it’s knee-deep in hit singles. This may end up being my 6th new release purchase of 2009.

    Other debuts in the Top 20 include Papa Roach (yes, they’re still around), at #8, untalented Dipset-affiliated rapper Jim Jones at #9, coountry singer Martina McBride at #10, bone-crunching metal outfit Mastodon at #11, future one-hit wonders Blue October at #13, faded Houston MC Slim Thug at #15, songwriter/half of Big & Rich John Rich at #16, Eric Church (I don’t know who he is either) at #17, and Yanni at #20. Yes, Yanni is still making music.

    The glut of debuts means that there are some pretty prestigious drops on the chart. Taylor Swift’s “Fearless” falls out of the Top 10 for the first time since its’ release last fall. Static-X, however, gets the award for biggest drop on the chart, sliding 16-69 with their latest album.

    In a chart like this, it’s weird for an older album to actually move up considerably, but Adele’s “19” does. The Grammy winner for Best New Artist and her Gold album shoots from 41-23 on this week’s chart.

    The holdovers in the Top Ten include the “Twilight” soundtrack, which holds at #3 thanks to the recent DVD release of the film, Kelly Clarkson, who slides to #5 after two weeks at #1, U2 slides 2-6, while Lady GaGa drops two spots to #7.

    Speaking of Lady GaGa, she becomes the first artist in 10 years (since Christina Aguilera) to hit #1 with her first two single releases. again showing that the American music buying public has no taste whatsoever. “Poker Face” climbs to #1, unseating Flo Rida’s “Right Round” after 6 weeks on top. There are two new songs in the Top 10. Miley Cyrus climbs 11-8 with the appropriately titled “The Climb”, while Ciara shoots up 17 spots to #10 with “Love Sex Magic”, a collaboration with Justin Timberlake. With T.I.’s “Dead & Gone” at #4 this week, JT joins GaGa as artists with two songs each in the Top 10. Collaborating with Timberlake seems to be kind of a golden ticket these days, as Timbaland, Madonna, 50 Cent, T.I. and now Ciara have all scored Top 10 hits featuring the former ‘NSync-er.

    Next week’s #1 single may be lurking just inside the Top 40. Black Eyed Peas’ “Boom Boom Pow” inches in at #39, but it’s digital release will catapult it into, at the very least, next week’s Top 10 and it just may unseat GaGa at the top of the chart, although the fact that Lady G performed on “American Idol” last week could keep her at the top. Anyway, here’s this week’s Top 20 album charts. Watch out next week, when Keith Urban, Prince, Flo Rida, Bow Wow and a passel of others debut in the Top 20 of the charts, leading to another round of mega-drops.

    Top 20 Albums

    01-“Now That’s What I Call Music 30”-Various Artists

    02-“Hannah Montana Movie Soundtrack”-Miley Cyrus/Various Artists

    03-“Twilight Soundtrack”-Various Artists

    04-“In a Perfect World…”-Keri Hilson

    05-“All I Ever Wanted” Kelly Clarkson

    06-“No Line on the Horizon”-U2

    07-“The Fame”-Lady GaGa

    08-“Metamorphosis”-Papa Roach

    09-“Pray IV Reign”-Jim Jones

    10-“Shine”-Martina McBride

    11-“Crack the Skye”-Mastodon

    12-“Fearless”-Taylor Swift

    13-“Approaching Normal”-Blue October

    14-“Love vs. Money” The-Dream

    15-“Boss of All Bosses”-Slim Thug

    16-“Son of a Preacher Man”-John Rich

    17-“Carolina”-Eric Church

    18-“Dark Horse”-Nickelback

    19-“Hazards of Love”-The Decemberists

    20-“Voices”-Yanni

  • Infatueighties: “You’re a Friend of Mine”

    So…remember I was doing a countdown of the 100 Greatest Songs of the Eighties? Well, funny thing. I accidentally deleted the playlist from my iTunes, and that’s the only place I had it. Yes, I’m stupid. So, instead of reconstructing the entire list, I’ve decided to forgo it and make Infatueighties a regular column spotlighting some of the best songs, albums and artists of my favorite decade of music. By the way, the #1 song was “Billie Jean”. Just in case you were wondering.

    Anyway, has anyone else been watching VH-1’s Greatest One Hit Wonders of the 80s show this week? I’ll admit, I’m a sucker for these kinds of lists, and seeing clips of these songs is giving me a serious nostalgia jones. Right at #100 was this little ditty, a duet that became the first and only solo hit from E Street Band Clarence Clemons.

    After the “Born in the U.S.A” tour had made its’ rounds, Clemons decided to step into the studio and see if some of that leftover Bruce magic could rub off on him, and for one great song, it did. While “You’re a Friend of Mine” is a little more lightweight (and significantly more cheery) than the average E-Street fare, the sax sound and the song’s bounce were enough to make even casual fans recognize it as a Bruce offshoot.

    Why do I like this song? Because I was 9 when it came out and still clung to romantic notions of what friendship was all about. Come to think of it, I still do. It’s a simple song of devotion between two men, and…OK, I’ll stop.

    Clemons never had another hit, but considering his other gig, I don’t think he minded too much. I also (somewhat embarrassingly) admit that this is the only song featuring Jackson Browne (except for “Doctor My Eyes”, which I only know because the Jackson 5 covered it…oh, and “Somebody’s Baby”) that I could recognize within 30 seconds of it coming on.

    And isn’t it nice that Daryl Hannah showed up to do background vocals and appear in the video?

  • Remembering Marvin

    marvinToday would have been Marvin Gaye’s 70th birthday.

    Yesterday marked 25 years since the soul legend’s murder at the hands of his own father.

    Although I was only 7, I distinctly remember sitting at home on April 1st, 1984, when the news came on the radio that Marvin had been killed. Up until that point, I only really knew “Sexual Healing”, and at the time I was more confused about why someone would kill their own son than I was lamenting the death of one of the greatest soul singers of our time.

    With a quarter-century’s perspective, obviously things have changed. While I still can’t fathom a father killing his own child, I’ve long since discovered Marvin’s music, from the anguished, socio-political “What’s Going On” to the bittersweet divorce drama “Here, My Dear” (my personal favorite-you guys should check out the 2-disc reissue of it that came out last year). I hate to resort to cliche, but damn if I wouldn’t sit down and listen to Marvin sing the phone book. The man was certainly one of the most consistent artists of the Seventies. Every album he released during that decade is a keeper, and although he lost a step in the Eighties, “In Our Lifetime” and “Midnight Love” are worthy additions to any R&B fans catalog.

    In addition, the man sang about sex more passionately than any singer before or since (with the possible exception of pre-Jehovah era Prince). Unlike singers like R. Kelly (who unjustly gets compared to Marvin when he doesn’t have a tenth of MArvin’s talent), he doesn’t make it sound crass or one-sided. You can tell from his delivery that it’s just as important for the other party (or parties, given that Marvin was kind of a freak) to be satisfied as it is for him to be satisfied.

    Listening to Marvin Gaye sing brings you back to a time when singers could articulate emotions. The man could do anguish, festive, contemplative, horny…no matter what he was feeling, it was expressed through his music. It’s another cliche, but they just don’t make ’em like that anymore.

    Anyway, I’ll leave you with video of the man singing our national anthem. If you haven’t heard this one before, be prepared to be blown away.

    Happy birthday, Marvin. Hope you’re relaxing (and freaking) in paradise.