Hey folks…had to take last week off due to some site remodeling, but we’re back! And here are this week’s Top 20 charts, brought to you by kind courtesy of Billboard.
Top 20 Albums:
1) “Tha Carter III” Li’l Wayne
2) “Definition of Real” Plies
3) “Now That’s What I Call Music! Vol 28” Various Artists
4) “Indestructible” Disturbed
5) “Here I Stand” Usher
6) “Revelation” Journey
7) “Seeing Sounds” N.E.R.D
8) “Flavors of Entanglement” Alanis Morissette
9) “Evil Urges” My Morning Jacket
10) “Weezer (Red Album)” Weezer
11) “3 Doors Down” 3 Doors Down
12) “Sex & The City Original Soundtrack” Various Artists
13) “The Declaration” Ashanti
14) “Spirit” Leona Lewis
15) “Rockferry” Duffy
16) “Taylor Swift” Taylor Swift
17) “Nothing But the Best” Frank Sinatra
18) “35 Biggest Hits” Toby Keith
19) “Rock & Roll Jesus” Kid Rock
20) “Back When I Knew It All” Montgomery Gentry
…and on the singles chart…
1) “Viva La Vida” Coldplay
2) “I Kissed a Girl” Katy Perry
3) “Lollipop” Li’l Wayne feat. Static Major
4) “Bleeding Love” Leona Lewis
5) “Take a Bow” Rihanna
6) “Pocketful of Sunshine” Natasha Bedingfield
7) “No Air” Jordin Sparks w/Chris Brown
8) “Forever” Chris Brown
9) “Love in This Club” Usher feat. Young Jeezy
10) “Shake It” Metro Station
11) “Bust it Baby Pt. 2” Plies feat. Ne-Yo
12) “Sexy Can I” Ray J. feat Yung Berg
13) “Leavin’” Jesse McCartney
14) “Damaged” Danity Kane
15) “4 Minutes” Madonna feat. Justin Timberlake
16) “What You Got” Colby O’Donis feat. Akon
17) “It’s Not My Time” 3 Doors Down
18) “When I Grow Up” Pussycat Dolls
19) “Love Song” Sara Bareilles
20) “Realize” Colbie Caillat
So, I had two choices this afternoon: go to Best Buy, pick up an air conditioner (and the new Weezer CD), lug it home on the T, or sit here in the sweltering heat (fully dressed) and finish this column. Guess which one I picked?
Here’s this week’s charts, y’all (courtesy of Billboard):
Top 20 Albums:
1) “Here I Stand” Usher
2) “Sex & The City Soundtrack” Various Artists
3) “3 Doors Down” 3 Doors Down
4) “II Trill” Bun B
5) “Spirit” Leona Lewis
6) “Nothing But the Best” Frank Sinatra
7) “Rockferry” Duffy
8) “E=MC2” Mariah Carey
9) “Lay it Down” Al Green
10) “Narrow Stairs” Death Cab for Cutie
11) “Hard Candy” Madonna
12) “Taylor Swift” Taylor Swift
13) “We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things” Jason Mraz
14) “35 Biggest Hits” Toby Keith
15) “Home Before Dark” Neil Diamond
16) “Julianne Hough” Julianne Hough
17) “Now That’s What I Call Music 27” Various Artists
18) “Fight With Tools” Flobots
19) “Carnival Ride” Carrie Underwood
20) “Rock & Roll Jesus” Kid Rock
Top 20 Singles:
1) “Lollipop” Lil’ Wayne feat. Static Major
2) “Bleeding Love” Leona Lewis
3) “Viva La Vida” Coldplay
4) “Take a Bow” Rihanna
5) “I Kissed a Girl” Katy Perry
6) “Love in This Club” Usher feat. Young Jeezy
7) “No Air” Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown
8) “Sexy Can I” Ray J. & Yung Berg
9) “Time of My Life” David Cook
10) “4 Minutes” Madonna feat. Justin Timberlake
11) “Pocketful of Sunshine” Natasha Bedingfield
12) “Damaged” Danity Kane
13) “Got Money” Lil’ Wayne feat. T-Pain
14) “Bust it Baby Pt. 2” Plies feat. Ne-Yo
15) “Leavin’” Jesse McCartney
16) “Forever” Chris Brown
17) “What You Got” Colby O’ Donis feat. Akon
18) “Touch My Body” Mariah Carey
19) “It’s Not My Time” 3 Doors Down
20) “Love Song” Sara Bareilles
*So…when can an album sell nearly a half-million copies in it’s first week and be considered a flop? When you’re Usher and your last album sold over 1 million copies in it’s first frame. “Here I Stand” scans enough to become the second highest debut of the year so far (after Mariah Carey), but one can’t help think that it’s kind of a disappointment. Let’s see how truclulent the already abrasive Usher becomes in the coming weeks and months. Let’s also see how the next two “big” event albums-Li’l Wayne and Coldplay-fare in it’s wake.
*I tolerate Lil’ Wayne. As something of a hip-hop purist, the easy way out would be just to hate the guy, which I don’t. Not that you’ll ever see me running to the store to buy a Lil’ Wayne album (unless there’s money enclosed). However, the man has a record in the Top 20 with T-Pain. Put those two together and someone’s gotta die.
*Reverend Al “The Ladies’ Pal” Green has his first top ten album in nearly 35 years with the solid “Lay it Down”. For those who haven’t heard it yet, this is definitely a worthwhile pickup if you’re an Al fan. The man has not lost a step since his glory days. Could he be the best soul singer of all time? Hmmm…I’d resisted that concept for a while, but I might be coming around…however, he better not bring this look back EVER…
*”Viva La Vida” is now the biggest hit of Coldplay’s career. As someone who feels Chris Martin and the boys take a lot of unnecessary shit, this makes me happy. I’m very interested to see what Brian Eno does with them on this new album, pretentious title be damned.
*”I Kissed a Girl” by Katy Perry? Hey folks, welcome to the first official novelty song of 2008. It wasn’t particularly good 15 years ago when Jill Sobule hit with a song by the same title (‘memba her?) and it’s not particularly good now. Aw, look at the video. She’s petting a PUSSYcat. Haha! It’s supposed to be ironic!! Katy, Pink called…she wants her sound back. And she probably HAS kissed…well, a LOT of girls. So there!!
*Serious staying power for Kid Rock, as “Rock & Roll Jesus” closes in on the million scanned mark and jumps back into the Top 20 something like eight months after it’s release. Out of the whole “rap/rock” scene that he kinda got lumped in with a decade or so ago, who’d have thought that he’d pretty much be the last man standing?
*That Flobots song still makes my ears bleed. Sorry guys.
Ah, the month of June. In just a couple of short weeks, it will officially be summer. Let’s see what’s heating up the music charts this week! (as usual, all chart info reprinted courtesy of the good folks at Billboard):
Top 20 Albums:
1) “3 Doors Down” 3 Doors Down
2) “II Trill” Bun B
3) “Julianne Hough” Julianne Hough
4) “Nothing But the Best” Frank Sinatra
5) “Narrow Stairs” Death Cab for Cutie
6) “Spirit” Leona Lewis
7) “E=MC2” Mariah Carey
8) “Rockferry” Duffy
9) “Hard Candy” Madonna
10) “Home Before Dark” Neil Diamond
11) “We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things” Jason Mraz
12) “Taylor Swift” Taylor Swift
13) “35 Biggest Hits” Toby Keith
14) “Departure” Jesse McCartney
15) “Fight With Tools” Flobots
16) “Carnival Ride” Carrie Underwood
17) “Crayons” Donna Summer
18) “Now That’s What I Call Music 27” Various Artists
19) “Jordin Sparks” Jordin Sparks
20) “Daughtry” Daughtry
Top 20 Singles
1) “Lollipop” Lil’ Wayne feat. Static Major
2) “Bleeding Love” Leona Lewis
3) “The Time of My Life” David Cook
4) “Take a Bow” Rihanna
5) “No Air” Jordin Sparks & Chris Brown
6) “Love in This Club” Usher feat. Young Jeezy
7) “Sexy Can I” Ray J. feat. Yung Berg
8) “4 Minutes” Madonna feat. Justin Timberlake
9) “Pocketful of Sunshine” Natasha Bedingfield
10) “Viva La Vida” Coldplay
11) “Damaged” Danity Kane
12) “Leavin’” Jesse McCartney
13) “Touch My Body” Mariah Carey
14) “Bust it Baby Pt. 2” Plies feat. Ne-Yo
15) “Dream Big” David Cook
16) “What You Got” Colby O’Donis feat. Akon
17) “It’s Not My Time” 3 Doors Down
18) “Apologize” Timbaland feat. OneRepublic
19) “Last Name” Carrie Underwood
20) “Love Song” Sara Bareilles
*This week’s charts are all about two things: “American Idol” and advertising. To wit:
*Contestants from 4 different seasons of “American Idol” can be found in this week’s Top 20 charts. Aside from David Cook’s two top 20 singles chart debuts (which we discussed a couple days back), 2007’s winner, Jordin Sparks, can be found in the Top 20 of the singles and albums charts, as can 2005’s winner, Carrie Underwood. Meanwhile, 2006 finalist Chris Daughtry is still hanging around, moving up 10 spots to re-enter the Top 20 with his 18-month old debut album.
*”American Idol” is also to blame for the resurgence of “Apologize”. The Timbaland/OneRepublic song, which has now appeared on the pop, Adult Top 40, Adult Contemporary and R&B charts, re-enters the Top 20 after OneRepublic performed it with “AI” runner-up David Archuleta on the season finale. The resurgence should be short-lived, as I can’t imagine there being too many people out there who aren’t completely sick of this song.
*”Idol” also juices a major comeback, as Queen of Disco Donna Summer appears in the Top 20 of the pop albums chart for the first time since “She Works Hard for the Money” in 1983!! “Crayons” is actually Summer’s first album of original material since 1991. Toot-toot…hey…beep beep!! Here’s some old school Donna for ya!!
*Meanwhile, continuing Ameria’s insatiable appetite for extremely generic rock bands, 3 Doors Down enjoys their second straight debut atop the album charts with their self-titled fourth effort. This band’s success may come as something of a surprise because they’ve traveled so far under the radar. However, not only has the band enjoyed a fairly uninterrupted stream of hit singles since their 2000 debut, but they are the third biggest-selling group of the decade so far, behind Nickelback and…crap, I forget who the second band is, but they’ve sold more records!!
*Apple’s current advertising campaign is juicing Coldplay’s current success. “Viva La Vida”, the song used in the latest ads for Apple/iPod/iTunes, scales back up the charts this week, becoming Coldplay’s second top 10 hit. Lead singer Chris Martin also scores his first charted single as a solo artist, as Kanye West’s “Homecoming” (which features Martin as a guest artist) enters the singles chart at #96.
Hey folks…had to take last week off due to some site remodeling, but we’re back! And here are this week’s Top 20 charts, brought to you by kind courtesy of Billboard.
