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Pop Rock Nation

Tag: Chris Brown

  • Here’s Something That’s Really Off The Wall: Michael Jackson Turns 50 Today

    The cover of Michael Jackson's iconic 1982 album "Thriller"
    The cover of Michael Jackson's iconic 1982 album "Thriller"

    I’ve spent many hours over the last several years typing article after article about not only Michael Jackson‘s influence on me, but his influence on pop culture as a whole.

    Despite the fact that he’s viewed (rightfully) as a egomaniacal, plastic surgery-addled, creepy train wreck these days, there’s no disputing that Michael was one of the largest (and the longest-running) pop phenomena in history (or HIStory). Sure, he himself was a product of a group of influences (Jackie Wilson and James Brown chief among them), but Jacko blazed (or at least helped to blaze) more trails than just about any contemporary artist. He certainly rewrote the rule book for black artists, breaking MTV’s embargo on R&B music (contrary to popular belief, MTV did play the occasional black rocker prior to “Billie Jean”) and rewriting just about every sales and chart record in existence. It should go without saying that a quick scan through today’s pop music scene reveals tons of artists, from Kanye West and Akon to Fall Out Boy and Rihanna to Usher, Justin Timberlake, Chris Brown and Ne-Yo: all directly crib from the rule book that Michael wrote. There weren’t Elvis sightings all over the Billboard chart in 1980, 25 years after his debut. However if you look at a Billboard chart from earlier this year, 25 years after “Thriller” took over the world, you’ll see that not only was a re-jiggered version of the album itself nestled securely at the top of the charts (not to mention an album by his sister that danced up and down the charts simultaneously), but songs like West’s “Good Life” and Rihanna’s “Don’t Stop the Music” directly referenced songs from the album. Regardless of what you may think of the man himself, to have that much direct influence so long after entering the music scene is a feat in and of itself. Public image be damned, this man deserves his rightful place next to The Beatles, Dylan, Stevie and James Brown…and that’s seriously not hyperbole at all. While I’ll wave my flag all day for MJ as a musical icon, I’m not one of those creepy uber-fans who lashes out at the media for being “ignorant” (sorry-just had a flashback to “South Park”‘s brilliant skewering of him) or even thought for a second about camping out at the trial site. Hell, I don’t even think the man has a skin disease.

    (more…)

  • Chart Chat 8/24/08: Jonas Brothers, David Archuleta, NKOTB and More!!!

    Here we go, folks. This week’s Top 20 charts are brought to you by the good folks at Billboard Magazine, the number “6” and the letter “F”.

      Top 20 Singles:

    1) “Disturbia” Rihanna
    2) “Crush” David Archuleta
    3) “Forever” Chris Brown
    4) “I Kissed a Girl” Katy Perry
    5) “Viva La Vida” Coldplay
    6) “Paper Planes” M.I.A.
    7) “Dangerous” Kardinal Offishall feat. Akon
    8) “Take a Bow” Rihanna
    9) “Closer” Ne-Yo
    10) “Change” Taylor Swift
    11) “American Boy” Estelle feat. Kanye West
    12) “A Milli” Li’l Wayne
    13) “Put On” Young Jeezy feat. Kanye West
    14) “Leavin’” Jesse McCartney
    15) “When I Grow Up” Pussycat Dolls
    16) “Dreamer” Chris Brown
    17) “Get Like Me” David Banner feat. Chris Brown
    18) “Bleeding Love” Leona Lewis
    19) “Got Money” Li’l Wayne feat. T-Pain
    20) “Burnin’ Up” Jonas Brothers

      Top 20 Albums:

    1) “A Little Bit Longer” Jonas Brothers
    2) “Mamma Mia Soundtrack” Various Artists
    3) “Rock & Roll Jesus” Kid Rock
    4) “Breakout” Miley Cyrus
    5) “Love on the Inside” Sugarland
    6) “Tha Carter III” Li’l Wayne
    7) “Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends” Coldplay
    8) “Camp Rock Soundtrack” Various Artists
    9) “Good Girl Gone Bad” Rihanna
    10) “Jonas Brothers” Jonas Brothers
    11) “Taylor Swift” Taylor Swift
    12) “Now That’s What I Call Music Vol. 28” Various Artists
    13) “Talento de Barrio Soundtrack” Daddy Yankee
    14) “One of the Boys” Katy Perry
    15) “Spirit” Leona Lewis
    16) “Kids Bop 14” Various Artists
    17) “Lessons in Love” Lloyd
    18) “Indestructible” Disturbed
    19) “Rockferry” Duffy
    20) “Look What You Made Me” Yung Berg

    *It’s a Jonas world, we’re just living in it. If you count the “Camp Rock” soundtrack, the new millennium Hanson now has three albums in the Top 10, including the #1 album, as “A Little Bit Longer” posts the third biggest debut of the year (behind Li’l Wayne and Coldplay).

    *In other ankle-biter news, “American Idol” runner-up David Archuleta blasts onto the charts at #2 with “Crush”, besting the #3 debut of “AI” winner David Cook’s “Time of My Life”. It’s fairly obvious who the “Idol” folks are putting their money behind, this is by far the earliest a single by an “Idol” contestant has been released following the season’s conclusion. Shades of Season 2, when the promotional muscle was put behind runner-up Clay Aiken and not winner Ruben Studdard.

    *Now, how about if for former ankle-biters? Debuting just out of view of the Top 20, at #22, is a revised “Greatest Hits” album by New Kids on the Block. This marks NKOTB’s highest chart position since “No More Games-The Remix Album” grazed the Top 20 in 1991, and also bodes quite well for their new album, “The Block”, which arrives in a couple of short weeks. However, I’m a bit confused as to how three songs can be added to a previously released compilation and it can be allowed to chart on Billboard’s regular album chart, while five new tracks were added to Michael Jackson’s “Thriller” and it was relegated to the catalog list. Anyone care to explain that one?

    *Congrats to Rihanna. Not only does “Disturbia” hang on to the top spot on the pop singles charts, but “Take a Bow” ascends to the #1 position on the R&B singles charts, giving Rihanna such a rare feat (topping two different singles charts with different singles) that I can’t even think of a precedent.

    *Another interesting chart fact to note. Each of this week’s Top 7 albums has done time at #1 on the chart, which is almost certainly some kind of record, although it won’t last next week, where Staind is on track to pop in at #2 behind the Jonases.

    *Olympic fever has spread to the Billboard charts, as Taylor Swift and Chris Brown both enter in the Top 20 with their respective “Team U.S.A.”-endorsed singles. I’m waiting for Michael Phelps to make a record. Right now, that’s a guaranteed #1.

    *Hey, aren’t Ne-Yo’s and Young Jeezy’s albums supposed to be out already?? Both originally had street dates in early August, but it looks like Ne-Yo’s “Year of the Gentleman” has been bumped to mid-August, while I’m not exactly sure when Jeezy’s “The Recession” is supposed to drop. What’s up Def Jam?

    Since this week’s charts aren’t exactly filled with fantastic opportunities to embed video, I’ll leave you guys for the day with a song I’ve been listening to a lot lately, and…the perfect song to put in a Sunday morning column. Behold the awesomeness of Lionel Richie’s ‘fro.

  • Chart Chat 8/17/08: M.I.A., ABBA…and a Bad Joke About Miley Cyrus’s Dad!!!

    Happy Sunday all. After skipping a week due to technical difficulties, we are back!! Unfortunately (or fortunately, depending on how you look at it) the charts remain more or less the same. Read on, my friends…(all chart information courtesy of Billboard magazine)

    The cover of Sri Lankan rapper M.I.A\'s hit album \"Kala\"
      Top 20 Singles

    1) “Disturbia” Rihanna
    2) “Forever” Chris Brown
    3) “I Kissed a Girl” Katy Perry
    4) “Take a Bow” Rihanna
    5) “Paper Planes” M.I.A.
    6) “Viva La Vida” Coldplay
    7) “Dangerous” Kardinal Offishall feat. Akon
    8) “A Milli” Li’l Wayne
    9) “Burnin’ Up” Jonas Brothers
    10) “Closer” Ne-Yo
    11) “A Little Bit Longer” Jonas Brothers
    12) “American Boy” Estelle feat. Kanye West
    13) “When I Grow Up” Pussycat Dolls
    14) “Leavin’” Jesse McCartney
    15) “Bleeding Love” Leona Lewis
    16) “Get Like Me” David Banner feat. Chris Brown
    17) “Lollipop” Li’l Wayne feat. Static Major
    18) “Put On” Young Jeezy feat. Kanye West
    19) “Lolli Lolli (Pop That Body)” Three Six Mafia
    20) “Pocketful of Sunshine” Natasha Bedingfield

      Top 20 Albums:

    1) Various Artists “Mamma Mia Soundtrack”
    2) “Breakout” Miley Cyrus
    3) “Love on the Inside” Sugarland
    4) “Rock & Roll Jesus” Kid Rock
    5) “Tha Carter III” Li’l Wayne
    6) “Viva La Vida or Death & All His Friends” Coldplay
    7) “Lessons in Love” Lloyd
    8) “Camp Rock Soundtrack” Various Artists
    9) “Good Girl Gone Bad” Rihanna
    10) “What Am I Waiting For” Heidi Newfeld
    11) “Jonas Brothers” Jonas Brothers
    12) “C’mon” Keith Anderson
    13) “Now That’s What I Call Music Vol. 28” Various Artists
    14) “Kids Bop 14” Various Artists
    15) “Conor Oberst” Conor Oberst
    16) “Taylor Swift” Taylor Swift
    17) “Untitled” Nas
    18) “Only Through the Pain” Trapt
    19) “Revelation” Third Day
    20) “One of the Boys” Katy Perry (more…)