With NO further ado, I now present you with this week’s Top 20 singles and albums, courtesy of the good folks over at Billboard.
Top 20 Albums:
1) “E=MC2” Mariah Carey
2) “Spirit” Leona Lewis
3) “Best of Both Worlds Concert” Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus
4) “Lady Antebellum” Lady Antebellum
5) “Now That’s What I Call Music! Vol. 27” Various Artists
6) “Troubadour” George Strait
7) “Alvin & The Chipmunks Soundtrack” Various Artists
8) “Juno Soundtrack” Various Artists
9) “Accelerate” R.E.M.
10) “Taylor Swift” Taylor Swift
11) “Trilla” Rick Ross
12) “Sunset Man” James Otto
13) “Sleep Through the Static” Jack Johnson
14) “Welcome To the Dollhouse” Danity Kane
15) “Daughtry” Daughtry
16) “Jordin Sparks” Jordin Sparks
17) “Vol. 3-4: Alchemy Index” Thrice
18) “Snakes & Arrows Live” Rush
19) “Little Voice” Sara Bareilles
20) “The Odd Couple” Gnarls Barkley
Top 20 Singles:
1) “Lollipop” Li’l Wayne feat. Static Major
2) “Bleeding Love” Leona Lewis
3) “No Air” Jordin Sparks Duet With Chris Brown
4) “Love in This Club” Usher feat. Young Jeezy
5) “Touch My Body” Mariah Carey
6) “4 Minutes” Madonna feat. Justin Timberlake
7) “Sexy Can I” Ray J. feat. Yung Berg
8) “Love Song” Sara Bareilles
9) “With You” Chris Brown
10) “See You Again” Miley Cyrus
11) “Low” Flo-Rida feat. T-Pain
12) “Say” John Mayer
13) “Don’t Stop the Music” Rihanna
14) “Damaged” Danity Kane
15) “Stop & Stare” OneRepublic
16) “Pocketful of Sunshine” Natasha Bedingfield
17) “Boss” Rick Ross
18) “Apologize” Timbaland feat. OneRepublic
19) “Independent” Webbie, Li’l Boosie & Li’l Phat
20) “Sorry” Buckcherry
*Of course, it’s all about Mariah this week, as “E=MC2” becomes her sixth #1 album, putting her in a three-way tie for 2nd place among female artists with Madonna and Janet Jackson (Barbra Streisand is in 1st place, with 8). She should probably enjoy this moment, as Madge will in all likelihood bump Mariah back to 3rd place when “Hard Candy” is eligible to chart the week after next.
*Although the 463K Mariah sold marks the biggest sales week of 2008 so far and is also the biggest debut week of Mariah’s career, it might be worth noting that in 2007 among female artists, Carrie Underwood, Mary J. Blige and Alicia Keys ALL opened with bigger first weeks. Then again, Mariah’s albums tend to have legs, so we’ll see what happens.
*Why is radio not playing “4 Minutes”? The Madonna/JT collaboration has been the #1 or #2 downloaded song in America for the past 4 weeks, but stands at #6 this week. From a radio standpoint, the 21st century hasn’t been great to Madge, with her only huge radio hit being 2000’s “Music”.
*The group Lady Antebellum (which apparently features the brother of fake John Mayer/Katherine Heigl’s hubby Josh Kelley) becomes the second consecutive new country act to crack the Top 5 nationally. I just wanna know who the hell came up with that name.
*The real John Mayer finds himself in the Top 20 with a second single in less than a month (he’s credited on Fall Out Boy’s “Beat It”). “Say” has been out for something like 5 months now, but makes it’s jump due to a performance on “Dancing With The Stars”. It’s a cute enough song, but after a breakthrough album like “Continuum”, it almost sounds like a throwaway.
*Also getting a TV-related bump is Gnarls Barkley. Following an appearance on SNL (was Cee-Lo’s mike messed up? The sound was weird), “The Odd Couple” pops back into the Top 20.
*Alicia Keys’ “No One” FINALLY disappears from the Top 20!! I love Alicia, but I was getting tired of having to type that out every week. Hopefully Timbaland’s grossly overplayed “Apologize” is next.
*How come when folks mention superstar acts coming out with albums in the near future, no one mentions Usher. Let’s not forget: Usher was the last artist to open with a million-plus week, AND 2004’s “Confessions” is the most recently released album to attain a diamond certification for 10 million plus shipments. “Here I Stand”, which arrives on 5/27, could be a monster.
*Next week should be a relatively quiet chart week, with Ashlee Simpson being the only notable debut (with a number WAY off the pace of her first two albums). Mariah should be able to hold her ground at the top for a second week, although Leona Lewis fever is just beginning, and her performance on “Idol” last week should cement her position as runner-up.
The 4th of July weekend seems like the perfect time to release new music. You figure that folks planning the long weekend and heading out to the beach or a barbecue will want to take some tunes along for the ride, right? Well, how come there isn’t anything good coming out this week? Sheesh.