The highest of the three new songs in this week's Top 40 is the first release from Norah Jones' latest album, "The Fall." "Chasing Pirates" enters at No. 38.
Lots of action within the Top 40, with 15 songs moving up at least four positions from last week. The biggest mover of the week is "If You Only Knew," Shinedown's follow up to the No. 1 hit "Second Chance," which moves 26-14. Meantime, two songs that entered last week sprint 10 positions: OneRepublic's "All the Right Moves" jumps 38-28 and Michael Jackson's "This Is It" moves 40-30.
Thursday, November 5, 2009
Monday, November 2, 2009
Top 40 for Nov. 1
Since this summer's death of superstar Michael Jackson, his brother Jermaine hit the charts with a tribute from his memorial service ("Smile") and his sister Janet followed with a tribute from the MTV Awards ("Make Me"). This week, Michael himself returns to the top 40 with a posthumous hit, "This Is It." The title track from the No. 1 movie at the U.S. box office this past weekend is No. 40.
Singer-songwriter Will Hoge takes his first chart hit into the top 10 as "Even If It Breaks Your Heart" moves 11-9. The song is one of several sleeper hits in the countdown continuing to push up the charts in its 12th week. Others include "Come Home" by OneRepublic and Sara Bareilles (up 3-2 in its 16th week) and "Fireflies" by Owl City (up 4-3 in its 16th week). "Fireflies" managed to soar to No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 this week (no mean feat for an alternative/AAA song).
Singer-songwriter Will Hoge takes his first chart hit into the top 10 as "Even If It Breaks Your Heart" moves 11-9. The song is one of several sleeper hits in the countdown continuing to push up the charts in its 12th week. Others include "Come Home" by OneRepublic and Sara Bareilles (up 3-2 in its 16th week) and "Fireflies" by Owl City (up 4-3 in its 16th week). "Fireflies" managed to soar to No. 1 on Billboard's Hot 100 this week (no mean feat for an alternative/AAA song).
Friday, October 23, 2009
Week of Oct. 25
Four new songs in the Top 40, and lots of action in the Top 10 this week.
In the top 10, three of the year's biggest hits -- all former No. 1 songs -- fall out this week: Uncle Kracker's "Smile," Whitney Houston's "I Look to You" and Colbie Caillat's "Fallin' for You." Replacing them are songs by three of the hottest acts of the 1980s. Houston replaces herself as "Million Dollar Bill," the second single from her latest album, jumps 14-8. Madonna's "Celebration," from her recent career retrospective, pushes up one to No. 10. And the late Dan Fogelberg collects his second posthumous hit (last year's "Sometimes a Song" was his first) as "Diamonds to Dust" moves 12-9. (In the 1980s, Houston had eight top 10 hits, Madonna had 10, and Fogelberg had seven.)
Meanwhile, new to the Top 40 are the latest from Bruce Springsteen, Tim McGraw, Beyoncé and 30 Seconds to Mars. The latter act is an alternative rock group made up of Tomo Milicevic on guitars, Shannon Leto on drums and Jared Leto on guitars and vocals (yes, the same Jared Leto known as an actor in such roles as Jordan Catalano on "My So-Called Life" in the 1990s). 30 Seconds to Mars hit No. 11 a few years back with "From Yesterday." We'll see how "Kings and Queens" fares; this week, it kicks off the countdown at No. 40.
In the top 10, three of the year's biggest hits -- all former No. 1 songs -- fall out this week: Uncle Kracker's "Smile," Whitney Houston's "I Look to You" and Colbie Caillat's "Fallin' for You." Replacing them are songs by three of the hottest acts of the 1980s. Houston replaces herself as "Million Dollar Bill," the second single from her latest album, jumps 14-8. Madonna's "Celebration," from her recent career retrospective, pushes up one to No. 10. And the late Dan Fogelberg collects his second posthumous hit (last year's "Sometimes a Song" was his first) as "Diamonds to Dust" moves 12-9. (In the 1980s, Houston had eight top 10 hits, Madonna had 10, and Fogelberg had seven.)
Meanwhile, new to the Top 40 are the latest from Bruce Springsteen, Tim McGraw, Beyoncé and 30 Seconds to Mars. The latter act is an alternative rock group made up of Tomo Milicevic on guitars, Shannon Leto on drums and Jared Leto on guitars and vocals (yes, the same Jared Leto known as an actor in such roles as Jordan Catalano on "My So-Called Life" in the 1990s). 30 Seconds to Mars hit No. 11 a few years back with "From Yesterday." We'll see how "Kings and Queens" fares; this week, it kicks off the countdown at No. 40.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Week of Oct. 18
Four new entries in this week's Top 40 include three acts that have been fairly consistent in popularity this decade: Five for Fighting, Joss Stone and Angie Stone.
Five for Fighting, the act that boils down to singer-songwriter John Ondrasik, had its biggest hit with its debut album "America Town" and its No. 1 singles "Superman (It's Not Easy)" and "Something About You." The act has had lesser success with "100 Years" and "The Riddle." "Chances," which enters at No. 35, is fittingly from the fifth album for Five for Fighting, "Slice."
"I Ain't Hearing U," new at No. 34, is the 13th hit this decade for neo-soul singer Angie Stone. Actually, though her initial successes squarely fit in the neo-soul definition, such as her No. 1 hits from 2000 "No More Rain (in This Cloud)" and "Heaven Help," Angie Stone has had more success in recent years with dance material. "I Ain't Hearing U" is more along the lines of her dance hits.
Joss Stone, no relation to Angie, is a Brit-soul singer who has had success this decade with a bluesier, Southern-soul style. "Free Me," this week's highest entry at No. 32, falls in that vein as well. It's the first single from her new album "Colour Me Free."
The last of the new entries this week is at No. 33. "If You Only Knew" is the rock band Shinedown's follow-up to their smash from earlier this year, "Second Chance."
Up at the top of the charts, it looks like Barbra Streisand is pushing for her first No. 1 hit in almost 30 (!) years with her version of the Sinatra standard "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning." The Diana Krall-produced song from her latest album sprints 9-3. If she does get to the top, it'll mark her first time there since "Guilty" featuring Barry Gibb spent a single week at No. 1 in 1981. The closest she's been since then was in 2000, when "If I Didn't Love You" went to No. 2.
Five for Fighting, the act that boils down to singer-songwriter John Ondrasik, had its biggest hit with its debut album "America Town" and its No. 1 singles "Superman (It's Not Easy)" and "Something About You." The act has had lesser success with "100 Years" and "The Riddle." "Chances," which enters at No. 35, is fittingly from the fifth album for Five for Fighting, "Slice."
"I Ain't Hearing U," new at No. 34, is the 13th hit this decade for neo-soul singer Angie Stone. Actually, though her initial successes squarely fit in the neo-soul definition, such as her No. 1 hits from 2000 "No More Rain (in This Cloud)" and "Heaven Help," Angie Stone has had more success in recent years with dance material. "I Ain't Hearing U" is more along the lines of her dance hits.
Joss Stone, no relation to Angie, is a Brit-soul singer who has had success this decade with a bluesier, Southern-soul style. "Free Me," this week's highest entry at No. 32, falls in that vein as well. It's the first single from her new album "Colour Me Free."
The last of the new entries this week is at No. 33. "If You Only Knew" is the rock band Shinedown's follow-up to their smash from earlier this year, "Second Chance."
Up at the top of the charts, it looks like Barbra Streisand is pushing for her first No. 1 hit in almost 30 (!) years with her version of the Sinatra standard "In the Wee Small Hours of the Morning." The Diana Krall-produced song from her latest album sprints 9-3. If she does get to the top, it'll mark her first time there since "Guilty" featuring Barry Gibb spent a single week at No. 1 in 1981. The closest she's been since then was in 2000, when "If I Didn't Love You" went to No. 2.
Thursday, October 8, 2009
Week of Oct. 11
Well, for the first time in eight weeks, the song at the top of the chart does not belong to Whitney Houston or Uncle Kracker. The Fray's "Never Say Never" completes its speedy run to No. 1 by moving up three in its fifth week. It's the band's second time at the top, after "How to Save a Life" spent one week at the top in late 2006.
Lots of action in this week's Top 10, with Mika, Cascada and one of the oldest artists on the charts, Barbra Streisand, all moving in with their latest hits. (Streisand is 67; Smokey Robinson, who has the No. 19 song this week, is 69.) Streisand surprised chart watchers at Billboard by keeping Mariah Carey and Paramore out of No. 1 on the album charts this week with her latest, "Love Is the Answer." I'm not at all surprised -- she has a lot of dedicated fans (myself included) who will go out and get her albums in the first week of release. What will be more interesting to see is whether this album has any staying power on the charts. It's a lot more of a standard and less contemporary album than any of her non-Broadway releases in the past two decades, so we'll see.
While Jordin Sparks slides out of the Top 10 with "Battlefield," she enters the Top 40 with its follow-up, "S.O.S. (Let the Music Play)." The parenthetical title tips off listeners that this isn't a remake of Rihanna's hit of a few years back (nor of Abba's 1975 hit) but a new song that borrows heavily from Shannon's Top 40 classic from 1984.
Lots of action in this week's Top 10, with Mika, Cascada and one of the oldest artists on the charts, Barbra Streisand, all moving in with their latest hits. (Streisand is 67; Smokey Robinson, who has the No. 19 song this week, is 69.) Streisand surprised chart watchers at Billboard by keeping Mariah Carey and Paramore out of No. 1 on the album charts this week with her latest, "Love Is the Answer." I'm not at all surprised -- she has a lot of dedicated fans (myself included) who will go out and get her albums in the first week of release. What will be more interesting to see is whether this album has any staying power on the charts. It's a lot more of a standard and less contemporary album than any of her non-Broadway releases in the past two decades, so we'll see.
While Jordin Sparks slides out of the Top 10 with "Battlefield," she enters the Top 40 with its follow-up, "S.O.S. (Let the Music Play)." The parenthetical title tips off listeners that this isn't a remake of Rihanna's hit of a few years back (nor of Abba's 1975 hit) but a new song that borrows heavily from Shannon's Top 40 classic from 1984.
Friday, October 2, 2009
Week of Oct. 4, 2009
Lots of moves this week as five songs slide out of the Top 20 and make room for some newcomers. Meanwhile, this week's two debuts are from chart veterans. Alicia Keys earns her 13th hit with "Doesn't Mean Anything" at No. 38; she's been in the countdown for the past several weeks as co-writer of Whitney Houston's "Million Dollar Bill." And Janet Jackson enters at No. 39 with "Make Me," the song she sang in tribute to her brother Michael at the VMAs a few weeks back. Its lyrics sample Michael's hit "Don't Stop Till You Get Enough."
At the top of the charts, Whitney Houston returns for a second nonconsecutive week with "I Look to You," displacing Uncle Kracker's "Smile" after three weeks. It looks like the seesaw ride that those two songs have been on the past month and a half is about to end. George Strait's "Living for the Night," at No. 3, has been moving up steadily, but leaping and bounding is The Fray's "Never Say Never." In its fourth chart week, it's up another five to No. 4.
At the top of the charts, Whitney Houston returns for a second nonconsecutive week with "I Look to You," displacing Uncle Kracker's "Smile" after three weeks. It looks like the seesaw ride that those two songs have been on the past month and a half is about to end. George Strait's "Living for the Night," at No. 3, has been moving up steadily, but leaping and bounding is The Fray's "Never Say Never." In its fourth chart week, it's up another five to No. 4.
Thursday, September 24, 2009
Week of Sept. 27, 2009
Three new songs in the Top 40 this week, including the first hit for All-4-One since 1996. The four-man vocal group, best known for the No. 1 hits "I Swear" and "I Can Love You Like That," are back at No. 39 with "If Your Heart's Not In It."
Meanwhile, Leona Lewis returns to the countdown with "Happy" at No. 37. It's the second song with that title to chart; Legacy of Sound featuring Meja went to the Top 10 in 1992 with a dance song of the same title.
The Fray's "Never Say Never" is shaping up as a contender for No. 1. After last week's 15-point move, it's also this week's top mover, up 10 from 19 to 9. Meanwhile, the Top 3 keep their stranglehold. These songs -- Uncle Kracker's "Smile," Whitney Houston's "I Look to You" and Colbie Caillat's "Fallin' for You" -- have been the top three in some configuration for six weeks, with this particular configuration four of the six weeks. That's some staying power.
Meanwhile, Leona Lewis returns to the countdown with "Happy" at No. 37. It's the second song with that title to chart; Legacy of Sound featuring Meja went to the Top 10 in 1992 with a dance song of the same title.
The Fray's "Never Say Never" is shaping up as a contender for No. 1. After last week's 15-point move, it's also this week's top mover, up 10 from 19 to 9. Meanwhile, the Top 3 keep their stranglehold. These songs -- Uncle Kracker's "Smile," Whitney Houston's "I Look to You" and Colbie Caillat's "Fallin' for You" -- have been the top three in some configuration for six weeks, with this particular configuration four of the six weeks. That's some staying power.
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