Saturday, December 26, 2009

Rock-It! 12-27-09, Peas-GaGa-Swift Lead Top 100 of 2009

What an incredible year for the Black Eyed Peas. They set the rock era record for most consecutive weeks at #1 when “Boom Boom Pow” and “I Gotta Feeling” sat the top for over five months in 2009. Their album, “The E.N.D.” ranks as one of the top ten albums of the year and they score the #1 song of 2009 with “Boom Boom Pow”. They also come in at #4 with “I Gotta Feeling”. For the Peas, it is their best end of the year showing since “Where Is The Love” finished in the Top 10 of 2003.

Sandwiched between the Black Eyed Peas’ hits, was the top newcomer of 2009. Lady GaGa has the #2 song of 2009 with “Poker Face” and the #3 song of the year with “Just Dance” featuring Colby O’Donis. She also placed at #35 with “LoveGame” and at #53 with “Paparazzi”. She was the #3 artist of the year finishing one notch ahead of the Black Eyed Peas. Her album, “The Fame” finished #8 of 2009. She sold more songs digitally than any other artist in 2009.

The #1 artist of 2009 was Taylor Swift who finishes with the #5 song of 2009, “Love Story”. That big smash also finishes as the #1 airplay hit of the year. Her album “Fearless” is the #1 album of 2009. Taylor Swift also finishes at #11 on the year end survey with “You Belong With Me” and at #76 with “White Horse”. She ranks as the #1 country artist of 2009 as well.

Flo Rida finishes with the #6 song of 2009 with “Right Round”. He ranked as the #3 male artist of the year behind Kanye West and T.I. The rapper also places as #58 with “Sugar” featuring Wynter. This is Flo Rida’s second straight year with a Top 10 year end hit. Last year it was his debut single “Low”.

Jason Mraz set a rock era record this year for longest run in the Hot 100 when he topped 70 weeks breaking Leann Rimes’ “How Do I Live” record. That great run is enough to make “I’m Yours” the #7 song of 2009.

The #2 artist of 2009 is Beyonce who also ranks as the #1 female artist of the decade. The superstar places at #8 with “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)”. She also is in at #24 with “Halo”, #48 with “If I Were A Boy”, #66 with “Sweet Dreams” and #82 with “Diva”. Beyonce’s album “I Am...Sasha Fierce” is the #2 album of 2009 and she ranks as the #1 hip hop artist of the year.

The top male artist of 2009 is Kanye West. He has the 9th biggest song of 2009 with “Heartless”. He also is in at #31 with Jay-Z and Rihanna with “Run This Town”, #44 with “Love Lockdown” and featured on Keri Hilson’s “Knock You Down” at #15 and Drake’s “Forever” at #88. His album “808s & Heartbreaks” is the #7 album of 2009.

Rounding out the Top 10 is All-American Rejects with “Gives You Hell”. The song became the biggest hit of their career. They finish as the seventh biggest group of 2009.

The second biggest male artist of 2009 is T.I. He comes in at #12 on the year end survey with “Dead And Gone” featuring Justin Timberlake. T.I. also ranked as the top rapper of the year. He also places at #18 with “Live Your Life” featuring Rihanna and #40 with “Whatever You Like”.

The Fray rank as the fourth best band of 2009 behind Black Eyed Peas, Nickelback and Kings Of Leon. They also place at #13 on the year end top songs with “You Found Me”. They come in at #100 as well with “Never Say Never”. That third best group, Kings Of Leon, are at #14 with “Use Somebody”.

Keri Hilson places as the third best newcomer behind Lady GaGa and Drake. She is at #15 with “Knock You Down” featuring Kanye West & Ne-Yo. She is also in at #49 with “Turnin Me On” featuring Lil Wayne.

The #1 hip hop song of 2009 is “Blame It” by Jamie Foxx featuring T-Pain. It ranks as the 16th biggest song overall of the year. And Pitbull is in at #17 with “I Know You Want Me (Calle Ocho)”. He also is at #46 with “Hotel Room Service”.

Rounding out the Top 20 is “Kiss Me Thru The Phone” by Soulja Boy Tell ‘em featuring Sammie at #19 and “Down” by Jay Sean at #20. Soulja Boy Tell ‘em is also at #79 with “Turn My Swag On”.

Other points of interest on the year end Top 100:

Miley Cyrus places as the fourth best female artist of 2009 and has the #5 album of the year with “Hannah Montana: The Movie”. She has the 21st biggest song of the year with “The Clim” and the #29 song of the year with “Party In The U.S.A.”

Drake places as the second best newcomer of the year and the #2 rapper. He is at #22 on the year end songs chart with “Best I Ever Had” and at #88 with “Forever” featuring Kanye West, Lil Wayne & Eminem.

Kelly Clarkson is at #23 with “My Life Would Suck Without You”, #91 with “I Do Not Hook Up” and #95 with “Alread Gone”. Katy Perry is at #25 with “Hot N Cold” and #36 with “Waking Up In Vegas”.

Britney Spears has the sixth biggest album of 2009 with “Circus”. On the year end songs chart she places at #27 with the titled track as well as #39 with “Womanizer”, #74 with “If U Seek Amy” and #87 with “3”. Britney is the #5 female artist of 2009.

“Run This Town” by Jay-Z, Rihanna and Kanye West is at #31. Jay-Z also places with Alicia Keys at #62 with the current #1 song, “Empire State Of Mind”. And Rihanna is also at #77 with “Disturbia”.

Lil Wayne is featured on multiple songs in the year end Top 100: Kevin Rudolf’s “Let It Rock” at #32, Keri HIlson’s “Turnin Me On” at #49, Young Money’s “Ever Girl” at #69 and Drake’s “Forever” at #88.

Other artists with multiple songs in the Top 100 of 2009:
Pink: “Sober” (#38), “So What” (#45), “Please Don’t Leave Me” (#52)
Ne-Yo: “Mad” (#42), “Miss Independent” (#59)
Nickelback: “Gotta Be Somebody” (#51), “If Today Was Your Last Day” (#70)
Akon: “Beautiful” (#54), “Right Now (Na Na Na)” (#56)
Zac Brown Band: “Chicken Fried” (#81), “Whatever It Is” (#94) 

My Top 10 Songs of 2009:
Shake Me Like A Monkey, Dave Matthews Band
My Life Would Suck Without You, Kelly Clarkson
Heartbreak On Vinyl, Blake Lewis
Major Tom, Shiny Toy Guns
First Train Home, Imogen Heap
When Love Takes Over, David Guetta featuring Kelly Rowland
Trying, Eleventyseven
Just Say Yes, Snow Patrol
Hang On, Plumb
Middle Ground, Vertical Horizon

For more Rock-It!, visit my website at www.songerstudio.com

Saturday, December 12, 2009

Rock-It! 12-13-09, Jay-Z's Has Keys To The Toop, Biggest Move Is Money

Jay-Z has been at #1 three times before, but never as a headlined artist. This week the 39-year old Brooklyn rapper holds at #1 for a fourth straight week with “Empire State Of Mind”. He is joined by fellow New Yorker Alicia Keys who as also been to #1 three times previous but unlike Jay-Z, she was the headliner. The run started in 2001 with “Fallin’”. She returned to the top in 2004 with “My Boo” with Usher and then again in 2007 with “No One”.

Lady GaGa made a huge move from 11-2 two weeks ago with “Bad Romance” and this week holds at that #2 spot. This is her fifth straight Top 10 hit to start her career. That includes two #1 hits, “Just Dance” featuring Colby O’Donis and “Poker Face”.

L.A. hip hop star Ke$ha is also closing in on another trip to #1. She was featured on Flo Rida’s chart topper “Right Round” earlier this year. Now she holds at #3 with “TiK ToK”, her first headlined Top 10 single.

Rapper Kiedran Jones continues to move up with his first Top 10 hit, “Replay”. This week Kiedran who goes by the name Iyaz moves up from 5-4 where he initially peaked three weeks ago.

French DJ David Guetta rebounds from 8-7 to match his highest career peak that he set two weeks ago with “Sexy Chick” featuring Akon.

The bottom three spots of the Top 10 are occupied with singles with bullets this week. French DJ David Guetta slides from 7-8 with “Sexy Chick” featuring Akon. British rapper Jay Sean is up from 10-9 with “Down” featuring Liil Wayne. And American superstar Britney Spears slides from 9-10 with her former #1 smash “3”.

There is only one song in the bottom half of the Top 20 that achieves a bullet this week. It is the second Top 20 hit for British hip hop artist Jay Sean. He moves from 25-19 this week with “Do You Remember” featuring Sean Paul & Lil Jon. It is the follow up to his debut #1 smash “Down” featuring Lil Wayne which is at #10 this week.

The biggest mover in the Top 40 this week comes from Young Money Entertainment which is Lil Wayne featuring Drake, Jae Millz, Gudda Gudda, Mack Maine and Lloyd. The group of hip hop stars rocket from 36-24 this week with “Bedrock” in their second week in the Top 40.

One other song makes a move of five or more spots in the Top 40 this week. That one is “Money To Blow” by Birdman featuring Lil Wayne & Drake which moves from 31-26.

There are two debuts in the Top 40 this week. Snoop Dogg scores his 11th Top 40 hit as a headliner and 17th overall with “Gangsta Luv” featuring The-Dream at #39. It is the first Top 40 hit for the 38-year old west coast hip hop superstar since reaching #7 early last year with “Sensual Seduction”.

Virginia R&B singer/songwriter Trey Songz just celebrated his 25th birthday over Thanksgiving and celebrates a little late with his second Top 40 hit, “Say Aah” featuring Fabolous at #40. His first chart single came in 2007 when he reached #14 with “Can’t Help But Wait”. 

My iTunes new picks of the week:
“You Are The Reason”, Shawn Starbuck
“Odd One”, Sick Puppies
“If We Ever Meet Again”, Timbaland featuring Katy Perry
“Breakeven”, The Script

For more Rock-It! visit www.songerstudio.com

Sunday, December 6, 2009

Rock-It! 12-6-09, Jay-Z's Empire Reigns Supreme, Not Hard For Rihanna

Jay-Z has been at #1 three times before, but never as a headlined artist. This week the 39-year old Brooklyn rapper holds at #1 for a third straight week with “Empire State Of Mind”. He is joined by fellow New Yorker Alicia Keys who as also been to #1 three times previous but unlike Jay-Z, she was the headliner. The run started in 2001 with “Fallin’”. She returned to the top in 2004 with “My Boo” with Usher and then again in 2007 with “No One”.

Lady GaGa made a huge move from 11-2 last week with “Bad Romance” and this week holds at that #2 spot. This is her fifth straight Top 10 hit to start her career. That includes two #1 hits, “Just Dance” featuring Colby O’Donis and “Poker Face”.

L.A. hip hop star Ke$ha is also closing in on another trip to #1. She was featured on Flo Rida’s chart topper “Right Round” earlier this year. Now she inches up from 5-3 with “TiK ToK”, her first headlined Top 10 single.

Rapper Kiedran Jones regains a bullet this week with his first Top 10 hit, “Replay”. This week Kiedran who goes by the name Iyaz moves back up from 6-5 which is one spot short of his high water mark of #4.

There is one re-entry in the Top 10 this week. The Black Eyed Peas have matched their #7 peak with “Meet Me Halfway” as the song rebounds from 12-7. They are trying to score their third straight #1 hit. Both “Boom Boom Pow” and “I Gotta Feeling” from the quartet’s album “The END” had huge runs at #1 this summer and fall.

The bottom three spots of the Top 10 are occupied with singles with bullets this week. French DJ David Guetta slides from 7-8 with “Sexy Chick” featuring Akon. British rapper Jay Sean is up from 10-9 with “Down” featuring Liil Wayne. And American superstar Britney Spears slides from 9-10 with her former #1 smash “3”.

The bottom half of the Top 20 is highlighted by Kelly Clarkson’s 11th Top 40 hit, “Already Gone” moving from 16-14. The Black Eyed Peas already spent seven weeks at #1 with “I Gotta Feeling” and now they regain a bullet by moving from 18-15. And 23-year old Canadian hip hop star Drake is up from 17-16 with “Forever” featuring Kanye West, Lil Wayne & Eminem. It is his follow up to the Top 10 hit “Best I Ever Had”.

The biggest move in the Top 20 though is “Hard” by Rihanna featuring Jeezy. The song rockets from 80-19 and becomes the week’s highest Top 40 debut. It’s high entry was spurred on by the performance of the single on the American Music Awards. It is the 21-year old superstar’s 14th Top 40 hit song.

Songs making moves of five or more within the bottom half of the Top 40 include Jay Sean’s “Do You Remember” featuring Sean Paul & Lil Jon (30-25) and Boys Like Girls’ “Two Is Better Than One” featuring Taylor Swift (40-33) which is the biggest mover within the Top 40 this week.

In addition to Rihanna’s “Hard”, four other songs debut in the Top 40 this week. Colombian superstar Shakira scores her seventh Top 40 single with “Give It Up To Me” featuring Lil Wayne at #29 this week. The song is from her brand new album “She Wolf”. Lady GaGa notches her sixth Top 40 hit this week at #30 with “Telephone” featuring Beyonce. Young Money Entertainment which is Lil Wayne’s record label has a debut at #36 this week with “BedRock” featuring Lloyd. Joining Lil Wayne on the track is Drake, Jae Millz, Gudda Gudda and Mack Maine. And scoring their second hit at #40 is New Boyz with “Tie Me Down” featuring Ray J. Their first hit from earlier this year was “You’re A Jerk”. 

My iTunes new picks of the week:
“I Dreamed A Dream”, Susan Boyle
“Joy To The World (Unspeakable Joy)”, Chris Tomlin
“Brick By Boring Brick”, Paramore
“Halfway Gone”, Lifehouse
“Crawl”, Chris Brown
“Heartbreak Warfare”, John Mayer

For more Rock-It!, visit www.songerstudio.com