Friday, February 19, 2010

Rock-It! 2-21-10, Ke$ha's Nine O'Clock Jump and a not so Blah move

Nashville pop star Ke$ha has gotten off to a great start this decade by spending her ninth consecutive week at #1 with “TiK ToK’. Her nine-week run is the longest run on the top of the chart since the Black Eyed Peas’ run with “Boom Boom Pow” last summer. The run is also a week short from the longest stretch at #1 to start a year. That happened just two years ago when Flo Rida spent the first ten weeks at #1 with “Low”. In 2005, Mario spent the first nine weeks at #1 with “Let Me Love You”.

25 years after USA For Africa recorded the ground-breaking single “We Are The World”, the song has been brought to life by several of today’s top artists to help benefit the country of Haiti after the terrible earthquake that devastated the country last month. “We Are The World 25: For Haiti” by Artists For Haiti debuts at #2 this week. The original record which helped the suffering people of Africa spent four weeks at #1 in 1985 and became the top selling single of the 1980s.

It’s not often that an entire record label is credited with a hit song but Lil Wayne’s creation Young Money has done it twice now. They reached #10 last year with “Every Girl” and this week they hold at #4 with “BedRock” featuring Lloyd. Both singles have included Lil Wayne, Gudda Gudda, Drake and Jae Millz. This one also includes Young Money artists Nicki Minaj and Tyga. Lil Wayne also debuts in the Top 10 on the album chart this week with his latest solo album “Rebirth”.

This isn’t big news over the past 14 months but we must mention it. Lady GaGa has a big week on the charts. She returns to #1 on the dance chart with “Bad Romance”. The song also regains a bullet as it holds at #5. The Yonkers native also climbs from 16-15 with “Telephone” featuring Beyonce.

One of the top country bands of 2009 was Nashville trio Lady Antebellum. The group made their first Top 10 appearance last fall when they reached #7 with “Need You Now”. This week they slip from 3-6 despite holding a bullet with “Need You Now”. Both hits reached #1 on the country chart.

San Francisco rock trio Train holds at #7 this week with “Hey, Soul Sister”. They are looking to make it their biggest hit ever. That occurred back in 2001 in their only other Top 10 appearance when they reached #5 with “Drops Of Jupiter (Tell Me)”. Their current hit is also #1 on the Adult Top 40 chart.

Atlanta rapper Ludacris is back with a bullet this week as he holds at #8 with his seventh Top 10 hit “How Low”. It’s his first Top 10 hit since reaching #2 in 2007 with “Runaway Love” featuring Mary J. Blige. The 32-year old star has hit #1 twice with “Stand Up” featuring Shawnna in 2003 and with “Money Maker” featuring Pharrell in 2006.

21-year old Haitian singer-songwriter Jason DeRulo is up from 11-9 this week with his second Top 10 hit “In My Head”, from his debut self-titled album which is due out next week. Jason’s first hit, “Whatcha Say” hit #1 last year.

Ke$ha is on the brink of setting all sorts of records with her debut single “TiK ToK”. And now she is burning up the Top 40 with a follow up. She rockets from 22-11 with “Blah Blah Blah” featuring another top new act, 3Oh!3.

Trey Songz had peaked at #14 twice in his career to this point. The 25-year old Virginia R&B star reached #14 in 2007 with “Can’t Help But Wait” and visited the position two years earlier when featured on Twista’s 2005 hit “Girl Tonite”. He now has topped both those song with “Say Aah” featuring Fabolous which moves from 15-12 this week.

Timbaland also is gaining this week despite falling from 12-13 with “Carry Out” featuring Justin Timberlake.

Joining “We Are The World” and “Blah Blah Blah” as entries in the Top 20 is Justin Bieber’s third Top 40 hit, “Baby” featuring Ludacris. The song has already reached #5 but is heading back up this week from 25-19.

And holding at #20 this week is 25-year old Orianthi Panagaris. She simply goes by Orianthi. Originally from Australia, the singer-guitarist got her big breakthrough playing guitar for Michael Jackson on his last comeback concert attempt before his passing. Her first hit is “According To You”.

The biggest mover in the Top 40 this week is “Breakeven” by Irish rock trio The Script. This is their first American hit song.

Two songs make moves of five spots or more in the bottom half of the Top 40 this week: Michael Buble’s “Haven’t Met You Yet” (30-25) and Taylor Swift’s “Today Was A Fairytale” (39-31).

There are two other debuts in the Top 40 this week. It’s been four years since South Carolina country star Josh Turner has cracked the pop Top 40. Back in 2006 he hit #38 with “Your Man”. This week he is back at #35 with “Why Don’t We Just Dance”. And 21-year old Atlanta rapper B.o.B. also known as Bobby Ray scores his first hit this week at #38 with “Nothin’ On You” featuring Bruno Mars. 

My iTunes picks of the week:
“Tonight”, tobyMac
“Broken Tonight”, Armen Van Buuren
“Rocket”, Godfrapp
“Get Back Up”, tobyMac
“Beautiful History”, Plumb
“Let It Go”, Cavo
“You”, Collective Soul

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