The initial offerings from Jay-Z’s “Blueprint 3” haven’t done much to compel me to pick up the disc, but Hova’s remake of Alphaville’s “Forever Young” may have just changed that. If ever there was a track that Mr Hudson’s voice was destined to cover, this would be the one. And although I don’t think it will happen, “Young Forever” is just SCREAMING for a remix.
And just for good measure, here’s the original (peaked at #93 in ’85, got to #65 from a re-release in ’88)…
charts
07-08-09…is that some kind of cultish date?
– Several articles have popped up on Casey Kasem’s last countdown. In a lot of ways, Casey is the reason I do what I do, because he gave life to the charts that I worshipped as a kid. I will occasionally put on Sirius-XM’s “80s on 8” or “70s on 7” during the weekend to hear rebroadcasts of Casey’s countdowns. Sadly, I thought he was already done, having turned the reins several years ago. As a result of the linked article, though, I can now go to YouTube and hear Casey cursing. Good times.
– If you enjoyed the late 80s entries I did a couple of weeks ago, go on over to Wacky on the Junk and check out some of his recent posts on Breathe, Level 42, and Curiosity Killed the Cat. He got me good, as I was planning to come back for a few of those. Good stuff (and possibly some samples for ya, too)!
– Yuri and I did up another “Us Against the Music” last weekend about the MJ chart fallout, along with some chat about Maxwell (who is looking to do some big thangs on next week’s Billboard chart). Check it out!
– I should have my laptop returned to me on Thursday, and regular posts should return at that point. In the meantime, here’s a terrific commentary for the brand-new video Beyonce single, “Sweet Dreams”.
Good – The Ting Tings appear to be getting that long-promised breakthrough, as “That’s Not My Name” breaks into the pop radio Top 40 (#39 at the moment). “Shut Up and Let Me Go” also made the Top 40, although just barely. Let’s hope “Name” has a little more momentum to make it happen. If all goes well, I will be seeing them live at the beginning of April here in Denver.
Bad – The slow start of The Script breaking in the U.S. How this group has so far been ignored is beyond me. You would think that this was custom-made for American consumption. The physical release of the CD is this Tuesday, but it was released months ago on iTunes. I blame the industry for this (along with anything else that goes wrong).
Good – Neko Case’s “Middle Cyclone” debuts at #3 on the Billboard Top Albums chart. Srsly?
Bad – The Neko Case CD only sold 44,000 units to land at #3. Srsly?
Good – Kelly Clarkson’s CD “All I Ever Wanted” appears ready to debut at #1, with sales around 200,000 units.
Bad – “My December”, which was considered a failure, sold 291,000 units when it debuted.
Good – I’m looking forward to upcoming new releases from the Pet Shop Boys (just pre-ordered the double disc at CD-Wow), Depeche Mode (released on the same day in the U.S. as PSB), and Lady Sovereign.
–Bad – Sadly, there is also new music on the horizon from Kid Rock and John Rich. (More on John Rich tomorrow)
I know I’ve touched on it in the past, but as I was growing up, I was exposed to a surprisingly diverse amount of music. The 70’s really came across to me as a melting pot of all types of music, churning around and creating new genres that hold up to this day. Where would hip-hop be without disco and soul? Where would modern rock be without prog rock? And where would pop music be without, well, everything else?
My mom’s vinyl collection probably seemed pretty pedestrian at the time, but to me, it was awe-inspiring. The Beatles, James Taylor, Electric Light Orchestra, Melanie (look THAT one up, kids), Fleetwood Mac, Rod Stewart, and Barry White all populated my early musical education. Between those records and the AM transistor radio that used to hide under my pillow late at night, I became a sponge for pop music.
As the 70’s ended, and I was able to assert myself a little more on what music I would listen to, I stuck pretty close to the pop charts. First 45: it’s a tie between “The Rainbow Connection” and “The Devil Went Down To Georgia”. First LP: “Hi Infidelity”. Yeah…all over the place. I would listen to the American Top 40 every Sunday, and I would track the pop hits on index cards religiously. The lady at the Central Library in Syracuse must have known my voice when I would have to call and get chart positions I had missed that previous Sunday from the new issue of Billboard magazine. For the longest time, my most cherished possession was a vinyl copy of American Top 40 that I had won for sending in a postcard. I need to check to see if my mom still has that.
The radio wasn’t the only thing fueling my musical appetite, though. A show appeared on TV that changed my musical landscape forever: “Solid Gold”. [I know a few of you just groaned. Admit it.] To see the (supposedly) hottest hits of the week accompanied by interpretive dance blew my young mind. One that stood out in my mind was “Love on the Rocks” by Neil Diamond. I’m not sure why, other than is there any more appropriate way to hear that song than with half-naked women writhing on short pillars of varying heights? If there is, I can’t think of it.
One of the most successful artists of that period was Olivia Newton-John, and I was pretty intrigued by her music. There’s no doubt in my mind that, while I liked her 70’s music, she cemented it with “Physical”. That song went on to be one of the biggest songs of all time, but the song that sticks with me to this day is “Make A Move On Me” from the same CD. Here’s a video of Olivia performing the song on a Solid Gold-like show called “Superstar”. Don’t you just LOVE the pirate wear?
Alright…here we go. 2008 was a good one for Pop, and we’ve got the rundown here. A couple of disclaimers first:
1. A song that would have made my Top 5 was “What I Cannot Change” by Leann Rimes, but that made my list last year, since I loved it so much as an album cut.
2. I know that there’s probably a lot of other good stuff out there, but all I can talk about are the tracks that came across my laptop or iPod.
3. It was a funky year for me, and I think you can tell a lot about my year from the list.
4. The number in parenthesis is the peak position on the Billboard Hot 100.
5. I attempt to keep artists to one song per year-end chart, but Colby O’Donis gets on twice with a technicality, as he’s only featured on the two records he sang on.
Okay…let ‘er rip!
1. Closer/Ne-Yo (Year of the Gentleman) – No song this year stuck with me more than this one, which took a good three months to catch fire, but when it did, it headed straight to the Top 10. When future generations want to see how to write a perfect dance-pop song, they’ll look to “Closer”. (#7)
2. Run (Bonus Track)/Leona Lewis (Spirit – Deluxe Edition) – How impressive is it that a cover song performed live almost six months earlier finally ended up being a single all its own, while topping the UK charts in the process. If there was any question of Leona’s validity as a pop vocalist, this should erase those doubts. (#81 to date)
3. Human /The Killers (Day & Age) – There were two questions that came up when this song first hit the Internet: 1) was it “dancer” or “denser”? 2) how high will this end up on everyone’s year-end list? (#32 to date)
4. Chasing Pavements/Adele (19) – Best debut single of the year by a mile, this tale of reconciling the conflicted feelings of a dying relationship showed much depth, and sounded years beyond a 19-year-old newbie. When she hits that final chorus, it gives me goosebumps. (#82)
5. I’m Yours/Jason Mraz (We Sing, We Dance, We Steal Things) – We can’t all be visionaries like Fizzy Pop (this was on his list in 2006), but when it finally came around for the rest of us, it just wouldn’t let go. It’s the feel-good record of the year, no doubt. Happiness is hearing this track live as part of a sing-along. (#6)
6. Gravity/Sara Bareilles (Little Voice) – The first of several album cuts on the list. From that minimal piano intro, to the simple cry toward the end, it’s an emotional powerhouse from start to finish. One of my live music highlights of the year was hearing this song when she stopped in Denver. (NA)
7. Let It Go/Will Young (Let It Go) – Another album cut from a record that’s guaranteed to be in my Top 10. The pure honesty and stress of recognizing the failings of a man hit me hard upon first listen, and the impact has only grown upon repeated plays. Let’s hope that Will can finally leave the “Idol” title behind, and just be recognized as a true artist. (NA)
8. Damaged/Danity Kane (Welcome To The Dollhouse) – Sadly overlooked on most lists, it was impossible to avoid this song in the first half of the year, but when you break it down, pop music doesn’t come much more pure than this. Killer hook, fluffy lyrics, and vocals just strong enough to hold themselves above all of it. Diddy found the formula, even if it may have only been a one-shot fluke. (#10)
9. Boyfriend (Pete Hammond 7″ Mix)/Alphabeat (This Is Alphabeat) – Talk about taking a good song and making it great, Alphabeat really found their footing by hooking up with Pete Hammond. This song will always be driving down the highway in Michigan in the summer to me. (NA)
10. All Alone/Chris Richardson (All Alone – Single) – While this song didn’t get the attention that it deserved, it hopefully put the tastemakers on alert that C Rich has a genuinely unique perspective that will lead to big things in the future. A simple melody and lyrics belie an emotionally complex song. (NA)
11. Forever/Chris Brown (Exclusive – The Forever Edition) – To some, this might seem like blasphemy, but I’m good with this being at #11. Love the song, but somewhere along the line it overstayed its welcome. Amazing hook, though. (#1)
12. The Loving Kind/Girls Aloud (Out Of Control) – I heard the raves, and paid them no mind originally, since I’ve only met one GA single that really rocked my world (“Call the Shots”). Let’s be honest, though…like a car wreck on the side of the road, I couldn’t help but stop and check it out with the Pet Shop Boys and Xenomania attached to the track, and I’m glad I did. If even for 3 minutes, Girls Aloud seem to know the meaning of sophisticated pop. (NA)
13. Spiraling/Keane (Perfect Symmetry) – “Wooooooooo!” The first time I heard that, I was lost. From a band that innovates how instruments are utilized in pop songs, that vocal flourish marked the beginning of the most uplifting song of the year. (NA)
14. Sweet Dreams/Beyoncé (I Am…Sasha Fierce) – While everyone else is bragging on “Single Ladies”, my jam has been “Sweet Dreams” ever since it leaked as “Beautiful Nightmare”. The final CD version is a tad too busy for my liking, but in it’s purest form, the record is brilliant. (NA)
15. Black and Gold (Album Version)/Sam Sparro (Black and Gold) – On first listen, I proclaimed this song “LAME”. I quickly ate my words, as that chorus just haunted me like the hot wings I had for dinner tonight. His CD was a welcome blast of 80s-inspired freshness, and “21st Century Life” should be up in this piece as well. (NA)
16. Never Ever Gone/Chris Cagle (My Life’s Been a Country Song) – My top country song this year would be burned at the stake by country purists, but Chris has a huge potential hit on his hands with this one. I haven’t heard Chris have this much fun with a record since “Chicks Dig It”. I’m pretty sure his album is dead, thanks to a domestic abuse situation back in Nashville, but the fact this won’t be released is a big ol’ shame. For you non-country heads, I dare ya to go to iTunes and check it out. You won’t be sorry… (NA)
17. Hollywood’s Not America/Ferras (Aliens & Rainbows) – This song hit my radar when it was used during Hollywood week on American Idol, but who knew that a consolation prize theme song would help bring such and amazing CD to the American public. Er, or at least to my attention, as the record barely sold anything. (#62)
18. Beautiful (Feat Colby O’Donis & Kardinal Offishall)/Akon (Freedom) – The newest of the tracks on this countdown comes from 3 people that even six months ago would have caused me to laugh at a potential inclusion, but this track just works for me. As I said a week ago, this could potentially be the biggest record of Akon’s career. (#19 to date)
19. You Found Me/The Fray (You Found Me) – From their February 2nd sophomore release, this song takes the “How To Save A Life” formula to the next level. For me, it’s the epitome of a “why bad things happen to good people” kind of record. (#15 to date)
20. I’m That Chick/Mariah Carey (E=MC2) – So the rumor goes that this song was L.A. Reid’s pick for the first single, instead of “Touch My Body”, and now we’re on single #7 (feels like it), and “Touch” is the ONLY hit she’s had. What gives, Mimi? Give the people what they want, mm’kay? (NA)
Now, here’s the rest of the Top 40:
21. Girl You Never Knew /Georgia Wonder (Hello Stranger – EP)
22. Green Light (feat. Andre 3000)/John Legend (Evolver)
23. Just Got Started Lovin’ You/James Otto (Sunset Man)
24. American Boy (Ft. Kanye West)/Estelle (Shine)
25. That’s Not My Name/The Ting Tings (We Started Nothing)
26. So What/P!nk (Funhouse)
27. Viva La Vida/Coldplay (Viva La Vida)
28. Handlebars/Flobots (Fight With Tools)
29. Light On/David Cook (David Cook)
30. Hero (feat. Keri Hilson)/Nas (Nas)
31. Sandcastle Disco/Solange (Sol-Angel and the Hadley St. Dreams)
32. If This Is Love/The Saturdays (Chasing Lights)
33. I Dream Of Spring/k. d. Lang (Watershed)
34. All I See/Kylie Minogue (X)
35. Paranoid ft. Mr. Hudson/Kanye West (808s & Heartbreaks)
36. Just Dance/Lady GaGa feat Colby O’Donis (The Fame)
37. 3 Little Words/Frankmusik (3 Little Words EP)
38. Dream On (Moto Blanco Club Mix)/Robyn (Dream On – Remixes)
39. Freeway/Aimee Mann (@#%&*! Smilers)
40. The Man Who Can’t Be Moved/The Script (The Script)
Honorable Mentions:
1. Underneath/Alanis Morissette (Flavors Of Entanglement)
2. Click Click Click/New Kids On The Block (The Block – Deluxe Edition)
3. Silly Really/Per Gessle (Silly Really – Single)
4. Insomnia/Craig David (Insomnia – Single)
5. Mercy/Duffy (Rockferry)
For the last set of charts we’ll see in 2008, let’s take a look at a few tracks that have had some serious longevity. For example, Jason Mraz holds at #12 this week with “I’m Yours”, currently enjoying its 36th week on the Hot 100. Also at week 36 is Ne-Yo’s “Closer”, which slips from 38 to 42. If you don’t know the chart longevity rules for the Hot 100, the magic number is 50. Any song that is below #50 after 20 weeks on the chart will be dropped completely. Two examples of this formula left the chart this week: Jennifer Hudson’s “Spotlight” falls off the chart in its 22nd week, after having been at #47 last week, and Savage’s “Swing” drops out at week 21, after lingering at #69 one week ago.
Toward the bottom of the Hot 100, there are a couple of songs from folks in the Top 10 that they’re probably hoping will keep the two-songs-per-artist trend going: T.I. makes a big move from 99 to 83 with his Justin Timberlake duet “Dead and Gone”, Lady GaGa gets her second chart entry at #92 with “Poker Face”, and Beyonce charts single #3 from “I Am…” with Diva, coming in at 96. The top debut of the week, though, goes to Leona Lewis with her former UK #1 single “Run”, which arrives at #81 with almost zero airplay. Considering that the song debuted at #13 in Canada as well, I think it’s safe to say it’s going to be a big ol’ hit. You know there’s gotta be a Deluxe Edition of the CD that’s coming, too. Maybe it’ll have a few of the UK tracks that weren’t included on the original US version. That’s a lotta double-dipping, ain’t it?
[Oh…David Cook returns to the Top 40 at #40 with “Light On”. Just sayin’…]
Switching to airplay, Britney Spears picks up her first #1 pop record since “Toxic” with “Womanizer”, but it looks to be a short stay, as “Live Your Life” is trending to retake the top spot next week. In the “eat my words” department, Ms GaGa may have the first new #1 of the New Year, as “Just Dance” creeps up to #3, and will probably be the top bulleted single next week. The two hottest records at Pop radio this week are (shock) Britney Spears’ “Circus” at 20 and Beyonce’s “Single Ladies” at 11. Both records pick up over 1000 more plays this week. The Killers make it into the Top 40 at #40 with “Human”, and in the “I can’t wait til next week” department, it looks like John Legend’s “Green Light” will FINALLY show itself on the Pop chart in 2009.
Over on the Billboard 200, Taylor Swift reaches 113 weeks with her self-titled debut, while her follow-up, “Fearless”, holds at the top of the chart with 330,000 units. For those of you who have been around the charts for a while, that is a depressingly low count for a CD to sell the week before Christmas. It barely holds off the debut of Keyshia Cole’s “A Different Me”, which debuts at #2 with 322,000 units sold. Other debuts this week included Jamie Foxx at 3, Anthony Hamilton at #12, Plies at 14, All-American Rejects at 15, Soulja Boy Tellem at a sophomore-slumpish #43 (awwwwww), and Dave Matthews Band at #97.
Three stories have caught my attention in the past two days off of Billboard.com:
– As mentioned here in October, the Indigo Girls are definitely going the indie route, signing with Vanguard to distribute “Poseidon and the Bitter Bug” on their IG Recordings label. Arriving March 24th, the Mitchell Froom-produced CD will be a double, with one disc the fully formed versions of the songs, and the other disc all acoustic versions of the songs. No word on touring plans, but Amy is currently out touring for her “Didn’t It Feel Kinder” solo set. She’ll be here playing the Fox Theater in Boulder on February 7th.
– A recent addition to the Year End categories has been Top Digital Artist, and this year’s top artist is Flo Rida. Yeah…no kidding. He grabbed the #1 Digital Song and #2 Hot Ringmaster honors with “Low”, which has sold 4.4 million downloads. That’s some serious (legal) downloads! He also hit #1 on the year-end Hot 100, and #3 on the Best New Artists chart, only getting squeezed out by Leona Lewis and Jordin Sparks, who both had the full year to rack up points. [Side note: among the folks he’s working with on his follow-up is none other than Dr. Luke. For some reason, Dr. Luke = Poster Girl in my mind…]
– 2008’s #1 artist Chris Brown has a lot of irons in the fire for 2009, including some potential duets with Rihanna, TWO label start-ups for Interscope and Jive, writing for a whole host of pop artists, and a collaboration with Tim McGraw on a song called “Human”.
“It’s incredible”, he says. “I wanted to do something more along the country line. That’s a bigger and different audience for me.”
Tim McGraw continues to be one of my favorite country artists, primarily because he’s not afraid to step outside the box and take some chances in his career (see his cover of Ryan Adams or his duet with Nelly). Having said that, I have no idea what this collaboration might sound like, but I’m definitely keeping an open mind.
– As expected, Beyonce debuts at #1 on the Billboard Top 200 chart with “I Am…Sasha Fierce”. What wasn’t necessarily expected, though, was the ascent of “Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It), which blasted to #2 ahead of “If I Were A Boy” at 3. “Single” hadn’t been available digitally until last week, but once it was, it sold over 200,000 units, debuting at #1 on the Top Digital Sales. For anyone who believes that the video as an art form and a promotional tool is dead, I ask that you reconsider that conclusion. Between the original, all of the online tributes and parodies, and the hilarious send-up on “Saturday Night Live”, that video earned every single penny that they put into it.
– Right behind Beyonce on the Top 200 are a pair of pop/rock debuts from Nickleback at 2 and American Idol David Cook at 3. While both looked to be neck and neck early on, Nickleback took the decisive lead in the end, with first single “Gotta Be Somebody” at #19 on the Hot 100. While “Light On” has some good momentum at radio, the sales on the single have dried up, dragging it down to #91 this week. Cook does have a couple of nice distinctions to celebrate this week. His full-length garnered the most sales for a debut digital release since Soundscan started tracking sales, and tops the Top Digital Albums chart.
Other than a lot of Christmas records floating around, there really aren’t a lot of exciting things going on with the Album chart, other than a debut from Il Divo at #5. The scary thing about this week’s chart is that total sales are a whopping 32% down from last year. While that sounds like gloom and doom, just remember that Thanksgiving is as late this year as it can be, throwing off retail calendars and basically creating one less week of shopping than usual. This week’s mega releases are going to have to do some serious work, but I just don’t see the recovery with these titles. Kanye is expected to come in around 500K, followed by Guns N Roses with 300K, and Ludacris & the Killers clocking in over 200K. Folks, this is not a good sign.
– Back on the Hot 100, T.I. continues his domination with Dragostea Din Tei “Live Your Life” at #1, but “Whatever You Like” continues its slow descent at #4, and Katy Perry’s “Hot N Cold” drops back one spot to #5. Lady GaGa continues her quest for a cheeseburger world domination by jumping up another 9 spots to land at #7, joining label boss Akon in the Top 10 for the first time. What I want to know is, if Cherrytree can get GaGa into the top 10, why can’t they get Robyn? Am I missing something? [BTW, did anyone else hear about the Lady passing out at a club show in Seattle? A friend of a friend was there, and said it was pretty crazy.]
The Fray pick up top debut this week at #28 with “You Found Me”, which should continue to do well after its placement during the American Music Awards on Sunday. The full-length is out in early February in multiple formats, including a Deluxe Edition currently up for pre-orders on their website that will also get you early access to their club tour in January. Interesting twist on the marketing…as part of the purchase, you will also receive digital access to live tracks recorded during the club tour that you may end up on if you go. These are some smart boys, I tell ya. Cities on the club tour are Denver, Minneapolis, Chicago, Detroit, Boston, Philadelphia and New York. (And yes, I’ve already pre-ordered my copy.)
Strong moves this week include Ludacris and T-Pain’s “One More Drink”, which I heard today and didn’t hate, climbing from 54-38, Rihanna’s “Rehab” leaping 61-34, a 71-58 jump for 50 Cent’s “Get Up”, and a strong 80-61 leap for Usher’s “Trading Places”. [I caught this a couple of weeks ago, and meant to post it, but notice that Fitty’s CD is not among the top sellers this week, due to him blinking tweaking the new record that caused it to be pushed into 2009. Can you say “Kanye”?] One last record to watch is Taylor Swift’s “Love Story”, which may re-enter the Top 10 next week, based on some big moves at radio this week.
Caught a mention in Billboard this morning about Incubus’s latest hit “Love Hurts”, which got me to thinking about records over the years that have become hits well after their expected shelf life. It’s not unusual for a radio station to start playing an album cut that they think is a hit, and then have other stations follow until the record becomes a nationwide smash. “Love” started getting play on KROQ LA almost two years after the release of the full-length CD, and now stands at #8 on the Modern Rock chart.
One of my favorite stories that falls into this mold is Benny Mardones’s “Into the Night”. Benny’s song first hit the Pop charts in 1980, climbing all the way to #11. While born and raised in Cleveland, Benny has to this day a huge following in Syracuse, which happens to be my hometown. After “Night” peaked, in many parts of the country the song faded into obscurity. However, it never left the airwaves in Syracuse, and was about as powerful a recurrent record as a radio station could hope for. Jump ahead eight years, and the story gets even more interesting. According to Wikipedia,
In 1989, KZZP, a radio station in Arizona, ran a segment titled “Where Are They Now?” The most popular question was, ‘Whatever happened to the guy who sang “Into the Night?”‘ Scott Shannon, then program director for Pirate Radio in Los Angeles, added “Into the Night” to its playlist. Radio stations across the country followed suit and “Into the Night” was once again a hit.
In fact, the song reached #20 in its second run. Not bad for a 9 year old song, eh? Even more impressive is that it set the record for the longest-charting single of the 1980’s for a solo artist at 37 weeks, nudging out Laura Branigan’s “Gloria” for that distinction.
This guy is such a trooper. Despite suffering from Parkinson’s Disease, and having some physical limitations, he attempts to make it back to Syracuse every year to perform, and “Into the Night” brings the crowd to their feet every time. Benny never had another hit, despite being signed to Curb Records and releasing an album during the song’s second run up the charts. How many artists can say they have multiple footnotes in Pop Music history, though?
– No change at the top of the Hot 100 this week, with T.I. still holding the one-two punch of “Live Your Life” and “Whatever You Like”. The big change right behind it is Beyonce, who jumps back up to #3 with “If I Were A Boy”, picking up Greatest Sales Gainer honors. Between its natural growth this week, the release of “I Am…”, which should spur more sales next week, and “Whatever” beginning to descend the airplay charts, Sasha’s pretty likely to end T.I.’s monopoly next week.
Katy Perry slips down one spot to #4, but remains bulleted, primarily due to “Hot N Cold” knocking off P!nk, who rounds out the Hot 100 at #5, to take #1 on the Pop chart. Is that a Celebrity Death Match we’d all love to see, if for nothing other than to say “bring me the head of Katy Perry”, and then it actually HAPPENS? The other move within the top 10 is Kanye’s “Love Lockdown”, which re-enters at #9.
– Further down the Hot 100, it’s an active week for debuts, with album cuts from Taylor Swift and Nickleback mingling with legitimate singles by Keith Urban and Guns N Roses (in at #34). Yes, I said Guns N Roses. “Chinese Democracy” marks GNR’s first appearance on the Hot 100 in 14 years, when their cover of “Sympathy for the Devil” appeared on the “Interview with a Vampire” soundtrack. It also becomes their highest-charting single since “November Rain” hit #3 in 1991. Big movers include Carrie Underwood’s “Just a Dream”, up from 43 to 29, and T-Pain Featuring Ludacris with “Chopped ‘N’ Skrewed”, taking a huge leap from 62 to 39.
– Over on the Billboard 200, there are plenty of debuts in the Top 20 to report. Taylor Swift leads the pack with “Fearless”, selling over 592,000 units to grab the biggest-selling week for a country release so far this week. David Archuleta comes in at #2, selling a pretty impressive 188,00 units, followed by Now 29 at #3, T-Pain at #4, a strong debut for Enya’s holiday collection at #8, and a #13 start for Seal’s “Soul”, which I honestly wouldn’t have predicted. Goes to show that any artist with a decent voice can release a collection of standards and make some moolah (see Rod Stewart, Barry Mannilow, Donny Osmond, Pat Boone, etc). Further down the chart, the Smiths make their 1st appearance on the album chart since ’92 with “The Sound of the Smiths”. Check out Chart Rigger for all the details on that stellar collection.
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