by Fred Bronson |
March 05, 2009 5:56 EST
BROOKE’S ‘HOLD’ ON THE CHARTS: Within 24 hours of performing “Hold Up My Heart” live on “American Idol” last week, seventh season finalist Brooke White was in the top 10 of the iTunes chart. Although the song had no airplay to speak of, those digital sales were enough to propel the single onto the Hot 100 at No. 47, making it the highest new entry of the week. On Hot Digital Songs, “Hold Up My Heart” bows at No. 27.
White is the 40th “Idol” contestant to chart and the fifth from season seven. Season five has produced the highest number of charted Idols (nine), followed by season three (seven). Seasons one, six and seven are tied with five charted Idols each. Seasons two and four have each yielded four Idols who have appeared on Billboard surveys.
That should be heartening news to the eighth season top finalists, who perform as a top 12 for the first time next week. Based on past results, at least four of them can count on seeing their names on a future Billboard survey.
Now that Brooke’s name has been added, here is an update of the “Idol” contestants who have graced one or more Billboard charts:
Season one: (five)
Kelly Clarkson
Justin Guarini
Tamyra Gray
R.J. Helton
Jim Verraros
Season two: (four)
Ruben Studdard
Clay Aiken
Kimberley Locke
Josh Gracin
Season three: (seven)
Fantasia
Diana DeGarmo
Jasmine Trias
LaToya London
George Huff
John Stevens
Jennifer Hudson
Season four: (four)
Carrie Underwood
Bo Bice
Constantine Maroulis
Mario Vazquez
Season five: (nine)
Taylor Hicks
Katharine McPhee
Elliot Yamin
Chris Daughtry
Paris Bennett
Kellie Pickler
Ace Young
Bucky Covington
Mandisa
Season six: (five)
Jordin Sparks
Blake Lewis
Melinda Doolittle
Phil Stacey
Chris Sligh
Season seven: (five)
David Cook
David Archuleta
Jason Castro
Brooke White
Kristy Lee Cook
Just counting finalists gives you a total of 39 charted Idols, but the number increases to 40 when you add non-finalist William Hung.
LIFTING THE ANCHOR: Oscar-winning song “Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)” (Interscope) by A.R Rahman & the Pussycat Dolls featuring Nicole Scherzinger was the anchor song on last week’s Hot 100. In its second chart week, it makes the biggest move from last place in the history of the chart, and the fifth biggest move of all time.
The “Slumdog Millionaire” tune rockets 100-15, besting the 23-100 move of the “High School Musical” track “Get’cha Head in the Game” by Andrew Seeley on the chart dated Feb. 11, 2006.
If “Jai Ho!” achieves pole position, it will be the ninth single to debut at No. 100 and ultimately land at No. 1. The eight songs that have accomplished this in the 50-year history of the Hot 100 are:
“Kansas City,” Wilbert Harrison (1959)
“Teen Angel,” Mark Dinning (1960)
“Michael,” The Highwaymen (1961)
“Go Away Little Girl,” Steve Lawrence (1963) “When a Man Loves a Woman,” Percy Sledge (1966) “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,” Vicki Lawrence (1973) “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” UB40 (1993) “Kiss Kiss,” Chris Brown featuring T-Pain (2007)
And here is a recap of the 10 biggest moves in the lifetime of the Hot 100 (before you read the list, see if you can guess who is the only artist with two songs in the top 10):
96 places: “My Life Would Suck Without You,” Kelly Clarkson, 97-1 (Feb. 7, 2009)
95 places: “Womanizer,” Britney Spears, 96-1 (Oct. 25, 2008)
91 places: “Beautiful Liar,” Beyonce & Shakira, 94-3 (April 7, 2007)
88 places: “Smack That,” Akon featuring Eminem, 95-7 (Oct. 14, 2006)
85 places: “Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny),” A.R. Rahman & the Pussycat Dolls featuring Nicole Scherzinger, 100-15 (March 14, 2009)
82 places: “Breaking Free,” Zac Efron, Andrew Seeley & Vanessa Anne Hudgens, 86-4 (Feb. 11, 2006)
81 places: “How Far We’ve Come,” Matchbox Twenty, 93-12 (Sept. 22, 2007)
79 places: “London Bridge,” Fergie, 84-5 (Aug. 12, 2006)
79 places: “Live Your Life,” T.I. featuring Rihanna, 80-1 (Oct. 18, 2008)
77 places: “Get’cha Head in the Game,” Andrew Seeley, 100-23 (Feb. 11, 2006)
77 places: “Crack a Bottle,” Eminem, Dr. Dre & 50 Cent, 78-1 (Feb. 21, 2009)
FAMILY TIES: With separate bows on Hot Country Songs, Miley Cyrus and Billy Ray Cyrus are the first daughter and father to have new entries on this chart in the same week since March 3, 1990, when Johnny Cash and Rosanne Cash had simultaneous debuts.
Let’s start with the Cyrus family: Miley’s “The Climb” (Walt Disney/Hollywood/Lyric Street) is new at No. 48 while Billy Ray’s “Back to Tennessee” (Walt Disney/Lyric Street) opens at No. 59. Both songs are from the soundtrack to “Hannah Montana: The Movie,” due for release on March 24. Miley and Billy Ray have charted together before but as a duo. Their “Ready, Set, Don’t Go” peaked at No. 4 in 2008.
As for the Cash family, daughter Rosanne was a guest artist with John Hiatt on the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s “One Step Over the Line,” which entered Hot Country Songs the week of March 3, 1990. That same week, father Johnny was teamed with Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson on another debuting title, “Silver Stallion.”
THE RACE GOES TO THE SWIFT: Taylor Swift gets the penultimate Chart Beat item, thanks to her tenacity on The Bllboard 200, where her “Fearless” album is No. 1 for an 11th week.
That calls for one last update of the list of solo female artists with the longest-running No. 1 albums in Billboard chart history. “Fearless” is now tied for fifth place:
15 weeks: "Tapestry," Carole King (1971)
14 weeks: "Whitney Houston," Whitney Houston (1986)
13 weeks: "Judy at Carnegie Hall," Judy Garland (1961)
12 weeks: "Jagged Little Pill," Alanis Morissette (1995)
11 weeks: "Whitney," Whitney Houston (1987)
11 weeks: "Mariah Carey," Mariah Carey (1991)
11 weeks: "Fearless," Taylor Swift (2008)
If “Fearless” does get a 12th week at the summit, it won’t be next week. U2’s “No Line on the Horizon” seems certain to debut at No. 1 on The Billboard 200.
-30-: I’ve been writing ever since I remember – at least, back to the age of five – and I have always believed that you can’t teach someone to write, but when it comes to journalism, you can teach how to write a great lead, how to format a news story in inverted pyramid style and how to copyedit. Sometime back in Journalism 101 in high school I learned the meaning of the term -30-; it’s what reporters write at the end of their stories to indicate that there is no more. I was familiar with the term -30- even before high school, because there was a movie titled “-30-” starring Jack Webb as the managing editor of a Los Angeles daily newspaper. (Trivia note: I’m told that in the movie, there is a scene where Webb picks up the phone and shouts, “Get me Fred Bronson!” And there is an interesting explanation of why that is so, though it’s a story for another day).
If you haven’t already guessed, this item is slugged -30- to indicate there is no more, because this is my final Chart Beat.
It’s a cliché, but writing this column has truly been a great ride that lasted much longer than I could have imagined when I was asked to take over Chart Beat in November 1992. Longtime Billboard readers will remember that Paul Grein initiated Chart Beat in March 1981. When he decided to move on, I received a call from the managing editor at the time. Based on my Billboard books, he asked if I would be interested in being the new Chart Beat columnist and I didn’t hesitate to say yes.
My first column was published in the Jan. 9, 1993 issue and featured items about Darlene Love and Reba McEntire. I remember wondering what would happen when we got to the inevitable week where there was no chart news. It never happened. Some weeks are newsier than others, but there has never been a week where I didn’t have at least several chart feats to write about.
I have written Chart Beat every week since, with the exception of the week in April 2001 when my father passed away. I wrote the column wherever I was in the world, at first thanks to fax machines and eventually thanks to e-mail. I remember charts being shoved under my hotel room door in the wee hours of the morning in Tokyo in 1993 and I remember trying to get charts ship-to-shore (or shore-to-ship) while on a cruise in 1998 but somehow it always worked.
In 1996, Chart Beat became a part of Billboard.com, while continuing in the print magazine. That made communication between me and readers all over the world so much easier. I have appreciated all of our interaction and all of your contributions to this column and Chart Beat Chat. I wish I could have answered every single e-mail I received, but it just wasn’t possible. Whether your letters were published or not, or answered or not, I did read every one of them and I thank you for taking the time and effort to write to me.
This is not a retirement notice; I’ll be continuing to freelance for other publications and next week I start writing a two-hour special for CBS, an Academy of Country Music Awards tribute to George Strait. I have other TV assignments coming up during 2009, and I’ll be ready whenever Sirius XM Radio asks me to do more interviews, following recent sit-downs with Paul McCartney, Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaues and Ulf Ekberg from Ace of Base. In a few days, I’ll be a guest on Jon Peter Lewis’ internet TV series, “American Nobody.” Look for me in Episode 4 at www.americannobody.com as early as Sunday.
Tomorrow, my final Chart Beat Chat will be posted. That gives you one more chance to have your say, but the deadline is approaching in the next few hours so please send your e-mail as soon as possible to be considered for inclusion in the last Chat.
Thanks for being a loyal reader and for your interest in the Billboard charts over the last 16 years and two months. I won’t be here to tell you if “Jai Ho!” does become the ninth song in Hot 100 history to debut at No. 100 and end up at No 1, or who the 41st Idol to chart will be, or why Jack Webb used my name in “-30-,” but I’ve enjoyed every minute of writing Chart Beat and I wish you all the best in the days and years ahead.
White is the 40th “Idol” contestant to chart and the fifth from season seven. Season five has produced the highest number of charted Idols (nine), followed by season three (seven). Seasons one, six and seven are tied with five charted Idols each. Seasons two and four have each yielded four Idols who have appeared on Billboard surveys.
That should be heartening news to the eighth season top finalists, who perform as a top 12 for the first time next week. Based on past results, at least four of them can count on seeing their names on a future Billboard survey.
Now that Brooke’s name has been added, here is an update of the “Idol” contestants who have graced one or more Billboard charts:
Season one: (five)
Kelly Clarkson
Justin Guarini
Tamyra Gray
R.J. Helton
Jim Verraros
Season two: (four)
Ruben Studdard
Clay Aiken
Kimberley Locke
Josh Gracin
Season three: (seven)
Fantasia
Diana DeGarmo
Jasmine Trias
LaToya London
George Huff
John Stevens
Jennifer Hudson
Season four: (four)
Carrie Underwood
Bo Bice
Constantine Maroulis
Mario Vazquez
Season five: (nine)
Taylor Hicks
Katharine McPhee
Elliot Yamin
Chris Daughtry
Paris Bennett
Kellie Pickler
Ace Young
Bucky Covington
Mandisa
Season six: (five)
Jordin Sparks
Blake Lewis
Melinda Doolittle
Phil Stacey
Chris Sligh
Season seven: (five)
David Cook
David Archuleta
Jason Castro
Brooke White
Kristy Lee Cook
Just counting finalists gives you a total of 39 charted Idols, but the number increases to 40 when you add non-finalist William Hung.
LIFTING THE ANCHOR: Oscar-winning song “Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)” (Interscope) by A.R Rahman & the Pussycat Dolls featuring Nicole Scherzinger was the anchor song on last week’s Hot 100. In its second chart week, it makes the biggest move from last place in the history of the chart, and the fifth biggest move of all time.
The “Slumdog Millionaire” tune rockets 100-15, besting the 23-100 move of the “High School Musical” track “Get’cha Head in the Game” by Andrew Seeley on the chart dated Feb. 11, 2006.
If “Jai Ho!” achieves pole position, it will be the ninth single to debut at No. 100 and ultimately land at No. 1. The eight songs that have accomplished this in the 50-year history of the Hot 100 are:
“Kansas City,” Wilbert Harrison (1959)
“Teen Angel,” Mark Dinning (1960)
“Michael,” The Highwaymen (1961)
“Go Away Little Girl,” Steve Lawrence (1963) “When a Man Loves a Woman,” Percy Sledge (1966) “The Night the Lights Went Out in Georgia,” Vicki Lawrence (1973) “Can’t Help Falling in Love,” UB40 (1993) “Kiss Kiss,” Chris Brown featuring T-Pain (2007)
And here is a recap of the 10 biggest moves in the lifetime of the Hot 100 (before you read the list, see if you can guess who is the only artist with two songs in the top 10):
96 places: “My Life Would Suck Without You,” Kelly Clarkson, 97-1 (Feb. 7, 2009)
95 places: “Womanizer,” Britney Spears, 96-1 (Oct. 25, 2008)
91 places: “Beautiful Liar,” Beyonce & Shakira, 94-3 (April 7, 2007)
88 places: “Smack That,” Akon featuring Eminem, 95-7 (Oct. 14, 2006)
85 places: “Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny),” A.R. Rahman & the Pussycat Dolls featuring Nicole Scherzinger, 100-15 (March 14, 2009)
82 places: “Breaking Free,” Zac Efron, Andrew Seeley & Vanessa Anne Hudgens, 86-4 (Feb. 11, 2006)
81 places: “How Far We’ve Come,” Matchbox Twenty, 93-12 (Sept. 22, 2007)
79 places: “London Bridge,” Fergie, 84-5 (Aug. 12, 2006)
79 places: “Live Your Life,” T.I. featuring Rihanna, 80-1 (Oct. 18, 2008)
77 places: “Get’cha Head in the Game,” Andrew Seeley, 100-23 (Feb. 11, 2006)
77 places: “Crack a Bottle,” Eminem, Dr. Dre & 50 Cent, 78-1 (Feb. 21, 2009)
FAMILY TIES: With separate bows on Hot Country Songs, Miley Cyrus and Billy Ray Cyrus are the first daughter and father to have new entries on this chart in the same week since March 3, 1990, when Johnny Cash and Rosanne Cash had simultaneous debuts.
Let’s start with the Cyrus family: Miley’s “The Climb” (Walt Disney/Hollywood/Lyric Street) is new at No. 48 while Billy Ray’s “Back to Tennessee” (Walt Disney/Lyric Street) opens at No. 59. Both songs are from the soundtrack to “Hannah Montana: The Movie,” due for release on March 24. Miley and Billy Ray have charted together before but as a duo. Their “Ready, Set, Don’t Go” peaked at No. 4 in 2008.
As for the Cash family, daughter Rosanne was a guest artist with John Hiatt on the Nitty Gritty Dirt Band’s “One Step Over the Line,” which entered Hot Country Songs the week of March 3, 1990. That same week, father Johnny was teamed with Waylon Jennings, Willie Nelson and Kris Kristofferson on another debuting title, “Silver Stallion.”
THE RACE GOES TO THE SWIFT: Taylor Swift gets the penultimate Chart Beat item, thanks to her tenacity on The Bllboard 200, where her “Fearless” album is No. 1 for an 11th week.
That calls for one last update of the list of solo female artists with the longest-running No. 1 albums in Billboard chart history. “Fearless” is now tied for fifth place:
15 weeks: "Tapestry," Carole King (1971)
14 weeks: "Whitney Houston," Whitney Houston (1986)
13 weeks: "Judy at Carnegie Hall," Judy Garland (1961)
12 weeks: "Jagged Little Pill," Alanis Morissette (1995)
11 weeks: "Whitney," Whitney Houston (1987)
11 weeks: "Mariah Carey," Mariah Carey (1991)
11 weeks: "Fearless," Taylor Swift (2008)
If “Fearless” does get a 12th week at the summit, it won’t be next week. U2’s “No Line on the Horizon” seems certain to debut at No. 1 on The Billboard 200.
-30-: I’ve been writing ever since I remember – at least, back to the age of five – and I have always believed that you can’t teach someone to write, but when it comes to journalism, you can teach how to write a great lead, how to format a news story in inverted pyramid style and how to copyedit. Sometime back in Journalism 101 in high school I learned the meaning of the term -30-; it’s what reporters write at the end of their stories to indicate that there is no more. I was familiar with the term -30- even before high school, because there was a movie titled “-30-” starring Jack Webb as the managing editor of a Los Angeles daily newspaper. (Trivia note: I’m told that in the movie, there is a scene where Webb picks up the phone and shouts, “Get me Fred Bronson!” And there is an interesting explanation of why that is so, though it’s a story for another day).
If you haven’t already guessed, this item is slugged -30- to indicate there is no more, because this is my final Chart Beat.
It’s a cliché, but writing this column has truly been a great ride that lasted much longer than I could have imagined when I was asked to take over Chart Beat in November 1992. Longtime Billboard readers will remember that Paul Grein initiated Chart Beat in March 1981. When he decided to move on, I received a call from the managing editor at the time. Based on my Billboard books, he asked if I would be interested in being the new Chart Beat columnist and I didn’t hesitate to say yes.
My first column was published in the Jan. 9, 1993 issue and featured items about Darlene Love and Reba McEntire. I remember wondering what would happen when we got to the inevitable week where there was no chart news. It never happened. Some weeks are newsier than others, but there has never been a week where I didn’t have at least several chart feats to write about.
I have written Chart Beat every week since, with the exception of the week in April 2001 when my father passed away. I wrote the column wherever I was in the world, at first thanks to fax machines and eventually thanks to e-mail. I remember charts being shoved under my hotel room door in the wee hours of the morning in Tokyo in 1993 and I remember trying to get charts ship-to-shore (or shore-to-ship) while on a cruise in 1998 but somehow it always worked.
In 1996, Chart Beat became a part of Billboard.com, while continuing in the print magazine. That made communication between me and readers all over the world so much easier. I have appreciated all of our interaction and all of your contributions to this column and Chart Beat Chat. I wish I could have answered every single e-mail I received, but it just wasn’t possible. Whether your letters were published or not, or answered or not, I did read every one of them and I thank you for taking the time and effort to write to me.
This is not a retirement notice; I’ll be continuing to freelance for other publications and next week I start writing a two-hour special for CBS, an Academy of Country Music Awards tribute to George Strait. I have other TV assignments coming up during 2009, and I’ll be ready whenever Sirius XM Radio asks me to do more interviews, following recent sit-downs with Paul McCartney, Benny Andersson and Bjorn Ulvaues and Ulf Ekberg from Ace of Base. In a few days, I’ll be a guest on Jon Peter Lewis’ internet TV series, “American Nobody.” Look for me in Episode 4 at www.americannobody.com as early as Sunday.
Tomorrow, my final Chart Beat Chat will be posted. That gives you one more chance to have your say, but the deadline is approaching in the next few hours so please send your e-mail as soon as possible to be considered for inclusion in the last Chat.
Thanks for being a loyal reader and for your interest in the Billboard charts over the last 16 years and two months. I won’t be here to tell you if “Jai Ho!” does become the ninth song in Hot 100 history to debut at No. 100 and end up at No 1, or who the 41st Idol to chart will be, or why Jack Webb used my name in “-30-,” but I’ve enjoyed every minute of writing Chart Beat and I wish you all the best in the days and years ahead.
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