By Fred Bronson
Please note that the information below pertains to all of Billboard's Year In Music charts, only a fraction of which appear in this special Billboard.com section. The full breadth of charts appear in the pages of Billboard's special double issue dated Dec. 23, 2006, and on Billboard.biz, where subscribers have full access to all of the year-end tallies.
How do you turn one "Bad Day" into a great year? Simple. You have the No. 1 song on the annual recap of the Billboard Hot 100. That's what British Columbia-born Daniel Powter did, giving his label Warner Bros. its first No. 1 of a year since Faith Hill's "Breathe" in 2000 and giving his native Canada its first U.S. No. 1 of a year since 2002, when Nickelback took top honors with "How You Remind Me."
Powter is the fourth act from north of the border to have the No. 1 pop single of the year, following Nickelback, Bryan Adams with "(Everything I Do) I Do It for You" in 1991 and Percy Faith with "The Theme from 'A Summer Place'" in 1960.
Powter isn't the only Canadian who did well on the Hot 100 in 2006. Nelly Furtado ranks third with her track featuring Timbaland, "Promiscuous" (Mosley/Geffen). That's the best year-end showing for Canada in the history of the Hot 100.
Powter and Furtado are just two of six international acts in the top 10 of the year -- and those artists have the top six songs of the year, the best-showing ever for artists born outside of the United States. Last year's annual top 10 was all-American, and in 2004 the only person born outside of the domestic borders was Ireland's Enya, who ranked seventh by being a featured artist with P. Diddy on Mario Winans' "I Don't Wanna Know."
In 2003, the lone international representative in the top 10 was Jamaican-born Sean Paul, No. 3 with "Get Busy." This year, Paul has his best year-end showing, coming in second with "Temperature" (VP/Atlantic).
In addition to Powter, Paul and Furtado, the other international artists in the top 10 of 2006 are:
No. 4: "You're Beautiful," James Blunt (United Kingdom)
No. 5: "Hips Don't Lie," Shakira (Colombia) featuring Wyclef Jean (Haiti)
No. 6: "Unwritten," Natasha Bedingfield (United Kingdom)
That makes 2006 the best year for British artists since 1997, when Elton John was No. 1 with "Candle in the Wind 1997" / "Something About the Way You Look Tonight," Mark Morrison was No. 8 with "Return of the Mack" and the Spice Girls were No. 10 with "Wannabe." And speaking of Elton John, Powter is the first solo male with a single that didn't chart R&B to have the top song of the year since Elton did it in 1997.
The last time there was a respectable performance by international acts on the annual Hot 100 recap was 1994, when there were five artists from other countries in the top 10. Sweden's Ace Of Base was No. 1 with "The Sign," No. 9 with "All That She Wants" and No. 10 with "Don't Turn Around." Canada's Celine Dion and Bryan Adamns were No. 4 with "The Power of Love" and No. 8 with "All for Love," respectively. The latter song was recorded with U.K. performers Rod Stewart and Sting.
In 1988, the top four songs of the year were by international acts: George Michael, INXS, George Harrison and Rick Astley.
On the album side, the No. 1 title of 2006 is in American hands -- "American Idol" hands, that is, as Carrie Underwood's "Some Hearts" (Arista) is the leader of the pack. It's the first album by a contestant from the popular TV series to be No. 1 on the annual recap of The Billboard 200. Here's how the other "Idol" albums have ranked on the year-end charts since the series went on the air in 2002:
2006:
No. 1: "Some Hearts," Carrie Underwood
No. 10: "Breakaway," Kelly Clarkson
No. 92: "The Real Thing," Bo Bice
No. 156: "A Thousand Different Ways," Clay Aiken
No. 163: "American Idol Season 5: Encores," Original Soundtrack
2005:
No. 5: "Breakaway," Kelly Clarkson
No. 27: "Free Yourself," Fantasia
No. 52: "Merry Christmas With Love," Clay Aiken
No. 172: "I Need an Angel," Ruben Studdard
2004:
No. 31: "Soulful," Ruben Studdard
No. 43: "Measure of a Man," Clay Aiken
2003:
No. 31: "Thankful," Kelly Clarkson
No. 53: "Measure of a Man," Clay Aiken
No. 121: "American Idol Season 2: All-Time Classic American Love Songs," Original Soundtrack
2002:
No. 199: "Americal Idol: Greatest Moments," Original Soundtrack
Underwood is the first solo female artist to have the No. 1 album of the year since 1996, when Alanis Morissette was on top with "Jagged Little Pill." Like Underwood's "Some Hearts," Morissette's "Jagged Little Pill" was her first chart entry. Since 1980, two other solo female artists have had No. 1 albums of the year with their first chart entries. In 1986, "Whitney Houston" was the annual champ and in 1991 "Mariah Carey" ruled the recap.
Underwood's No. 1 album follows seven top albums of the year by male acts. Working backward from 2005, they are "The Massacre" by 50 Cent, "Confessions" by Usher, "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" by 50 Cent, "The Eminem Show" by Eminem, "1" by the Beatles, "No Strings Attached" by 'N Sync and "Millennium" by Backstreet Boys. In 1998 the No. 1 album of the year was the soundtrack to "Titanic" and in 1997 the Spice Girls landed in first place with "Spice."
The second best-selling album of the chart year is the soundtrack to Disney Channel's TV movie, "High School Musical" (Walt Disney). It is the highest-ranked soundtrack on the annual recap of The Billboard 200 since "Titanic" was No. 1 in 1998, and the highest-ranked TV soundtrack since "Music from 'Peter Gunn'" by Henry Mancini was the No. 1 album of 1959. Since "Peter Gunn" was a series, "High School Musical" can lay claim to being the highest-ranked soundtrack to a TV movie on an annual review in the history of the Billboard album chart.
Soundtracks have had mixed success over the last few years, sometimes ranking in the annual top 10 and sometimes not even showing up in the top 50. Here are the top soundtracks of each year dating back to 1980, followed by their ranking on the annual recap of The Billboard 200:
2006: "High School Musical," No. 2
2005: "Ray," No. 43
2004: "Tupac: Resurrection," No. 57
2003: "8 Mile," No. 7
2002: "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" No. 6
2001: "O Brother, Where Art Thou?" No. 23
2000: "Mission: Impossible 2," No. 59
1999: "Tarzan," No. 54
1998: "Titanic," No. 1
1997: "Space Jam," No. 4
1996: "Waiting To Exhale," No. 4
1995: "The Lion King," No. 10
1994: "The Lion King," No. 4
1993: "The Bodyguard," No. 1
1992: "Wayne's World," No. 33
1991: "New Jack City," No. 32
1990: "Pretty Woman," No. 11
1989: "Beaches," No. 14
1988: "Dirty Dancing," No. 2
1987: "Top Gun," No. 30
1986: "Top Gun," No. 21
1985: "Beverly Hills Cop," No. 7
1984: "Footloose," No. 9
1983: "Flashdance," No. 20
1982: "Chariots of Fire," No. 9
1981: "The Jazz Singer," No. 14
1980: "The Rose," No. 12
On the R&B/Hip-Hop reports, the same two artists hold down the top two positions on both the single and album recaps. Mary J. Blige is in first place with the single "Be Without You" (Geffen) from the No. 1 parent CD "The Breakthrough" and Jamie Foxx (with featured guest Ludacris) has the No. 2 single, "Unpredictable" (J) and the No. 2 album, also titled "Unpredictable."
This is the first time Blige has had the No. 1 R&B single of the year but the second time she has topped the album recap. In 1995, her second set of original material, "My Life," was the best-selling album of the year. Blige is the sixth solo female artist to have the No. 1 R&B single of the year since 1980. Here are her predecessors:
2004: "If I Ain't Got You," Alicia Keys
2002: "Foolish," Ashanti
1996: "You're Makin' Me High" / "Let It Flow," Toni Braxton
1993: "I Will Always Love You," Whitney Houston
1989: "Superwoman," Karyn White
This is also the sixth time since 1980 that the No. 1 R&B album of the year has been by a solo female artist. The predecessors, including Blige's first time at the head of the class:
1998: "The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill," Lauryn Hill
1995: "My Life," Mary J. Blige
1991: "I'm Your Baby Tonight," Whitney Houston
1990: "Rhythm Nation 1814," Janet Jackson
1986: "Whitney Houston," Whitney Houston
Starting with 2005 and working backward, the annual No. 1 R&B albums of this millennium are "The Massacre" by 50 Cent, "Confessions" by Usher, "Get Rich or Die Tryin'" by 50 Cent, "The Eminem Show" by Eminem, "TP-2.com" by R. Kelly and "Dr. Dre -- 2001" by Dr. Dre. This is the first year since 2001 that the No. 1 R&B album hasn't also been in pole position on the recap of The Billboard 200. Blige's "The Breakthrough" ranks No. 5 on that list.
The annual country summaries for singles and albums are led by artists who are No. 1 on both lists for the first time. Rodney Atkins has the top song of 2006 with "If You're Going Through Hell (Before the Devil Even Knows)" (Curb). This is the third consecutive year that a solo male artist has the top country song of the year and the 12th year in a row that a male act has occupied the throne. Last year Craig Morgan ruled with "That's What I've Heard About Sunday" and two years ago Tim McGraw ended up in first place with "Live Like You Were Dying." A female artist hasn't had the top country song of the year since 1992, when Wynonna reigned with "I Saw the Light."
Women have not has any problem topping the annual album recap. Carrie Underwood's "Some Hearts" is the No. 1 country album of 2006. It is the first time the No. 1 country album is also No. 1 on the recap of The Billboard 200 since 1992, when Garth Brooks' "Ropin' the Wind" claimed a double victory. This is the sixth time since 1980 that a solo female artist has captured the top spot on the annual album recap, although four of those wins have been by one woman - Shania Twain. Underwood's predecessors are:
2005: "Greatest Hits," Shania Twain
2003: "Up!" Shania Twain
1999: "Come On Over," Shania Twain
1996: "The Woman in Me," Shania Twain
1981: "9 to 5," Dolly Parton
Fourth season champ Underwood isn't the only "American Idol" to be No. 1 on a 2006 year-end survey. On the summary of Hot Singles Sales, fifth season winner Taylor Hicks has the best-selling title of the year with "Do I Make You Proud" / "Takin' It to the Streets" (Arista). Runner-up Katharine McPhee has the second best-selling single of 2006 with "Somewhere Over the Rainbow" / "My Destiny" (RCA).
This is the fifth consecutive time that an "American Idol" finalist has the best-selling single of the year. The trend started with Kelly Clarkson's "A Moment Like This," the No. 1 single of 2002. Clay Aiken had the best-selling single of 2003, "This Is the Night" / "Bridge Over Troubled Water' (and Ruben Studdard had the second best-selling single with "Flying Without Wings" / "Superstar").
Fantasia's "I Believe" sold the most in 2004 (followed by Aiken's "Solitaire" / "The Way" and Diana DeGarmo's "Dreams"). Underwood's "Inside Your Heaven" / "Independence Day" sold the most in 2005 (followed by Bo Bice's two-sided hit "Inside Your Heaven" / "Vehicle").
And bringing us back to where we started, "Bad Day" wouldn't be the No. 1 song of 2006 on the Hot 100 recap if it hadn't been chosen as the exit music for this season of "American Idol." Powter's song was an international smash but was having a bad day in America until its chart fortunes were boosted when it was played every week on "Idol."
Please note that the information below pertains to all of Billboard's Year In Music charts, only a fraction of which appear in this special Billboard.com section. The full breadth of charts appear in the pages of Billboard's special double issue dated Dec. 23, 2006, and on Billboard.biz, where subscribers have full access to all of the year-end tallies.
|
|
