Ask Billboard is updated every Friday. As always, submit your questions about Billboard charts, sales and airplay, as well as general music musings, to askbb@billboard.com. Please include your first and last name, as well as your city, state and country, if outside the U.S.


TRAIN TRACKS

Dear Gary,

I noticed that Train's latest single, "If It's Love," rises to No. 1 on the Adult Pop Songs chart, while the band's previous hit, "Hey, Soul Sister," remains atop Adult Contemporary for a 10th week.

Is this the first time that different songs by the same artist rank at No. 1 on Adult Pop and Adult Contemporary in the same week?

Thanks,

Lisa Curry
Beachwood, New Jersey


Hi Lisa,

This week does, indeed, mark the first that an artist presides over the sister format charts with different titles.

In fact, it's rare for an artist to top both charts concurrently even with one hit. Here is a look at the 13 titles - of 100 Adult Pop Songs No. 1s and 95 Adult Contemporary leaders (29 of which led both lists) since March 16, 1996, when the former chart bowed - so ubiquitous at the height of their popularity that they monopolized the summits of both surveys simultaneously:

Year, Title, Artist, Simultaneous Weeks at No. 1
1996, "One Sweet Day," Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men, 1
1996, "Because You Lou Loved Me," Celine Dion, 12
1996, "Change the World," Eric Clapton, 7
1997, "You Were Meant for Me," Jewel, 1
1997, "Sunny Came Home," Shawn Colvin, 1

1999, "Angel," Sarah McLachlan, 3
2000, "Breathe," Faith Hill, 1
2001, "Only Time," Enya, 3
2006, "You're Beautiful," James Blunt, 3
2006, "Bad Day," Daniel Powter, 7
2007, "Big Girls Don't Cry," Fergie, 2
2008, "Bubbly," Colbie Caillat, 3
2010, "Need You Now," Lady Antebellum, 8

Note that these 13 titles are ballads, songs gentle enough to lead AC, yet possessing a requisite hipness level to win consensus at more uptempo and rock-leaning adult pop stations.

Ultimately, it's not that surprising that Train's feat is a first, as it's difficult for a follow-up to power all the way to No. 1 on Adult Pop Songs while a previous single is still strong enough to be No. 1 on Adult Contemporary. ("Hey, Soul Sister" even crossed over to country, reaching No. 52 on Country Songs in a four-week run in July).

Generally, pop/rock songs break first at Adult Pop before AC: 24 of the 29 shared Adult Pop Songs and Adult Contemporary No. 1s have held sway first at the former format before leading the more conservative adult contemporary genre. Record labels reinforce the pattern by promoting most songs with hit potential at both formats first to adult pop reporters.

The closest that an artist had previously come to ruling the two charts concurrently with different songs prior to this was week was when Kelly Clarkson completed a 21-week stay at No. 1 on AC with "Breakaway" the week of Aug. 6, 2005, and rose to No. 1 on Adult Pop with "Behind These Hazel Eyes" three weeks later.



SOVEREIGN LADIES

Hi Gary!

I'm a huge fan of female hip-hop artists, especially Khia (who is now more popular in Europe than in the U.S.) I've always wanted to know how many albums she has sold.

Rap, and, for the most part, hip-hop, seems to be dominated by men, but I think that the genre's female artists are also very talented and extremely underrated. Could you also please list the most successful female R&B artists?

Best,

Matt Skylight
Wroclaw, Poland


Hi Matt,

Khia Chambers sent three sets onto Billboard's R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart last decade. Here are their chart peaks and U.S. sales since their releases, according to Nielsen SoundScan:

Year, Peak Pos., Title, Sales To-Date
2002, No. 13, "Thug Misses," 616,000
2006, No. 67, "Gangstress," 17,000
2008, No. 66, "Nasti Muzik," 5,000

The Philadelphia-born artist has reached R&B/Hip-Hop Songs twice: with her own worldwide hit "My Neck, My Back" (No. 20, 2002) and as a guest on Janet Jackson's "So Excited" (No. 34, 2006).

"I guess the world is just nasty and freaky like that," Khia has said of the cheeky "My Neck, My Back." "It's not even my favorite song, and I was kind of surprised (that) that's the song that everybody jumped on. That song is just nothing compared to my other music. It's like, 'That's what the world is about today,' so hey, it works for me."

Women are currently enjoying success at rap, especially, with Rihanna featured on the top track on Rap Songs, Eminem's "Love the Way You Lie," for a third week, and Nicki Minaj at No. 3 with "Your Love." When the latter song began an eight-week reign in July, Minaj became the first female rapper to rule the chart since Lil Kim spent five weeks at No. 1 with "Magic Stick" in 2003.

Who are the most successful female R&B artists all-time, in terms of U.S. album sales? Here are the women with the most units certified, according to the RIAA:

63 million, Mariah Carey
55 million, Whitney Houston
26 million, Janet Jackson

19.5 million, Toni Braxton
18 million, Mary J. Blige
15 million, Alicia Keys
13.5 million, Natalie Cole
12 million, Anita Baker
10.5 million, Brandy


Speaking of "My Neck, My Back," and songs with radio edits ...