Ask Billboard: What Is Going On With Madonna?, Continued

Ask Billboard is updated every week. 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.

DICK CLARK, ‘AMERICAN’ IDOL

Hi Gary,

March 25, 2012, marked the 40th anniversary of a one-time occurrence: Dick Clark filling in for Casey Kasem as host of “American Top 40.”

The first song played was “Do Your Thing” by Isaac Hayes at No. 40. The “extra” song was “Me and Bobby McGee” by Janis Joplin, a No. 1 in 1971.

Some of the hits on that special edition of “AT40” that counted down the Billboard Hot 100:
“Give Ireland Back to the Irish,” Wings, No. 37
“American Pie,” Don McLean, No. 22
“The First Time Ever I Saw Your Face,” Roberta Flack, No. 17
“Bang a Gong (Get It On),” T-Rex, No. 15
“Rockin’ Robin,”

Ask Billboard is updated every week. 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.

MATERIAL ISSUES

Hi Gary,

I had to weigh in on the “What’s up with

Ask Billboard is updated every week. 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.

MATERIAL ISSUES, CONTINUED

Hi Gary,

Regarding the last Ask Billboard column about Madonna’s latest album, “MDNA”, I want to give my opinion on her new “material.” I’ve been following her career since 1984 and she remains not only the Queen of Pop, but also my favorite female singer.

I have to admit that it took me more than eight listenings to finally decide what the best tracks are on the set. As of now, my top five are as it follows:

5, “Girl Gone Wild”

4, “Gang Bang.” Excellent club track. Not suitable for radio, I know.

3, “Turn Up the Radio.” I love this song. it has that David Guetta signature sound and I think it would wise of Interscope to promote it as a single.

2, “Love Spent.” Maybe the banjo can make some noise in the charts, like the sax did it for

Ask Billboard is updated every week. 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.

MATERIAL ISSUES, CONTINUED

Hi Gary,

“MDNA” is not a bad record by any means. As a 30-year Madonna fan, the thing that bothers me most stems mainly from the sound. Not the production, mind you, but for many years, Madonna hasn’t sounded like anyone else, and has inspired folks to sound (and even look) like her.

But, on this record, many of the tracks, while OK, sound like they could’ve come from several pop stars of today. I can understand wanting to keep with the times musically, but part of the reason I’ve loved Madonna all these years is because she didn’t sound like anyone else before her.

As for “Give Me All Your Luvin’,” I’m surprised she didn’t release the better LMFAO mix of the song, especially since they’ve done so well as of late.

My two favorite tracks on “MDNA”: “Love Spent,” to me, captures the pop nature of songs from “True Blue” with the incredible dance elements of “Confessions on a Dance Floor”; and “Masterpiece” is exactly that – a gorgeous masterpiece that echoes her ballads of old. I hope it is released and does well on many charts, not just AC.

As for my favorite Madonna albums, I’ll meet you halfway with my top six:

6, “Hard Candy,” 2008
I was so hoping that when “4 Minutes” zoomed 68-3 on the Hot 100 it would become her 13th No. 1 hit. Alas, it was not to be. Other standout songs on the album include “Miles Away” and “The Beat Goes On,” with

Ask Billboard is updated every week. 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.

MATERIAL ISSUES, CONTINUED

Hi Gary,

I think “MDNA” is a solid album. “Girl Gone Wild,” “I’m Addicted,” “Turn Up the Radio,” “I’m a Sinner,” “Superstar,” “Masterpiece” and the out-of-control club banger “Gang Bang” are great tracks that get hotter with each listen.

I find it odd that

Ask Billboard is updated every week. 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.

NO. 2 HITS & PERSONAL CHARTS

Hi Gary,

As for the recent “Ask Billboard” thread about No. 2 Hot 100 hits that feel big enough to have been No. 1s, you could not turn on the radio in 1979 without hearing the Village People’s “YMCA.” It was everywhere – wedding receptions, gyms, anniversary parties, dance clubs, moving down every street courtesy of boom boxes. But, surprise, surprise! It never made it to No. 1, stopping at No. 2 that February.

It’s still popular. You can hear it on almost any time everyone wants to have a good time.

Mike “The Bear” Dittmer

Hi Gary,

I was just reading through the “Ask Billboard” section and came across the question from Reggie Thomas about No. 2-peaking songs. Another to add to the list is Lady Gaga’s “Bad Romance.”

With the huge success it had (and digital sales of more than 5 million), everybody is bound to think this song went to No. 1 (like it should have)!

Dylan Gospel
Brisbane, QLD, Australia

Dear Gary,

I am a chart video producer over at YouTube. Recently I’ve begun sharing my own discoveries in music through personal chart videos. (

Ask Billboard is updated every week. 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.

UN-AMERICAN ‘IDOL’

Last season, I ran a weekly “Ask Billboard’ recap of how my girlfriend, Michelle, and I were faring in our contest to predict the final order of the 2011 “American Idol” hopefuls. (We’d actually both rooted for Lauren Alaina to win after her audition and couldn’t complain too much when she finished second to Scotty McCreery).

This season, we decided to forego our weekly competition after Randy Jackson, Jennifer Lopez and Steven Tyler left most of our early picks in Hollywood. We thought that David Leathers, Jr. could win the season, perhaps in a final two with Lauren Gray. But, neither even got to the public vote.

Such injustice, however, paled in comparison to Michelle’s rage this week when her favorite among the remaining contestants, Colton Dixon, was surprisingly voted out. Perhaps to keep me from starting to wonder why she was such a fan of the singer with much cooler (and more) hair than me, she immediately crafted a rant aimed squarely at the show’s judges’ apparent favoritism. After they’d used their “save” on Jessica Sanchez the week before but blasted Dixon’s creative acoustic take on Earth, Wind & Fire’s “September” (one of Michelle’s favorite songs), the battle was back on. Not with me, but with Jackson, Lopez and Tyler.

Here’s her open letter to the trio.

This year I picked the least offensive top 13 contestant to win “American Idol” because I didn’t agree with the other choices we were given. To me, that contestant was Colton Dixon.

Dixon turned out to be very imaginative with his arrangements of the songs he chose, especially “September.” I absolutely loved what he presented Wednesday night and how he made that song his own. To my surprise, the judges disliked it horribly.

OK, fine. But, what isn’t fine? All season, the judges have had no problem giving standing ovations to Joshua Ledet. How many standing ovations did Dixon receive this season? Hmm, none. He actually seemed a little hurt by that and, in a nice way last week, mentioned that, “Maybe one of these times I may actually get you guys on your feet!” In “surprise,” they responded, “We haven’t given you a standing ovation?”

Yes, Jackson, Lopez and Tyler should give their opinions. But, this season just feels filled with blatant favoritism. Worst of all, it seems like the judges are trying to sway America’s votes to vote how they want, not for what America wants.

When they used their save on Jessica Sanchez, they basically scolded us. “How dare you try to vote off the best singer in the competition. You will not Pia-Toscano us this year! We were prepared this time, America!”

It’s one thing when the judge is Kara DioGuardi, a songwriter, not a superstar recognized as the face who’s sold millions of albums and who could easily sway voter opinion. But, viewers are much more likely to listen to a celebrity like Lopez, whom they might’ve long admired. Remember, they are celebrities who get paid millions of dollars in endorsements to sway public opinion on various products (i.e., Coca-Cola, Cover Girl, Fiat). As judges, they shouldn’t abuse such power to overinfluence who ultimately wins the competition.

Jackon, Lopez and Tyler should be ashamed. I feel bad for Dixon and think that they’ve displayed bad behavior! Naughty judges!

But, it’s not fair to criticize unless I offer a solution, one actually that will take the bias out of their responses while still allowing them their favorite show of support: as punishment, “Idol” producers should take away the judges’ chairs and make them stand for the entire two hours each Wednesday. Finally, standing ovations for everyone, including the singers *we* like!