HE WANTS TO BE YOUR MAN: Ringo Starr earns his highest debuting album on The Billboard 200 in the last 10 years and scores the 85th non-Beatle album by a Beatle. “Liverpool 8,” a new entry at No. 94, marks Ringo’s return to Capitol, the record company that launched the Beatles onto the Billboard charts in 1964.
“Liverpool 8” is Ringo’s first solo album to chart via Capitol, although his six Apple titles were released through the Hollywood-based label. Starr has also charted albums on Atlantic, Portrait, Boardwalk, Mercury and Koch. “Liverpool 8” is his 13th album apart from the Beatles to appear on The Billboard 200.
Adding in Paul McCartney’s 34 albums, John Lennon’s 22 and George Harrison’s 16 gives you the grand total of 90 albums. Ringo’s streak of post-Beatles work stretches from 1970 to the present, giving him the longest span of solo work among the Fab Four. McCartney’s span is only one year less, running from 1970 to 2007. Lennon’s span runs from 1969 to 2005 and Harrison’s goes from 1969 to 2002. Lennon and Harrison both charted with their own albums while the Beatles were still releasing LPs as a group. McCartney and Starr released their own works during the Beatles’ final year as a group.
Coincidentally, “Liverpool 8” enters the chart exactly 44 years after the debut of “Meet the Beatles” on the Feb. 1, 1964 Billboard album chart.
A LITTLE GOOD NEWS: Another artist long associated with the Capitol label returns to The Billboard 200 this week. Anne Murray, now signed to another EMI imprint (Manhattan Records) bows at No. 42 with “Duets: Friends and Legends.” It is the 29th album by the Canadian singer to chart on The Billboard 200. From 1970 to 1987, Murray charted with 24 albums issued on Capitol. From 1999 to 2005, she charted with four sets on the StraightWay logo.
The “Duets” project gives Murray the highest-debuting set of her career, and her highest-ranking release since “What a Wonderful World” went to No. 38 in February 2000.
On Top Country Albums, “Duets” opens at No. 8, making it the highest debut in Murray’s career on this chart as well. It is her biggest charting work on the country album chart since “What a Wonderful Christmas” peaked at No. 6 in December 2001. It is her 34th album to appear on this tally.
YES HE’S ‘READY’: It’s been 15-and-a-half years since Billy Ray Cyrus has appeared in the top 40 portion of The Billboard Hot 100. His current single with daughter Miley Cyrus, “Ready, Set, Don’t Go” (Walt Disney/Lyric Street), is the song that returns him to this upper region of the chart, as it climbs 44-40. It’s the second top 40 hit of Cyrus’ career, after his debut single, “Achy Breaky Heart,” went to No. 4 in July 1992.
“Ready” is one of two Miley Cyrus songs inside the top 40. “See You Again” (Hollywood) is up 35-33.
‘MUSIC’ OF THE CHART: Nine months ago, the first single from Rihanna’s “Good Girl Gone Bad” album debuted on the Hot 100. I don’t have to tell you how well “Umbrella” did (but I will… it reigned for seven weeks at No. 1). The follow-up, “Shut Up and Drive,” stalled at No. 15, but “Hate That I Love You” with Ne-Yo reached No. 7. Now, the fourth single “Don’t Stop the Music” (SRP/Def Jam) is also a top 10 hit, advancing 13-7.
Rihanna has earned seven top 10 hits since making her chart debut the week of June 11, 2005 with “Pon de Replay,” which peaked at No. 2. Her other three top 10 hits were “SOS” (No. 1 for three weeks), “Unfaithful” (No. 6) and “Break It Off” (No. 9).
From her debut week until now, no other lead artist has had more top 10 hits than Rihanna. Akon and T-Pain have each had nine top 10 hits in that time frame, if you include songs where they were the featured artist.
BORN TO CHART: Bruce Springsteen has charted 25 songs in 32 years. To be exact, it has taken him 32 years, four months and two weeks to go from his Hot 100 chart debut, “Born to Run,” to his latest entry, “Girls in Their Summer Clothes” (Columbia), new at No. 95.
“Girls” is Springsteen’s first chart song since “Devils & Dust” logged in at No. 72 during its lone week on the tally in April 2005. “Girls” is the third Springsteen title to appear on the survey this century; his first single of the millennium was “The Rising,” No. 52 in August 2002. He was last in the top 10 in April 1994 when “Streets of Philadelphia” from the movie “Philadelphia” peaked at No. 9.
RISE UP (BUT TAKE YOUR TIME): In its 30th chart week, “The Good Left Undone” (Geffen) by Rise Against marches 13-10 on Modern Rock. That’s the longest it has taken any song to reach the top 10 in the history of this chart.
The previous record-holder for slowest trek to the top 10 on Modern Rock was Sick Puppies’ “All the Same,” which arrived in the top 10 last year in its 25th week on the list.
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