Chart Beat Thursday: Eminem, Jason Derulo, Cyndi Lauper
With a sixth straight No. 1 on the Billboard 200, there's a not-so-Slim chance that Eminem could match the Beatles' record for most consecutive leaders.
SIX-SHOOTER: As previously reported, Eminem roars onto the Billboard 200 at No. 1 with “Recovery.”
The set becomes the rap superstar’s sixth consecutive leader on the list. He first appeared with the No. 2-peaking “The Slim Shady LP,” on March 13, 1999, and then began his No. 1 streak with “The Marshall Mathers LP” (2000). He has continued to reign with “The Eminem Show” (2002), “Encore” (2004), “Curtain Call: The Hits” (2005) and “Relapse” (2009).
With his streak expanded to six straight Billboard 200 No. 1s, Eminem now trails only the Beatles for most uninterrupted leaders. Here is a look at the longest runs of consecutive No. 1 albums in the Billboard 200’s 54-year history:
8 consecutive No. 1s, The Beatles (1965-69)
6 consecutive No. 1s, Eminem (2000-10)
5 consecutive No. 1s, DMX (1998-2003)
5 consecutive No. 1s, U2 (1987-97)
5 consecutive No. 1s, Paul McCartney (1973-77)
5 consecutive No. 1s, Chicago (1972-75)
5 consecutive No. 1s, Elton John (1972-74)
The Beatles’ record streak of eight Billboard 200 toppers started with “Beatles VI” exactly 45 years ago this week, on the chart dated July 10, 1965. (This week’s charts are dated July 10, 2010). The Fab Four followed with the No. 1s “Help!,” “Rubber Soul,” “‘Yesterday’…and Today,” “Revolver,” “Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Hearts Club Band,” “Magical Mystery Tour” and “The Beatles.”
The Beatles make their own chart news this week, as their 1966 Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 “Paperback Writer” debuts on Hot Singles Sales at No. 16. The song is newly available in a limited edition 7″ vinyl pressing. The classic track marks the Beatles’ first appearance on the list since “Free as a Bird” and “Real Love” each reached No. 5 on the tally in 1995 and 1996, respectively.
‘LIE’ HIGH: “Love the Way You Lie,” the new radio focus track from “Recovery” featuring Rihanna, bursts onto the Hot 100 at No. 2. The set’s first single, “Not Afraid,” debuted at No. 1 on the May 22 chart.
With five other cuts from “Recovery” debuting on the Hot 100, Eminem places seven songs on the survey, matching Drake for the second-best weekly total among rappers; the latter artist tallied seven chart entries just last week. Lil Wayne holds the mark among rappers, having placed nine concurrent titles on the chart three times in 2008.
“Love the Way You Lie” instantly becomes Eminem’s 13th Hot 100 top 10 and Rihanna’s 15th. Since Rihanna first reached the top 10 with “Pon De Replay” on the July 16, 2005, chart, her top 10 total leads all artists. T-Pain ranks second in that span with 13 top 10s.
Eminem has sent 39 songs onto the Hot 100 dating to the debut of “My Name Is” on the Feb. 27, 1999, ranking. Since that date, Eminem has made the fifth-most chart visits, trailing only the “Glee” cast (64 charted titles), Lil Wayne (58), Jay-Z (49) and Ludacris (45).
THREE-PEAT: Jason Derulo inks a third Hot 100 top 10 from his self-titled debut album, as “Ridin’ Solo” surges 16-10. His “Whatcha Say” topped the Nov. 14, 2009, chart and “In My Head” rose to No. 5 in April.
With his fittingly-titled latest hit, Derulo becomes the first solo male to notch three top 10s from a debut set since Chris Brown in 2005-06. The latter artist led the Hot 100 for five weeks with “Run It!” Follow-up “Yo (Excuse Me Miss)” reached No. 7, and, after “Gimme That” peaked at No. 15, Brown’s fourth single, “Say Goodbye,” climbed to No. 10.
On Billboard’s Pop Songs radio airplay chart, “Ridin’ Solo” bounds 19-11. With “Whatcha Say” and “In My Head” having each ruled the list, Derulo is the only male artist to notch No. 1s with his first two entries in the chart’s 17-year history.
HIGHLY UNUSUAL: Cyndi Lauper enjoys her highest rank on the Billboard 200 since Feb. 28, 1987, as “Memphis Blues” begins at No. 26.
Upon its debut, the set becomes the third-highest-charting of Lauper’s 10 Billboard 200 albums, trailing only her first two releases. “She’s So Unusual” peaked at No. 4 in June 1984 during a 96-week chart run and “True Colors” reached the same spot in November 1986.
“Memphis Blues” is Lauper’s fifth top 40 Billboard 200 title, joining her first two efforts, 1989’s “A Night to Remember” (No. 37) and 2003’s “At Last” (No. 38). (“Bring Ya to the Brink” just missed the region, debuting and peaking at No. 41 in 2008).
Lauper’s new album, featuring such guests stars as B.B. King, Jonny Lang and Allen Toussaint, concurrently bows atop Blues Albums. The set’s “Crossroads” arrives at No. 1 on Blues Digital Songs, where seven cuts from the album rank among the survey’s 25 positions.
DEFYING CHART GRAVITY: Though “Glee” cast members are on summer vacation, one of the show’s popular guest stars impacts Billboard charts this week.
Emmy and Tony Award winner Kristin Chenoweth, who appeared in two memorable episodes of the Fox-TV series’ first season as quirky April Rhodes, charts as one of the voices on the new No. 1 on Top Cast Albums, the new Broadway cast recording of “Promises, Promises.” The release opens on the Billboard 200 at No. 60. Chenoweth plays Fran Kubelik in the Broadway production.
The set is the 14th to debut at No. 1 on the chart, which launched in January 2006. Coincidentally, the tally’s first No. 1 was the original Broadway cast recording of “Wicked,” in which Chenoweth starred as Glinda, the Good Witch of the North.
A fellow theater star draws his first Billboard chart ink, as two-time Tony Award nominee Gavin Creel enters Heatseekers Albums at No. 44 with the EP “Quiet.” Creel earned Tony nominations for his talents in “Thoroughly Modern Millie” and the 2009 revival of “Hair.” The latter show’s cast recording reached No. 1 on Top Cast Albums a year ago this week.
CHART BEAT BITS: Aided by such guests as Juanes, John Legend and Pink, Herbie Hancock‘s “The Imagine Project” debuts at No. 54 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on Top Contemporary Jazz Albums. On the latter list, the album is Hancock’s third consecutive leader. Notable songs covered on the set include John Lennon’s “Imagine,” Peter Gabriel’s “Don’t Give Up” and Bob Dylan’s “The Times They Are A-Changin’ ” …
Four weeks after veteran rock singer/songwriter John Prine earned his first No. 1 on a Billboard chart, when “In Person & On Stage” bowed atop Folk Albums, a tribute album to the artist likewise leads the list. “Broken Hearts & Dirty Windows: Songs Of John Prine” debuts at No. 1. The set’s roster includes the Avett Brothers, Josh Ritter and Sara Watkins …
Soccer (or football, depending on your location) fever continues to resonate on Billboard surveys. Shakira‘s “Waka Waka (This Time for Africa),” the official song for the 2010 FIFA World Cup, flies 12-3 on Latin Songs as the chart’s Greatest Gainer for a third consecutive week. It’s her 17th top 10 in her 14 years of charting on the tally. The song leads Latin Digital Songs for a seventh frame …
Jason Derulo isn’t the only artist “Ridin’ Solo”: Keith Sweat earns his 10th top 10 on R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, as his set of the same name begins at No. 4. Sweat has also scored two top 10s as a member of the trio LSG. The singer first reached the chart’s top tier with his debut solo album, “Make It Last Forever,” which led for three weeks in 1988 …
Brad Paisley completes his 15th trip to the Country Songs summit, as “Water” makes a 3-1 splash. Paisley had peaked at No. 2 with each of his last two chart entries (“Welcome to the Future” and “American Saturday Night”) after linking 10 consecutive No. 1 radio singles between March 2006 (“When I Get Where I’m Going,” with Dolly Parton) and June 2009 (“Then”). Regular Chart Beat reader and frequent contributor Pablo Nelson of Berkeley, Calif., e-mails that last week “Water” ranked back-to-back on the Hot 100 and Country Songs with a fitting neighbor: Luke Bryan’s “Rain Is a Good Thing.” The latter title bullets at No. 4 on Country Songs. (Brighter weather could be in the forecast for the Country Songs top 10. “Sunshine (Everybody Needs a Little)” by Steve Azar rises 32-31).
More From Pro
