Friday, December 10, 2010

Billboard Hot 100, December 18, 2010


1. Firework - Katy Perry

Katy Perry climbs a notch to #1, scoring her third #1 hit this year and fourth #1 overall. As last week's #1 single, Pink's "Raise Your Glass," managed only a week at #1, this is the 6th week in a row that the Hot 100's top song has been something different. Perry is the second artist this year, after Rihanna, to score a third #1 hit within the calendar year. Not since 1989 have two acts had at least 3 #1 hits each on the chart. That year, Paula Abdul hit #1 with "Straight Up," "Forever Your Girl" and "Cold Hearted" and Milli Vanilli did so with "Baby Don't Forget My Number," "Girl I'm Gonna Miss You" and "Blame It on the Rain."

"Firework" follows "California Gurls" and "Teenage Dream" to #1. All three songs are from the same album, Teenage Dream. The last artist to score three #1 hits from one album was Black Eyed Peas, who hit #1 this year with "Imma Be" and last year with "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Gotta Feeling," all from The E.N.D. The last female artist to do so was the Peas' own Fergie, who's album The Dutchess produced #1 hits "London Bridge" in 2006 and "Glamorous" and "Big Girls Don't Cry" in 2007. The last female artist to see the first three singles from her album hit #1 was Monica, who hit #1 in 1998 with "The Boy Is Mine" and "The First Night" and in 1999 with "Angel of Mine," all from her album, The Boy Is Mine. The last artist to hit #1 within a calendar year with the first three singles from an album was Usher in 2004, reaching #1 with "Yeah!," "Burn" and "Confessions Part II" from Confessions.

4. The Time (Dirty Bit) - Black Eyed Peas

All of a sudden it seems everyone's decided to love this song. It bolts up 5 places to #4 this week, and could be the #1 song in Britain this weekend.

5. Grenade - Bruno Mars

Bruno Mars gets his fourth consecutive top 5 hit, as "Grenade" jumps 5 spots to #5.

21. Dog Days Are Over - Florence + the Machine
22. Dog Days Are Over - Glee Cast
(29. Hey, Soul Sister - Glee Cast)
(38. I've Had the Time of My Life - Glee Cast)

Lately, Glee has helped the original versions of the songs it covers propel up the chart. Like what it did for Cee Lo Green's "Fuck You!," the Florence + the Machine's original version of "Dog Days Are Over" charts higher than the Glee version, although just barely, as the two are back-to-back. Glee is sort of responsible for us having two songs with two versions in the top 40 this week. Further down the chart, the Glee Cast debuts at #38 with their version of "(I've Had) the Time of My Life," the '80s classic from the film Dirty Dancing. This is the song interpolated in the Black Eyed Peas song "The Time" at #4. Glee also charts at #29 with "Hey, Soul Sister," a remake of this year's hit by Train.

25. Christmas Lights - Coldplay

The rock band that ruled the last decade debuts at #25 with their first holiday-themed song, "Christmas Lights," a one-off release not tied to an album. It was rumored they would release their fifth album by the end of the year, although apparently not, as it has not materialized. "Christmas Lights" is Coldplay's 6th top 40 hit:

1. Clocks, #29
2. Speed of Sound, #8
3. Violet Hill, #40
4. Viva La Vida, #1
5. Lost+ (feat. Jay-Z), #40
6. Christmas Lights, #25

1 comment:

Chris B. said...

"Firework" is growing on me -- and I hate that! It's remarkable how repetition can transform one's opinion of pop music. I often detest a new song the first time I hear it, but the more I'm exposed to it, the less I hate it.