BILLBOARD MUSIC AWARDS FINALISTS ANNOUNCED!

Rihanna, Eminem, Lady Gaga, Bruno Mars and Justin Bieber lead the finalists for the 2011 Billboard Music Awards, which were announced Wednesday morning (Apr. 13) at a press conference in Las Vegas.


Check out the Billboard Music Awards top nominations ~

The Billboard Music Awards take a holistic look at artist performance based on key fan interactions with music -- finalists and winners are determined by chart performance and social and streaming activity as chronicled in Billboard magazine and on Billboard.com during the eligibility period of Feb, 28, 2010 and Mar. 1, 2011.

The 46 award categories are based on measures provided by our data partners including sales data shared by Nielsen SoundScan, radio airplay monitored by Nielsen BDS, streaming data measured by Tubemogul and Nielsen BDS, social media consumption gauged by Next Big Sound and tour grosses tracked by Billboard Boxscore.

Today, Billboard launches a microsite for the 2011 Billboard Music Awards at www.Billboard.com/BBMA. Music fans can also follow news about the show and related events on Twitter or Facebook. (Source)

SONGS FOR JAPAN!

"Songs for Japan," the 38-track album featuring current hits, classic tracks and live performances benefitting Japan earthquake and tsunami relief, has been selling briskly since its exclusive release at the iTunes Store on Friday (Mar. 25) for the modest price of $9.99.

According to industry sources, the set moved approximately 25,000 units on its first day of release and could have shifted close to 75,000 units by the time the chart-tracking week concluded at the close of business Sunday (Mar. 27). That reported sum could land the album within the top five of next week's Billboard 200. As reported earlier this week, Chris Brown is set to lead the list with "F.A.M.E.," with industry prognosticators predicting debut week sales in the 250,000-300.000 range.  
The last major relief-effort album, "Hope for Haiti," which featured tracks performed on the "Hope for Haiti Now" telethon, moved 171,000 in no more than two full days upon its Jan. 23, 2010 release, although that album featured newly recorded songs and/or performances and was bolstered by MTV's live telethon special.
"Songs for Japan" is a joint effort among the four major label groups, Universal Music, Warner Music, Sony Music and EMI Music. Proceeds from the album's sale will benefit the disaster relief efforts of the Japanese Red Cross Society. A physical version will be released as a 2-CD set on Apr. 4.
The 38 tracks on the compilation consist of 21 Billboard Hot 100 hits, including 16 top 40 entries, nine top 10s and five No. 1s: Beyonce's "Irreplaceable," "Love the Way You Lie" by Eminem featuring Rihanna, Katy Perry's "Firework," Rihanna's "Only Girl (in the World)" and a remix of the list's most recent chart-topper, "Born This Way" by Lady Gaga.


To find out more about how you can help with earthquake and tsunami relief in Japan, go to RedCross.org 
(BILLBORAD)

BILLBOARDS SOCIAL 50 - LAST 4 WEEKS RECAP

Here is a recap of the last four weeks of Billboards Social 50 Chart - this particular chart is from what we are listening to and talking about via Social media, we actually control this chart. 

Week of February 13th to the 19th

Rihanna

Akon

Lady Gaga

Shakira

Justin Bieber

Week of February 20th to the 26th

Lady GaGa

Rihanna

Justin Bieber

Shakira

Eminem

Week of February 27th to March 5th

Justin Bieber

Lady Gaga

Rihanna

Nicki Minaj

Eminem

Week of March 6th to the 12th

Justin Bieber

Lady GaGa

Rihanna

Eminem

Katy Perry

BILLBOARDS SOCIAL 50 - MONTH RECAP

I decided not to post the Social 50 once a week and instead I'm going to recap the month in one post. I will only be posting the top 5 from the month because all 50 would be one looooooong post!


See The Entire Social 50 Chart


From the week of January 22nd up to the week of February 12th ~

January 22

Justin Bieber

Rihanna

Lady GaGa

Black Eyed Peas

Eminem

January 29

Justin Bieber

Rihanna

Akon

Black Eyed Peas

Lady GaGa

February 5th

Justin Bieber

Rihanna

Akon

Black Eyed Peas

Lady GaGa

February 12th

Justin Bieber

Rihanna

Akon

Lady GaGa

Shakira

As you can see for the last 4 weeks Justin Bieber is the top of the Social 50 chart, remember this chart is what we are listening to and talking about via social websites such as Facebook, Twitter and My Space.

One thing I can say about this is people seem to be listening to the same things week after week - Justin Bieber and Rihanna are the most played artists. Neither of them are who I listen to so none of the data keeping them on this chart comes from me LOL 

This week Shakira has replaced Black Eyed Peas, I do listen to the Peas from time to time and I do love Shakira!

Lady GaGa has held on to a spot on this chart for quite some time. Her fans love her, Im not a fan. GaGa seems to have the same sort of following that Madonna had in the 80ies and to me "It's Been Done" for the most part.

Eminem was blown off the top 5 in mid January so no need to even speak on him (not a fan)

Post By Tina

MICK JAGGER ADDED TO LIST OF GRAMMY PERFORMERS

GRAMMY-winning rock legend and Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award recipient Mick Jagger will perform live on the GRAMMY Awards for the first time. Accompanied by GRAMMY winner Raphael Saadiq and his band, Jagger will perform as part of the telecast's annual "In Memoriam" tribute, which pays homage to members of the music community who have passed away in the previous year.

Jagger and Saadiq join previously announced performers and nominees Arcade Fire, Eminem, Lady Antebellum, Lady Gaga, Miranda Lambert, Muse, and Katy Perry; nominees Justin Bieber and Usher, with Jaden Smith; nominees B.o.B, Bruno Mars and Janelle Monáe; nominees Drake and Rihanna; and nominee Cee Lo Green, with Gwyneth Paltrow and the Jim Henson Company Puppets.

Current three-time GRAMMY nominee Dierks Bentley, singer/actor Selena Gomez, nine-time GRAMMY winner and current nominee Norah Jones, two-time GRAMMY winner and actor LL Cool J, current nominee Nicki Minaj, and current nominee Blake Shelton will appear as presenters.

In his first-ever live appearance on the GRAMMY stage, Jagger — accompanied by soul singer Saadiq and his band — will honor one of his longtime idols, recently deceased GRAMMY winner Solomon Burke. Jagger has appeared only once before on the GRAMMY telecast (with the Rolling Stones), via satellite from London during the 28th Annual GRAMMY Awards in 1986, when Eric Clapton presented the Stones with The Recording Academy Lifetime Achievement Award.

Arcade Fire, Bieber, B.o.B, Lambert, Mars, Monáe, Muse, Paltrow, and Smith will also be performing on the GRAMMY telecast for the first time, and all five Album Of The Year nominees are set to perform on Music's Biggest Night: Arcade Fire, Eminem, Lady Antebellum, Lady Gaga, and Perry.

The 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards are produced by John Cossette Productions and AEG Ehrlich Ventures for The Recording Academy. Ken Ehrlich and John Cossette are executive producers, Louis J. Horvitz is director, and David Wild and Ken Ehrlich are the writers.

The 53rd Annual GRAMMY Awards will take place live on Sunday, Feb. 13 at Staples Center in Los Angeles and will be broadcast in high definition and 5.1 surround sound on the CBS Television Network from 8–11:30 p.m. (ET/PT). The show also will be supported on radio worldwide via Westwood One, and covered online at GRAMMY.com and CBS.com, and on YouTube. For GRAMMY coverage, updates and breaking news, please visit The Recording Academy's social networks on Twitter and Facebook. 

SOURCE

EMINEM AND DR DRE TO OPEN THE GRAMMYS!

Eminem & Dr. Dre to Open the Grammys?

Eminem will reportedly kick off the Grammys this year, performing one of his "Recovery" singles -- but more importantly, dueting with Dr. Dre. Rumors suggests that the two will perform Dre's next "Detox" single, "I Need A Doctor," on which Eminem is featured. An insider said: "Eminem will definitely be performing with Dre on the night… He will also be performing one of his "Recovery" singles but everyone is talking about the Dre duet, saying it could be one of the most memorable Grammy moments of all time if everything goes to plan." Reps for Eminem and the Grammys did not respond to Billboard's request for comment at press time.


SOURCE

Sales Figures: Album Sales Hit All-Time Low

A record was broken this week on the Billboard 200 but it’s not the type of feat that artists would hope to achieve. With album sales continuing their downward spiral, even the music industry’s reigning chart titan, Taylor Swift, couldn’t make a big enough impact to save the day.

Swift’s triple platinum ‘Speak Now’ LP continues to dominate the charts in the #1 spot but with only 52k copies sold, the album holds the distinction of having the lowest sales for a #1 album since Nielsen SoundScan began compiling album sales in 1991. The previous record holder was 2007’s ‘Dreamgirls’ soundtrack which hit #1 with 60k units.

Still, some artists may find reasons to smile this week. Nicki Minaj’s platinum-certified ‘Pink Friday’ album ascends to the #2 spot with sales of 39k (down 36%) while Eminem’s ‘Recovery’ maintains a position in the top tier at #5, selling 33k (down 47%).

Furthermore, Rihanna’s ‘Loud’ has yet to be silenced despite slipping 3 spots to #6 with sales of 33k  (down 46%) and Kanye West’s ’My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy’ drops 2 places to #7 with 33k units sold (down 43%). Hopefully, whenBeyonce, Lady GaGa and Britney Spears release their albums later this year, album sales will experience an upturn.

BILLBOARDS SOCIAL 50 - Week 6

Here is this weeks Social 50 chart from Billboard which is A ranking of the most active artists on the world's leading social networking sites. So this is determined by what we - the fans, are listening to.


Here are the top 10 artists this week ~

1- Rihanna - This is the third week for Her to be #1

2 - Justin Bieber - Sitting at #2 for the second week in a row, the Beliebers love you JB!

3 - Lady Gaga - Gaga is also holding on to the same spot this week, she has millions of fans on the net who will, Im sure - keep her in the top ten for a long time to come.

4 - Black Eyed Peas - They are also in the same position as last week

5 - Eminem - This is the second week for Slim Shady at #5

6 - Michael Jackson - Michael jumped 2 spots up from #8 last week, he has had a steady climb towards #1 since the chart started 6 weeks ago.

7 - Katy Perry - Jumped from #10 spot last week

8 - Linkin Park - moved up one spot from last weeks #9, they've been holding steady between 9 and 10 for the last few weeks

9 - Akon - he sat at #6 last week, sorry Akon - Mike stole your spot :P

10 - Shakira - Jumped up 3 spots from #13 last week















See the full Chart

BILLBOARDS SOCIAL 50 - Week 5

This weeks Social 50 is out and as you can see Rihanna is still holding down the #1 spot! A few others have held on to the spot they sat in last week but a few others have moved around - Enrique has made a major jump from last weeks #21 spot to this weeks #7

~ Check Out Your Most Played Artists For This Week ~

1 - Rihanna, Holding the same position as last week

2 - Justin Bieber, Moved up from #3

3 - Lady Gaga, Up 3 spots from #6 last week

4 - Black Eyed Peas, Holds the same position as last weeks chart

5 - Eminem, He is in the same place as last week also

6 - Akon, Up 1 spot from #7 last week

7 - Enrique Iglesias, Made a HUGE jump from #21 last week

8 - Michael Jackson, MJ is up one spot from last weeks #9 position

9 - Linkin Park, Up 1 spot from #10 last week

10 - Katy Perry, Down 2 spots from #8 last week.

See The Full Chart

JAMIE FOXX, KEYSHIA COLE AND KERI HILSON TOP THE CHARTS

Holiday shoppers rushed home with new releases from Jamie Foxx, Keyshia Cole, and Keri Hilson. The R&B artists had the registers and charts ringing during Christmas week.

Listen To "Best Night Of My Life"

Jamie Foxx’s third album Best Night of My Life stuffed many a stocking and debuts at No. 6 on the Billboard 200 with 144,000 copies sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The Oscar winner’s previous effort, 2008’s Intuition, entered at No. 3 with 265,000, while his J Records debut Unpredictablecame in at No. 2 with 598,000 in 2005.

 

Listen To Song Snippets From "Calling All Hearts"

Keyshia Cole had Christmas shoppers Calling All Hearts as her fourth album claims the week’s second biggest debut, arriving at No. 9 with 128,000. However, she couldn’t outperform 2008’s A Different Me, which made its entry at No. 2 with 322,000.

 

 Listen To "Pretty Girl Rock" From "No Boys Allowed"

Keri Hilson’s heavy promotion schedule pays off as her sophomore effort No Boys Allowed makes merry at No. 11 on the chart, registering 102,000 copies. The female-driven set outsold her debut In a Perfect World…, which moved 94,000 units in its first week in April 2009.

Taylor Swift’s Speak Now closes out the year at No. 1 with 276,000, followed by Susan Boyle’s The Gift which keeps giving at No. 2 (240,000).

Listen To "Perfect day" From "The Gift

Michael Jackson’s posthumous release Michael falls to No. 5 (150,000). 

Listen To "Keep Your Head Up" From "Michael"

 Eminem’s Recovery gets boosted to No. 7 (137,000). Not far behind is Nicki Minaj’s Pink Friday, maintaining its position at No. 8 for a second week (133,000). Rihanna’s Loud rounds out the top 10 at No. 10 with 111,000. SOURCE

Rap-Up.com - Favorite Videos of 2010

(From Rap-Up.com) 2010 was filled with boundary-pushing music videos for everything from radio hits to fan faves. Some created epic masterpieces like Kanye West’s “Runaway,” which unfolded for 35 minutes with stark visuals and a unique storyline, while others went for pop iconography like Lady Gaga and Beyoncé in “Telephone” and Rihanna in the colorful “Rude Boy.” And you can’t have creativity without controversy, as evidenced by M.I.A.’s graphic “Born Free” and Erykah Badu’s nudity-laced clip for the guerilla style “Window Seat.” We count down our 10 favorite videos of the year.

10. Jay-Z featuring Swizz Beatz – “On to the Next One”

9. Beyoncé – “Why Don’t You Love Me”

8. M.I.A. – “Born Free”

M.I.A, Born Free from ROMAIN-GAVRAS on Vimeo.

7. Rihanna – “Rude Boy”

6. Erykah Badu – “Window Seat”

5. Eminem featuring Rihanna – “Love the Way You Lie”

4. Willow Smith – “Whip My Hair”

3. Cee Lo Green – “Fuck You”

2. Lady Gaga featuring Beyoncé – “Telephone”

1. Kanye West – “Runaway”

What were your favorite music videos of 2010?

2010 IN MUSIC - THE YEAR THAT WENT POP!!! |BILLBOARD

Imagine it's Jan. 1, 2010, and a psychic has laid out the following music predictions for the year:

--Ke$ha, the self-proclaimed "sick and sexified" singer of "TiK ToK," will not fade into obscurity. Instead, she'll release two albums and rack up three more Billboard Hot 100 top 10s before the year is up, the last of which will debut at No. 1.

--Lady Gaga will wear a meat dress, flip the bird at Yankee Stadium and pull rosary beads out of her mouth, but none of this will be as entertaining or successful as her music.

--"Biebermania" will not only show no sign of letting up, it will also afflict the Recording Academy, which will nominate the teen phenom for a best new artist Grammy Award.

--The cast of Fox's hit musical series "Glee" will surpass the Beatles' record for most appearances by a non-solo act on the Hot 100.

--B.o.B, a rapper who sings and plays guitar, and Bruno Mars, a Hawaiian who specializes in modern-day doo-wop, will help each other become famous with a tenderhearted duet.

--A 12-year-old Oklahoma boy will sign with Lady Gaga's management after performing "Paparazzi" at his school's talent show. Meanwhile, a 10-year-old "America's Got Talent" finalist will take her operatic seasonal EP to No. 2 on the Billboard 200, and another 10-year-old will have grown women whipping their hair back and forth.

--A song about a mythical private jet will hit No. 1 and gift us with the year's best new party terminology: slizzard.

--Only one rock band will reach the Hot 100 top 10 -- Train, with "Hey, Soul Sister."

In a year when some of the music industry's few remaining presumptions, such as "digital sales will keep growing" and "tours can withstand a weak economy," were subverted, no one can be blamed for not foreseeing all the ways in which pop music would take over the marketplace. But a takeover it was.

Seven of the year's 20 best-selling albums were by pop artists -- that is, in Billboard parlance, acts without significant success on our genre-based charts, such as Country, R&B/Hip-Hop, Modern Rock, etc. This compares with four in 2009 and two in 2005. The 2010 top 10 includes Susan Boyle's "I Dreamed a Dream," Lady Gaga's "The Fame," Justin Bieber's "My World" and "My World 2.0" and the Black Eyed Peas' "The E.N.D." If you expand the definition of pop to include Taylor Swift and Lady Antebellum, whose mainstream-leaning country hits were embraced at pop radio, and Eminem, whose "Recovery" featured some of his most unabashedly crossover songs to date, you could argue that nine of the top 10 albums speak to pop's dominance (all but Andrea Bocelli's "My Christmas").

The fact that Billboard's top two artists of the year, Gaga and Swift, didn't chart on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums is also telling. It's the first time that neither of the year's top two artists has graced that chart since 1997, when LeAnn Rimes and Spice Girls came in at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively.

But perhaps most striking is the way in which synth-driven, Auto-Tuned, four-on-the floor-influenced pop dominated the Hot 100. Of the 15 songs to reach No. 1 on the chart this year, just six fall outside of this descriptive: Eminem's "Not Afraid" and "Love the Way You Lie," Rihanna's "Rude Boy" and "What's My Name?", B.o.B featuring Bruno Mars' "Nothin' on You" and Mars' "Just the Way You Are." When these are the four artists delivering the closest thing to a slow jam, it's safe to say we've entered a new era.

"When you listen to radio now, it's all so much about tempo," says Barry Weiss, outgoing chairman/CEO of RCA/Jive Label Group, which can count Ke$ha, Usher and P!nk among this year's biggest success stories.

"We're in a golden spot for pop music, for sure," adds Antonio "L.A." Reid, chairman/CEO of Island Def Jam Music Group (IDJMG), whose artists Bieber, Rihanna and even Kanye West helped solidify pop's current boom. "I don't see it moving any time soon." SOURCE