Iggy Azalea on equalling The Beatles chart record: 'I'd rather be The Rolling Stones'

June 10, 2014 12:44

Rapper recently scored both the Number One and Number Two spots in the Billboard Hot 100

Iggy Azalea has responded to those who criticise her authenticity while also dismissing the way she recently matched a US chart record previously held by The Beatles.

The Australian artist has received repeated criticism of her Americanised rap voice in reviews but says that she does not feel the need to pay notice to her roots when making music.

"We get so caught up, especially in rap, with what's authentic, and I wish people would think more about what the fuck that even means," she told Billboard. "One critic was like, 'Why didn't you talk about more Australian things?' I don't understand why I'm supposed to write a song about living in the outback and riding a kangaroo to be authentic."

Elsewhere in the interview, Azalea says that the fact she recently matched The Beatles US chart record, scoring both the Number One and Number Two spots in the Billboard Hot 100, "doesn't mean anything". Distancing herself from the record, she said: "I'd rather be The Rolling Stones."

Iggy Azalea made news last week when she criticised Lorde's appearace at Nirvana's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction, arguing that her appearance wasn't appropriate as she was not a peer of Kurt Cobain.

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Robbie Williams tops Official Record Store Chart

December 19, 2013 16:17

'Swings Both Ways' rises to Number One spot in independent record shop sales

Robbie Williams' 'Swings Both Ways' has topped this week's Official Record Store Chart.

The album beat off competition from One Direction and Gary Barlow to land the top spot. Launched as part of last year's Record Store Day, the Official Record Store Chart reflects sales in the UK's independent record shops.

Elsewhere in the Top 10, Mumford & Sons' 'Babel' is at Nine, while former Number One Jake Bugg's 'Shangri La' lands at 10. The only new entry in this week's chart come from Toy at Number Five with their second album 'Join The Dots'.

The chart is made up of sales of albums from around 100 independent record retailers who participate in Record Store Day UK. The full Top 40 features every week in the new-look NME.

Official Record Store Chart (November 24)

1. Robbie Williams - 'Swings Both Ways'
2. Gary Barlow – 'Since I Saw You'
3. One Direction – 'Midnight Memories'
4. Arctic Monkeys - 'AM'
5. Toy – 'Join The Dots'
6. London Grammar - 'If You Wait'
7. Olly Murs – 'Right Place, Right Time'
8. Rod Stewart – 'Time'
9. Mumford and Sons – 'Babel'
10. Jake Bugg – 'Shangri La'

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After four decades, Black Sabbath tops U.S. album chart

Original members of the rock band Black Sabbath, Bill Ward (L), Ozzy Osborne (2nd L), Geezer Butler and Tony Lommi (R), announce their reunion during a news conference at the Whiskey A Go Go, the club where the band first performed 41 years ago, in Los Angeles, California November 11, 2011.

Credit: Reuters/David McNew

By Piya Sinha-Roy

LOS ANGELES | Wed Jun 19, 2013 3:23pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Veteran heavy-metal band Black Sabbath landed its first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 album chart on Wednesday, more than four decades after the rockers debuted their first album in the United States.

"13," the 19th studio album from Black Sabbath, sold 155,000 copies in its first week, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan, knocking last week's No. 1 album by Queens of the Stone Age off the top spot on the weekly U.S. album chart.

Black Sabbath, an English rock band fronted by lead singer Ozzy Osbourne, released their debut self-titled album in North America in 1970, but were never able to notch the top spot on the Billboard 200 album chart in a career spanning 43 years.

"The news is absolutely amazing - we couldn't have imagined this would happen," guitarist and founding member Tony Iommi said in a statement. Osbourne added, "to finally have our first No. 1 album in the U.S. is another incredible milestone for Black Sabbath."

French electronic duo Daft Punk held steady for the second week at No. 2 with "Random Access Memories," which has sold 543,000 copies since its release on May 18.

Justin Timberlake's "The 20/20 Experience" saw a surge in sales last week after the album was discounted for Father's Day, with 35,000 copies sold and climbing from No. 9 to No. 3.

Country band Florida Georgia Line also benefited from Father's Day promotion sale prices, as their album "Here's to the Good Times" climbing back into the top 10 at No. 5.

Black Sabbath was one of five new debut albums in the top ten this week.

Boy band Big Time Rush came in at No. 4 with "24/Seven," alternative-rockers Goo Goo Dolls landed at No. 8 with their latest record "Magnetic," and movie score maestro Hans Zimmer's soundtrack for Superman movie "Man of Steel" flew into No. 9.

Comedy trio The Lonely Island, fronted by former "Saturday Night Live" cast member Andy Samberg, rounded out the top 10 with their latest collection of parodies, "The Wack Album."

Overall album sales totaled 5.25 million for the week ending June 16, down 10 percent from the comparable sales week in 2012, according to Billboard.

Next week's chart is likely to see a high debut from rapper Kanye West, who released his latest record "Yeezus" this week and is currently at the top of the iTunes album chart.

(Reporting by Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Eric Kelsey and Jackie Frank)

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Daft Punk's analog 'Random Access Memories' tops Billboard chart

Musicians Thomas Banglater and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo of Daft Punk pose at the world premiere of the film ''TRON: Legacy'' in Hollywood, California, December 11, 2010.

Credit: Reuters/Danny Moloshok

By Piya Sinha-Roy

LOS ANGELES | Wed May 29, 2013 5:38pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - French electronic dance music duo Daft Punk scored their first No. 1 album on the U.S. Billboard 200 album chart on Wednesday, as their risk to use retro technology paid off with fans.

"Random Access Memories," the highly anticipated fourth studio album from Daft Punk, sold 339,000 copies in its first week, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan. That was the group's best sales week to date.

Digital downloads of the album were approximately 65 percent of overall sales, with 221,000 copies downloaded.

Daft Punk, formed by childhood friends Thomas Bangalter, 38, and Guy-Manuel de Homem-Christo, 39, were at the forefront of electronic dance music in the 1990s, fusing synthesizers and computers to create music on hits such as "Around the World." Daft Punk became popular figures in the dance music field, known for wearing shiny helmets on stage and being elusive and unpredictable.

For the release of their latest album, they stayed away from big stages and instead launched it at a small music festival in the small Australian town of Wee Waa on May 17, which they themselves did not attend.

After the 2005 album "Human After All," Bangalter and de Homem-Christo said they took time out to explore "uncharted territories" in their field, waiting eight years before releasing "Random Access Memories."

"It's always been a quest (with the) making of each record, somehow reinventing ourselves a little bit, and this time we feel like it's the same musical influence somehow that we maybe had 15 years ago on our first record," Bangalter told Reuters ahead of the album's release.

"Random Access Memories" is not just an homage to the dance floor music of the late 1970s but an attempt to capture the actual time period itself, the duo said.

"If you listen to Pink Floyd records or the majority of the albums in the late 1970s, they were really experimenting with art, elegance, radicality and integrity," Bangalter said. "That was inspiring for this record, to try to do something that has certain elegance and certain experimentation to it."

The new album features numerous collaborators, including singer Julian Casablancas of the Strokes, veteran Italian music producer Giorgio Moroder and R&B singer Pharrell Williams, who lent his vocals to the raunchy dance floor track "Get Lucky."

ANALOG IN A DIGITAL WORLD

After inspiring a new wave of electronic dance music DJs in the past decade that has included David Guetta, "Random Access Memories" sees Daft Punk strip away all digital components, recording solely with live instruments onto analog tape in a studio setting.

"Digital technologies are more efficient at working on other aspects of music, like dynamic and energetic qualities," Bangalter said.

"In the same way that sometimes a film camera seems to grab a moment in raw emotion than with a digital camera, that's what analog tape usually is ... it tends to - and we don't know why - grab a magic moment that is emotional."

The risk of going analog appears to have paid off, as the duo topped the Billboard chart with the second-highest debut album of the year, behind only Justin Timberlake's "The 20/20 Experience," which opened in March with 968,000 copies.

"Get Lucky," which first premiered as a music video broadcast at the Coachella Valley Music and Arts Festival in Southern California in April, has been streamed more than 33 million times globally on Spotify since its April 18 release.

Daft Punk led four new albums debuting in the top 10 of the Billboard chart this week. Darius Rucker, frontman of rock group Hootie & the Blowfish, entered the chart at No. 2 this week with his country solo effort, "True Believers," selling 83,000 copies.

Rock band The National landed at No. 3 with "Trouble Will Find Me," while rapper French Montana rounded out the debuts in the top 10 this week with his first album, "Excuse My French," at No. 4.

Rockers 30 Seconds to Mars landed at No. 6 the album "Love Lust Faith + Dreams," while last week's chart-toppers, Vampire Weekend, fell to No. 7 this week as sales of "Modern Vampires of the City" dropped by 64 percent.

(Editing by Eric Kelsey and Bill Trott)

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Rapper Naughty Boy tops British pop music chart

LONDON | Sun May 26, 2013 2:01pm EDT

LONDON (Reuters) - British rapper and producer Naughty Boy topped Britain's pop music chart for the first time on Sunday with "La La La", a dance track recorded with London singer Sam Smith.

Last week's number one, "Get Lucky" by French electronic duo Daft Punk and American singer Pharrell Williams, slipped down to second place.

British folk-rock singer Passenger's "Let Her Go" also fell one spot to number three, according to the Official Charts Company, which compiles the weekly rundown.

American rapper Macklemore's "Can't Hold Us", recorded with producer Ryan Lewis and singer Ray Dalton, was unchanged in fourth position.

In the album chart, Daft Punk went straight in at number one with new entry "Random Access Memories", knocking Scottish veteran Rod Stewart's "Time" down to second place.

(Reporting by Peter Griffiths; Editing by Pravin Char)

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Kenny Chesney lands seventh No. 1 album on Billboard 200 chart

Kenny Chesney performs ''Pirate Flag'' at the 48th ACM Awards in Las Vegas April 7, 2013.

Credit: Reuters/Mario Anzuoni

By Piya Sinha-Roy

LOS ANGELES | Wed May 8, 2013 1:14pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Country singer Kenny Chesney landed his seventh No. 1 album on the weekly Billboard 200 album chart on Wednesday with his latest record "Life on a Rock."

The album sold 153,000 copies in its first week, according to figures from Nielsen SoundScan, giving Chesney the second-most No. 1 country albums, behind Garth Brooks.

Last week's chart-topper, Michael Buble's "To Be Loved" slipped to No. 2, while Justin Timberlake's "The 20/20 Experience" held steady at No. 3 for the fourth consecutive week.

Only one other new album debuted in the top 10 this week, country group Randy Rogers Band at No. 9 with "Trouble."

Seattle rapper-producer duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis topped Billboard's Digital Songs chart, which measures downloads of single tracks, for the second consecutive week with "Can't Hold Us," featuring Ray Dalton.

Their debut album "The Heist" also climbed back into the top 10 on Billboard 200, from No. 11 to No. 5.

(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; editing by Eric Kelsey and Cynthia Osterman)

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Fall Out Boy outsells Kid Cudi for top spot on Billboard chart

LOS ANGELES | Wed Apr 24, 2013 2:42pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. rock band Fall Out Boy topped the Billboard 200 weekly best-selling album chart for the second time in their five-album career, besting rapper Kid Cudi.

"Save Rock and Roll" sold 154,000 copies in its debut week, according figures on Wednesday from Nielsen SoundScan, outpacing Kid Cudi's "Indicud," which sold 136,000 copies in its first week.

Industry forecasters pegged both albums to sell about 150,000 copes last week, according to trade publication Billboard.com.

Rock band Paramore, whose fourth album "Paramore" was last week's No. 1, fell to No. 12.

Pop singer Justin Timberlake's "The 20/20 Experience" and country singer Blake Shelton's "Based on a True Story" held at the third and fourth spots respectively on the chart for the second consecutive week.

Indie rock trio Yeah Yeah Yeahs' fourth album "Mosquito" debuted at No. 5 on the chart.

Pop singer Pink's "Just Give Me a Reason" topped the digital songs chart for another week with 262,000 downloads, a 7 percent decline from last week, while hip hop duo Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' "Can't Hold Us" was No. 2 again with 245,000 downloads, a 17 percent rise.

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' "Thrift Shop" placed fourth, behind Rihanna's "Stay" and ahead of Justin Timberlake's "Mirrors" on the digital chart.

French DJ duo Daft Punk's new song "Get Lucky," which features singer-producer Pharrell Williams, sold 113,000 downloads last week on only three days of sales. It is the duo's first single in three years.

Year-to-date albums sales stand at 90.5 million, a 5 percent decrease from the same period last year, while 2013 digital song sales of 434 million have declined 2 percent compared to last year.

(Reporting by Eric Kelsey, editing by Jill Serjeant and Cynthia Osterman)

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Rihanna's "Unapologetic" tops Billboard album chart

Singer Rihanna performs at The Forum in Kentish Town in London November 19, 2012. Rihanna is in the UK to promote her latest album ''Unapologetic''.

Credit: Reuters/Dylan Martinez

LOS ANGELES | Tue Nov 27, 2012 8:41pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - R&B singer Rihanna shot straight to the top of the Billboard 200 album chart on Tuesday with her seventh record "Unapologetic," scoring her first No. 1 album despite mixed reviews.

"Unapologetic," which topped iTunes charts in 43 countries just hours after its release on November19, sold 238,000 copies according to Billboard, scoring the 24-year-old singer from Barbados her best opening sales week to date.

The album's lead single "Diamonds" landed at the top of the Billboard Hot 100 chart last week, giving Rihanna her 12th No. 1 single and tying her with Madonna and The Supremes for the fourth-most chart-topping singles in Billboard history.

"Unapologetic" left some critics unsettled by the singer's harder sound and close-to-home lyrics. One track in particular that had everyone talking is "Nobody's Business," Rihanna's collaboration with ex-boyfriend Chris Brown, who was charged with assaulting her three years ago.

The album has been promoted extensively by Rihanna, who embarked on a seven day tour across seven cities around the world, accompanied by a plane full of fans and journalists.

The full Billboard charts will be released on Wednesday.

(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy, editing by Jill Serjeant)

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Chart Beat Meet & Greet: Kathy Coleman

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Chart Highlights: Gotye Extends Multi-Format Chart Success

Chart Highlights offers a sneak peek at a select group of Billboard charts every Monday. Find out the top songs, Greatest Gainers and debuts on the surveys listed below.

All our charts are refreshed on billboard.com every Thursday.

Pop Songs
*** No. 1 *** "Wide Awake" Katy Perry
Greatest Gainer No. 20 "One More Night" Maroon 5
Hot Shot Debut No. 38 "Vegas Girl" Conor Maynard
Debut No. 40 "Get It Started" Pitbull Featuring Shakira

Adult Contemporary
*** No. 1 *** "Somebody That I Used To Know" Gotye Featuring Kimbra

Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know" adds another chart-topping feat under its belt, as it rises to No. 1 on Adult Contemporary. In May, it became the first song to hit No. 1 on Alternative Songs, Dance Club/Play Songs and the Billboard Hot 100. Thus, "Somebody" is now the only tune to have topped all four of the above-mentioned tallies.

Hot Shot Debut No. 26 "Magic" Smash Mouth Featuring J. Dash
Debut No. 29 "Lights" Ellie Goulding
Greatest Gainer No. 7 "Payphone" Maroon 5

Adult Pop Songs
*** No. 1 *** "Payphone" Maroon 5
Hot Shot Debut No. 35 "Want U Back" Cher Lloyd
Debut No. 39 "Let's Go" Calvin Harris Featuring Ne-Yo
Greatest Gainer No. 6 "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)" P!nk

Dance Club/Play Songs
*** No. 1 *** "Goin' In" Jennifer Lopez Featuring Flo Rida

Just two weeks after Katy Perry set the mark for the most No. 1s in a row on Dance Club Songs (with 10), Jennifer Lopez ties that feat with her latest leader, "Goin' In." Lopez's current No. 1 streak began in 2007 with "Que Hiciste."

Greatest Gainer No. 8 "Turn Up The Radio" Madonna
Hot Shot Debut No. 43 "Pound The Alarm" Nicki Minaj
Debut No. 46 "Whistle" Flo Rida
Debut No. 47 "Come Back From San Francisco" Cherry Cherry Boom Boom
Debut No. 48 "Boys Will Be Boys" Paulina Rubio
Debut No. 50 "This Is Love" will.i.am Featuring Eva Simons

Rap Songs
*** No. 1 *** "Mercy" Kanye West, Big Sean, Pusha T, 2 Chainz
Hot Shot Debut No. 23 "I Wish You Would" DJ Khaled Featuring Kanye West & Rick Ross
Debut No. 25 "Get Low" Waka Flocka Flame Featuring Nicki Minaj, Tyga & Flo Rida"
Greatest Gainer No. 7 "Amen" Meek Mill Featuring Drake

Rock Songs
Greatest Gainer/*** No. 1 *** "Oh Love" Green Day
Hot Shot Debut No. 36 "Still Swinging" Papa Roach
Debut No. 48 "Top Of The World" Slightly Stoopid
Debut No. 50 "Like I Roll" Black Stone Cherry

Alternative Songs
*** No. 1 *** "Some Nights" fun.
Greatest Gainer No. 3 "Oh Love" Green Day
Hot Shot Debut No. 35 "Top Of The World" Slightly Stoopid
Debut No. 39 "Here And Now" Seether

Country Songs
*** No. 1 *** "Come Over" Kenny Chesney
Greatest Gainer No. 5 "Pontoon" Little Big Town
Hot Shot Debut No. 57 "Anywhere" Sara Evans
Debut No. 59 "The Countdown" Lonestar
Debut No. 60 "Summer Back" Andy Gibson

Latin Songs
Greatest Gainer/*** No. 1 *** "Bebe Bonita" Chino & Nacho Featuring Jay Sean
Hot Shot Debut No. 39 "Te Quiero" Ricardo Arjona
Debut No. 42 "Balada (Tcherere Tche Tche)" Gusttavo Lima
Debut No. 45 "En El Amor Hay Que Perdonar" Belinda
Debut No. 46 "Te Voy A Amar" Axel
Debut No. 47 "365 Dias" Los Tucanes de Tijuana
Debut No. 49 "Algo Me Gusta De Ti" Wisin & Yandel Featuring Chris Brown & T-Pain

Regional Mexican Songs
*** No. 1 *** "Sin Respiracion" Banda El Recodo de Cruz Lizarraga
Greatest Gainer No. 2 "Mirando Al Cielo" Roberto Tapia
Hot Shot Debut No. 38 "San Lunes" Banda La Trakalosa

Latin Pop Songs
*** No. 1 *** "Hasta Que Salga El Sol" Don Omar
Hot Shot Debut No. 31 "One More Night" Maroon 5
Debut No. 39 "Algo Me Gusta De Ti" Wisin & Yandel Featuring Chris Brown & T-Pain
Greatest Gainer No. 7 "Bebe Bonita" Chino & Nacho Featuring Jay Sean

Tropical Songs
Greatest Gainer/*** No. 1 *** "Bebe Bonita" Chino & Nacho Featuring Jay Sean
Hot Shot Debut No. 18 "Esta Noche Si" Rey Ruiz
Debut No. 21 "Algo Me Gusta De Ti" Wisin & Yandel Featuring Chris Brown & T-Pain
Debut No. 24 "Diosa De Los Corazones" La Formula
Debut No. 32 "El Carino Es Como Una Flor" Andy Andy & Alex Matos
Debut No. 33 "Como Yo" Los Cadillacs
Debut No. 35 "No Me Compares" Alejandro Sanz
Debut No. 37 "Mi Vida Eres Tu" N'Klabe
Debut No. 38 "Te Quiero" Ricardo Arjona

Christian Songs
*** No. 1 *** "10,000 Reasons (Bless The Lord)" Matt Redman
Greatest Gainer No. 3 "Losing" Tenth Avenue North
Hot Shot Debut No. 44 "One Thing Remains" Passion Featuring Kristian Stanfill

Gospel Songs
*** No. 1 *** "Awesome" Charles Jenkins & Fellowship Chicago
Hot Shot Debut No. 23 "God's Got It" J Moss
Debut No. 28 "I Know You're Gonna Make It" Norman Hutchins

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Chris Brown's "Fortune" tops Billboard album chart

1 of 2. Chris Brown performs at the 2012 BET Awards in Los Angeles on July 1, 2012.

Credit: Reuters/Phil McCarten

By Piya Sinha-Roy

LOS ANGELES | Wed Jul 11, 2012 2:10pm EDT

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - Rapper Chris Brown scored his second No. 1 debut with new album "Fortune" topping the Billboard 200 chart on Wednesday, despite failing to impress critics in early reviews last week.

"Fortune" sold 134,000 copies in its first week, according to Nielsen SoundScan, a considerably lower debut than the singer's previous album "F.A.M.E.," which also reached No. 1 with 270,000 copies in its debut week last year.

Brown's was the only new album in the top 10 this week.

A surprise entry from pop star Katy Perry took the No. 2 slot on the album chart. Her "Teenage Dream" record, released almost two years ago in August 2010, notched 80,000 unit sales last week, fueled by her new movie "Katy Perry: Part Of Me" and Amazon.com's offer of the album for 99 cents on July 3.

The Amazon.com offer, which saw several albums priced at 99 cents for one day only, also pushed Gotye's "Making Mirrors," Fun.'s "Some Nights" and the Black Keys' "El Camino" albums back into the top 10 of the Billboard 200, at No. 6, No. 7 and No. 10 respectively.

Justin Bieber's "Believe" held steady at No. 3, Maroon 5's "Overexposed" notched No. 4, and Linkin Park's "Living Things" fell from the top spot last week to No. 5.

(Reporting By Piya Sinha-Roy; Editing by Bob Tourtellotte and M.D. Golan)

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Chart Beat Meet & Greet: Jana Kramer

by Gary Trust  |   June 14, 2012 11:05 EDT

"The very first time I heard it, I was so sick. I had bronchitis," Jana Kramer recalls of hearing her maiden Country Songs chart entry, "Why Ya Wanna," on the radio.

"I needed to go get medicine at the store, and all of a sudden, I heard my name on the car stereo receiver. I thought 'No way.' I turned it up and, sure enough, it was me. I started screaming with this little voice that I had."

Kramer's memories of hearing her music on the radio aren't all as bittersweet.

"The coolest time was when I was with my mom back home in Detroit a few weeks after that. We had just finished doing a little shopping and my song started coming on. We looked at each other and started screaming, then crying."

The 615 Spotlight: Jana Kramer

This week, Kramer's self-titled debut album bows at No. 5 on Billboard's Country Albums chart and No. 19 on the Billboard 200 with sales of 16,000, according to Nielsen SoundScan. On Country Songs, "Why Ya Wanna" reaches a new peak, rising 18-17 in its 25th chart week with 14 million in audience (up 6%), according to Nielsen BDS.

Before releasing the set, Kramer enjoyed fanfare from numerous acting roles, including on the recently-wrapped CW TV series "One Tree Hill." The Michigan native says, however, that music was always her first love.

"Music has always been my No. 1 passion in life," she says. "I did ('Hill') for three years, and it helped me get the nerve to finally follow my dreams and what I really wanted to do ... my music."

Upon the set's chart entrance, revisit Chuck Dauphin's recent spotlight feature on Kramer for Billboard.com's country column, the 615.

"It's authentic, and it's real," Kramer says of her music. "It's country, and I think you can feel it."

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Coldplay and 'Princess' Rihanna Rally On Social 50 Chart

Coldplay made some significant strides in the online world this week as the group's newest video for its hit song "Princess of China" (featuring Rihanna) was released on June 2. That causes the rock band to make a big jump on Billboard's Social 50 chart, rising 30-22.

The Social 50 chart ranks the most popular artists on YouTube, Vevo, Facebook, Twitter and MySpace, using a formula that blends weekly additions of friends/fans/followers along with weekly artist page views and weekly song plays.

"Princess of China," the fourth single from Coldplay's album "Mylo Xyloto," has so far peaked at No. 20 on the Hot 100. The song's featured guest, Rihanna, happens to also hold the No. 1 spot on the Social 50 this week.

Channeling audiences from two massive online fan bases (over 75 million combined fans on Facebook alone) the video was able to garner 7 million views in only seven days. That helped Coldplay rack up 14,732,000 views to its VEVO channel during the charting week.

The success of the video created a positive impact on both artists' fan bases. Coldplay added just over 147,000 followers across Twitter, Facebook and Myspace to their overall fan base (a 7% increase) while Rihanna added 407,482.

Coldplay wasn't the only group to experience online gains riding the coattails of the Rihanna Navy. The greatest gains on the Social 50 this week were the five sisters that make up Cimorelli. The act returns to the top 10, jumping 16-3, reaching a new chart high. The jump comes thanks to the group's video cover of Rihanna's "Where Have You Been." So far, it has earned more than 600,000 views since its debut on June 4.

Its release has helped push Cimorelli's YouTube channel over 200 million views. It's full steam ahead for Cimorelli, who experienced nearly 20% gains across all other metrics (fans, views) during the charting week.

Miley Cyrus received some love online this week as well, as people flocked to her online properties to follow her as news broke of her recent engagement. The lucky fellow? Her boyfriend of two years, "Hunger Games" co-star Liam Hemsworth. Cyrus received a 82% boost in fan acquisition over the previous week and, according to additional data provided by Next Big Sound, her Wikipedia page received a 118% increase in weekly viewership.

Other gains on the Social 50 include Eminem, who rose 19-13 correlating with activity (news releases and videos) surrounding the Shady Records Hot 97 Summer Jam BBQ. (The same Summer Jam where Nicki Minaj, who holds at No. 7, didn't show up after DJ Peter Rosenberg dissed her onstage before her scheduled performance.)

Selena Gomez has a fragrance and Spring Break to thank for her 24-21 climb this week. The June 9 launch of her fragrance with Macy's, and press surrounding her upcoming movie "Spring Breakers," helped earn her a 20% increase in profile views.

The rest of this week's top 10: Adele holds fast at No. 2, Justin Bieber steps down (3-4), as does Katy Perry (5-6). The latter swaps spots with Skrillex who rose a position (6-5). Linkin Park continues to climb (9-8), eclipsing Lady Gaga whose decrease in activity allowed her to sink (4-9). Rounding out the top 10 is One Direction, falling two rungs to No. 10.

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Songs of the Summer Chart Returns to Billboard.com

by Gary Trust, N.Y.  |   June 14, 2012 10:00 EDT

Now that barbecues, beaches and sundresses are commonplace once again (along with, sadly, burnt burgers, beach traffic and mandals), Billboard's annual Songs of the Summer chart returns to Billboard.com.

The 10-position running tally, presented by Pepsi, tracks the most popular songs based on cumulative performance on the weekly Billboard Hot 100 chart from Memorial Day through Labor Day. At the end of the season of sun and fun, the top song of the summer will be revealed. ( LMFAO's "Party Rock Anthem," featuring Lauren Bennett and GoonRock, took the title last summer.) The chart will be updated with new weekly data each Thursday when Billboard.com's chart menu is refreshed.

Having ranked at No. 1 on the weekly Hot 100 not just since Memorial Day but for eight weeks until this week, Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know," featuring Kimbra, takes an early lead in the running for Billboard's top song of this summer, ranking at No. 1 on Songs of the Summer.

Carly Rae Jepsen's "Call Me Maybe" places at No. 2 on the chart. With the bouncy track having dethroned "Somebody" on the Hot 100 this week, "Maybe" could be in line to overtake Gotye's hit on the cumulative Summer chart in coming weeks.

Maroon 5's "Payphone," featuring Wiz Khalifa, looks to be another strong candidate in the race for this summer's top hit, taking the No. 3 spot on the tally. With "Somebody" in its 23rd week on the Hot 100 and "Maybe" in its 16th, "Payphone," at just eight weeks old, could hit its chart prime during the summer and likewise challenge for the season's top smash.

Fun.'s "We Are Young" (featuring Janelle Monae), now descending the Hot 100 after spending six weeks at No. 1 in March/April, and Nicki Minaj's "Starships," a top 10 Hot 100 fixture each week since its March 3 debut at No. 9, round out this year's inaugural Summer Songs top five at Nos. 4 and 5, respectively.

Click here for this season's first Songs of the Summer ranking in its entirety.

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Weekly Chart Notes: Adam Lambert, 'Glee,' Karmin

Something for newly-crowned "American Idol" champion Phillip Phillips (and runner-up Jessica Sanchez) to shoot for: Adam Lambert, who finished second on the Fox reality competition in 2009, becomes the seventh series finalist to occupy the Billboard 200 penthouse, as "Trespassing" arrives at No. 1.

Dim the lights, please.

This … is "American Idol" … 's group of contestants who've sent sets to the Billboard 200's top spot:

Kelly Clarkson (finished 1st, 2002 season)
"Thankful," May 3, 2003 (one week at No. 1)
"All I Ever Wanted," March 28, 2009 (two)

Ruben Studdard (1st, 2003)
"Soulful," Dec.27, 2003 (one)

Clay Aiken (2nd, 2003)
"Measure of a Man," Nov. 1, 2003 (two)

Carrie Underwood (1st, 2005)
"Carnival Ride," Nov. 10, 2007 (one)
"Play On," Nov. 21, 2009 (one)
"Blown Away," May 19, 2012 (two)

Chris Daughtry (of Daughtry ) (4th, 2005)
"Daughtry," Feb. 3, 2007 (two)
"Leave This Town," Aug. 1, 2009 (one)

Scotty McCreery (1st, 2011)
"Clear as Day," Oct. 22, 2011 (one)

Adam Lambert (2nd, 2009)
"Trespassing," June 2, 2012 (one to-date)

Just as in the "Idol" finale three years ago, Lambert has to share the spotlight this week with Kris Allen, who defeated him for the 2009 "Idol" title. Allen debuts on the Adult Pop Songs radio airplay chart at No. 36 with "The Vision of Love." The song previews his second major-label album, "Thank You Camellia," released Tuesday (May 22). The set could bow in the top 20 on next week's Billboard 200.

Another former "Idol" hopeful, 2011 third-place finalist Haley Reinhart, is also on course for a top 20 arrival next week with her debut album "Listen Up!"

New "Idol" victor Phillips, meanwhile, looks set for a lofty launch on Digital Songs next week. His coronation single "Home" is currently the top-selling song in the iTunes Store.

MORE FOX NEWS: Fox's other primetime musical juggernaut, "Glee," adds to the network's top 10 haul on the Billboard 200, as "Glee: The Music: Season Three: The Graduation Album" begins at No. 8. The set includes songs leading up to this past Tuesday's third season finale, in which Rachel Berry (Lea Michele) was accepted to "NYADA," aka, the "New York Academy of Dramatic Arts."
The album marks the series' 13th Billboard 200 top 10 among 13 studio compilations. Since it first reached the top tier (No. 4) with "Glee: Season One: The Music Volume One" the week of Nov. 21, 2009, the cast boasts more than twice as many top 10s as the next closest act. Justin Bieber ranks second with five top 10 sets in that span.
(FYI, real conversation between my girlfriend, Michelle, and me recently:

Me: Since we're in New York, I should go to the NYADA campus and video some interviews with students and professors for a Chart Beat feature! Why has no one else thought to do that?!

Michelle: You know that NYADA isn't a real school, right?

Me: … Thank you for saving me from all that work.)

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Lady Gaga's 'Simpsons' Turn, Tour Controversy Spark Billboard Chart Gain

Lady Gaga rises makes a big jump back into the top 10 of Billboard's Social 50 chart (climbing 14-5) thanks to the momentum generated by her guest appearance on Fox TV's "The Simpsons" (May 20).

The Social 50 chart ranks the most popular artists on YouTube, Vevo, Facebook, Twitter, MySpace, using a formula that blends weekly additions of friends/fans/followers along with weekly artist page views and weekly song plays.

The new "Simpsons" episode, titled "Lisa Goes Gaga" featured many of the pop star's signature outfits and the debut of a new original song, "You're All My Little Monsters."

However, it was controversy surrounding Gaga's most recent tour dates on her Born This Way Ball tour in the Philippines and Indonesia that became the focal point for online activity pertaining to Gaga towards the end of the charting week. Protests greeted her upon arrival in Manila, Philippines May 19 from young Christian groups deeming Gaga's music and image to be offensive.

According to CNN, she has offended thousands of Christian Filipinos because of the lyrical content of songs like "Judas," where she sings "I'm in love with Judas / Jesus is my virtue and Judas is the demon I cling to."

Similar protests have already taken place by Muslim organizations in Indonesia, where it is still unknown whether or not she will perform her scheduled date on June 3.

She took to Twitter on May 22, tweeting "The Jakarta situation is 2-fold: Indonesian authorities demand I censor the show & religious extremist separately, are threatening violence. If the show does go on as scheduled, I will perform the BTWBall alone."

On the Social 50 chart this week, Gaga experienced a 42% increase in fan acquisition, breaking down into 302,832 new fans on Facebook and a 331,318 jump in followers on Twitter.

Beyonce also climbed the ranks of the Social 50, rising 39-19 due to buzz building around her first appearance on-stage since the birth of her daughter Blue Ivy Carter. The show, which will take place on May 25, is part of a series of concerts at Revel in Atlantic City over Memorial day weekend.

The concerts were promoted with a "Good Morning America" BeyHive Costume Party in Times Square, where registered fans were asked to show off their best black and gold/yellow Beyonce-inspired outfits. A 33% increase in her overall fanbase was led by a 313,147 increase in Facebook fans for the charting week.

Billboard Music Awards' performer Chris Brown experienced a jump as well, moving 21-14 after releasing the single "Don't Wake Me Up" on May 12. David Guetta's Social 50 standing also benefitted (12-9) from the release of "Don't Wake Me Up" -- but for an entirely different reason.

It was reported that Guetta had produced the track because an early release of it on YouTube was labeled as such. As it turns out, he didn't have anything to do with the song. Guetta took to Facebook and Twitter to address the mix-up, simply stating "I'm credited for 'Don't Wake Me Up' on YouTube but I did not produce this record. Best to CB!"

Elsewhere on the Social 50, Rihanna escalated to the No. 1 spot (from No. 4) as her film debut, "Battleship," came out Friday May 18. Adele and Skrillex held fast at Nos. 2 and No. 3 respectively, as social king Bieber tumbled 1-4 in the wake of Rihanna's rise. One Direction falls 5-8 as Nicki Minaj (No. 6) and Katy Perry (No. 7) maintain their rankings from last week. Lastly, Jennifer Lopez winds down 8-10.

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Weekly Chart Notes: Kimbra, One Direction, Rascal Flatts

by Gary Trust  |   May 04, 2012 4:05 EDT

Get ready to feel old, thanks to the young artist featured on the Billboard Hot 100's top song.

As Gotye's "Somebody That I Used to Know" rules the chart for a third week, guest vocalist Kimbra, as Chart Beat reader Mark Harris of Cleveland notes, is the first female artist born in the '90s to top the Hot 100. Kimbra (last name: Johnson) was born in New Zealand on March 27, 1990.

(The chart's No. 1 song that week? Alannah Myles' "Black Velvet." Tommy Page, meanwhile, soared 14-6 with his future No. 1, "I'll Be Your Everything." Twenty-two years later, he's now Billboard's publisher. "Wow, Kimbra was a fetus when I was on the chart," Page muses.)

Until this week, Miley Cyrus held the distinction of highest Hot 100 rank for a female born in the '90s. Cyrus, who was born on Nov. 23, 1992, rose to No. 2 in 2009 with "Party in the U.S.A."

Among women who've reached No. 1 on the Hot 100, Dev had previously boasted the most recent birthday until Kimbra's reign. Dev, who spent three weeks at No. 1 in 2010 as a featured act (with Cataracs) on Far*East Movement's "Like a G6," was born on July 2, 1989.

Prior to Kimbra, two other artists born in the '90s, both male, have led the Hot 100, and both in 2007. Sean Kingston became the first when "Beautiful Girls" began a four-week command the week of Aug. 11, 2007. Soulja Boy Tell'Em followed with "Crank That (Soulja Boy)," which logged seven weeks on top beginning Sept. 15, 2007.

As "Somebody" stays at the Hot 100's summit, Kimbra is preparing her U.S. debut album, "Vows" (featuring the song "Warrior," a collaboration with Mark Foster of Foster the People), due May 22.

"('Somebody' has) allowed me to be part of an exciting time for pop music," she recently told Billboard. "Seeing such a vulnerable, reflective and non-formulaic song shoot so high on the charts has been really encouraging.

"It creates a fantastic pathway for an artist like myself to follow."

'NIGHT' TIME: You're not seeing double. There really are two albums titled "Up All Night" in the Billboard 200's top 10. One Direction's former No. 1 rebounds 5-4, while Kip Moore's debuts at No. 6.

This week marks the first time that two identical titles rank in the top 10 simultaneously since March 24, 2007. That week, two "Greatest Hits" debuted: the Notorious B.I.G.'s (at No. 1) and Gary Allan's (No. 5).

If counting albums named "Greatest Hits" seems like a bit of a cop out, however, considering the title's common usage, how long had it been since more original like-titled sets had shared space in the top tier until this week? More than four decades. In 1971, Andy Williams' "Love Story" and a soundtrack of the same name cohabitated in the top 10 for nine weeks.

Poor One Direction: the U.K. boy band keeps having to share the spotlight, as both the group's name and debut album title have now been co-opted and appeared on Billboard charts. Unrelated California rock band One Direction entered Heatseekers Albums two weeks ago with its release "The Light."

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Beastie Boys Blazed Billboard Chart History

B eastie Boys' Billboard chart history is as eclectic as the group itself.

The trio's (Mike Diamond, Adam Horovitz and the late Adam Yauch) "Licensed to Ill" album made history in 1987 as the first rap album to hit No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart. The blockbuster set reached the top on March 7, 1987 and spent seven straight weeks at No. 1.

The album spun off two Billboard Hot 100 hit singles, the No. 7 smash "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)" and the No. 48-peaking "Brass Monkey." Other tracks from that monumental set also saturated radio, such as "Fight's" B-side "Paul Revere," "Hold It Now, Hit It," "It's the New Style" and "No Sleep Till Brooklyn."

"Licensed to Ill" was a monster seller, spending 73 weeks on the Billboard 200 and selling nine million copies in the U.S. according to the Recording Industry Association of America.

The act continued to release successful albums all the way through last year, with the bow of "Hot Sauce Committee Part Two," which debuted and peaked at No. 2 on the Billboard 200. All told, the group claimed six top 10 albums, with four of those reaching No. 1. After "Licensed to Ill" claimed the pole position, they returned with the chart-toppers "Ill Communication" (1994), "Hello Nasty" (1998) and "To the 5 Boroughs" (2004).

Since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking sales data in 1991, Beastie Boys have sold 20 million albums -- making them the biggest-selling rap group in that span of time. In the so-called SoundScan-era, "Licensed to Ill" has sold 5.5 million in the U.S. Since the firm began tabulating digital sales in 2003, the Beastie Boys have moved 5.9 million song downloads. Unsurprisingly, their biggest selling download is "Fight For Your Right," with 746,000 sold.

After the breakthrough with "Fight For Your Right," Beastie Boys would occasionally return to the Hot 100 chart later in their career, but found success on many genre charts. Throughout its career, the band placed hits on the Pop Songs, Alternative, Rap, Mainstream Rock, Dance/Club Play Songs and R&B/Hip-Hop charts.

On the Alternative tally, the group hit No. 1 once, with 2004's "Ch-Check It Out" from the "To the 5 Boroughs" album. Over on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart, they tallied top 40 hits with "It's the New Style" (No. 22 in 1986) and "Paul Revere" (No. 34 in 1987). And on the Dance/Club Songs chart, they managed a total of four hits, going as high as No. 15 with the funky "Hey Ladies" in 1989. "Ladies" was also a No. 10 Rap hit for the act in 1989.

Beastie Boys' Top Five Billboard Hot 100 Hits:

Rank - Title - (Year) - Hot 100 Peak Position

1. "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)" - 1987 - No. 7

2. "Intergalactic" - 1998 - No. 28

3. "Hey Ladies" - 1989 - No. 36

4. "Brass Monkey" - 1987 - No. 48

5. "Ch-Check It Out" - 2004 - No. 68

Beastie Boys' top Hot 100 hits ranking is based on actual performance on the weekly Billboard Hot 100 chart. Songs are ranked based on an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at No. 100 earning the least. To ensure equitable representation of the biggest hits from each era, certain time frames were weighted to account for the difference between turnover rates from those years.

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Weekly Chart Notes: Madonna, Justin Bieber, Silversun Pickups

WE LOVE THE '80s: "What's going on family? Can you believe we are sitting on the top of the charts together again?," Lionel Richie Tweeted to Madonna Wednesday (April 4). Madonna's "MDNA" and Richie's "Tuskegee" bow at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively, on the Billboard 200 this week.

"There is no one I would rather be on top with," Richie added, to which Madonna wryly replied, "OK, but as long as I'm on top."

Despite boasting a combined five No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200 in the '80s, the pair had never ranked in the survey's top two concurrently until this week. The superstar veterans had last charted in the top five together the week of Oct. 4, 1986, when the top of the tally looked like this:

No. 1, "Dancing on the Ceiling," Lionel Richie
No. 2, "Top Gun," soundtrack
No. 3, "Raising Hell," Run-D.M.C.
No. 4, "Fore!," Huey Lewis & the News

No. 5, "True Blue," Madonna

(The artist directly below Madonna and Richie on this week's chart - Adele - was not even born as of that chart date. She turns 24 on May 5.)

GLORY DAYS: Madonna and Richie aren't the only legends with a history of '80s success in this week's Billboard 200 top 10. Bruce Springsteen dips 6-9 with his former No. 1 "Wrecking Ball."

The Queen of Pop and the Boss hadn't shared space in the chart's top region since the week of February 7, 1987, when "Bruce Springsteen & the E Street Band 1975-1985" placed at No. 8 and "True Blue" held at No. 10.

The last time that Springsteen and Richie appeared in the top 10 in the same week? Jan. 24, 1987, also the last week that all three acts had charted together in the top bracket until this week. That frame, Springsteen's "Live" remained at No. 2, "True Blue" descended 6-7 and Richie's "Dancing on the Ceiling" stayed at No. 9.

'BOYFRIEND' IS BACK: Justin Bieber's "Boyfriend" storms in as the Billboard Hot 100's second-most-popular song. It's also the second-highest-peaking track featuring the word "boyfriend."

As Chart Beat temporarily borrows from Teen Beat, only two songs with the word "boyfriend" in their titles have hit the Hot 100's top 10:

No. 1 (three weeks), "My Boyfriend's Back," the Angels, 1963
No. 2 (as of this week), "Boyfriend," Justin Bieber, 2012

In a chart battle of the sexes, one "girlfriend" song has also reigned, although one more such hit has reached the top 10:

No. 1 (one week), "Girlfriend," Avril Lavigne, 2007
No. 5, "Girlfriend," 'N Sync featuring Nelly, 2002
No. 5, "Girlfriend," Pebbles, 1988

Honorary mention among Hot 100 tributes to going steady: at the height of Beatlemania, teen singer Donna Lynn charted for four weeks with the spoofy "My Boyfriend Got a Beatle Haircut."

Despite piggybacking onto the Beatles' early adoration, Lynn and her song stopped at No. 83 on the March 21, 1964, Hot 100. The same week, the Fab Four (mop-)topped the chart with "She Loves You," which dethroned their first No. 1, "I Want to Hold Your Hand," after seven weeks at the summit.

65(-WEEK) LOVE AFFAIR: Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" ties for the third-longest stay in the Hot 100's 53-year history. At 65 weeks (falling 43-49), the song now trails only Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours" (the record-holder with 76 weeks) and LeAnn Rimes' "How Do I Live" (69). Jewel's double-sided "You Were Meant for Me"/" Foolish Games" also logged 65 chart weeks.

("Deep" will need to remain above No. 50 on next week's Hot 100 to tally a 66th frame, as descending songs below the chart's top half are removed after 20 weeks.)

'ENDINGS' BEGINS: Silversun Pickups arrive on Alternative Songs at No. 22 and Rock Songs at No. 39 with "Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings)." The track previews the group's third album, "Neck of the Woods," due May 8.

The Los Angeles-based band has scored four Alternative Songs top 10s, including the 2009 No. 1 "Panic Switch."

"There was a playfulness and an experimentation that we lost a little bit of along the way," says Silversun Pickups frontman Brian Aubert. "(The new album was) kind of like, 'let's get back to playing with different drum tones and playing with these pads.' It sounds like a cool, digital drum thing.

"And then it was, 'how do we find the humanity in all that?'

"And then, we played some basketball."

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Carrie Underwood Enters Top 10 on Country Chart

by Wade Jessen, Nashville  |   April 06, 2012 6:30 EDT

Jake Owen claims a second week atop Country Songs with "Alone with You," which improves 688,000 audience impressions for a total of 37 million during the March 26-April 1 Nielsen BDS tracking week. Owen's previous single and first chart topper "Barefoot Blue Jean Night" spent the second of two straight weeks at No. 1 on the audience chart dated Sept. 24, 2011. On Country Digital Songs, "Alone" moves 35,000 downloads and ranks at No. 11 in its 20th chart week.

CHARTS: Country Songs | Country Albums

Elsewhere on Country Songs, Carrie Underwood scores her 15th top 10 with "Good Girl," which gains 1 million audience impressions and steps 11-10 in its sixth chart week. That matches Taylor Swift's tally in a back-and-forth race for the most top 10 singles (15) by a woman from the start of her career. Meanwhile, 'American Idol' contender Hollie Cavanaugh's March 28 performance of "Jesus Take the Wheel" pushes Underwood's original track to No. 1 on Christian Digital Songs (on Billboard.biz).

To find a song with fewer chart weeks than Underwood's "Girl" on Country Songs, you'd have to look down to No. 26, where Toby Keith's "Beers Ago" gains 3 million impressions and achieves a new peak from No. 38 in its 4th chart week. Also new to the top 10 is Jason Aldean's "Fly Over States," which rises 12-9 in its 14th chart week; it's the artist's 14th top 10, and bullets at No. 8 with 47,000 downloads in its seventh week on Country Digital Songs.

Our national formats/secondary markets radio reporters get a jump on the new duet by Tim McGraw and Kenny Chesney, titled "Feel Like a Rock Star," which dents the Country Indicator list at No. 54. The track was serviced to radio programmers during the artists' performance of the song during the April 1 Academy of Country Music Awards on CBS. The song will undoubtedly make a head-turning (if not historic) splash next week on the Country Songs list. The artists will launch a co-headlining summer tour in June. The Country Indicator list and your first look at the Country Songs chart happens each Monday night in the Billboard Country Update newsletter. Sign up for free here .

Lionel Richie appears for a second time on Country Albums, as duets set "Tuskegee" (Mercury/UMGN) opens atop the chart with 199,000 copies sold, good for a No. 2 start on the Billboard 200. That's the biggest opening week for a country album since Taylor Swift's "Speak Now" opened with more than one million copies in November 2010, however Scotty McCreery's "Clear as Day" began with 197,000 copies last fall. Richie's "Can't Slow Down" rose to No. 55 on Country Albums in 1984, driven by "Stuck on You," which peaked at No. 24 on Country Songs that year.

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