The 2009 American Music Awards

"Last nights AMAs seems to have met all 3 award show requirements: a staged controversy, a gaffe and a triumph." said John Mayer on his Twitter following Sunday's American Music Awards in Los Angeles. He was right.

The show attracted 14.2 million viewers, the most since 2002. Let's take a look at all the ingredients that made the show such a smash.



















Staged controversy: Adam Lambert's entire performance

The American Idol runner-up promised a performance you wouldn't forget, and he delivered. Wailing "For Your Entertainment", Lambert dragged a female dancer by her legs across the stage, rammed a male dancer's head into his crotch, and made out with an androgynous keyboard player all within three minutes and thirty seconds. The cameras switched to a view of the audience as soon as possible after Lambert had his dancer simulate oral sex, which would make you think ABC had no idea this would happen...but really? I'm skeptical.














Gaffe: Jennifer Lopez Falls
I still have no idea what "Louboutins" are, or why Jennifer Lopez thinks she has any right to walk around in a boxing robe and proclaim herself a champion, but I do know that girlfriend should not try to dance in high heels. Lopez wasn't even wearing high heels, but she managed to fall on stage during her performance. Although Lambert would take a tumble while climbing up stairs in his number, Lopez's fall over shadowed his. It was kind of like that duck flying into the plane the last week of George W. Bush's administration, but sexier.
*I wish I could get a clip up for you all to see just in case you missed the broadcast, but unfortunately, Dick Clark productions got the video yanked from YouTube :(













Triumph: The return of Whitney Houston
Whitney Houston put the finishing touches on her comeback by winning the seldom awarded International Artist of the Year Award. She performed "I Didn't Know My Own Strength" which worked perfectly lyrically, but was lacking on every other level. Lousy song Whitney, you should have done "Million Dollar Bill". But still, you're back on your feet.

Other highlights of the show:

• Jermaine Jackson picking up awards for his late brother (I know we miss him and all, but should we really be handing out awards for Best Soul/R&B artist for someone who hasn't released new material in eight years?). He brought his kids along with him. There was Jermajesty, Jermama, Jerbama, and Jermanji
• Taylor Swift dominating. The girl won 5 AMAs including Artist of the Year. She tweeted, "It's 5:30 AM in London, where I still haven't slept and my feet haven't touched the ground. Thank you for the AMA's. Thank you."
• Jay-Z and Alicia Keys belting out "Empire State of Mind". I love this song. It deserves to be No. 1
• Lady Gaga's monsterific performance of "Bad Romance" complete with electric glowing monster skeleton outfits and a burning piano. I would have been more surprised though if she came out in a parka.

The Winners:

ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Taylor Swift

POP/ROCK

Male Artist: Michael Jackson

Female Artist: Taylor Swift

Band, Duo or Group: Black Eyed Peas

Album: Number Ones, Michael Jackson

SOUL/R&B

Male Artist: Michael Jackson

Female Artist: Beyoncé

Band, Duo or Group: Black Eyed Peas

Album: Number Ones, Michael Jackson

RAP/HIP-HOP

Male Artist: Jay-Z

Album: Blueprint 3, Jay-Z

COUNTRY

Male Artist: Keith Urban

Female Artist: Taylor Swift

Band, Duo or Group: Rascal Flatts

Album: Fearless, Taylor Swift

ADULT CONTEMPORARY

Artist: Taylor Swift

ALTERNATIVE ROCK

Artist: Green Day

LATIN

Artist: Aventura

CONTEMPORARY INSPIRATIONAL

Artist: Mary Mary

SOUNDTRACK

Album: Twilight

T-MOBILE BREAKTHROUGH ARTIST

Gloriana

INTERNATIONAL ARTIST OF THE YEAR

Whitney Houston

Grammy Prognostications

Ballots for the 2010 Grammys are now out and as the members of the Recording Academy decide who will be nominated, music blog Hits Daily Double has made its initial guesses at who will be up for awards.

Country crossover darling Taylor Swift is predicted to do extremely well. Her Fearless is in a neck and neck battle with Michael Jackson for best selling album of the year and has produced four top ten singles. Nashville has a strong presence in the Academy (how else would the Dixie Chicks done so well in 2007?) giving Swift the edge.

Kanye West has done so well at the annual awards show, he even immortalized it in song. "Grammy night, damn right, we get dressed up". Sure, go off about how cocky he is, but the guy has won 12 Grammys! Up to this point, 808s & Heartbreak hasn't gotten the credit it deserves, but expect that to change in January.

HDD also predicts Green Day will do well at the show. Their 21st Century Breakdown didn't shift the copies or wow the critics the way American Idiot did, but when did that stop Billie Joe Armstrong and the gang? They'll most likely be up against another massive rock band with a lackluster album, U2, so it will be interesting to see who prevails in that category.

Whitney Houston might end up stealing the show. Her comeback, I Look To You, was just barley released in time to be eligible for next year's Grammys. The storyline behind her fall from grace and Clive Davis climb back to the spotlight might be too good for the Academy to reward.

The 52nd annual Grammy awards show will be broadcast on January 31 from the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

Will Video Save The Radio Star?

With record sales at an all-time low, musicians are turning to television in an attempt to reach more consumers.

Oprah Winfrey launched her fall season last week with a two part interview of singer Whitney Houston.

Houston, who recently released “I Look To You,” her first new record since 2003, fielded questions ranging from former husband Bobby Brown to drug use. Winfrey has proven to boost sales for authors and publishers through her book club but it remains to be seen if music will benefit the same way.

Read more...

Chart Watch: Black Eyed Peas & Jason Mraz On Track To Break Records

The Black Eyed Peas' "I've Gotta Feelin'" spends a lucky seventh week at No. 1, giving the Peas an incredible 18 week streak at the top spot, just one week shy of Usher's 19 week domination in 2004.

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Jason Mraz is a week away from breaking a chart longevity record of his own. "I'm Yours" has spent 68 weeks on the Hot 100 (currently at No. 23), the second highest time spent on the chart since LeAnn Rimes' "How Do I Live" lasted 69 weeks during 1997-98.

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"I'm Yours" peaked at No. 6 back in September of last year and yo-yoed in and out of the top ten for six months. The song has yet to dip below No. 35 since then and can thank its success to adult contemporary radio for picking it up after fickle pop radio moved onto something different.

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Elsewhere on the chart, Taylor Swift swaps Drake places as "You Belong With Me" moves to No. 2, Mariah Carey stalls once again as "Obsessed" remains at No. 14, and Jay-Z sees his "Run This Town" jump 88-66. Also, for the third time in chart history, both Madonna and Whitney Houston debut the same week with a new song. Madonna's "Celebration" materializes at No. 71 while Houston's "I Look To You" debuts a few spots down at No. 74.

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1. "I've Gotta Feelin'" - The Black Eyed Peas

2. "You Belong With Me" - Taylor Swift

3. "The Best I Ever Had" - Drake

4. "Knock Me Down" - Keri Hilson feat. Kanye West & Ne-Yo

5. "Use Somebody" - Kings of Leon

6. "Down" - Jay Sean feat. Lil Wayne

7. "Good Girls Go Bad" - Cobra Starship feat. Leighton Meester

8. "Fire Burning" - Sean Kingston

9. "Hotel Room Service" - Pitbull

10. "Boom Boom Pow" - The Black Eyed Peas

In the 50 year history of the Billboard Hot 100, 23 songs have topped the charts for 10 weeks or longer. These songs are so diverse that it would make the weirdest mix with the most counter-intuitive track listing ("Candle In The Wind" followed by "Macarena"?) and there probably are a lot of things that just piss you off about it (Two Santana songs? Two Mariah Carey songs? Thank Heavens Carrie Underwood's "Inside Your Heaven" went #1 for a week during the reign of "We Belong Together" or it would have 15 weeks at #1. Ew.). Regardless, here are the songs with the longest stay at #1:

To celebrate 50 years of the Billboard Hot 100 chart, 17 Tracks will highlight the chart's record breakers, chart toppers, and milestones for the next two weeks. Perhaps the most important record is that of most #1 hits of all time. There's a bit of controversy surrounding the inclusion of Elvis Presley. The Hot 100 was first complied in August of 1958 by combining the airplay, jukebox play, and sales. Ten of Presley's 17 #1's came before the creation of the Hot 100 but reached pole position on the pop chart. Some chart watchers count pre-Hot 100 hits while some do not. Here, we will. Elvis is the freaking King of Rock n' Roll; how can we not include him?