Eminem Reigns Supreme on Billboard 200 Album Chart

     Rapper Eminem spends a seventh non-consecutive week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 album chart with Recovery, giving him the longest stay at the top for a male artists since Usher in 2004.  In addition, Recovery has the longest stay at No. 1 for an album since Taylor Swift's Fearless spent 11 non-consecutive weeks at No. 1 in 2008 and 2009.

     Recovery is 2010's biggest selling album so far, shifting over 2 million copies in the past two months.  17 Track's heralded the album as "an Eminem album for people who don't buy Eminem albums," and that it has turned out to be.  The pop crossover success of lead single "Not Afraid" has been overshadowed by the Rihanna collaboration "Love The Way You Lie" which sits atop the Hot 100 for a sixth week.  People who usually only quote Ke$ha lyrics on their Facebook profiles are quoting an Eminem song (sure, they might be quoting the Rihanna part, but it's still an Eminem song).

     Chart watchers are predicting Eminem will relinquish the top spot next week as Katy Perry's Teenage Dream is expected to debut at No. 1.

Eminem featuring Rihanna "Love The Way You Lie" Music Video

     Eminem's "Love the Way You Lie" featuring Rihanna has spent the past three weeks at No. 1 and has become the first Eminem song quoted in the Facebook statuses of people who usually only quote Ke$ha.  You know you have a major hit on your hands when that happens.

     The music video, directed by Joseph Kahn who has worked on such iconic videos as "Toxic", "Womanizer", and "All The Lovers", features Megan Fox and "Lost" actor Dominic Monaghan caught in a violent and passionate relationship.  Rihanna, who recently told "Access Hollywood" that this song was what she "needed" following the physical abuse she experienced with Chris Brown, sings her hook in front of a burning house.  "Just gonna stand there and watch me burn, but that's alright because I love the way it hurts."

Check out the video below.

Eminem Crashes Rihanna Concert, Performs "Love The Way You Lie"

     Last night, Eminem surprised the crowd at Rihanna's Last Girl on Earth Tour to perform the No. 1 song in the country with the Rated R singer.  The fans at the Staples Center shouldn't have been that surprised though, because Eminem and Rihanna were in Los Angeles filming the video for "Love The Way You Lie" with famed director Joseph Kahn (responsible for "Toxic", "LoveGame", "Womanizer", and "All The Lovers"). Reading @idolator's Twitter feed last night, it was evident that the crowd went nuts hearing the pair live, and now you can see it for yourself in the video clip below.

     I can't say enough good things about this track.  It's the early frontrunner for 17 Track's song of the year.  It's an Eminem song for people who don't listen to Eminem, a Rihanna song for people who don't listen to Rihanna.  It's the best Eminem track since "Lose Yourself", and it proves that "Live Your Life" with T.I. and "Run This Town" with Jay-Z and Kanye were just warm-ups for Rihanna.

Chart Watch: Eminem, Rihanna Kick Katy Perry, Snoop Dogg from the Penthouse

     After spending three consecutive weeks at No. 2, Eminem and Rihanna's "Love The Way You Lie" finally tops Katy Perry's "California Gurls" [sic] on the Billboard Hot 100, ending it's excruciatingly long six week stay at the summit.    This marks Eminem's fourth No. 1 single, and Rihanna's seventh.

     "Love The Way You Lie" appeared on charts as soon as Eminem's Recovery album was available for download.  After selling 338,000 digital downloads in a week, the song materialized at No. 2.  Strong first week sales for this track were to be expected; Eminem fans already proved their loyalty and buying power earlier this year when they sent "Not Afriad" to the penthouse on the strength of downloads alone.  Teaming him up with Rihanna, a singer with an amazing batting average on the Hot 100, could only improve the single's showing.

Eminem Tops Album Charts with Monster First Week

     Rapper Eminem, the biggest selling artist of the 2000s, makes a massive debut on this week's Billboard album charts as his Recovery sold 741,000 in its opening week.  That marks not only the biggest opening week for an album in 2010, but the biggest since 2008 when AC/DC sold 784,000 copies of their Black Ice.  Slim Shady's numbers are an improvement on his 2009 Relapse (which was the album with the second highest opening week sales of 2009) with 608,000 copies sold.

Album Review: Eminem "Recovery"

"And to the fans, I’ll never let you down again, I’m back.  I promise to never go back on that promise, in fact, let’s be honest, that last Relapse CD was ehhhh." - Eminem, "Not Afraid"

     Even though Eminem was the top-selling artist of the 2000s (over 32 million albums sold), by the time his final release of the decade came out, Eminem seemed irrelevant.  Slim Shady seemed to realize that himself.  "I almost made a song dissing Lil Wayne.  It's like I was jealous of him 'cause of the attention he was getting.  I felt horrible about myself," he raps in "Talkin' 2 Myself".

     Luckily for us, Eminem has bounced back with Recovery, the most commercial record of his career.  Gone are the songs about killing his wife or themes of homophobia and misogyny.  Instead, the album is vulnerable and raw.   In the liner notes, Eminem dedicates the album to "anyone who's in a dark place tryin' 2 get out. keep your head up... it does get better!" That notion is fulfilled in the first single, "Not Afraid" which is essentially a hip-hop "Beautiful", a hold-hands-and-stick-it-to-the-man anthem.

     The record benefits from radio friendly duets including "Won't Back Down" with Pink and "No Love" with Lil Wayne.  The album's highlight however is the haunting "Love The Way You Lie" with Rihanna.  It's the best song Slim Shady has recorded since his milestone "Lose Yourself" in 2002.  Taking on the subject of domestic abuse, the album's second single can give a grown man chills.  Yeah, I'd say Eminem is back.

Rating: 8/10
Must download: "Not Afraid", "No Love", "Love The Way You Lie"

The Sham-Wow Guy Pitches Eminem's New Album

     Eminem's highly anticipated Recovery hits stores next week, and if the No. 1 single "Not Afraid" and stellar collaborations with Rihanna, Lil Wayne, and Pink weren't enough, Slim Shady has the Sham-Wow guy hawking his new record.

     "The Eminem CD has dozens of uses! Cuts razor-thin slices! Use it as a coaster! Put it on your hose!"  Why anyone would download the digital version on iTunes is beyond me.

Eminem and Rihanna Team Up to Tackle Abuse in "Love The Way You Lie"

     Eminem's forthcoming Recovery is shaping up to be one of the best and most powerful rap albums of the year.  The newly surfaced "Love The Way You Lie" featuring Rihanna deals with physical abuse, a topic Rihanna touched on in her album Rated R.  Still, she didn't deal with it in such a raw, haunting, and emotional way as she has on this new Slim Shady duet.

     "High off of love, drunk from her hate...When it's gonna good, its going great, I'm Superman with the wind at his back, she's Louis Lane, but when its bad its awful. I feel so ashamed. I snapped.  Who is that dude? I don't even know his name.  I laid hands on her," raps Eminem.

     Holy cow.  This song is a home run for both artists.  They took such a sensitive subject and explored it in such an honest way.  I have a feeling Eminem is going to go a long way with new reflective attitude, and even though Rihanna makes great summer jams, it's nice to hear her in a serious song like this.  Well done.

Chart Watch: Eminem Debuts On Top

     Rapper Eminem earns his third No. 1 single this week as "Not Afraid", the lead single from his forthcoming Recovery, is set to debut at No. 1 on the Hot 100 tomorrow.  In case you're not familiar with the Hot 100, debuting at No. 1 is a big deal.  Like a really big deal.  In the 52-year history of the chart, this is only the 16th time a song will debut at the top spot.

     "Not Afraid" was released digitally last Monday, just four days after being sent to radio.  The single scored the biggest sales week of 2010 so far, selling 380,000 digital downloads according to Nielsen SoundScan.  With numbers like that, and no super-strong contenders for the top slot, Eminem becomes the first artist to debut at No. 1 since Britney Spears took the trashy "3" to the penthouse last October.

     When Spears debuted at No. 1, she was the first non-American Idol artist to do so since Lauryn Hill took "Doo Wop (That Thing)" to the top in 1998.  Of the 16 songs to debut at No. 1, eleven occurred from 1995 to 1998 when chart rules made it relatively easy for big acts to orchestrate a debut on top.  Since then, only American Idol had the power to unify consumers to buy enough copies of a particular song to pull it off...until Britney proved it could still happen.

     The fact that Spears and Eminem are the first two non-Idol artists of the 21st to debut at No. 1 is interesting.  Although each artist appeals to two different crowds (and I'm sure Eminem would hate being compared to Britney Spears), they both have a number of striking similarities.  Each artist released their first single in 1998 and has three No. 1 hits to their name.  For Britney they are "...Baby One More Time", "Womanizer", and "3".  For Eminem they are "Lose Yourself", "Crack A Bottle", and "Not Afraid".

     Each of their first chart topper is arguably their signature hit and it occurred during the peak of their popularity.  But while "...Baby One More Time" and "Lose Yourself" hit No. 1, so many of their other songs, huge hits in their own right, didn't.  "Oops!...I Did It Again" stalled at No. 9 as did "Toxic".  "The Real Slim Shady" hit No. 4 and "Without Me" barley missed out, peaking at No. 2.  As the 2000s rolled on, both Miss Spears and Slim Shady seemed to lose their relevance.  Gone were the days when albums like Oops!...I Did It Again and The Marshall Mathers LP, both released in 2000, could sell and 10 million copies each.  Although both artists had scores of intensely loyal fans, it seemed like each would be stuck with only one No. 1 hit apiece.

Lil Wayne Ready To Drop Rebirth. No, Seriously.

Remember when Lil Wayne said Rebirth would be released before 2009 was over? Yeah, that didn't happen. Its almost been a year since 17 Tracks reported Wayne's foray into rock-rap. 808s & Heartbreak hadn't cooled yet and the thought of Wayne pulling a Kayne West and veering off the straight up rap path sounded exciting. Rebirth is now scheduled to be released on February 2.

Here's "Drop the World" featuring Eminem, the fifth song to be released from the unreleased album.

Best Selling Albums of 2009

Neilsen Soundscan has released the sales figures for 2009's top selling albums, and Taylor Swift beat out Susan Boyle and Michael Jackson for the top spot.

Swift's Fearless sold 3.2 million, just barley ahead of Boyle's I Dreamed A Dream which shifted 3.1 million copies. Jackson's Number Ones came in third selling 2.3 million. Check out 2009's top selling albums below.

1. Fearless

Taylor Swift

3.2 million copies sold

Released November 11, 2008

Swift's victory comes as no surprise. Fearless spent 11 weeks at No. 1 on the Billboard album chart. Eleven songs from the album charted on the Hot 100, including "Love Story" at No. 4 and "You Belong With Me" at No. 2. She became the first country artist to win a MTV Video Music Award (and she won over the hearts of Americans thanks to Kanye). Her cross-over appeal ensured both country and top 40 radio airplay. If that wasn't enough, the album was re-released with six new songs (and yes, all six landed somewhere on the Hot 100) spurring sales even more.

2. I Dreamed A Dream

Susan Boyle

3.1 million copies sold

Released November 23, 2009

Susan Boyle's second place finish is very impressive. Released the last week in November, I Dreamed A Dream managed to sell almost as much as Fearless did in an entire year. Thank you YouTube. Thanks to the Britian's Got Talent contestant's audition clip which went viral, the entire world fell in love with Boyle, the unlikley star. Her compelling story, powerful voice, and collection of ballads released right before Christmas was a recipe for success. Millions of consumers who usually don't buy CDs did (And the best thing about those kinds of consumers? They don't illegally download, nor do they know how).

3. Number Ones

Michael Jackson

2.3 million copies sold

Released November 18, 2003

Chart watchers predicted front runner Fearless would face stiff compitition from Number Ones after Jackson died this June. Although 2.3 million isn't bad for a compilation album released in 2003, sales of Number Ones were cannabalized by consumers buying other Jackson records. I'm sure the Jackson estate isn't too worried; the King of Pop ended up the top selling artist of the year with a total of 8.2 million albums sold. Other albums of his in the top 20 were This Is It landed at No. 12, Thriller at No. 14, and The Essential Michael Jackson at No. 20.

4. The Fame

Lady Gaga

2.2 million copies sold

Released August 19, 2008

I actually got The Fame the day it came out. Lady Gaga had lit the blogosphere on fire, but I had no idea that her debut even had the potential to be one of 2009's biggest selling albums. "Just Dance" took its time climbing up the Hot 100, and consumers responded. Gaga wasn't finished though, popping out hit after hit. After so many smash hit singles, consumers eventually decided that buying the full length album was worth their time. The Fame peaked at No. 4 on the album charts in March, but in December, following the release of The Fame Monster, it shot back into the top ten. As of this week, The Fame is ranked No. 2 on the album charts, a new peak.

5. My Christmas

Andrea Bocelli

2.2 million copies sold

Released November 3, 2009
There is something unfullfilling about a Christmas album selling well. At least it isn't 2007, when the best selling album was a Christmas album, Noel by Josh Groben. I guess that's all I have to say about that.

6. Hannah Montana Movie Soundtrack

The Artist Formerly Known As Hannah Montana

1.8 million copies sold

Released March 23, 2009

The artist formerly known as Hannah Montana had one of the same problems as Michael Jackson - too many releases to choose from. Busy soccer moms had three different 2009 Hannah albums to choose from to play for their girls as they drove their SUVs around. The soundtrack to the Disney star's movie was the best choice though, it had "The Climb" on it for crying out loud!

7. The E.N.D.

The Black Eyed Peas

1.7 million copies sold

Released June 9, 2009

You would think that six straight months with the No. 1 song in the country would ensure a little more than 1.7 million in sales, wouldn't you? And how much of these sales are from when the price for the digital album dramatically dropped to coincide with their DirectTV ad and the group's attempt to return to the top ten and make "Meet Me Halfway" their third No. 1 single?

8. Relapse

Eminem
1.7 million copies sold
Released May 15, 2009

Eminem had the biggest opening sales week of the year, selling over 600,000 copies of Relapse. That is until Susan Boyle blew him out of the water. Despite a cover that looked like puke in the form of Slim Shady and a slew of under performing singles (except the No. 1 hit "Crack A Bottle"), Relapse was a hit, a comeback for one of the early 00s biggest rappers.

9. Blueprint 3

Jay-Z
1.5 million copies sold
Released September 11, 2009

Jay-Z passed Elvis and became the solo artist with the most No. 1 albums when Blueprint 3 opened at the top spot, his 11th to do so. Anchored by high profile guest appearances like Rihanna, Kanye West, and Alicia Keys, Hova appealed to his rap base but had the hooks to cross over to pop. Even though the artist formerly known as Hannah Montana sang about the Jay-Z song being on, she reportedly never heard one. After Blueprint 3 singles impacted radio, I'm sure that changed.

10. Only By The Night

Kings of Leon
1.3 million copies sold
Released September 19, 2009

Like The Fame, I bough Only By The Night the day it was released after I fell in love with "Sex On Fire". The Kings of Leon seemed destined for mediocrity when it came to sales of their latest album, but then "Use Somebody" happened. Its a cheap Nickleback-lite tune, but for some reason, Americans loved it. Not only did they buy the song, but they ended up buying the entire album. Only By The Night ended up being iTune's Album of the Year.

Chart Watch: A Look Back at the No. 1 Hits of 2009

In 2009, 13 songs topped the Billboard Hot 100 (one of them, "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)" by Beyonce, was a holdover from 2008). Kelly Clarkson kick started the year by retaking the record for highest jump to No. 1. The Black Eyed Peas spent a record breaking six months at No. 1 that seemed like it would never end. Britney Spears became the first non-American Idol artist to debut at No. 1 in the 21st century. It was quite the year. Let's take a look back at the songs that topped the Billboard Hot 100, the Dow Jones of pop, in 2009.

Lady Gaga
"Just Dance" feat. Colby O'Donis
No. 1 the week of Jan. 17
Spent three weeks at No. 1
Lady Gaga's first No. 1 single

"Just Dance" was released nine months prior and had topped the charts in both Australia and Canada when Gagamania finally hit the United States. The song's ascent to the top took 22 weeks, the longest chart run for a No. 1 hit since 2000 when Creed's "With Arms Wide Open" took 27 weeks to do so. Benefiting from the post-Christmas rush to fill up newly purchased iPods, "Just Dance" sold 419,000 digital downloads in a single week, the second highest one week total up to that point (only Flo Rida's "Low", which shifted 467,000 downloads in a week one year earlier, was ahead).

Kelly Clarkson
"My Life Would Suck Without You"
No. 1 the week of Feb. 7
Spent two weeks at No. 1
Kelly Clarkson's second No. 1 single

Kelly Clarkson broke the Beatle's 34-year-old record for biggest jump to No. 1 back in 2002 when "A Moment Like This" jumped 52-1. Clarkson wasn't able to hold onto her record as long as the Fab Four were however, because it was soon broken by Maroon 5, T.I. (twice), and Britney Spears. When the Max Martin and Dr. Luke penned "My Life Would Suck Without You" pole vaulted 97-1, Clarkson retook her record, which has yet to be broken.


Eminem
"Crack A Bottle" feat. Dr. Dre & 50 Cent
No. 1 the week of Feb. 21
Spent one week at No. 1
Eminem's second No. 1 single, Dr. Dre's third, and 50 Cent's fourth

After Kelly Clarkson's big jump to No. 1 two weeks earlier, Eminem's 78-1 move didn't seem all that exciting, but was the fourth biggest move to the penthouse in chart history. "Crack A Bottle" also posted some big numbers, setting the record for highest first week sales after shifting 418,000 in its first week. That bested the previous record set by T.I. and Rihanna with "Live Your Life". The record would be broken once again a week later by Flo Rida.


Flo Rida
"Right Round"
No. 1 the week of Feb. 28
Spent six weeks at No. 1
Flo Rida's second No. 1 single

Flo Rida is an interesting character. Devoid of personality, this rent-a-rapper makes music that can hardly be considered rap. He is either hit or miss, and the success of his two No. 1 hits is grossly disproportionate to the value he adds to popular music. After "Low" sold more copies in a single week than its parent album did in a full year, Flo Rida only grazed the top ten one other time...until "Right Round". The Dead or Alive sampling pop song sold 636,000 digital downloads in one week, completely obliterating the previous record, 467,000 also by Flo Rida, for "Low". Again, excitement over one of his singles failed to generate interest in him or his album, and Flo Rida quietly crept back into obscurity until he one day he will decide to pop off another worthless but popular smash record.

Lady Gaga
"Poker Face"
No. 1 the week of April 11
Spent one week at No. 1
Lady Gaga's second No. 1 single

When "Poker Face" topped the charts, Lady Gaga became the first female to have her first two singles go No. 1 since Christina Aguilera did it in 2000 with "Genie In A Bottle" and "What A Girl Wants". It was ironic considering Aguilera had said several months prior that she was, "completely unaware of this person (Lady Gaga)," and that she, "didn't know if it was a man or a woman." What do you want to bet that Christina knows who Lady Gaga is now? "Poker Face" only spent a week at No. 1, but spent eight weeks at No. 2, the longest time spent there since Missy Elliott languished as runner-up for 10 weeks with "Work It" in 2002.

The Black Eyed Peas
"Boom Boom Pow"
No. 1 the week of April 18
Spent 12 weeks at No. 1
The Black Eyed Peas' first No. 1 single

With a line like, "I'm so 3008, you're so two thousand and late," "Boom Boom Pow" seemed like it dated itself the moment it was released. Couldn't they have found something to rhyme with nine? Nevertheless, the Black Eyed Peas bounced back from the horror that was "My Humps" to conquer the world. "Boom Boom Pow" topped the charts across the world, including 12 weeks in the U.S., and was crowned the biggest song of 2009 when Billboard released their end of the year lists.

The Black Eyed Peas
"I Gotta Feeling"
No. 1 the week of July 11
Spent 14 weeks at No. 1
The Black Eyed Peas' second No. 1 single

The Black Eyed Peas became the tenth artists in chart history to replace themselves at No. 1 when "I Gotta Feeling" kicked "Boom Boom Pow" out of the penthouse. Little did we know that the national nightmare of their chart dominance had only just begun. The Peas spent a record shattering 26 consecutive weeks at No. 1. That's six months. Half a year. Disgusting. Five songs peaked at No. 2 behind the Peas, and none of them could match both strong radio airplay and digital sales at the same time, allowing "I Gotta Feeling" to spend 14 weeks at No. 1, the second longest run on top in the 2000s.

Jay Sean

"Down" feat. Lil Wayne

No. 1 the week of Oct. 17

Spent two weeks at No. 1

Jay Sean's first No. 1 single, Lil Wayne's second

Jay Sean was an unlikely David to the Black Eyed Peas' Goliath. This British R&B singer was the first artist of Punjab descent to top the U.S. charts, and he did so by a razor thin margin. The Peas had finally ran out of steam and dropped to No. 5, and in the ensuing scramble for No. 1, "Down" competed with the likes of Miley Cyrus and Jay-Z to take the penthouse. Billboard reported it was the closest fight for No. 1 in more than six years.

Britney Spears
"3"
No. 1 the week of Oct. 24
Spent one week at No. 1
Britney Spears' third No. 1 single

Britney Spears used to be sexy. Writhing around in nothing but diamonds or draping a snake around her neck, no one could compete with her. Her recent attempts to be sexy however, have fallen flat on their face. Singing about threesomes? Really Britney? You have two kids now. Max Martin, co-writer of "3", also gave the world "I Kissed A Girl" and "If U Seek Amy". He is the master of making worthless trashy songs that sell boatloads. In fact, "3" sold so many digital downloads in its first week, 255,000, that radio airplay was irrelevant and it debuted at No. 1, the first song in three years to do so (how fitting), and the only song not by an American Idol performer to do so in the 00s.

Owl City
"Fireflies"
No. 1 the week of Nov. 7
Spent two weeks at No. 1
Owl City's first No. 1 single

"Fireflies" was an iTunes free single in July and over half a million people downloaded the track. Two months later, it appeared on the Hot 100 and began its ascent up the chart. Owl City isn't a band, it's actually just one guy, Adam Young, who started making laptop music in his parent's basement in Minnesota. The blogosphere dubbed his music "Postal Service lite", because its digital lighter-than-air quality, but let's be honest, the lyrics suck.

Jason DeRulo
"Whatcha Say"
No. 1 the week of Nov. 14
Spent one week at No. 1
Jason DeRulo's first No. 1 single

It's a wonder that Jason DeRulo didn't credit Imogeon Heap in "Whatcha Say", as a sample from her "Hide And Seek" is the hook of the song. Although DeRulo charmed consumers and radio programmers, Heap fans were livid that their favorite singer had her voice shred through an auto-tuner and commercialized. "Whatcha Say" was the fourth No. 1 of the year that was an artist's first single following Lady Gaga, Jay Sean, and Owl City.

Jay-Z

"Empire State of Mind" feat. Alicia Keys

No. 1 the week of Nov. 28

Spent five weeks at No. 1

Jay-Z and Alicia Key's fourth No. 1 single

The team that everyone loves to hate, the New York Yankees, won the World Series, but it didn't stop New York's new theme song from topping the charts. What's even more surprising is "Empire State of Mind" relied more heavily on radio airplay than digital downloads to go No. 1. I doubt Philadelphia radio stations did much to help the song's cause. "Empire" was the first song to not include its title anywhere in its lyrics since Coldplay's "Viva La Vida" hit the top spot in 2008 as well becoming Jay-Z's first No. 1 with the lead credit. Still, he couldn't have done it without Keys. Her hook makes the song.

Nielsen SoundScan Announces Decade's Best Selling Albums, Singles

Nielsen SoundScan, the organization responsible for tracking sales for the music industry, has announced the decade's best selling albums and singles.

The Beatles' 2000 hits compilation 1 tops the album list, selling over 11 million copies. "Low" a hit for Flo Rida in 2007 is the most purchased single of the decade with over 5 million downloads.

A quick look at the list shows the dramatic shift the record industry has undergone in the 2000s. No album on the list was released after 2004, and the oldest song is from 2007.

At the turn of the century, album sales were at a record high, but illegal downloading soon began eating away at sales. iTunes and other digital downloading service arose as a legal alternative, but it changed consumer music buying habits making 99 cent songs the purchase of choice over a full length album.

Eminem is the only artist with two albums on the list while Lady Gaga scores two singles on that respective list.

Best Selling Albums of the Decade in U.S.

1. The Beatles, 1 (2000) - 11,499,000 copies sold
2. *NSYNC, No Strings Attached (2000) - 11,112,000
3. Norah Jones, Come Away With Me (2002) - 10,546,000
4. Eminem, The Marshall Mathers LP (2000) - 10,204,000
5. Eminem, The Eminem Show (2002) - 9,799,000
6. Usher, Confessions (2004) - 9,712,000
7. Linkin Park, Hybrid Theory (2000) - 9,663,000
8. Creed, Human Clay (1999) - 9,491,000
9. Britney Spears, Oops! … I Did It Again (2000) - 9,185,000
10. Nelly, Country Grammar (2000) - 8,461,000

Best Selling Singles of the Decade

1. Flo Rida feat. T-Pain - “Low” (2007) - 5,214,000
2. Lady Gaga feat. Colby O’Donis - “Just Dance” (2008) - 4,690,000
3. Jason Mraz - “I’m Yours” (2008) - 4,619,000
4. Timbaland feat. OneRepublic - “Apologize” (2007) - 4,439,000
5. The Black Eyed Peas - “Boom Boom Pow” (2009) - 4,349,000
6. Soulja Boy Tell’em - “Crank That” (2007) - 4,315,000
7. Lady Gaga - “Poker Face” (2008) - 4,200,000
8. Coldplay - “Viva la Vida” (2008) - 4,140,000
9. Taylor Swift - “Love Story” (2008) - 4,005,000
10. Katy Perry - “Hot N Cold” (2008) - 3,945,000

The Decade: A Retrospective The Best Songs 10-1

"Clocks"
Coldplay
A Rush of Blood To The Head (2002)

In early 2008 Coldplay was voted The Band Most Likely to Put You to Sleep in the United Kingdom, seemingly a slap in the face. Although they’ve learned to “rock out” a little more than they used to, Coldplay has always had a knack for atmospheric dreamy music, and it’s not a bad thing.

"Clocks" is lighter than air. The gently tumbling piano is beautiful and its the kind of melody that's an instant classic. Our children and our children's children will recognize it their entire lives, even before they're old enough to know who Coldplay is. Despite the simplicity of the track, it feels larger than life. Chris Martin takes lyrics about clocks, tigers, and shooting apples of your head, and sells them more than he's ever sold a song before or since. "Am I apart of the cure or am I part of the disease?" Don't worry Coldplay, you're part of the cure.

"Banquet"
Bloc Party
Silent Alarm (2005)

With syncopated guitars, unyielding drums, and Kele Okereke’s desperate and cathartic vocals “Banquet” is like a kick to the face. The snappy single is like a template for the band’s later hits, exploring themes of alienation, paranoia, and coming of age while mixing post punk with indie and dance rock. The song broke the band internationally and continues to be a must use track for MTV montages and extreme sports video games.

"Banquet" hits you like a machine gun with its lyrics about our disheartened generation and feelings of being underratted and suffocated. "I'm on fire so stomp me out," Okereke sings. The only deliverance comes from Bloc Party’s crisp and energetic performance. A perfect stick-it-to-the-man anthem and the best indie rock the decade had to offer.

"Run"
Snow Patrol
Final Straw (2003)
In America at least, Snow Patrol will always be known for “Chasing Cars” thanks to its placement in the popular television show Grey’s Anatomy. For all the beauty and lovey-dovey feelings that song evokes, “Run” does it even better. Starting out as dark and moody rock and haunted by the protagonist’s love interest being “the only thing that’s right in all I’ve done”, the song is lifted by a sense of hope by the time the chorus comes around.
“Run” reaches hymn-like status as the strings kick in and singer Gary Lightbody proclaims “Light up, light up, as if you have a choice” and all of a sudden, running away from all this mess to a better place sounds like the answer to all of life’s problems. Leona Lewis covered the song in 2008, a version which Lightbody himself described as “phenomenal”.

"Since U Been Gone"
Kelly Clarkson
Breakaway (2004)

Reality show pop stars have gained a notorious reputation for putting out crap, and in all honesty, they deserve that reputation. Inaugural idol Kelly Clarkson however, is one of the few exceptions. “Since U Been Gone” is perfect pop. Its as if it were crafted in a laboratory in Sweden bent on total domination of the world’s radio waves (which it was). Luckily, Clarkson decided the pop ditty needed a little edge and insisted on rocking out as much as Clive Davis would let her.

Released during a time when hip-hop ruled the charts, the song only managed to go No. 2, but it is arguably the most ubiquitous No. 2 hit of all-time. Destined for heavy rotation at karaoke bars for generations to come, "Since U Gone" struck a chord with listeners. It wasn't just a bitter break up song, it was empowering. She wasn't going to mourn the loss of her lover, she was going to move on, and be better than ever. If this was the only good thing to come out of American Idol, it was all worth it.

"Somebody Told Me"
The Killers
Hot Fuss (2004)

It’s no surprise that “Somebody Told Me” would end up in the upper echelons of this list, after all, this blog gets its name from it (“17 tracks and I’ve had it with this game”). Blog names aside, this song stands on its own merits as one of the decade’s best tracks. It oozes Las Vegas glam more than any other song the band has done thanks to the dirty buzz of the synth lines that share space with good old fashioned rock and roll guitar and drums.

The lyrics hint at either bisexuality, sex changes, androgyny, or all three (“Somebody told me that you had a boyfriend that looked like a girlfriend that I had in February of last year”) and the sexual energy in Brandon Flower’s voice is palpable. Released as the Killer’s debut single, it failed to initially get any traction but took off as soon as the British music press got ahold of it.

"Toxic"
Britney Spears
In The Zone (2003)
Mid-decade Britney Spears was a pop star in transition. She had shed every vestige of her former Mickey Mouse Club wholesomeness and traded her Max Martin produced teen pop in for cutting edge electronica. Her evolution might have been necessary but, it hurt her sales and popularity. Not even a symbolic passing of the baton in the form of a televised kiss with her icon Madonna seemed to be enough to get Spears back on top. She needed nothing less than one of the most inventive pop songs of the modern age.

“Toxic” sounded like the theme song to an anime James Bond movie from space. The bollywood strings were so good it was hard to believe they weren’t sampled, and alongside the surf guitar, synthesizers, and the stop and go beat, it was clear that producers Bloodshy and Avant had struck gold. The video featuring Spears wearing nothing but diamonds was a natural choice, and her tantalizing delivery brought us so high that we couldn’t come down.
"Disintigration"
Jimmy Eat World
Stay On My Side Tonight (2005)
Jimmy Eat World did not peak in 2001. Their crowning achievement is this seven minute and forty four second epic released on their Stay On My Side Tonight EP in 2005. The percussion alone is capable of sending chills down the spine of a grown man as Jim Adkins asks, “I wonder why I’m so caught off guard when we kiss/I’d rather live my life in regret than do this.” Adkins portrays the emotions of grappling with a love once so real and sweet being lost and destroyed. The sleepless nights, the endless fights, the back and forth debating that goes on in the mind of someone trying to decide if all is lost or there is still hope is all captured in the song.

In the end, the band that spends most albums convincing listeners that everything is going to be alright comes to the conclusion that everything is not alright. The love that two people once knew can be destroyed beyond repair. “Hanging on a cigarette, you need me, you burn me” Adkins points out. The song reaches its crescendo as the refrain “lie, lie better next time, stay on my side tonight” is chanted amid building and dizzying guitar and drums before fading out and leaving the listener hopeless.

"Lose Yourself"
Eminem
8 Mile (2002)
“Lose Yourself” justifies Eminem’s entire existence. You’d be hard pressed to find a song that can psyche you up as much as this one does. Eminem gives the best rap performance of his career over a building rock beat asking, “If you had one shot, or one opportunity to seize everything you ever wanted in one moment, would you capture it or let it slip?” His description of the protagonist who dreams of fame only to get booed off stage and return to his trailer park is so graphic and vivid that there was no need for a movie to tell the story.

The song’s strength comes from it’s overarching theme of overcoming seemingly insurmountable obstacles. Sure, it’s about a rapper, but the intensity and energy in Eminem's go-for-broke performance translate to any situation where you are the defeated underdog who refuses to be beaten again. Eminem never sounded as raw and believable as his did in "Lose Yourself".

"Umbrella"
Rihanna
Good Girl Gone Bad (2007)
The first time you heard it you thought it was weird. The second time you heard it, you thought it might be kind of catchy. By the third time, you loved it. “Umbrella” isn’t so much weird as it is brilliant and ahead of its time. Built, around a slick drum and high-hat loop, Rihanna sings about umbrellas as a metaphor for friendship, the kind that you “take and oath and stick it out to the end”, a topic not routinely covered in pop music. Its not about lust, and not even necessarily about romance, its about offering shelter from the storms of life, a modern day “Stand By Me”.

Originally offered to Britney Spears, and Mary J. Blige, it’s hard to imagine either doing a better job than the Barbados-born pop star. Her vocal delivery, while not technically superior to her peers, is unique and unmistakable as she glides along to the mother of all hooks, “ella ella ella eh eh eh”. Her Alanis-like pronunciation of the word umbrella gives it more syllables than previously thought possible.

"Hey Ya"
OutKast
Speakerboxxx/The Love Below (2003)
Once every decade, a song comes around that defies genre placement. It transcends gender, age, and racial barriers to receive critical acclaim, commercial success, and be crowned an instant classic. “Hey Ya!” is such a song and it couldn’t have gotten there in a more non-traditional way. A pop song performed by one half of a hip-hop duo combining two of the most commonly used words in the English language that name checks Beyonce and Lucy Liu. It seemed like every lyric became a catch phrase (“What’s cooler than being cool? Ice cold! Shake it like a Polaroid picture!”). To this day, whenever “Hey Ya!” comes on, everyone, and I mean everyone from George W. Bush to Barack Obama, from Mick Jagger to your grandma, everyone within hearing distance will begin to tap their feet and I don’t think we’ll ever get sick of it. It’s that good.

It’s secret was sounding like everything in the history of rock and roll while sounding like nothing you’ve ever heard before. It’s an electrifying funk-dipped, pop-drenched, soul-infested three minutes and fifty-five seconds that sounds like a mash-up of the Beatles, Prince, and the Supremes from the future. The smooth acoustic guitar glides alongside the funky synth before crashing into handclaps and Andre 3000’s back up singing and one of the most poignant questions of the decade: “If what they say is “nothing is forever”, then what makes love the exception?”

The Decade: A Retrospective The Best Songs 70-56

"Stronger"

Kanye West
Graduation (2007)

"Stronger" was the moment that Kanye West changed his goal from being the biggest rapper in the world to being the biggest pop star in the world. Appropriating Daft Punk's "Harder, Better, Faster, Stronger", West reinvents the adage that what doesn't kill you makes you stronger into a drunken, boastful anthem that was written for the express purpose of being a No. 1 single (which it was).

"Biology"

Girls Aloud

Chemistry (2005)

"Biology" is a classic Girls Aloud track, refusing to conform to the traditional songwriting structure. Instead, the song veers from a cabaret intro to an art rock verse and then to one of its two explosive choruses. Named "best pop single of the last decade" by the Guardian, "Biology" pushed the boundaries of what pop music was supposed to be. Popjustice said, "it is pop music which makes people who don't like pop music think that they like pop music".

"Stroke of Genius"

Freelance Hellraiser
Not commercially released (2001)

Although mash-ups have their origins with the likes of the "Stars on 45" Medley in 1981, it is perhaps the twenty-first century's only totally unique genre. "A Stroke of Genius" was one of the first mash-ups to gain major exposure and it remains one of the best. Freelance Hellraiser combined two wildly divergent songs, the teen-pop of Christina Aguilera's "Genie In A Bottle" and the indie rock of the Stroke's "Hard To Explain". Purists would turn their noses to mixing the two tracks, but their union underscored the decade's trend of tearing down musical barriers.

"Box N Locks"
MPHO
Pop Art (2009)

MPHO's failure to make any major impact on British radio was a massive pop injustice. "Box N Locks" is a masterful, life affirming, and genre-defying debut. Borrowing heavily from Cars-inspired pop, South African born MPHO rages against critics who say she's supposed to make "urban music" because of her skin as she proclaims, "Sorry that I didn't know that I fit in the box and all the locks that's supposed to be unbreakable".

"Blinded By The Lights"
The Streets
A Grand Don't Come For Free (2004)

The Streets' "Blinded By The Lights" is the closest you can come to getting high without puffing a thing. Mike Skinner transports the listener to a club completely stoned as a haunting female voice repeats "lights are blinding my eyes" and the off kilter synth beat drowns the senses. The lyrics are paranoid and schizophrenic making something as simple as finding friends a trippy experience. "Everything in room is spinning, I think I'm gonna fall down, I wonder if they got in..." Skinner wonders before the track ends and he blacks out.

"All These Things That I've Done"
The Killers
Hot Fuss (2004)

"All These Things That I've Done" is an anthem. It begins quiet and solemn with Brandon Flowers pleading, "if you can't hold on, hold on," as a church organ sounds before the swelling guitars and the song's memorable riff take it from there. "Don't you put me on the backburner," Flowers demands. But that's not even the iconic part. The track takes off with the immortal line, "I got soul but I'm not a soldier". The gospel choir joins in, you roll down your windows and sing with them, and everything is right in the world. Everything.

"Work It"
Missy Elliott
Under Construction (2002)

During the 1960s and 70s, backmasking was a major concern for parents worried that their children's rock music was subliminally making their kids want to smoke marijuana. Missy Elliott never went that far, but she told the world to put their things down, flip it, and reverse it both forwards and backwards in her 2002 hit. The song spent a record ten weeks at No. 2 without reaching the top spot, a travesty for the old-school sampling, elephant-tail-yanking, sci-fi thriller.

"Stan"
Eminem
The Marshall Mathers LP (2000)

The word fan is derived from fanatic. Sampling Dido's "Thank You" to a haunting effect, Eminem tells the chilling fictional tale of his "biggest fan", Stan. Stan is tragically misguided and writes several letters to Eminem, each more desperate, drunk, and deranged than the one before, and each goes unanswered. Slim Shady finally responds, but not before his biggest fan ends his life driving his car off a bridge. Eminem never signed up to be an idol, but wife-beater wearing disenfranchised youth across America didn't care.

"Some Girls"
Rachel Stevens
Come and Get It (2005)

"Dreams of number one last forever," Rachel Stevens ironically sang in her No. 2 hit "Some Girls". The song, allegedly about a desperate pop star providing her "services" to a record executive in exchange for fame, was sought by Stevens as well as former Spice Girl Geri Halliwell. Stevens team pitched it as the 2004 Sports Relief charity single although it had nothing to do with sports or charity, and she got it. The track was written and produced by Richard X who used glam rock percussion with Adam Ant influenced synth to make a critic charming smash.

"Izzo (H.O.V.A.)"
Jay-Z
The Blueprint (2001)

At the end of the decade, Jay-Z declared the death of auto-tune because it had become a parody of itself. Almost ten years before however, Jay was responsible for taking a different trend and packaging it for the masses so it could quickly "jump the shark". The Kanye West produced "Izzo" brought the -izzle phenomenon into the public consciousness and soon enough, even your grandmizzle was using it. Hova tackles one of his favorite topics in this track, himself, which samples the Jackson 5's "I Want You Back".

"Paper Planes"
M.I.A.
Kala (2007)

M.I.A. had gained the respect of indie critics and the blogosphere, but it wasn't until her song about being "high like planes" was featured in the marijuana film Pineapple Express that she broke into the mainstream. Stuffed with gunshot noises, a choir of third world children chanting about taking your money, and a Clash sample, "Paper Planes" was an unlikely hit. Peaking at No. 4, it resonated at a time of worldwide economic meltdown and unending global conflict and war.

"I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor"

The Arctic Monkeys
Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not (2006)

The Arctic Monkeys rode the wave of pre-album release buzz to the top of the charts and Whatever People I Say I Am, That's What I'm Not became the fastest selling debut in British history. The week it was released, it was dubbed the fifth greatest Brit album ever. The British press can be a bit hyperbolic, but luckily the Monkeys lived up to their hype. "I Bet You Look Good On The Dancefloor", the album's lead single, is an airtight, wordy, raw, and explosive song that anyone looks good dancing to.

"Knights of Cydonia"
Muse
Black Holes and Revelations (2006)

Closing out their breakthrough album Black Holes and Revelations was Muse's "Knights of Cydonia". Clocking in at just over six minutes, "Knights" combined Queen-like grandiosity and falsetto, stampeding horses, and electro-opera synth to create an epic track. The song impressively churns on for two minutes before any vocals are needed. "How can we win when fools can be kings?" asks Matthew Bellamy.

"Feel Good Inc."
Gorillaz
Demon Days (2005)

Gorillaz's "Feel Good Inc." is hands down the best song by a fake band ever. Better than the Archie's "Sugar Sugar"? Yes. Featuring a catchy as hell bassline, a crazy manic laugh, and the zombie-like woo-hoo, the virtual group's signature song is unmistakable. Gorillaz was put together by Damon Albarn, lead singer of Blur, with assistance from DJ Dangermouse. Gorillaz went on to be recognized by Guinness Book of World Records as the most successful virtual band of all time.

"Like Eating Glass"

Bloc Party
Silent Alarm (2005)

Bloc Party opened their award winning Silent Alarm with "Like Eating Glass", a hard hitting, visceral jam that plays like an emotional heartbroken bloke too stubborn and angry to admit it. "It's so cold in this house," a lonely Kele Okereke sings. He describes his pain like "drinking poison" and "eating glass" with propulsive guitar and syncopated percussion as a soundtrack to his hurt. It was one of their first hand banging, fist pumping, danceable art-punk-rock songs, but it wouldn't be their last.