U2 Tops Billboard's Money Makers List

Billboard has released it's 2009 Money Makers list, detailing the top 40 earners in the music industry.  The tally takes into account sales of CDs and downloads, merchandise, and most importantly, concert tickets.  Touring is the most lucrative aspect of popular music, and it's evident with U2 topping the list.  The group is currently halfway through what is expected to be the highest grossing tour in history, the 360 Tour.  Billboard estimates that U2 earned $108,601,283 in 2009.  The 360 Tour is U2's first under their new all-inclusive music/touring/merchandise deal with concert promoters Live Nation.

Bruce Springsteen landed in second place after a successful year that included a Super Bowl performance, studio album, exclusive Wal-Mart hits compilation, as well as an extensive touring schedule.  Last year's chart topper, Madonna, came in third.  The Queen of Pop completed her Sticky & Sweet Tour which is now the most successful tour by a solo artist in music history.  Her touring revenues made up for her music sales which are lagging relative to earlier years.

AC/DC mixed touring revenues with music sales, including strong sales of their back catalog to finish in fourth.  Britney Spears came in fifth following her wildly successful Circus tour and strong digital download sales of her singles.  Rounding out the top ten are Pink, The Jonas Brothers, Coldplay, Kenny Chesney, and Metallica.

See the rest of the list after the jump.

Bono Criticizes Pirates, Draws Heat

U2 frontman Bono wrote an editorial for the New York Times which critisized online piracy, supported net policy ideas, and has drawn criticism.

"A decade's worth of music file-sharing and swiping has made clear that the people it hurts are the creators...the people this reverse Robin Hooding benefits are rich service providers, whose swollen profits perfectly mirror the lost receipts of the music business," the singer wrote.

Bono then called for Internet policing to stifle piracy. Citing American efforts to stop child pornography and Chinese efforts to stifle online dissent, he noted that its possible to track Internet content and activity.

The singer's comments sparked a backlash across the web. "Bono" has quickly become one of the top trending topics on social networking site Twitter with one user saying, "its all about self promotion. He'd sell his used toilet paper if it meant promoting his career & name."

I understand how ironic it is to hear about online piracy hurting the music business from the lead singer of the top grossing live act of 2009, but people have got to understand that when you buy No Line On The Horizon, its not like all that money is going into Bono's pocket. There is a whole industry of people that you're stealing from.

People are understandably upset about the thought of policing online activity because it infringes on privacy rights, but aren't illegal downloaders infringing on the rights of copyright holders when they steal a copyrighted work?

As record sales continue to plummet and the record industry continues to hemmorage money, a solution must be reached. Obviously, the strategy so far, suing music fans and using scare tactics, hasn't worked. A new business model must be found. Perhaps Bono is the one with the answer. U2's latest release, No Line On The Horizon, has barley scraped over the 1 million mark in the United States while their supporting tour, 360 Degrees Tour, has grossed over $311 million.

You can read Bono's op-ed on ten ideas for the next ten years here.

The Decade: A Retrospective The Best Songs 85-71

"Ms. Jackson"
OutKast
Stakonia (2000)

OutKast's first No. 1 single brought this innovative, largley sample-free hip-hop duo to the general public's attention and marked the first step towards the genre's domination of America. While Andre 3000 apologized to his baby mama's mama, Big Boi stuck up for himself telling her that her grandchild is a baby and not a paycheck. The woeful account of of post-break up politics in a post-nuclear family world is for reeeeal.

"Without Me"
Eminem
The Eminem Show (2001)

"I'm not the first king of controversy, I am the worst thing since Elvis Presley to do black music so selfishly and use it to get myself wealthy," rapped Eminem in 2000. The biggest white rapper became one of the most important musical forces on the planet at the turn of the century. A cross-over star, his incredible talent made critics look the other way as he celebrated drugs and murder and bashed women and homosexuals.

"Sexyback"
Justin Timberlake
Futuresex/Lovesounds (2006)

It's a pretty bold claim to say you brought sexy back, especially if no one is really sure wthat it left in the first place. Dropping the new Michael Jackson schtick for a song, Timberlake channeled Prince in his fiersest, cockiest, and sexiest song yet. The haphazard and hypnotic synth grooves along with vocals that sound like they were recorded over a cell phone and gives the song an apocolyptic futuresex sheen.

"Viva La Vida"
Coldplay
Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends (2008)

Its not often that a song that doesn't use its title anywhere in its lyrics becomes a trans-Atlantic No. 1 smash. Of course, most of those songs don't get massive exposure via an iPod commercial or come as heavily anticipated as anything Coldplay puts out. Religious references and church bells raise "Viva La Vida" to the level of a rock hymn which, put out by the band at its peak of popularity, ironically chronicles a man recollecting his past glories.

"Underdog"
Kasabian
West Ryder Pauper Lunatic Asylum (2009)
Competing with the hordes of post-punk bands in the United Kingdom, Kasabian needed to keep the caffinated in-your-face rock songs coming while still evolving their sound.They did so on "Underdog" which used pulsating droid synth, hip-hop-like percussion beats, and fuzzed out country guitar riffs. The song, an ode to sticking it to the man, is defiant and danceable, angry and energetic, and ensures that Kasabian is no underdog in the battle for Brit rock supremacy.

"I'm A Slave 4 U"
Britney Spears
Britney (2001)
Britney Spears completely shed her squeaky clean Mickey Mouse club image with her Prince influenced, N.E.R.D. produced single. A radical shift in her sound, "I'm A Slave 4 U" succeeded in sounding dirty before Spears even starts panting thanks to the off-kilter minimalistic backing track. Just as you start to get dizzy, Spears begins demanding respect. "All you people look at me like I'm a little girl but did you ever think it would be OK for me to step into this world?" No Britney, we expected it.

"Beautiful Day"
U2
All That You Can't Leave Behind (2000)
With an opening is reminiscent of the "Chariot of Fire" theme , and a simplicity that enhances its beauty, "Beautiful Day" is not only one of U2's most triumphant moment of the decade, but one of the greatest moments of their career. Bono said the song was about a man who was optimistic despite losing everything. It seems to encapsulate everything the band stands for. It's epic, it's beautiful, it's love, and it's hopeful.

"No One"
Alicia Keys
As I Am (2007)
Alicia Keys is hip enough and catchy enough to win over mainstream radio yet friendly enough for your mom to go out and buy her album, which is exactly what Clive Davis was hoping for. "No One" is a song that you hear for the first time but you swear you've heard it before; an instant classic. The soulful and melodic Stevie Wonder-esque tune charms you with its emphatic declaration that, "no one can get in the way of what I'm feeling".

"Cry Me A River"
Justin Timberlake
Justified (2002)
Breaking up is hard enough, but having your ex tell you to cry a river and for the world to hear (not to mention make a music video where he breaks into your house and puts a video of him kissing another woman on your television) makes it a million times worse. The song is claustrophobic with Timberlake's falsetto traversing the organic soundscape created by Timbaland. Interestingly enough, Britney Spears responded to Justin Timberlake's attacks with an apology in the form of "Everytime".

"Whenever, Wherever"
Shakira
Laundry Service (2002)
Scoring hits in Spanish and English with equal ease, Shakira is the postergirl for international boundary-defying pop and "Whenever Wherever" is its theme song. Shakira's vocals are like a wild Latin version of Alanis Morisette singing over an orchestra of tribal drums and Australian didgeridoos. Her pleas that, "we're meant to be together" sound not only like a fiesta in your ears, but a call for world peace.

"In Da Club"
50 Cent
Get Rich or Die Tryin' (2003)
50 Cent has become so irrelevant that its hard to remember the time he was one of the most important rappers around, if only for a moment. "In Da Club" was a slurred club banger and a bold debut for the one time drug dealer. Even with Curtis Jackson's rough past, including being shot nine times, his invitation, "come give me a hug," as well as reminding us that everyday is someone's birthday somewhere, made him lovable.

"Beware of the Boys"
Panjabi MC feat. Jay-Z
Legalised (2002)
There was a time in the mid-2000s when every pop hit had an Eastern flavor to it. Jay-Z's "Beware of the Boys" with Panjabi MC is one of the reasons why. Hova outsourced his backing track, using "Mundian To Bach Ke" by Panjabi MC and adding a rap over it. Like a snake charmer, Jay brings Brooklyn and Lahore together for four unifying minutes. The chorus is sung in Punjabi (no, that's not a slur, Punjab is a region in India) and the instrumentation is of the hypnotic bhangra variation.

"The Scientist"
Coldplay
A Rush of Blood to the Head (2002)
I still don't understand how Chris Martin pulled off the video for "The Scientist". Singing the entire song forwards while time moves backwards, Martin delivers one of the most poignant songs in Coldplay's body of work. "Nobody said it was easy," he sings, "Take me back to start". The piano is simple and steady, the percussion light and understated. Written about man's powerlessness in the face of love, the song was inspired by the solo work of George Harrison.

"Don't Tell Me"
Madonna
Music (2000)
Madonna kick-started the decade with a tripped out electro-folk album and had the balls to simply name it Music. With "Don't Tell Me", the pop star waxes poetically over a stuttering guitar lick that was so ahead of its time that some listeners tried to return their copy of the album thinking it was faulty. Tell the bed not to make, take the black off a crow, but please, don't ever tell Madonna to stop.

U2 Performs With Jay-Z At Brandenburg Gate

The 2009 MTV European Music Awards were held in Germany to commemorate the 20th anniversary of the fall of the Berlin Wall.

U2 performed for the occasion in front of a crowd of 10,000 at the Brandenburg Gate. They played "Magnificent", "One", and closed the set out with "Sunday Bloody Sunday" with Jay-Z. "Sunday Bloody Sunday" is my favorite U2 song of all time and I got chills watching this. It's breathtaking.

Here's a video of the performance taken from the crowd, but I recommend watching the clip at the MTV website. You can see it by clicking here.

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.

Raise Your Grades: Listen to Sufjan

A study by CalTech student Virgil Griffith showed that students with better SAT scores listen to Sufjan Stevens. Actually, Beethoven has the smartest listeners with an average SAT score of 1371. Other top artists include Radiohead, Counting Crows, U2, and Bob Dylan. At the bottom end? Lil Wayne. Beyonce, T.I., and the Used are just barely ahead of the four time Grammy winning artist. I'm just glad Jimmy Eat World ranked above Fall Out Boy. Thank goodness. Check out where your favorite artists landed here and as we gear up for finals, listen to more Sufjan. Here's my favorite track from the Petoski, Michigan native, "Casimir Pulaski Day".

U2 Reveals Cover for No Line On The Horizon
How U2 of them. Tracklisting available here. First single entitled "Get On Your Boots".