You Oughta Know: Billboard Chart Update

Here are the Top 10 albums and Top 10 singles on the Billboard charts this week:

The Billboard 200:
1. Rob Thomas - ...Something To Be
2. Mariah Carey - The Emancipation Of Mimi
3. Mike Jones - Who Is Mike Jones?
4. Il Divo - Il Divo
5. 50 Cent - The Massacre
6. Gwen Stefani - Love. Angel. Music. Baby.
7. The Killers - Hot Fuss
8. Green Day - American Idiot
9. Various Artistes - Now 18
10. Soundtrack - Three 6 Mafias Presents Choices II: The Setup

The Billboard Hot 100:
1. Hollaback Girl - Gwen Stefani
2. Hate It Or Love It - The Game Featuring 50 Cent
3. Candy Shop - 50 Cent Featuring Olivia
4. Lonely - Akon
5. Oh - Ciara Featuring Ludacris
6. Since U Been Gone - Kelly Clarkson
7. Lonely No More - Rob Thomas
8. Speed Of Sound - Coldplay
9. Obsessions (No Es Amor) - Frankie J Featuring Baby Bash
10. 1 Thing - Amerie
[Source: www.billboard.com]

I'm glad Gwen Stefani ended 50 Cent's 9-week reign on the Hot 100...simply can't stand Candy Shop! It's a tuneless song, just beats and mumbling. How can that be considered a song? And worse still, how can that be at #1 for 9 weeks?

I cannot understand the appeal of 50 Cent man. His earlier hits from the first album, In Da Club, 21 Questions and P.I.M.P. were still not bad, but Candy Shop? Anyway, I think something is very wrong with 50 Cent and the way kids these days worship him. The way he spews the N-word, it's as if it doesn't matter anymore. He's delivering the wrong message to little kids man, as Eminem would say.

But anyway, I don't really like Hollaback Girl too. It's not as melodious as What You Waiting For? or even Rich Girl, but somehow it's there at #1. Gwen is doing really well as a solo artiste, but I hope she will still record stuff with No Doubt in the future.

Coldplay's Speed Of Sound is the Hot Shot Debut this week. According to Fred Bronson's column Chart Beat, Coldplay is the only the second U.K. group in the history of the Hot 100 to have a single debut inside the Top 10, the first being The Beatles of course. If it goes to #1, it will be Coldplay's first #1 single.

Anyway, I'm sure you've noticed that the music landscape has changed over the years. The charts are now dominated by Hip-Hop/pseudo R&B songs and acts. Why pseudo R&B? Cos the real R&B isn't like that. The only mainstream artiste who is pure R&B right now is Alicia Keys. She evokes memories of the golden era of the 60's, where Aretha Franklin was queen. And her voice is sooo smooth. If I Ain't Got You has got to be my favourite song last year.

Also, collaborations are now part-and-parcel of the business. In the past, the pairing up of 2 big artistes would be like heaven and it was a one-in-a-million thing. These days, we hardly get excited anymore that Ludacris is teaming up with Justin Timberlake, or everyone else with 50 Cent (not again?!).

CD sales are on a downward trend, but I don't see much hope for the music industry if it keeps churning out all these Hip-Hop acts that are really, all the same. Sensations like Usher, Alicia Keys, Beyonce and Outkast (notice they're all black) come only once every few years. Let's see who will be the next real breakout star.