Today’s thread is brought to you by the numbers 1-1, 3, 32 and 99.
To nobody’s surprise, Adele has the number one song on the Hot 100 this week. She will have it next week too. I’ll go out on a limb and predicts she has it the following week as well. She continues to set all kinds of records and this week she adds the highest non-debut sales week to her resume with 635K units. For all-time records, that is third behind herself last week and Flo Rida’s “Right Round” back in 2009 with 636K (close!). Everybody else take a number.
Canadians continue to rule in the top 10 of the Hot 100, but this week we waved goodbye to former chart topper “Earned It”. Drake with “Hotline Bing” at 2, The Weekends “The Hills at 3, Justin Bieber with “Sorry” at 4 and “What Do You Mean” at 5 and Shawn Mendes with “Stitches” are all that remain. New this week in the top ten are donut licker Ariana Grande’s “Focus” at 7, Taylor Swift’s “Wildest Dreams” at 8, Fetty Wap’s “679” at 9 and Meghan Trainor with another hit with “Not Gonna Lose You” (surely the singing show duet of this season) at 10.
To everybody’s surprise, Chris Stapleton rushed out of nowhere to have the number 1 album last week after his CMA performance. He is going to repeat this week. Little Mix from X-Factor UK could debut with as much as 32K this week.
The Voice voting rounds are back, so the performance songs are back infesting the iTunes charts. Looks like Jordan Smith is the guy to beat since he’s managed to slide into the top 3 on iTunes this morning. If he can manage that while sweating his way through an off-key version of “Halo”, just imagine what he can do when he sings well? The top of the chart is pretty fierce these days, so I’m not surprised the next highest is Jeffrey Austen currently way down in 27th. Jordan might even hit top 2, but Adele floats above all (even Chris Stapelton’s “Tennessee Whiskey” did not get within shot sharing distance of “Hello”). Does the world really need another “Sam Smith”? Maybe he can sing less depressing songs.
Lots of interesting numbers in this article on Amazon prime trying to get more listeners for its streaming service. It is hampered by its $99 cost and lack of current big artists, so its numbers are low. But Amazon is feisty and is working the niche with a Christmas play list of indies that sounds interesting.
In other Billboard news, Voice judge Gwen Stefani is no longer satisfied with just making your favourite reality singing show contestant look ugly in a cow outfit. Now, she wants to make you pet look ugly too. That’s not Harajuku style.
