Eminem continues chart reign Down Under

Eminem has pretty much established himself as King again, managing to stay atop both the Australian Singles and Album Charts with his single Love The Way You Lie featuring Rihanna and his album Recovery.

Other than that it’s same old same old with the Australian chart. They sure do love their mindless Pitbull featured electropop though with Enrique I Like It at #2 and Usher at #10 with brand new single DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love. They’ve clearly got taste though too with Adam Lambert’s third single, the fantastic follow-up to Whataya Want From Me, If I Had You. The only new entries to the chart are Australian singer Mike Paynter and Jason Derulo’s new single What If. What does surprise me is how easily a lot of British artists seem to have cracked the Australian market? Is it that easy? Hell, Professor Green was unknown six months ago and himself and Lily have debuted at #49 on the chart. Alexandra Burke and (sigh) Pitbull have re-entered at #50 while scouting (geddit?) higher up the chart at #29 is Scouting For Girls and This Ain’t A Love Song which peaked at #19. Strange, I thought Oz would be the second most difficult market to crack after the US but obviously not.

There’s not a lot to say about the album charts really, the Top 10 is made up of Em, Glee, Enrique, Kylie, Justin, Florence, Train and homemade sibling band, the talented  Angus And Julia Stone. Clearly I’m too lazy to write out full names of bands and artists.

Thanks to MTV for the image.

For more info, check out the ARIA website.

Novelty tune ‘We No Speak Americano’ tops the UK Chart

The Aussies have taken over the UK Chart in the form of Yolanda Be Cool and D-Cup (honestly who names these guys) with their novelty dance track We No Speak Americano, this month’s answer to Riverside (Let’s Go). I’m not going to even comment on this because novelty tunes go as quickly as they came and like most gimmicky music, I am not a fan. Apart from this, the UK Singles Chart is boringly static. The highest new entries into the chart are Usher and Pitbull’s DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love and Basshunter’s Saturday. Expect the former to be absolutely huge, in an OMG vein.

The public have realised that 30 Seconds To Mars have a brilliant new single out with Closer To The Edge wihich moves up twenty-four places from #78 to #54. I’m also delighted to report that the Brits don’t think much of Jedward’s new piece of shit which stalls at #80 but less impressed that Adam Lambert Whataya Want From Me is nowhere to be seen on the chart and that the best single of the year has slipped down to #100. I encourage people to follow the Unreality Shout campaign to get Lambert into the UK Chart even if your not from the UK (like myself).

Over on the Albums Chart, Eminem remains supreme at the top with stellar comeback album Recovery (which I plan on reviewing sometime) but being closely followed by young  British and fellow white rapper Professor Green and his new LP Alive Till I’m Dead. Earth, Wind & Fire also sail in at #9 with their The Greatest Hits record. 3OH!3 do annoyingly well on the chart with their sophomore album Streets Of Gold coming in at #19 followed by RPA & The United Nations Of Sound coming in at #20 with their self titled debut. Sheryl Crow’s no doubt great new record 100 Miles From Memphis is #34 while Greatest Hits albums by Guns ‘N’ Roses and Billy Joel leap right back into the Top 100 again. Wonder what prompted the re-interest in these artists?

Check out the full UK chart here.

Why patriotism is sometimes not a good thing! Jedward top the Irish album charts.

Well the inevitable has happened!

Irish trolls Jedward have knocked Eminem and Recovery off the top of the Irish Album Chart with their shit cover album Planet J to the E to the D to the Ward, better known as Planet Jedward. I knew this would happen! Irish people are far too patriotic for their own good.

It’s not all bad though, Jedward’s unbearable Blink-182 cover All The Small Things was released last week and has debuted at a fairly floppish #21. Here’s hoping it will fall further down rather than rise up – same goes for their parent album too. Eminem needn’t be too pissed at the talentless twosome though, his Rihanna collaboration Love The Way You Lie has knocked Katy Perry’s California Gurls off the top spot, a feat he mirrored on the US Chart yesterday. Reminem, as the rapper and Bajan pop princess will be from here on out known, have bagged the top spot in the US, Canada, Australia, New Zealand and Ireland. All before a music video is even filmed. We’re definitely going to be hearing this song all Summer.

The Irish Top 50 Singles are pretty much the same as they are every week. JLS have delightedly slipped from #4 to #7, which hopefully shows that The Club Is Alive is losing steam fast. New entries to the chart are scare with Basshunter’s generic club banger Saturday at #37 and Jason Derulo and his alright ballad What If at #41. The brilliant Adam Lambert ballad Whataya Want From Me has failed to chart in its first week of release and instead we get Daniel O’ Fucking Donnell at #50 with his lovely wee single Tipperary Girl.

I’ve already spread the bad news about the album chart. Eminem has now to settle for #2 while the rest of the Top 10 is made up of chart staples Mumford & Sons, Florence + The Machine, Paolo Nutini, Lady GaGa and Justin Bieber. Gosh, these guys must have sold a gazillion records in Ireland. Give someone else a chance! Thankfully Kylie Minogue spends her third week in the Top 10 at #9, Plan B has moved from #11 to #7 no doubt thanks to his excellent new single Prayin’ and Eliza Doolittle’s self titled debut spends its second week at #10.

The highest new entry to the album chart is Professor Green with his Alive Till I’m Dead at #18, Sting disappointedly just makes the Top 40 with his new LP Synchronocities and Sheryl Crow flops in at #54 with her new album 100 Miles From Memphis. However, those low charting positions can be put down to zero promotion. 3OH!3 have had plenty of that with Top 10 single My First Kiss but its parent album Streets Of Gold has tanked at #79. Good, people finally realise that while 3OH!3 have the odd catchy single, their albums are the most brain numbing records of all time. Poor old M.I.A. is getting a better reception in the US which is surprising considering her controversial nature. How things have changed? On this side of the Atlantic, M.I.A. takes the biggest nose dive on the chart with her self titled third album dropping from #47 to #81 in its second week. Ouch!

For full chart info (without my increasingly humourous commentary), visit the IRMA website.

Eminem scores double whammy on the US Chart

Eminem might be looking a little glum in the image above but he’s sure to turn that frown upside down when he finds out that he’s bagged the top spot on both the US single and album charts. Eminem has succeeded in taking down the monster that is Katy Perry’s record breaking smash California Gurls with his own monster smash Love The Way You Lie, which features Rihanna. This is now Eminem’s fourth US #1 single and Rihanna’s seventh!!! In Rihanna’s five short years on the scene, she has achieved the most #1s out of any artist in that timespan. That’s pretty impressive.

Rihanna’s fellow Bajan Shontelle has also managed to defy her sceptics with the former one hit wonder reaching a new peak of #13 with her catchy ballad Impossible. Paramore may have already moved onto next single Careful but its predecessor The Only Exception is proving to be something of a sleeper hit by reaching #36 on the singles chart. Paramore’s previous singles Ignorance and Brick By Boring Brick from their #2 album Brand New Eyes failed to make any significant placing on the chart so I guess this is Paramore’s first US hit from the album.

Usher has proven that there’s just no stopping him! DJ Got Us Fallin’ In Love, the Pitbull assisted lead single from new album Versus has debuted at a stellar #19. I smell future OMG like success but I’ll actually be happy for it because DJ is a catchy, fun song. The biggest drop in the chart is Kanye West’s Power which goes from #29 to #60. Kanye better get a video made and some promotion done quick to ensure that he doesn’t face a similar fate to Christina Aguilera.

California Gurls hasn’t died just yet. Its still sits at #1 on the Pop Charts while Paramore’s The Only Exception gains a rise in airplay and debuts at #19. The R&B/Hip-Hop Chart is still held on to by Alicia Keys with Un-thinkable (I’m Ready). I think Un-thinkable is the least commercial single Keys has released to date from The Element Of Freedom but it has ironically sold the best. Looks like my dream of working for a record label has been cut short. I brought you Wynter Gordon’s Dirty Talk video a few days ago. That was  the master of the Dance Chart last week but has now being kicked off by British duo Goldfrapp’s Alive. Great to see that the single has charted somewhere after it flopped in the UK.

Enrique Iglesias continues his reign at the top of the Latin Charts with Cuando Me Enamoro, Shinedown are #1 on the Rock Chart with The Crow And The Butterly while Luke Brian is atop the Country Charts with Doin’ My Thing.

Eminem might be spending his fourth week at #1 with Recovery on the album charts but there are quite a few Top 10 debuts this week. Metal band Korn have debuted at #2 with their ninth LP Korn III: Remember Who You Are, Christian rock band; the terribly named Newsboys debut at #4 with album Born Again, Sting’s new record Symphonicities slides in at #6 followed by unknown-to-me artists Jerrod Nieman and HellYeah at #7 and #8. The US are kinder to M.I.A. than the UK were. Her new record /\/\ /\ Y /\ has debuted at #9 while it flipped feebly into the UK album charts at #21.

Thanks to Rap Radar for the image.

And watch this cool Top 50 video from the wonderful Billboard Goddess on YouTube. I really appreciate her hard work.

Katy Perry and Eminem also debut at #1 in Australia

Katy Perry and Eminem have the charts in a chokehold all over the World having cracked the Singles and Albums charts respectively in all the major markets – US, UK and Australia (as well as my home country of Ireland).

As far as the Aussie charts go, there isn’t any huge changes in the Singles Chart. Thankfully, it looks like the Land Down Under has decided to adopt prized cunt Brian McFadden from us as he’s listed as Australian on the ARIA site where he rushes in at #12 with single Chemical Rush. McFadden managed to score himself an Aussie #1 with previous single Just Say So recently so he’s no flop around there.

Em’s Love The Way You Lie also enters at #14 over there too which shows how big a smash this song is going to be. Other new entries include Adam Lambert’s euphoric new single If I Had You at #34 while Train mightn’t have to wait another15 years for a hit with If It’s Love at #37.

Over on the album chart, Recovery is closely followed by Sia’s We Are Born and Jack Johnson’s To The Sea. Bloc Party frontman Kele has also debuted at #35 with his new album The Boxer. What do you think of the Australian charts?

Katy Perry and Eminem debut at #1 in the UK

In which comes as a shock to no-one, Katy Perry has managed to do it again and knock the irritating Shout by Dizzee Rascal and James Corden from the top spot, debuting her multinational hit California Gurls straight to #1. The song already sits at the top spot in the US and Ireland.

The Top 10 remains pretty much unchanged but poor Kylie Minogue has fallen down two places from #4 to #6 while Eminem sneaks a second single into the Top 10, the Rihanna assisted Love The Way You Lie, which is sure to follow in the footsteps of California Gurls and be a smash hit everywhere. Hell, it’s already a smash hit without an official release or music video yet. It’s clear that despite the release of two lacklustre albums in the past, Em certainly hasn’t lost any of his fans. His album tracks Won’t Back Down and No Love which feature P!nk and Lil’ Wayne respectively also appear towards the bottom of the charts. Christina must be reading the charts now and grinding her teeth.

Some new entries to the chart include Scissor Sisters with comeback single Fire With Fire which just misses the Top 10 by landing at a respectable #11. Hip-hop may just be making a comeback with Dirty Money’s Hello Good Morning sailing in effortlessly at #21 and Big Boi’s fantastic Shutterbug coming in at #31. The biggest jump happens to be Plan B with his fantastic new single Prayin’ which jumps from #139 to #46.

Meanwhile over on the album chart, Eminem has obviously topped it with his solid new album Recovery while the remainder of the Top 10 is made up of Oasis and albums that have been there for ages such as Lady GaGa’s The Fame/The Fame Monster and Black Eyed Peas’ The E.N.D.. Miley Cyrus debuts at #8 though with her album Can’t Be Tamed while Ozzy Osbourne just misses it with his new album Scream.

Robyn’s Body Talk Pt. 1 though takes a massive drop debuting at #46 last week and now dropping down to #99 in its second week. Eeek! Probably the ugly artwork that did it because single Dancing On My Own is still getting plenty of airplay.

Over on genre related charts, what has made #1 in singles? The Pretty Reckless remain #1 on the Rock Chart with Make Me Wanna Die, the Indie and Dance Charts has Example’s Kickstarts and the R&B Chart has K’nann’s Wavin’ Flag. I would classify that as more World than R&B but good for K’nann. What do you think of this week’s UK Chart?

Katy Perry also claims top spot in Ireland, Eminem raps his way to the top of the Albums Chart

It looks like Katy Perry has #1s across the board with her Dr. Luke produced California Gurls. The single which was released in my native homeland of Ireland last Friday, has shot straight to the top of the charts, joining the US, Canada and Australia in the process. Even if you’re not a fan of Katy, praise needs to be given for knocking the God-awful Stereo Love by Romanian nobodies Edward Maya and Vicky Jigulina the boot.

The rest of the Top 10 singles chart is made up of the aforementioned duo at #3 and K’nann at #2 with his World Cup anthem Wavin’ Flag. Interestingly, Eminem and Rihanna’s album collaboration Love The Way You Lie has shot straight to #4. The track is rumoured to be the second single from the album and considering it’s got this far on digital downloads alone, I have no doubt that that’s exactly what the record company will do. The track is fantastic so I am anticipating the announcement any day now. Other tracks in the Top 10 are the current singles by Lady GaGa, Eminem, David Guetta, Example, B.o.B.’s Airplanes and Jason Derulo.

New entries include Enrique Iglesias’ Auto-Tune flooded, RedOne produced I Like It, Scissor Sisters’ anthemic Fire With Fire, Diddy’s Hello Good Morning and out of nowhere Get It Up by Young Swayzz and T. Coles whoever they are.

The albums chart sees Eminem at the top spot with his promising comeback album Recovery while Mumford & Sons, Glee, Lady GaGa, AC/DC, Florence + The Machine and Paolo Nutini continuing their chokehold on the Top 10 album charts. Some reasonably new blood makes it  in their though with the latest compilation from the now-defunt Oasis at #3 and the new Miley Cyrus album at #5.

The Indie Album Chart is ruled by Villagers Becoming A Jackal and the Compilation Album Chart is ruled by NOW That’s What I Call Music 75.

Now seeing as we’re halfway through the year, let’s look at all the #1s that have hit the Irish Singles Chart in the last half of the year.

01. Joe McElderry: The Climb (2 weeks)

Considering the brainwashing capabilities popularity of The X-Factor, this was bound to be #1 because Ireland didn’t give into the genius Facebook campaign of putting Rage Against The Machine there instead. SMH! As you’d expect, Joe McElderry’s cover of Miley Cyrus’ The Climb was just another soulless marketing campaign by Simon Cowell to continue his Empire. Joe is a capable voiced singer but this is probably the worst X-Factor single ever, hence why everyone’s already referring to Joe as a flop.

02. Lady GaGa: Bad Romance (1 week)

GaGa came back for a second run at #1  with this infectious but massively overplayed track, after McElderry stole her thunder.

03. Owl City: Fireflies (2 weeks)

This catchy yet whispery little ditty was wonderful when first released but Adam Young’s emo vocals started to grate quick.

04. Jedward featuring Vanilla Ice: Under Pressure (Ice Ice Baby) (4 non-consecutive weeks)

Only sheer patriotism from the Irish people saw these idiots spend so long at #1 and in the Top 10. Terrible. There better not be repetition when All The Small Things is released.

05. Helping Haiti: Everybody Hurts (1 week)

This suprisingly good cover of REM’s Everybody Hurts by Simon Cowell’s X-Factor and BGT protegés and regular guests was a worthwhile charity single that put a short-lived dent in Jedward’s success. This had astoundingly little promotion which is why it’s success didn’t last long.

06. Boyzone: Gave It All Away (2 non-consecutive weeks)

This reggae-tinged ballad rose to the #1, being the first single to be released from the Boyz following the tragic death of Stephen Gately.

07. Lady GaGa featuring Beyoncé: Telephone (4 weeks)

Lady GaGa scored her fourth Irish #1 in this fast-paced superstar duet, which I still love to this very day despite it’s level of overexposure.

08. Glee Cast: Gives You Hell (1 week)

The Glee Cast have been making dents in the chart ever since the FOX musical dramedy appeared on-screen but this was their first Irish #1 thanks to an impassioned vocal delivery by Lea Michelle.

09. Usher featuring will.i.am.: OMG (2 weeks)

This stinking piece of shit also made it to #1 in Ireland…DESPITE BEING ABSOLUTELY TERRIBLE!

10. Train: Hey Soul Sister (1 week)

Train scored their first hit in years with this radio friendly folk pop-rock track. A deserved one at that.

11. Alexandra Burke featuring Pitbull: All Night Long (1 week)

Alexandra’s stunning but sadly fleeting pop single got to #1 before being knocked off by…

12. Edward Maya featuring Vika Jigulina: Stereo Love (3 weeks)

…this piece of shit! Honestly this accordion heavy trance number is so bad even Eurovision would sneer at it. I’m guessing people just accidentally bought this of iTunes…or else I’ve lost faith in humanity.

13. Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg: California Gurls (1 week so far)

Katy Perry is the big breasted saviour of humanity. Just like Wonderwoman.

So what do you think of the various Irish Album and Singles Charts? Do you agree or disagree with how well (or how bad) a record is doing? What do you think of this year’s #1s so far?

For full news on the chart: visit irma.ie.

Katy Perry continues to reign on the Billboard Hot 100, Drake #1 album on Billboard Hot 200

*drools all over computer screen*

Sorry, what?! Oh that’s right, I’m composing a post. Okay, so trying to drag my eyes away from the image above and look down at the keys, Katy Perry has managed to hold onto her position at the top of the US Billboard Hot 100 with her infectious comeback hit California Gurls. While not participating in mouthwatering shots for Esquire, Katy Perry also has to deal with her new album’s title track and second single Teenage Dream leaking online earlier today. Wish I could share the clip with you but it’s being pulled down everywhere and I didn’t get a chance to listen. 😦

The rest of the US Top 10 singles chart comprises of universal hit tracks from Usher, B.o.B., Drake, Ke$ha, Lady GaGa, Taio Cruz, Eminem as well as forthcoming international singles by Gym Class Heroes frontman Travie McCoy and newbie Mike Posner.

Seeing as Drake has managed to climb straight to #1 in the albums chart, a few tracks from his debut album Thank Me Later have made it into the Hot 100 which include his Nicki Minaj assisted Up All Night, his second Alicia Keys duet Fireworks and Drake all by himself with 9AM In Dallas.

Over on the Billboard Hot 200, Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers, Sarah McLachlan, NOW 34, Jack Johnson, The Twilight Saga: Eclipse, Justin Bieber, Lady Antebellum, Christina Aguilera and Glee snap at Drake’s heels in the Top 10 in respective order.

Meanwhile in specific genre single related charts, Katy Perry also reigns at the Top of the Pop Charts. Three Days Grace are atop the Rock Chart with their single The Good Life, Alicia Keys is atop the R&B/Hip-Hop Charts with Un-thinkable (I’m Ready) and Miranda Lambert is on top in the Country Charts with The House That Built Me. The Latin Charts sees Spanish heartthrob Enrique Iglesias’ Spanish language duet with Juan Luis Guerra Cuando Me Enamoro and the Dance/Club Play Charts are ruled by Lady GaGa’s Alejandro see GaGa on top with a similarly Latin themed but more upbeat track.

We’re already halfway through 2010 now so let’s take a look (with some analysis thrown in by me) at all the #1 singles in the US this year so far.

01. Ke$ha: TiK ToK (9 weeks)

Seeing at the song has been overplayed to death at this stage thanks to its nine weeks atop this chart and elsewhere, many of you probably hate this song by now. But at the time Ke$ha’s TiK ToK, a fun drunken girl party anthem, was one of the catchiest tunes of late 2009 thanks to Dr. Luke.

02. Black Eyed Peas: Imma Be (2 weeks)

The Black Eyed Peas continued their lucky streak from the 2009 album, The E.N.D.,scoring their third US #1 and 4th Top 10 single from the era. What is will.i.am doing so right at the moment?

03. Taio Cruz featuring Ludacris: Break Your Heart (1 week)

The Brit Invasion continues in the US with Taio Cruz, following in Jay Sean’s, footsteps and scoring a #1 out of nowhere. Pity Cruz is so bland and boring and the song is so generic, made even more so by throwing Ludacris on it.

04. Rihanna: Rude Boy (5 weeks)

Rihanna ditched the dark side of earlier singles with this sunny, upbeat jam about a rude boy failing to get ‘it’ up.

05. B.o.B. featuring Bruno Mars: Nothin’ On You (2 weeks)

This surprisingly romantic hip-hop track introduced us to the latest innovative rapper B.o.B.. And newcomer Bruno Mars!

06. Usher featuring will.i.am: OMG (4 non-consecutive weeks)

I fail to understand why this monstrosity of a song about tech speak acronyms sang by two 30 year old men managed to make 4 weeks at the top of the chart as well as #1 elsewhere. will.i.am either has a Midas touch or is bribing a lot of chart officials.

07. Eminem: Not Afraid (1 week)

Eminem made chart history and showed the two above how real urban music is done with his stellar comeback single. While unspectacular, it did inform listeners that Eminem is aware of past mistakes and ready to make you love him again. Aparently the love didn’t last long because Usher and will.i.am. were back on top next week.

08. Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg: California Gurls (3 weeks so far)

Dr. Luke has struck gold again with TiK ToK Part 2. As well as sounding sonically the same, it looks like Katy’s pop track is going to get the same overplay as TiK ToK resulting in super catchy to super irritating tune.

So what do you think of the various US Singles Charts and Album Charts? Do you agree or disagree with how well (or how bad) a particular record is doing? What do you think of this year’s #1s.

For full news on the chart: visit Billboard.com.