| Saturday 17 December 2005 |
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The year in charts
You don't need to read an analysis of the 2005 charts to know that Mariah Carey made an impressive comeback, but a closer look at the annual recaps suggests this may be her most successful chart year to date. The evidence: for the first time in her 16-year career, Carey has the No. 1 spot on Billboard's Hot 100 Songs year-end chart.
"We Belong Together" (Island) sealed up bragging rights by remaining in pole position for 14 weeks, longer than any other 2005 entry. It was the first single to have a 14-week reign in eight years, since Elton John's "Candle in the Wind 1997" / "Something About the Way You Look Tonight".
"We Belong Together" is the seventh song by Carey to appear in a year-end top 10. Her highest ranking on an annual Hot 100 recap until now was the No. 2 spot held by "One Sweet Day" in 1996. True, timing was a factor, as that collaboration with Boyz II Men had its chart life split into two different chart years, or it would have been the top song of the year.
Carey's current triumph marks the first year-end No. 1 by a female artist in five years, since Faith Hill had the top tune of 2000 with "Breathe". In the ensuing years, the No. 1 year-end Hot 100 songs have been recorded by Lifehouse, Nickelback, 50 Cent and Usher. Last year, the year-end recaps were dominated by men. Now the pendulum has swung the other way; the 2004 Hot 100 Songs recap featured male artists on nine out of the top 10 songs. This year that number shrinks to five, including one song where Busta Rhymes is a featured guest.
With Gwen Stefani lodged at No. 2 with "Hollaback Girl" (Interscope), this is the first year that women have sewn up the top two spots since Cher ruled with "Believe" in 1999 and TLC was second with "No Scrubs". Demonstrating how fortunes can change from year to year, only one artist repeats in 2005 from the 2004 Hot 100 summary. Ciara, No. 5 this year with "1, 2 Step" (Sho'nuff/MusicLine/LaFace), was No. 9 last year with "Goodies".
The majority of artists in the year-end recap of Hot 100 Songs are there for the first time. Aside from Carey and Ciara, only Stefani and 50 Cent have previously registered in the top 10 of a Hot 100 annual recap. Since "Disco Inferno" (Shady/Aftermath/Interscope) placed 11th, 50 Cent just missed having two songs in the top 10. The only artist occupying two slots in the top 10 is Kelly Clarkson, No. 4 with "Since U Been Gone" (RCA) and No. 10 with "Behind These Hazel Eyes".
Clarkson is the main, but not only, reason that the "American Idol" franchise has made such a powerful showing on the year-end recaps. Contestants from the TV series are responsible for 17 year-end No. 1s, up from two in 2004 and 2003 and one in 2002. The honors are spread among all four "American Idol" winners and one runner-up.
Clarkson is responsible for nine of the 17 "Idol" No. 1s. She is the No. 1 artist on the Hot 100 Artists, Female recap. She has the No. 1 position on the Hot Adult Contemporary Songs recap - "Breakaway" (Walt Disney/Hollywood) - and is the No. 1 AC artist. She is also the No. 1 Adult Top 40 artist and the No. 1 Hot Dance Airplay artist. She has the No. 1 song on the Pop 100 Songs chart, "Since U Been Gone", which is also the No. 1 Pop 100 Airplay song and Clarkson is the No. 1 Pop 100 artist. Finally, "Breakaway" from "The Princess Diaries 2" is the top soundtrack single.
The second season "American Idol" winner, Ruben Studdard, has the No. 1 title on the Top Gospel Albums chart. "I Need an Angel" (J), and is the No. 1 act on the Top Gospel Albums Artist chart. Third season "Idol" Fantasia is the No. 1 Adult R&B artist and the No. 1 new R&B/Hip-Hop artist. Fourth-season "Idol" Carrie Underwood has the No. 1 title on Hot Singles Sales and on the online Hot Country Singles Sales recap with "Inside Your Heaven" (Arista), and also led the online Hot Country Singles Sales Artist recap. Second season runner-up Clay Aiken has the No. 1 Christian album, "Merry Christmas With Love" (RCA).
This is the fourth consecutive year that an "American Idol" singer has the best-selling single of the year. Underwood's "Inside Your Heaven" follows in the footsteps of Clarkson's "A Moment Like This" (2002), Aiken's "This Is the Night" / "Bridge Over Troubled Water" (2003) and Fantasia's "I Believe"
(2004).
For the seventh consecutive year, the No. 1 album of the year is by a male artist. "The Massacre" marks the second time that 50 Cent has had the best-selling set on the annual Top Billboard 200 recap. He is the first artist to repeat with the top album of the year since Michael Jackson, who was No. 1 in 1983 and 1984, albeit with the same release, "Thriller".
The last time a female artist had the top set of the year was in 1997, when "Spice" by the Spice Girls was the best-selling album. In 1998, the "Titanic" soundtrack outsold all competitors. Between 1999 and 2004, the artists with the No. 1 album of the year were Backstreet Boys, 'N Sync, the Beatles, Eminem, 50 Cent and Usher.
If 2004 was a bad year for soundtracks - and it was - 2005 wasn't much better. Movie-related CDs ranked in the top 10 in 2002 ("O Brother, Where Art Thou?" was No. 6) and 2003 ("8 Mile" was No. 7), but in 2004 the highest-ranked soundtrack was "Tupac: Resurrection" at No. 57. This year, the best-selling soundtrack is "Ray" (WMG Soundtracks/Atlantic/Rhino), at No. 43.
Some familiar names returned to the year-end summaries after being absent for a while. Paul Anka has the No. 10 title on Top Jazz Albums with "Rock Swings", while Linda Ronstadt is No. 12 with "Hummin' to Myself". Both CDs were issued on the Verve label. On the Adult R&B tally, Steve Wonder is No. 18 with "So What the Fuss".
Another familiar name returns to the zenith of the Top Contemporary Jazz Albums recap. Kenny G had the No. 1 album of the year for 10 years running, from 1991-2000. In 2001 the crown went to St. Germain's "Tourist" and then, for three years in a row, Norah Jones' "Come Away With Me" took top honors (not surprising, given it was No. 1 for 143 weeks). Kenny G is back on top this year, with "At Last... The Duets Album" (Arista).
Back in 2002, then 15-year-old Mario had the No. 31 R&B/Hip-Hop song of the year with his first chart entry, "Just a Friend 2002". Now a seasoned 18, Mario has the No. 1 R&B/Hip-Hop song of 2005 with "Let Me Love You" (3rd Street/J). On the same chart, the only artist with two titles in the top 10 is Fantasia, No. 4 with "Truth Is" (J) and No. 7 with "Free Yourself". Destiny's Child just missed having a double, as "Soldier" (Columbia) files in at No. 10 and "Cater 2 U" lands at No. 11.
Country artists continue to be a dominant force at Adult Contemporary radio. There are three country artists in the top 10 on the Hot Adult Contemporary Songs recap. Tim McGraw is No. 6 with "Live Like You Were Dying" (Curb), Martina McBride is No. 9 with "In My Daughter's Eyes" (RCA) and Keith Urban is No. 10 with "You'll Think of Me" (Capitol). (Billboard)
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