Blog Posts by Paul Grein

Ever since "California Gurls" exploded four months ago, it was obvious that Katy Perry's sophomore album, Teenage Dream, would be a contender for #1. But few pegged Fantasia's third album, Back To Me, as a candidate for a top chart berth. But the sad events in Fantasia's personal life in recent weeks put a spotlight on the singer, which helps her album debut at #2, just behind Teenage Dream.

This is Perry's first #1 album. Her 2008 debut, One Of The Boys, peaked at #9. This is also a career high for Fantasia. Her 2004 debut, Free Yourself, hit #8. Her 2006 sophomore album, Fantasia, peaked at #19.

Perry's album dethrones Eminem's Recovery, which has logged seven weeks at #1, more than any other album this year. It falls to #3.

Teenage Dream sold 192,000 copies this week, which is the most that an album by a female solo artist has sold since Susan Boyle's I Dreamed A Dream moved 510K in the week ending Dec. 27, 2009. The two artists are rather different. Not to be ungentlemanly, but

Who was the foremost member of the foremost group of all time? Was Paul McCartney or John Lennon the real driving force behind the Beatles? That question has ignited debates for decades. Rolling Stone's new special issue, The Beatles' 100 Greatest Songs, doesn't answer the question (nothing ever will), but it sheds some light on it.

Of the 100 songs, which were ranked by the editors of Rolling Stone, 40 were written by Lennon, 35 by McCartney, 17 by the two men working together and eight by George Harrison, who came into his own as a songwriter on the Beatles' final albums.

So it's fairly close, but Lennon was the key Beatle? Not so fast. In the high-rent district, McCartney leads. McCartney has three songs in the top 10 ("Yesterday" at #4, "Hey Jude" at #7 and "Let It Be" at #8), to just two for Lennon ("Strawberry Fields Forever" at #3 and "Come Together" at #9). Three songs in the top 10 are Lennon/McCartney collaborations: "A Day In The Life" at #1, "I Want To Hold Your Hand" at #2

Brian Wilson's new album, Brian Wilson Reimagines Gershwin, has put a spotlight on the legendary George Gershwin, who composed such standards as "Someone To Watch Over Me" and "Our Love Is Here To Stay." Gershwin was just 38 when he died of a brain tumor in 1937. Tragically, many of music's brightest stars and composers died before reaching their 40th birthdays.

To honor these artists, I created this list of 40 music immortals who died before turning 40, but whose music lives on. Bernie Taupin may have said it best in his lyric for Elton John's "Candle In The Wind": "Your candle burned out long before your legend ever did."

There were scores of candidates for this list. I tried to select 40 artists whose deaths were more than just sad stories, but significant losses for music. At the end of the list I mention about 20 other names that I wish I'd been able to include. I'm sure that many of you will suggest still more names.

Here are 40 key artists who died before reaching 40. They're

Lil Wayne's fans have remained loyal to the rapper, who is nearing the end of a one-year prison sentence. His new hit, "Right Above It" (featuring Drake), enters Hot Digital Songs at #1. This is, amazingly, Lil Wayne's first #1 digital hit. "Lollipop," his 2008 smash (featuring Static Major), logged 12 weeks in the top five, but never climbed higher than #2.

"Right Above It" is from Lil Wayne's upcoming EP, I'm Not A Human Being, which is set for release on Sept. 27 (which is the rapper's 28th birthday). The EP will precede the release of the full-length album Tha Carter IV. Tha Carter III was the best-selling album of 2008 and was a Grammy finalist for Album of the Year.

Lil Wayne began serving a one-year prison sentence in March for illegal possession of a weapon. He is expected to be released in November after serving eight months.

Even though it was never the best-selling digital hit in the U.S. during any one week, "Lollipop" has sold a very healthy 3,951,000 copies. It is still

Despite the best efforts of such hot acts as Eminem and Arcade Fire, overall album sales hit a new low this week. Nielsen/SoundScan reports that 4,950,000 albums were sold in the week ending Aug. 15, 2010, the lowest weekly total since the company began tracking music sales in 1991. This is the fifth time so far this year that weekly album sales have hit a new Nielsen/SoundScan-era low. It happened most recently 11 weeks ago, when weekly sales dipped below 5 million units for the first time under Nielsen/SoundScan's watch.

It wasn't always like this. Weekly album sales never once dipped below 8 million units from Jan. 9, 1994 (the oldest date that this historical information is available on the Nielsen/SoundScan site) through April 22, 2007. Weekly album sales reached their all-time peak in the week ending Dec. 24, 2000, when fans bought 45,372,000 albums. The biggest seller that week: the Beatles' compilation 1, which sold 1,259,000 copies.

But things started to slip after 2000 and

Eminem's Recovery, which returns to #1 on The Billboard 200, is the first album to log six weeks on top since Susan Boyle's I Dreamed A Dream late last year. The two albums have little in common (OK, they have nothing in common), though they may find themselves squaring off for Album of the Year when the Grammy nominations are announced on Dec. 1.

Recovery is the first rap album to spend six weeks at #1 since 50 Cent's The Massacre more than five years ago. And the album isn't done yet. Recovery will probably stay on top for a seventh week next week. That would be the longest run in the top spot since Taylor Swift's Fearless had 11 weeks in the lead in late 2008 and 2009.

Recovery tops the 2 million mark in U.S. sales this week. It crossed the threshold in just eight weeks, faster than the year's only other 2 million-selling album, Lady Antebellum's Need You Now (which took 15 weeks to ring the bell) and much faster than Eminem's 2009 album Relapse (which took 60 weeks).

The fact that

Taylor Swift's "Mine," the first hit from her upcoming album Speak Now, enters Hot Digital Songs at #1. It sold 297,000 copies in its first four full days of release. That's the third biggest one-week sales total ever by a country/pop hit. Swift has both of the top two. "Love Story" sold 360,000 copies during Christmas week in 2008. "Today Was A Fairytale" sold 325,000 copies when it debuted in January.

Swift has sold more than 28 million song downloads. Ten of her hits have sold more than 1 million digital copies each. That's more, by far, than any other country (or country/pop crossover) artist. Carrie Underwood and Rascal Flatts have each had four million-selling digital hits. The Zac Brown Band has had three. Lady Antebellum, Sugarland, Jason Aldean and Brad Paisley have each had two.

Speak Now hits retail on Oct. 25. There has already been speculation about whether the album can sell 1 million copies in its first week. (The consensus: It will be tough, but if anyone can do it,