Katy Perry this week ties one of Michael Jackson's most cherished records. "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)" becomes the fifth #1 single on the Hot 100 from Perry's Teenage Dream album. The only other album in pop history to spawn five #1 singles was Jackson's 1987 smash Bad. This of course makes Perry the first female artist to achieve the feat.
"Last Friday Night" follows "California Gurls" (featuring Snoop Dogg), "Teenage Dream," "Firework" and "E.T." (featuring Kanye West). Jackson topped the chart with "I Just Can't Stop Loving You," "Bad," "The Way You Make Me Feel," "Man In The Mirror" and "Dirty Diana."
Billboard's Gary Trust notes that Jackson amassed his five #1 singles from Bad in a shorter time span (nine months and two weeks) than Perry, who took one year, two months and one week to accumulate her five #1 hits from Teenage Dream. But Perry's five smashes have spent more combined weeks at #1 (18, compared to just seven for Jackson's songs.)
"Last Friday Night" won a fairly tight race with "Party Rock Anthem," which had spent the past six weeks at #1. The LMFAO song had a slight edge in digital sales this week (about 4K copies), but Perry's song made up for it with an appreciable lead in radio points. Perry's song registered 148 million audience impressions, according to Nielsen BDS. LMFAO's song registered 142 million impressions.
Capitol worked aggressively to get this #1 ranking. A remix of the song featuring Missy Elliott was released last week to juice the song's digital sales, which had been declining for seven straight weeks. The strategy worked. The song posted a 14% gain in digital sales this week. The remix accounted for 25% of the song's overall digital sales during the tracking week. Equally important, all versions of the song were discounted to 69 cents during the tracking week.
I have more good news for Perry. "Last Friday Night" tops the 2 million mark in digital sales this week. It's Perry's eighth song to sell 2 million or more copies.
Even with five #1 singles, Perry's album has sold just 1,700,000 copies. This reflects a diminished album market and, perhaps, a perception of Perry as a singles artist. Nielsen SoundScan didn't exist in 1987 and 1988, when Bad churned out five #1 singles, but I can tell you that the album was certified for U.S. shipments to stores of 6 million copies on June 1, 1988, one month before "Dirty Diana" topped the Hot 100.
Bad and Teenage Dream were both nominated for the Grammy for Album of the Year, but neither won. Jackson's album lost to U2's The Joshua Tree. Perry's album lost to Arcade Fire's The Suburbs.
Jackson set many records in the 1980s and 1990s. A few others have also been equaled. In 1984, Thriller became the first album to spawn seven top 10 singles on the Hot 100. That record has since been equaled by Bruce Springsteen's Born In The U.S.A. and sister Janet Jackson's Rhythm Nation 1814. Also in 1984, Jackson became the first artist to win eight Grammys in one night. That record has since been equaled by Santana, in its 2000 sweep for Supernatural. In 1995, "You Are Not Alone" became the first single to enter the Hot 100 at #1. That feat has since been equaled by 18 other singles.
As noted, "Party Rock Anthem" by LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett & GoonRock dips from #1 to #2 on the Hot 100 after six weeks on top. In addition, the song tops the 3 million mark in digital sales this week. It's the #5 best-seller so far this year. Will it climb even higher on the year-to-date list? Stay tuned.
"Moves Like Jagger" by Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera vaults from #8 to #3 in its eighth week on the chart. This is Maroon5's highest-charting hit since "Makes Me Wonder" hit #1 in May 2007. It's Aguilera's highest-charter since "Beautiful" hit #2 in February 2003. Both of those songs won performance Grammys. This collabo figures to be a strong Grammy contender as well.
Foster The People's marvelous "Pumped Up Kicks" jumps from #13 to #8. It also tops the 1 million mark in digital sales this week. It's the second "pumped-up" hit to crack the top 10. It follows "Pump Up The Jam" by Technotronic featuring Felly (#2 in 1990). Another "pumped-up" hit, "Pump Up The Volume" by M/A/R/R/S, reached #13 in 1988.
Here's the low-down on this week's top 10 songs.
1. Katy Perry, "Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)." The song jumps to #1 following three weeks at #2. This is its 12th week on the chart; its ninth week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #4 (156K).
2. LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett & GoonRock, "Party Rock Anthem." The song dips to #2 after six weeks at #1. This is its 21st week on the chart; its 13th week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #2 (160K).
3. Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera, "Moves Like Jagger." The song vaults from #8 to #3 in its eighth week on the chart. This is its third week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #1 (219K).
4. Nicki Minaj, "Super Bass." The song dips from #3 to #4 in its 16th week on the chart. This is its 10th week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #7 (128K).
5. Bad Meets Evil featuring Bruno Mars, "Lighters." The song holds at #5 in its ninth week on the chart. This is its third week in the top 10. The song tops the 1 million mark in digital sales this week. Digital sales rank: #5 (147K).
6. Lil Wayne, "How To Love." The song holds at #6 in its 12th week on the chart. This is its eighth week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #8 (115K).
7. Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer, "Give Me Everything." The former #1 song drops from #4 to #7 in its 20th week on the chart. This is its 15th week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #13 (84K).
8. Foster The People, "Pumped Up Kicks." The song jumps from #13 to #8 in its 16th week on the chart. Digital sales rank: #3 (157K).
9. Britney Spears, "I Wanna Go." The song drops from #7 to #9 in its 10th week on the chart. This is its third week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #10 (103K).
10. OneRepublic, "Good Life," The song rebounds from #11 to #10 in its 20th week on the chart. This is its fifth week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #11 (97K).
Two songs drop out of the top 10 this week. Adele's "Rolling In The Deep" drops from #9 to #12, ending a 19-week run in the top 10. Hot Chelle Rae's "Tonight Tonight" dips from #10 to #11.
Drake's "Headlines" debuts at #13. It's the first official single from Drake's second full-length album, Take Care. "Marvins Room," which wasn't an official single, peaked at #21 two weeks ago. "Headlines" enters Hot Digital Songs at #6 (146K)...Drake is also featured on DJ Khaled's former top 10 hit "I'm On One," which dips from #15 to #16 in its 13th week. The smash, which also features Rick Ross and Lil Wayne, holds at #1 on Hot R&B/Hip Hop Songs for the sixth week.
Beyonce's "Best Thing I Never Had" dips from #17 to #18, two weeks after apparently peaking at #16. Beyonce is still looking for a top 10 hit from her 4 album. Will this ballad reverse course? Or will a third single be the charm? Stay tuned. (It's to Beonce's credit that the album has held tight in the top 10 for seven weeks even without a smash single.)
When it rains it pours: Adam Levine has two songs in the top 20. In addition to the Maroon 5/Christina Aguilera smash, he is featured on Gym Class Heroes' "Stereo Hearts," which jumps from #32 to #19 in its ninth week...Lady Antebellum's former top 10 hit "Just A Kiss" drops from #22 to #24 in its 15th week. The song holds at #1 on Hot Country Songs for the second week.
Rihanna's "Cheers (Drink To That)" jumps from #50 to #25 in its third week. This makes up for the disappointing showing of "California King Bed," which peaked at #37 three weeks ago. It was Rihanna's lowest-charting full-fledged single to date. You just never know.
Jason Derulo's "It Girl" bows at #39. It's vying to become Derulo's fifth top 20 hit.
"Otis" by Jay-Z & Kanye West featuring Otis Redding drops from #20 to #36 in its fourth week. But two other songs by the high-powered pair enter the chart this week. "Who Gon Stop Me" debuts at #44. "Ni**as In Paris" bows at #75. Their album Watch The Throne enters The Billboard 200 at #1 this week with the second-biggest sales tally of the year. You already know that if you read Chart Watch: Albums. If you missed it, here's a link.
"Titanium" by David Guetta featuring Sia opens at #66. Guetta's "Where Them Girls At" (featuring Flo Rida and Nicki Minaj) debuted and peaked at #14 in May. (This week it dips a notch to #28)... Miranda Lambert's "Baggage Claim" bows at #67. Lambert's highest-charting single to date, "The House That Built Me," peaked at #28...Evanescence's "What You Want" opens at #68. The band has had three top 10 hits to date. This is the first song from an upcoming eponymous album.
Miguel's "Quickie" jumps from #83 to #69 in its fourth week...Dev's "In The Dark" vaults from #92 to #70 in its second week.
"We Don't Get Down Like Y'All" by T.I. featuring B.o.B starts at #78. This may be the first single in which both the lead and featured artists use only initials as their names. (They could have gone formal on us and made it Clifford Harris featuring Bobby Simmons.)
Luke Bryan's "Drunk On You" bows at #79. In addition, the country star lands his first digital million-seller with "Country Girl (Shake It For Me)." Bryan's new album, Tailgates & Tanlines, enters The Billboard 200 at #2.
Lady Gaga's "You And I" re-enters the chart at #96. I expect this song to be much higher next week. How high will it go? Place your bets.
Pop Quiz: "(I've Had) The Time Of My Life" by Bill Medley and Jennifer Warnes is one of the great hits of the 1980s. It hit #1 on the Hot 100 and won an Oscar for Best Song and a Grammy for Best Pop Performance by a Duo or Group. My question: How many subsequent Hot 100 hits have Medley and Warnes each had? Answer below.
Eminem's "Not Afraid" tops the 4 million mark in digital sales this week. The anthemic song entered the Hot 100 at #1 in May 2010. It's Eminem's second song to top the 4 million mark. "Love The Way You Lie" (featuring Rihanna) is up to 5,014,000. A third Eminem song, the Oscar-winning "Lose Yourself," is about to join the 4 million club. Its digital sales stand at 3,969,000.
Time Marches On: George Michael is older now than Aretha Franklin was when they hit #1 in April 1987 with the scorching "I Knew You Were Waiting (For Me)." Michael is 48. Franklin was 46 at the time. If you don't know that wonderful record, check out the video on You Tube. But finish Chart Watch first.
Quiz Answer: Surprisingly, neither Medley nor Warnes has returned to the Hot 100 since the blockbuster success of "(I've Had) The Time Of My Life." I guess you could say that song was a hard act to follow.
R.I.P.: Jani Lane, the former lead singer of Warrant, died last week. Lane wrote the band's three top 10 hits, "Heaven" (#2 in 1989), "Cherry Pie" and "I Saw Red." He was 47.