12/27/09 Hot AC Chart: Holiday Doldrums Rule

The Holiday doldrums have set in on the chart this week, with most songs losing spins as radio stations alter their regular programming. Before we get into this week’s chart, please note that Mediabase has apparently chosen not to count this week toward a song’s “weeks on chart” total, so songs will be removed to recurrent later than one would expect. I however, choose to count this week as Billboard does with its charts. With computers tracking  songs 365 days a year, why not count this week?

Kelly Clarkson holds at the top of the chart for a sixth week, making “Already Gone” her biggest hit on Hot AC to date. Kelly first charted 7 years ago when “A Moment Like This” peaked at #24. Little movement is seen in the top 10 this week, with songs by Train and Nickelback inching up a notch each. One song does sneak into the top 10 though, “Halfway Gone” by Lifehouse. “Gone” is Lifehouse’s 6th top 10 on the Hot AC chart. Taylor Swift’s “You Belong with Me” exits the top 10 this week.

No songs enter or exit the top 20. The biggest move up the chart this week is 2 notches, which is reached by several songs. The biggest move down the chart is made by Bon Jovi, whose “We Weren’t Born to Follow” falls 4 to #18. The song also has the biggest spin loss of any song this week.

Debuting on the chart this week is Kesha’s “Tik Tok” at #39, and “Belle of the Boulevard” by Dashboard Confessional. “Belle” is Dashboard’s second song to chart on Hot AC.

Idol Watch: Kris Allen holds at #12, Daughtry moves up to #13, and Carrie Underwood holds at #26.

Useless fact: 12 hits are by acts with one word names. Happy New Year Everyone!

All chart data © Mediabase Research.

12/20/09 Hot AC Chart: Holiday slowdown sets in

As is usual for this time of year, the chart experiences a slowdown as stations begin to freeze their playlists for Christmastime.   This helps Kelly Clarkson hold at the top of the chart for a fifth week, with about 300 spins between her and Owl City at #2. Both songs have bullets less than 100, so it looks like Kelly could very well spend the final week of 2009 at #1. Right now “Already Gone” is tied for her biggest hit ever on Hot AC, and if she makes it to 6 weeks “Gone” will be her biggest hit.

Rob Thomas moves up to #3 and Train move to #7. No songs enter/exit the top 10.  The week’s biggest movers all move up 4 spots this week: “Heartbreak Warfare” (23-19), “Fifteen” (34-30), and “Bad Romance” (35-31). The biggest dropper for the 2nd week in a row is “Chances”, which this week moves down 6 to #32.

“Haven’t Met You Yet”, currently top 5 on AC, moves up to #20, giving Michael Bublé his first top 20 on Hot AC. The only debut this week is “Uprising” by Muse at #40.

Idol Watch: “Live Like We’re Dying” rises to #12, “Life After You” moves up to #15,  and “Cowboy Casanova” inches up to #26.

Happy Holidays to all of my readers!

All chart data © Mediabase Research.

12/13/09 Hot AC Chart: Rob Thomas’ top 5 record

Kelly Clarkson holds at the top of the for a fourth week with “Already Gone”.  It’s only 1 week away from tying her 5 week run at #1 with “Behind These Hazel Eyes”. At the moment it appears that she might eclipse that 5 week run and spend the remainder of December at #1. Coming up strong behind at #2 is “Fireflies”. “Fireflies” is a few hundred spins behind “Gone”, but it still has a strong bullet. The holidays’ effect on the chart and “Gone” ‘ s stability will determine if she can hang on ’til 2010.

Rob Thomas’ “Someday” moves up 3 to #4 this week. “Someday” is Rob’s 7th consecutive top 5 hit on the Hot AC chart. No other act has done this before.  If you count Rob’s appearance on Santana’s “Smooth”, then his record is extended to 8 consecutive top 5 hits. Of course keep in mind that Rob hit with Matchbox Twenty in between his solo hits, and one of these did not make the top 5. However, these are treated as another act’s chart stats, so Rob gets to keep his title.

Nickelback return to the top 10 with “Never Gonna Be Alone”. Moving into the top 15 is Kris Allen, who moves to #15 with “Live Like We’re Dying”. Shinedown’s “If You Only Knew” reaches top 20 territory this week.

The biggest mover for the 2nd week in a row is “Heartbreak Warfare”  by John Mayer. It moves up 5 to #23.

Debuting this week are the latest from Lady Gaga and Iyaz.

Idol Watch: “No Surprise” is removed to recurrent this week. “Life After You” moves up to #17. “Cowboy Casanova” moves up 4 to #27.

All chart data  © Mediabase Research.

Hot AC Top 100 of the 2000s

Here are unofficial the top 100 songs of the 2000s on the Hot AC chart, based on peak positions. Ties were broken by an inverse point system. All chart data ©  Mediabase Research, but again these are not official rankings from them.

1. Wherever You Will Go – The Calling
2. Unwell – Matchbox Twenty
3. Bubbly – Colbie Caillat
4. Complicated – Avril Lavigne
5. Smooth – Santana/Rob Thomas (using only weeks at #1 in 2000)
6. Here without You – 3 Doors Down
7. Everything You Want – Vertical Horizon
8. Bad Day – Daniel Powter
9. Bent – Matchbox Twenty
10. This Love – Maroon 5
11. Photograph – Nickelback
12. How to Save a Life – Fray
13. You Found Me – Fray
14. She Will Be Loved – Maroon 5
15. I’m Yours – Jason Mraz
16. The Reason – Hoobastank
17. Game of Love, Santana f/ Michelle Branch
18. Use Somebody, Kings of Leon
19. Home – Daughtry
20. Drops of Jupiter (Tell Me) – Train
21. You and Me – Lifehouse
22. If You’re Gone – Matchbox Twenty
23. Love Song – Sarah Bareilles
24. Boulevard of Broken Dreams – Green Day
25. Lonely No More – Rob Thomas
26. I’m with You – Avril Lavigne
27. Bleeding Love – Leona Lewis
28. Why Don’t You & I? – Santana f/ Chad Kroeger (Alex Band)
29. With Arms Wide Open – Creed
30. Soak Up the Sun – Sheryl Crow
31. It’s Not Over – Daughtry
32. Big Girls Don’t Cry (Personal) – Fergie
33. Second Chance – Shinedown
34. Give a Little Bit – Goo Goo Dolls
35. Thankyou – Dido
36. Viva La Vida, Coldplay
37. Gotta Be Somebody – Nickelback
38. Hanging by a Moment – Lifehouse
39. Far Away – Nickelback
40. Black Horse & the Cherry Tree – KT Tunstall
41. If Everyone Cared – Nickelback
42. Already Gone – Kelly Clarkson (assuming Kelly remains at #1 for the remainder of 2009)
43. You’re Beautiful – James Blunt
44. Follow Me – Uncle Kracker
45. Behind These Hazel Eyes – Kelly Clarkson
46. Chasing Cars – Snow Patrol
47. Superman (It’s Not Easy) – Five for Fighting
48. Only Time – Enya
49. Calling All Angels – Train
50. Feels Light Tonight – Daughtry
51. Savin’ Me – Nickelback
52. Crazy – Gnarls Barkley
53. Sober – Pink
54. No Surprise – Daughtry
55. Again – Lenny Kravitz
56. My Immortal – Evanescence
57. It’s Not My Time – 3 Doors Down
58. Hot N cold – Katy Perry
59. When It’s Over – Sugar Ray
60. Wake Me Up When September Ends – Green Day
61. Breathe – Faith Hill
62. Hey There Delilah – Plain White T’s
63. Please Don’t Leave Me – Pink
64. Apologize – Timbaland f/ OneRepublic
65. Daughters – John Mayer
66. Her Diamonds – Rob Thomas
67. How You Remind Me – Nickelback
68. Who Knew – Pink
69. Makes Me Wonder – Maroon 5
70. Then the Morning Comes – Smash Mouth
71. Drift Away – Uncle Kracker f/ Dobie Gray
72. One Thing – Finger Eleven
73. The First Cut Is the Deepest – Sheryl Crow
74. Landslide – Dixie Chicks
75. Unwritten – Natasha Bedingfield
76. I Try – Macy Gray
77. Absolutely (Story of a Girl) – Nine Days
78. Heaven – Los Lonely Boys
79. Pinch Me – Barenaked Ladies
80. Underneath It All – No Doubt f/ Lady Saw
81. Because of You – Kelly Clarkson
82. If Today Was Your Last Day – Nickelback
83. A Thousand Miles – Vanessa Carlton
84. Waiting for the World to Change – John Mayer
85. Shattered (Turn the Car Around) – O.A.R.
86. One Last Breath – Creed,
87. Breakaway – Kelly Clarkson
88. Picture – Kid Rock f/ Sheryl Crow
89. You Belong with Me – Taylor Swift
90. Love Remains the Same – Gavin Rossdale
91. Sorry – Buckcherry
92. Ever the Same – Rob Thomas
93. The Sweet Escape – Gwen Stefani f/ Akon
94. So What – Pink
95. All Summer Long – Kid Rock
96. Meet Virginia – Train
97. The Middle – Jimmy Eat World
98. Where Are You Going – Dave Matthews Band
99. Gives You Hell – All-American Rejects
100. Since U Been Gone – Kelly Clarkson

12/6/09 Hot AC Chart: Fireflies float up the chart, Taylor Swift debuts

Kelly Clarkson’s “Already Gone” holds at the top of the chart for a third week. However, coming on strong is Owl City’s “Fireflies”, which jumps 3 notches to #2 in the song’s 9th week on the chart.  “Gone” is still several hundred spins ahead of “Fireflies”, and at the moment it appears that Kelly should last through the end of the year at #1.

Uncle Kracker’s “Smile” moves to #3, nearing the peak of his last top 5 hit, “Drift Away”, which topped out at #2 in 2003. He will have a tough time going any higher with Kelly and Owl City battling it out for the #1 and #2 spots the next several weeks.

Train enter the top 10 with “Hey, Soul Sister”.  It’s Train’s 7th top 10 on the Hot AC chart, and their first since “Cab” went top 10 in early 2006.  Here are Train’s top 10 hits: “Meet Virginia”, “Drops of Jupiter”, “Calling All Angels”, “When I Look to the Sky”, “Get to Me”, and “Cab”.

20 of the songs in the top 40 this week can also be found on the Pop chart, while 12 songs can also be found on the AC chart. Only one song is currently on the Country chart, and it’s this week’s only debut, “Fifteen” by Taylor Swift. She enters at #37 with her 4th Hot AC hit. Interestingly, Taylor has had more hits on the Pop chart than on Hot AC. “Our Song” did not chart on Hot AC, but hit top 20 on the Pop chart.

Idol Watch: “No Surprise” spends its last week on the chart at #12 while “Life After You” moves to #19. “Live Like We’re Dying” moves to #18, and “Cowboy Casanova” holds at #31.

All chart data © Mediabase Research

11/29/09 Hot AC Chart: Carrie moves up, “Fireflies” light up the top 5

Kelly Clarkson holds on to the top spot for a second week with “Already Gone”. Although Colbie Caillat returns to #2, she does not pose a threat to Kelly for the top spot. Most likely the next contender is Owl City. In only its 8th week on the chart, “Fireflies” moves up to #5. There are still several hundred spins between Kelly and Owl City, so Kelly should still have at least a couple of more weeks at #1. Remember, the holiday season will likely slow the chart down, so she could get even more weeks on top.

Two songs enter the top 10 this week. First up is Bon Jovi’s “We Weren’t Born to Follow”. It’s the group’s 4th top 10 hit on the Hot AC chart. Their first top 10 was back in 1994 when “Always” reached #2. (Bon Jovi’s 2nd top 10 didn’t come until 12 years later in 2006). The group has placed 13 hits on the chart. Nickelback also move into the top 10 this week with “Never Gonna Be Alone”. It’s Nickelback’s 10th top 10 hit out of a total of 12 charted singles.

The biggest mover on the chart this week is by Carrie Underwood. “Cowboy Casanova” jumps 6 notches to #31 in her 2nd week on the chart. This ties the peak of her last song to make Hot AC, “Last Name”.

The week’s only debut is the 13th hit for John Mayer, “Heartbreak Warfare”.

Idol Watch: Daughtry’s “No Surprise” falls out of the top 10 this week, while “Life After You” moves up to #22. Kris Allen holds at #19 this week.

All chart data © Mediabase Research.