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BEST OF 2009, PART 1

January

It required 22 weeks, but New York newcomer Lady Gaga reaches No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with a 2-1 lift for "Just Dance" (Jan. 17). The song logs the longest trip to the top since Creed's "With Arms Wide Open" advanced to No. 1 in its 27th frame in November 2000 ...

Nickelback breaks the record for most No. 1s in the 13-year history of the Adult Pop Songs chart, as "Gotta Be Somebody" rises 2-1 (Jan. 24). The song is the group's fifth chart-topper, breaking a tie with Matchbox Twenty ...

Mainstream top 40 radio play pushes DJ Earworm's mash-up "United States of Pop" onto the Pop 100 Airplay chart at No. 70 (Jan. 24). "Pop" blends bits of 2008's top 25 year-end Hot 100 songs into a four-and-a-half-minute tune ...

Alan Jackson collects his 25th No. 1 on Country Songs, as "Country Boy" hikes 5-1 (Jan. 31). The track manages a feat that only 13 prior leaders have accomplished since the chart launched in 1944: it is the latest No. 1 to include the format's name in its title. The first? "Country Girl" by Faron Young in 1959 ...

Additionally on Country Songs (Jan. 31), "Cowgirls Don't Cry" by Brooks & Dunn, featuring Reba McEntire, gallops 13-9. The song marks McEntire's 56th top 10 dating to her first, "(You Lift Me) Up to Heaven," in 1980. With the newer track's rise, McEntire passes Dolly Parton, who collected her 55th top 10 in 2006, as the female artist with the most top 10s in the 65-year history of the survey.

February

Kelly Clarkson clocks the largest leap to No. 1 in the Hot 100's history, as "My Life Would Suck Without You" explodes 97-1 (Feb. 7). It's the second time Clarkson has set the record for largest jump to the top: her "American Idol" victory song, "A Moment Like This," soared 52-1 in October 2002. "My Life" passes the 96-1 surge of Britney Spears' "Womanizer" in October 2008 ...

U2 blasts to the first No. 1 debut on the Triple A adult alternative airplay chart since the list launched in 1996, as "Get On Your Boots" opens at the summit (Feb. 7). The cut is the act's record-extending 10th Triple A No. 1 ...

Bruce Springsteen bows atop the Billboard 200 with "Working on a Dream," his ninth leader on the list (Feb. 14). He is now tied with the Rolling Stones for third-most No. 1 albums in the chart's archives. Only the Beatles, the leaders with 19, Jay-Z and Elvis Presley have visited the top slot more ...

Taylor Swift notches the first country crossover No. 1 in the Pop Songs chart's 16-year history, as former Country Songs No. 1 "Love Story" rises 3-1 (Feb. 28). Among country hits, "Story" had been tied for highest Pop Songs peak with Shania Twain's "You're Still the One" (No. 3, 1998) ...

More than 19 years after he first charted with "Back Where I Come From," Mac McAnally nets his first Country Songs No. 1 as a guest on Kenny Chesney's "Down the Road" (Feb. 28). The new song marks the longest stretch an artist has required to notch a first No. 1 at the format since (former Billboard employee) Jimmy Buffett, co-billed with Alan Jackson, celebrated his first leader, "It's Five O'Clock Somewhere," in 2003 after thirty years of charting.

March

After the film claimed eight Academy Award victories, including Best Picture, the soundtrack to "Slumdog Millionaire" blasts 22-4 on the Billboard 200 (March 14). The set's "Jai Ho! (You Are My Destiny)" by A R Rahman & the Pussycat Dolls charges 100-15 on the Hot 100 ...

Taylor Swift's "Fearless" logs its 11th week atop the Billboard 200 (March 14). The album extends the chart's longest reign this decade and is the lengthiest stay on top by a female artist since Alanis Morissette led for 12 weeks with "Jagged Little Pill" in 1995-96 ...

On Country Songs, Miley Cyrus debuts at No. 48 with "The Climb," while dad Billy Ray bows at No. 59 with "Back to Tennessee" (March 14). The last father and daughter to chart concurrently at the format with separate songs? On the chart dated Oct. 5, 1990, Rosanne Cash ranked at No. 53 with "What We Really Want," while Johnny Cash placed "Goin' By the Book" at No. 69 ...

U2 debuts on the Hot 100 with "Magnificent." So does Rick Ross (March 21). When was the last time that two songs sharing a title posted simultaneous bows? Feb. 13, 1993, when Mary J. Blige and Mick Jagger each arrived with compositions entitled "Sweet Thing" (which just happens to be the name of the current No. 1 on Country Songs, by Keith Urban) ...

Darius Rucker becomes the first male artist to send his first two Country Songs chart entries to the summit since Clay Walker 15 years ago, as "It Won't Be Like This for Long" ascends 2-1 (March 28). "Don't Think I Don't Think About It" led for two weeks in October. Rucker is just the third male artist to begin with back-to-back No. 1s on the tally in the last 20 years, joining Walker and Clint Black.

April

Stevie Wonder expands his span of Billboard chart-toppers to 45 years with a No. 1 opening for "Live at Last" on Top Music Video Sales. In the same week (April 4), "The Definitive Collection" debuts at No. 142 on the Billboard 200, marking Diana Ross & the Supremes' 37th charted set ...

Following last week's appearance as mentor and duet partner with Carrie Underwood on "American Idol," Randy Travis lands his first career top 10 on the Hot 100, as Underwood and Travis' pairing, "I Told You So," vaults 57-9 (April 4). Travis' previous best Hot 100 ranking was a No. 31 peak for "Three Wooden Crosses" in 2003 ...

She may have looked intense while bringing down the house with her live performance on "American Idol" this week, but Lady Gaga had ample reason to smile. She becomes the first artist in nearly ten years to reach the top of the Hot 100 with his or her first two chart entries, as "Poker Face" deals 2-1 (April 11). Lady Gaga first led for three weeks in January with "Just Dance." The last performer to launch with a pair of Hot 100 chart-toppers was Christina Aguilera in 1999-2000 ...

George Strait scores his record-padding 44th Country Songs No. 1, as "River of Love" rolls 3-1 (April 18). Strait assumed the mantle for most leaders when "Give It Away" became his 41st topper in 2006, passing the mark of 40 trips to the summit that Conway Twitty had held since 1986 ...

It's fairly common for an artist to top the Hot 100 as a solo act after reigning as part of a group. It's rarer that the order is reversed, but that's the case this week (April 18), as the Black Eyed Peas post their first leader with "Boom Boom Pow." Their first coronation follows vocalist Fergie's three No. 1s in 2006-07. In the chart's 50-year history, only two other groups have followed members to the summit: Genesis (1986) and Matchbox Twenty (2000).

May

Eminem earns the highest Hot 100 debut of his career, as "We Made You" enters at No. 9 (May 2). The song bests the rap superstar's previous top bow, a No. 12 launch for "You Don't Know," with 50 Cent, Lloyd Banks and Ca$his, in 2006 ...

Pet Shop Boys' "Yes" starts at No. 32 on the Billboard 200 (May 9), granting the U.K. duo its best rank since "Very" debuted and peaked at No. 20 on the Oct. 23, 1993, chart. The pair's history on the list dates to 1986, when "Please" bowed on April 19, eventually peaking at No. 7 ...

Bob Dylan needed to wait 30 years between his last two Billboard 200 chart-topping albums: 1976's "Desire" and 2006's "Modern Times." This week (May 16), he ends a gap of only two years and eight months, as "Together Through Life" starts at No. 1, becoming the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame legend's fifth topper ...

Twenty years ago this week (May 23), Paula Abdul moved into the Hot 100 penthouse with her second No. 1, "Forever Your Girl." Fast-forwarding to the present, only one artist on that chart dated May 20, 1989, appears this week: the evergreen Abdul, who bows at No. 87 with "I'm Just Here for the Music" ...

Why is Biz Markie's 1990 novelty hit "Just a Friend" on Digital Songs (May 23) for the first time? The charmingly off-key cut has found a new audience thanks to its inclusion in Heineken's latest TV spot. Another early '90s song that's been ubiquitous of late has yet to reach Digital Songs: Sir Mix-a-Lot's "Baby Got Back," which has been reworked for Burger King's inescapable current commercial. (We can't report on whether that song has helped sell the chain's hamburgers. Nielsen SoundScan tracks the sales of discs, but only if they're made of polycarbonate plastic, not meat.)

June

Eminem charges onto the Billboard 200 at No. 1 with "Relapse," his fifth consecutive chart-topping set (June 6). How rare is the feat of linking at least five straight No. 1s on the Billboard 200? In the chart's 53-year history, only six other artists have enjoyed such a run: the Beatles (eight), DMX, U2, Paul McCartney, Chicago and Elton John (five each) ...

In a week dominated by the "American Idol" season finale, another Fox TV-related show spurs the biggest splash on the Hot 100. Enjoying "Idol" as a lead-in, the new musical comedy "Glee" impacts the Hot 100 (June 6) as its cast blasts in at No. 4 with its cover of Journey's "Don't Stop Believin'." The song instantly tops the No. 9 peak of the original version in 1981 ...

"American Idol" also helps send Steve Martin back to the Billboard 200 for the first time since, coincidentally, 1981, as "The Crow: New Songs for the Five-String Banjo" debuts at No. 106 (June 13). Playing the banjo, Martin performed "Pretty Flowers" from the album on the season finale. Afterwards, when asked by host Ryan Seacrest to predict who would take home the "Idol" title, Martin quipped, "I know it's a long shot, but I hope I do" ...

A veteran of the list since Dec. 3, 1977, Elvis Costello posts his third-highest-charting set among his 29 career entries on the Billboard 200 (June 20). "Secret, Profane & Sugarcane" opens at No. 13, a ranking bested only by his "Armed Forces" (No. 10) in 1979 and "Get Happy!!" (No. 11) in 1980 ...

The Black Eyed Peas' fifth studio album, "The E.N.D.," becomes its first No. 1, arriving in the penthouse on the Billboard 200 (June 27). The placing eclipses the No. 2 peak of the group's last release, 2005's "Monkey Business." "Elephunk" rose to No. 14 in 2003, while, prior to the addition of vocalist Fergie, "Behind the Front" reached at No. 129 in 1998 and "Bridging the Gap" peaked at No. 67 in 2000.

On June 25, the world mourned the King of Pop, Michael Jackson. In the second part of Chart Beat's recap of 2009, we examine the resounding impact of Jackon's passing on various Billboard charts, as well as historic feats on Billboard tallies from July through December by the Black Eyed Peas, Jason Mraz and more.

BEST OF 2009, PART 2

July

Just as he did in his life, Michael Jackson continues to break Billboard chart records (July 11). Following his passing June 25, Jackson commands the top nine positions on Top Pop Catalog Albums. His solo sets rank at Nos. 1-4 and 6-9, and a Jackson 5 compilation bows at No. 5. Jackson is the first artist to lock down the top four positions on the survey. He also places a record 21 entries on the 75-position Digital Songs chart (plus an additional four with his siblings) ...

(For further Jackson chart achievements, view a special edition of Chart Beat devoted entirely to the feats that helped the King of Pop don his crown.)

The Black Eyed Peas replace themselves at No. 1 on the Hot 100 (July 11), as "I Gotta Feeling," their second leader, swaps places with runner-up "Boom Boom Pow" after the latter track reigned for 12 weeks. The Peas have their own direct connection to Michael Jackson: on last year's 25th anniversary re-release of "Thriller," Fergie sang on "Beat It 2008," and will.i.am guested on "The Girl Is Mine 2008" ...

Miley Cyrus notches her first No. 1 on Adult Contemporary with "The Climb" (July 18). At 16 years and seven months, Cyrus is the youngest artist to top the chart since LeAnn Rimes entered the penthouse with "How Do I Live" in September 1997 just two weeks after her 15th birthday ...

Mariah Carey nets her 40th Hot 100 chart entry with the No. 11 bow of "Obsessed" (July 25). The song is also Carey's 33rd top 40 hit, tying her with Connie Francis. Among women, the pair trails only Madonna (48) and Aretha Franklin (43) for most top 40 titles ...

The star-studded July 7 memorial for Michael Jackson at Los Angeles' Staples Center spurs a debut on Digital Songs for USA for Africa's "We Are the World," co-written by Jackson and Lionel Richie (July 25). The song appears on a Billboard chart for the first time since 1985, when it topped the Hot 100, R&B/Hip-Hop Songs and Adult Contemporary ...

August

Daughtry makes it two-for-two atop the Billboard 200, as its sophomore set, "Leave This Town," arrives at No. 1 (Aug. 1). Having reigned with its self-titled debut album, Daughtry is just the third group in the 2000s to begin with two No. 1s, following D12 and Danity Kane ...

As the Boy Who Lived has improved his wizarding skills over the years, so has he become more adept at conquering the Billboard 200 (Aug. 1). The soundtrack to "Harry Potter and the Half-Blood Prince" becomes the franchise's highest-peaking edition, apparating at No. 29 ...

Pearl Jam's "The Fixer" launches on Rock Songs at No. 2 after its first week at radio (Aug. 8). On Alternative Songs, the song starts at No. 11 to become the band's 34th entry dating to the arrival of "Alive" on the chart dated Jan. 25, 1992. In the Alternative chart's 21-year history, only U2 (37) has made more visits ...

"Loba," the Spanish-language version of "She Wolf," becomes Shakira's eighth No. 1 on Latin Songs (Aug. 29). She first led with "Ciega, Sordomuda" in 1998. Her 2005 hit "La Tortura," featuring Alejandro Sanz, holds the Latin Songs record for most weeks at No. 1 (25) ...

The Black Eyed Peas spend an unprecedented 20th straight week atop the Hot 100 (Aug. 29), as "I Gotta Feeling" logs an eighth frame at No. 1; "Boom Boom Pow" led for 12 weeks. The group passes the 19 consecutive weeks that Usher spent in charge with "Yeah!" and "Burn" in 2004. Adding to the Hot 100's momentous nature this week is the 70th chart week notched by Jason Mraz's "I'm Yours," which passes the 69-week stay of LeAnn Rimes' "How Do I Live" in 1997-98.

September

Carrie Underwood collects the highest debut by a female artist this year on Country Songs, as "Cowboy Casanova" ropes a No. 26 start (Sept. 19). Among all acts, Underwood's new hit ties Brad Paisley's "Then" for the year's second-best bow; Kenny Chesney's "Out Last Night" began at No. 25 in April ...

How long had it been since Whitney Houston presided over the Billboard 200? Until this week (Sept. 19), the superstar had last led when her soundtrack to the "The Bodyguard" spent its 20th and final week at No. 1 on the May 29, 1993, chart. This week, Houston returns to the throne with "I Look to You," her fourth No. 1 album ...

On Alternative Songs, "Notion" is Kings of Leon's third No. 1, all from their fourth set, "Only By the Night" (Sept. 19). "Sex On Fire" reigned for eight weeks, and "Use Somebody" ruled for three. On Adult Pop Songs, "Use Somebody" becomes the act's first No. 1 ...

Madonna rules Dance/Club Play Songs for a record-extending 40th time, rising 2-1 with "Celebration" (Sept. 26). She joins only two other artists in the history of Billboard charts to collect 40 No. 1s on a survey: George Strait (44) and Conway Twitty (40) have each attained comparable dominance on Country Songs ...

Jay-Z notches his 11th Billboard 200-topping album with "The Blueprint 3" (Sept. 26) and passes Elvis Presley as the solo act with the most No. 1s in the chart's 53-year history. Jay-Z now stands in second place among all artists, trailing only the group that debuts with two boxed sets: the Beatles, who've visited the summit 19 times. The Fab Four open at No. 15 with "In Stereo" and No. 40 with "In Mono."

October

Jimmy Wayne enters Country Songs with "Sara Smile," featuring the classic song's original performers, Daryl Hall & John Oates (Oct. 3). Wayne recalls, "13 years ago, I picked a Hall & Oates greatest hits CD out of a bargain box in the old Gaston Mall in Gastonia, North Carolina. I heard 'Sara Smile' for the first time, and I just felt as if the song was written for me" ...

After becoming the first country artist to win a Moonman at the MTV Video Music Awards Sept. 13, Taylor Swift continues breaking through barriers (Oct. 3). Her "You Belong With Me" becomes the first country crossover to top Radio Songs/Hot 100 Airplay since the list began incorporating Nielsen BDS-monitored data in 1990 ...

With a start at the Billboard 200 summit for "Love Is the Answer," Barbra Streisand is the only act to collect No. 1s in each of the past five decades (Oct. 17). The beloved entertainer extends the chart record for longest span of No. 1s among women: 44 years, 11 months and two weeks, dating to the coronation of "People" in October 1964 ...

Britney Spears' "3" rockets onto the Hot 100 at No. 1, marking just the 16th start in the top spot in the chart's history (Oct. 24). "3" becomes the shortest title to reach the Hot 100's pinnacle, passing the mark of three characters held by five previous No. 1 titles ...

For the second time since his passing, Michael Jackson has taken radio by storm. The King of Pop's "This Is It" earns its first Billboard chart ink with a No. 43 debut on R&B/Hip-Hop Songs (Oct. 24). The song is Jackson's landmark 50th career entry on the survey. Says Skip Dillard, operations manager of Inner City adult R&B WBLS (107.5 FM)/New York, "It seems that everyone remains attached to all things Michael. Reaction has been all-thumbs-up."

November

Zac Brown Band's "Toes" steps 2-1 on Country Songs, marking the act's second No. 1 in three tries (Nov. 7). Its debut chart entry "Chicken Fried" sizzled for two weeks at No. 1. The act is the first group to ascend to the summit with two of its first three chart entries since Dixie Chicks in 1998 ...

Jason DeRulo's "Whatcha Say" lifts 2-1 on the Hot 100 (Nov. 14). The singer is the fourth act this year to carry a debut chart entry to No. 1, following Lady Gaga ("Just Dance"), Jay Sean ("Down") and Owl City ("Fireflies"). Three rookies reigned last year ...

Lady Gaga becomes the first artist in the 17-year history of the Pop Songs chart to pull four No. 1s from a debut album, as "Paparazzi" rises 3-1 (Nov. 14). Billboard's 2009 Rising Star previously led with "Just Dance," "Poker Face" and "LoveGame" from her debut release, "The Fame." KAMP (97.1 Amp Radio)/Los Angeles assistant program director John Michael says, "What makes Lady Gaga different than every other artist is that she, quite frankly, sounds different than every other artist. In a world driven by people who tend to gravitate towards what is proven and comfortable, she has released a record full of hits that doesn't sound like anything else out there right now" ...

Since Billboard published its first all-encompassing R&B songs chart in the issue dated Oct. 20, 1958, only five titles have spent at least 14 weeks at No. 1 on what is now entitled R&B/Hip-Hop Songs. This week (Nov. 14), Maxwell's "Pretty Wings" becomes the latest member of the exclusive club. The fourth also joined this year, Jamie Foxx's "Blame It," featuring T-Pain ...

Taylor Swift's "Fifteen" pushes 46-38 to become the 13th top 40 hit on the Hot 100 from "Fearless," extending the record for most such entries from one album (including its "Platinum Edition" re-release). Tied for second with seven top 40 titles each are three sets by Michael Jackson ("Thriller," "Bad" and "Dangerous") and albums by Janet Jackson ("Rhythm Nation 1814") and Bruce Springsteen ("Born in the U.S.A.)"

December

Kelly Clarkson collects her second No. 1 on Adult Pop Songs, as "Already Gone" pushes 2-1 (Dec. 5). Clarkson ruled for five weeks with "Behind These Hazel Eyes" in 2005. "Already Gone" is the third No. 1 on the chart for the song's co-writer, Ryan Tedder, who co-authored Timbaland's "Apologize," featuring his band OneRepublic, and Leona Lewis' "Bleeding Love" ...

John Mayer returns to the summit of the Billboard 200 after six years, as "Battle Studies" launches at No. 1 (Dec. 5). His "Heavier Things" opened atop the chart dated Sept. 27, 2003 ...

With the revamping of the Billboard 200 to again include both current and catalog titles, one of the chart's landmark records is updated this week (Dec. 12). Pink Floyd's "Dark Side of the Moon" re-enters the chart for the first time since Oct. 8, 1988, logging a record-extending 742nd week on the survey. The collection debuted on the tally on March 17, 1973, and spent a week at No. 1 that April ...

Susan Boyle is the first solo female to enter the Billboard 200 at No. 1 with her first charted title since fellow U.K. native Leona Lewis last year (Dec. 12). The only other women to manage the feat this decade are Miley Cyrus, Ashlee Simpson, Beyonce, Kelly Clarkson, Ashanti and Alicia Keys ...

Holiday cheer to tide over Gleeks until the Fox series returns in April: the "Glee" cast is responsible for Wham!'s 1984 seasonal favorite "Last Christmas" making its first Hot 100 appearance (Dec. 19). The new version decks the chart at No. 63.

SOURCE: BILLBOARD.COM

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