By Roger Nead
JULY 23, 2002
BY THE WAY, THIS IS THE CHILI PEPPERS' BIGGEST ALBUM TO DATE:
By debuting at #2 on this week's Billboard 200, "By The Way" becomes The RED HOT
CHILI PEPPERS' highest charting album in the fifteen years the band has made this chart. It also matches their highest peak on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart. "Under The Bridge" reached #2 on June 6th, 1992. The Peppers' previous high on the album chart was the #3 peak of 1999's "Californication" and 1991's "Blood Sugar Sex Magik," both of which are on Billboard's Top Pop Catalog chart this week. That's the chart where old albums go when they die and come back to life. The new album sits at #1 this week on the album charts in the U.K., Germany, Canada, Australia, Italy, The Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, and New Zealand. "By The Way" matches its U.S. peak in France, Spain, Portugal, and Argentina. Which makes the Chili Peppers red hot, worldwide!
HELLO, DOLLY! AGAIN:
Country legend DOLLY PARTON is back on the Billboard Top 200 album chart this week with her 35th entry, "Halos & Horns." It's been just over 33 years since her first appearance on this chart. Her last album to chart higher was 1995's "Something Special," which reached #54. Dolly - best known to our younger readers as that lady with the big boobs who wrote WHITNEY HOUSTON's biggest hit "I Will Always Love You" - also wrote some of the best country songs of all time, including: "Jolene," "Coat Of Many Colors," and "To Daddy." The critically acclaimed "Halos" features blue grass covers of such classic pop hits as BREAD's 1971 top-ten hit "If" and LED ZEPPELIN's all-time rock classic "Stairway To Heaven." The novelty of Parton covering Zeppelin alone makes this worth checking out - and who knows? Maybe radio will check it out and play it, too! At any rate, congratulations to Dolly, and let's hope she keeps selling those records!
TOP 10 CHARTS:
Since I was too busy to write a complete column this week, here is a quick look at some of the current top 10 charts!
U.S. Single Chart:
1) Hot In Herre by NELLY
2) Without Me by EMINEM
3) Complicated by AVRIL LAVIGNE
4) Hero by CHAD KROEGER Featuring JOSEY SCOTT
5) I Need A Girl (Part Two) by P. DIDDY & GINUWINE
6) Oh Boy by CAM'RON Featuring JUELZ SANTANA
7) The Middle by JIMMY EAT WORLD
8) Dilemma by NELLY Featuring KELLY ROWLAND
9) A Thousand Miles by VANESSA CARLTON
10) I'm Gonna Be Alright by JENNIFER LOPEZ Featuring NAS
Album Chart:
1) Nellyville by NELLY
2) By The Way by RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS
3) The Eminem Show by EMINEM
4) Let Go by AVRIL LAVIGNE
5) Hard Candy by COUNTING CROWS
6) A Gangster And A Gentleman by STYLES
7) Irv Gotti Presents The Inc by VARIOUS ARTISTS
8) Josh Groban by JOSH GROBAN
9) Ashanti by ASHANTI
10) O, Yeah! Ultimate Aerosmith Hits by AEROSMITH
Modern Rock Tracks:
1) By The Way by RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS
2) Running Away by HOOBASTANK
3) Warning by INCUBUS
4) Sweetness by JIMMY EAT WORLD
5) Drift & Die by PUDDLE OF MUDD
6) She Loves Me Not by PAPA ROACH
7) Hero by CHAD KROEGER Featuring JOSEY SCOTT
8) Hate To Say I Told You So by THE HIVES
9) I Feel So by BOX CAR RACER
10) Aerials by SYSTEM OF A DOWN
U.K. Singles Chart:
1) Anyone Of Us (Stupid Mistake) by GARETH GATES
2) Ramp! The Logical Song by SCOOTER
3) A Little Less Conversation by ELVIS VS. JXL
4) Foolish by ASHANTI
5) Here I Am by BRYAN ADAMS
6) I'm Gonna Be Alright by JENNIFER LOPEZ Featuring NAS
7) Hot In Herre by NELLY
8) Wherever You Will Go by THE CALLING
9) When You Look At Me by CHRISTINA MILIAN
10) By The Way by RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS
UNKNOWN ARTIST SPOTLIGHT:
With the overload of female pop singers on the charts today - including AVRIL LAVIGNE, DIDO, PINK, and MICHELLE BRANCH, to name a few - it's easy for an honest talent to slip through the cracks. One such talent is CARLY HENNESSY. Hennessy, who hails from Dublin, released her debut CD "Ultimate High" in America last year on MCA Records. The album, one of those rare CD's on which I like every song, was written and produced by former NEW RADICALS members Gregg Alexander and Danielle Brisebois (remember her as Archie Bunker's niece on "ALL IN THE FAMILY"?). These are the people who hit the top 40 in 1999 with the catchy "You Get What You Give." In fact, several of the songs on Hennessy's CD were previously featured on Brisebois' solo albums.
Fortunately, "Ultimate High" was recently released in the U.K., where radio programmers are more likely to give a new artist a chance. Hopefully, if the first single, "I'm Gonna Blow Your Mind," hits over there, radio might give Carly a well-deserved second look in the States.
Other great tracks on this album include: "Beautiful You" (my favorite on the CD), "Just Missed The Train," and "I Need A Little Love." If you were a fan of NEW RADICALS, you really should check out CARLY HENNESSY. For more info, go to: MCA Records.
TIME WARP:
Want to feel old? Here's a look at some charts from our past. See how many you remember!
Top 5 songs 7 years ago, July 29th, 1995:
#5) "Kiss From A Rose" by SEAL. This song spent twelve weeks at #1 on the Adult Contemporary chart.
#4) "Boombastic" by SHAGGY. Jinxies, Scoob! SHAGGY was the first Reggae artist to have back-to-back #1's on the Hot 100.
#3) "Don't Take It Personal (Just One Of Dem Days)" by MONICA. This song samples "Back Seat (Of My Jeep)" by LL COOL J.
#2) "One More Chance/Stay With Me" by NOTORIOUS B.I.G. Biggie's wife, FAITH EVANS, provided backing vocals on this hit.
#1) "Waterfalls" by TLC. While this hit was on top, TLC declared bankruptcy!
Top 5 Songs 17 years ago, July 27th, 1985:
#5) "If You Love Somebody Set Them Free" by STING. This, Mr. Sumner's first solo hit, reached #1 on Billboard's Top Rock Hits chart.
#4) "A View To A Kill" by DURAN DURAN. This was the only theme song to a James Bond movie to hit #1 (so far!).
#3) "You Give Good Love" by WHITNEY HOUSTON. This was Whitney's first #1 on the R&B charts.
#2) "Shout" by TEARS FOR FEARS. "Songs From The Big Chair" - the album that featured this single - was inspired by the TV movie "SYBIL" starring Sally Field.
#1) "Everytime You Go Away" by PAUL YOUNG. This hit was written by Daryl Hall of HALL & OATES.
Top 5 Songs 27 years ago, July 26th, 1975:
#5) "Listen To What The Man Said" by WINGS. This was PAUL McCARTNEY's first single not on the Apple label.
#4) "Please Mr. Please" by OLIVIA NEWTON-JOHN. This song was written by two members of CLIFF RICHARD's backing band, The Shadows.
#3) "One Of These Nights" by THE EAGLES. This hit was from THE EAGLES' first #1 Album.
#2) "I'm Not In Love" by 10cc. This group backed NEIL SEDAKA on his 1974 comeback LP, "Sedaka's Back!"
#1) "The Hustle" by VAN McCOY. Unlike most dance fads, the Hustle dance came before the Hustle song!
.
Top 5 Songs 37 years ago, July 31st, 1965:
#5) "Yes, I'm Ready" by BARBARA MASON. In 1980, a cover version of this song by TERI DESARIO & KC (of Sunshine Band fame) went to #2.
#4) "Cara, Mia" by JAY & THE AMERICANS. A version of "Cara, Mia" by popular orchestra leader MANTOVANI hit the top 10 in 1954.
#3) "What's New Pussycat?" by TOM JONES. This hit helped Jones win the Best New Artist Grammy in '66.
#2) "I'm Henry VIII, I Am" by HERMAN'S HERMITS. This #1 hit was written in 1911!
#1) "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" by THE ROLLING STONES. The Stones' first #1 hit was inspired by the Motown smash "Dancing In The Streets," which was later covered by Stones front man Mick Jagger.
ROCK & ROLL TRIVIA QUESTION: Test your rock IQ and answer my question!
LAST WEEK'S ANSWER: Of the 994 songs to top Billboard's Pop Singles Chart so far in the rock era, which one had the longest title? The number one with the longest title was the 544th #1 of the rock era. It happened on June 20, 1981, when a medley of hits from the 60's performed by a group of session musicians from Holland created a sensation. Due to clearance problems, every song in the medley had to be listed on the label. The official title was: "Medley: Intro Venus/Sugar Sugar/No Reply/I'll Be Back/Drive My Car/Do You Want To Know A Secret/We Can Work It Out/I Should Have Known Better/Nowhere Man/You're Going To Lose That Girl/Stars On 45."
The artist was listed as STARS ON 45.
THIS WEEKS QUESTION: Of the following five pop superstars, which is the only one never to write a #1 hit?
A) BOB MARLEY
B) DOLLY PARTON
C) DIANA ROSS
D) BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN
E) BARBRA STREISAND
SHOOT-BACK HERE! |
ARCHIVES
