The Year of Pala

With last week's 15th consecutive run at the No. 1 position with Hawaiian Air, Friendly Fires tied the record for most weeks at the top of the Songs chart with one same title. Sadly, they're not able to break that record because it all ends this week as Hawaiian Air finally gives up the throne and falls to No. 4. But it's all not lost, because Friendly Fires replace themselves at the top with Blue Cassette, off their album Pala, after debuting at No. 100 eight weeks ago. So after all, Friendly Fires is the act with the most consecutive weeks - sixteen - at the top of the Songs chart, with one or more songs.

Blue Cassette (Live at the Lightbox Session)


Get music by Friendly Fires

More crazy stats? And I say crazy because they all involve the number 7 somehow...

With such a long run at the top for Hawaiian Air, many titles had to settle with a not less respectable No. 2 position. A total of seven songs are included in this list starting most recently with Snow Patrol's This Isn't Everything You Are, which stays as runner-up for a second week. But there's also Benny Benassi's Close To Me featuring Gary Go (#3), Blink-182's Fighting The Gravity (#6), Young The Giant's My Body (#7), Coldplay's Paradise (#10), Foster The People's Pumped Up Kicks (#12) and Florence + The Machine's Shake It Out (#18).

Also, Blue Cassette becomes the seventh song that made its debut at the No. 100 position and eventually went on to the top of the Songs chart. This list includes Bone Thugs-N-Harmony (Wind Blow - 2007), Fergie (Clumsy - 2007), Mariah Carey (O.O.C. - 2008), Kanye West (Love Lockdown - 2009), Jay-Z (Real As It Gets - 2010) and Outasight (Everything - 2011).

But that's not all. Friendly Fires is also the seventh act to replace itself at the top of the Songs chart after Interpol (Wrecking Ball, Rest My Chemistry - 2007), Mariah Carey (twice)(Migrate, Side Effects, I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time, O.O.C. - 2008; Betcha Gon' Know (The Prologue), H.A.T.E.U. - 2009), The-Dream (My Love, Right Side Of My Brain - 2009), Akon (Sexy Bitch, Available (Benny Benassi Remix) - 2009), Jay-Z (Empire State Of Mind, Real As It Gets - 2010) and Lykke Li (I Follow Rivers (The Magician Remix), Love Out Of Lust - 2011).

Lykke Li & The Magician Go To #1

It was really just a matter of time. I do believe White Lies deserved a couple more weeks at the top with Bigger Than Us because I really like that song, but who knows, they might make a comeback later on. Now that they're down to #3 it means there's a new #1 this week and it belongs to none other than Lykke Li and her I Follow Rivers (The Magician Remix). This is the singer's first chart-topper, and not just any chart-topper, because it's only the second remixed song to go all the way to the top in the history of the chart. The first one was the Benny Benassi remix to Available by Flo Rida and Akon, which started its two-week stay at #1 in September of 2009.

Listen & Download: I Follow Rivers (The Magician Remix) by Lykke Li


But Lykke Li continues to dominate my music playlist as this week she once again is Greatest Gainer, this time with her song Love Out Of Lust, which goes to #8 in its second week. I Know Places is Power Play of the week at #75 and Get Some, her first charted song, re-enters at #87. The original I Follow Rivers is the Biggest Jump to #47 from last week's #94.

In terms of new entries Britney Spears scores the Hot Shot and Highest Debut this week with her second single off Femme Fatale. Debuting at #51, Till The World Ends proves to be a much better performer than its predecessor Hold It Against Me which only managed to peak at #57 and stay on the chart for 5 weeks. This is only the singer's fourth song to enter the chart.

Many first timers are welcomed to the chart this week starting with The Decemberists and their song This Is Why We Fight, also Power Play of the week, at #74; Mogwai debut at #89 with White Noise; Ryan Adams debuts at #95 with Disappyramid; The Shoes enter at #99 with Wastin' Time and Radiohead start with Lotus Flower and Little By Little at #88 and #100 respectively. More new songs include Cee Lo Green's It's OK at #93 and Usher's More at #97.

Dr. Dre, Snoop Dogg & Akon › Kush

Get Kush | More music by Dr. Dre | More music by Snoop Dogg | More music by Akon

Drake Finally Reaches The Top

After several close calls Drake has finally reached the top of The Chart this week as Unforgettable featuring Young Jeezy makes a twelve-spot jump to No. 1, the second biggest leap to the summit this year behind Katy Perry's Teenage Dream and the fifth biggest overall. Drake had previously only reached No. 2 on four different occasions with Best I Ever Had, Over, Mary J. Blige's The One and Timbaland's Say Something. For Young Jeezy this is his 4th chart-topper as a collaborative artist, having reached the top before with Mariah Carey's Side Effects (3 weeks), Jay-Z's Real As It Gets (2 weeks) and Akon's I'm So Paid (1 week).

Michael Jackson & Akon › Hold My Hand

I'm not sure if I've gotten over the whole deal and controversy surrounding this posthumous Michael Jackson album, but I guess it'll always be a good thing to hear new stuff from the King of Pop. It's a bit of a reminder of how great legends will always live on. Now, this duet with Akon is not exactly "new" because it first surfaced on the internet a couple of years ago but it is the first time it becomes available to the masses on the new release Michael, out today. Watch the touching video below:



Get Hold My Hand | More music by Michael Jackson | More music by Akon

Flo Rida & Akon › Who Dat Girl

More from Flo Rida's Only One Flo (Part 1). This time Akon gets in some of the action for a song that's very reminiscent to California Gurls by Katy Perry. Same producer?



Get Who Dat Girl | More music by Flo Rida | More music by Akon

TMJ's Weekly Chart: Why are you obsessed with her?

Mariah Carey scores a personal best this week as "Obsessed" tops the chart for a 7th consecutive week surpassing her previous hit "Touch My Body" which held the top spot for 6 straight weeks. There isn't new songs entering the top 10 and there's little movement except for Drake with "Best I Ever Had" which moves up 5 spots to land at #4.

There isn't too many songs making big jumps this week either. The biggest is "Speak In Tongues" by Placebo which moves up 41 places to become the only song to enter the Top 50 this week. Other notable moves by The Script who make a big rebound with "Before The Worst" and David Guetta with "Sexy Bitch (Feat. Akon)" which moves up to #11 in its 3rd week.

Madonna returns to the chart and snatches the highest debut with "Celebration" which lands at #69. Other debuts include the Benny Benassi remix of "I Will Be Here" by Tiësto & Sneaky Sound System and new songs from David Guetta and Kings Of Leon.

A couple remixes retire from the main chart: The Armin van Buuren remix of "Human" by The Killers and the Dave Audé remix of "God In Me" by Mary Mary.

On the recurrent chart, Blackstreet keeps the crown for a second week with their 1996 hit "No Diggity (Feat. Dr. Dre)."

TMJ's Weekly Chart: Mariah gets a 5th

It's 5th week at #1 for Mariah Carey as "Obsessed" doesn't seem to go anywhere any time soon. Runner-up Mary J. Blige is making her way up with "The One (Feat. Drake)" and Sharam gets the greatest point gain for second week in a row as "She Came Along (Feat. Kid Cudi)" jumps to #3 this week. Kings Of Leon round up the top 5 as "Frontier City" moves up a spot to a new peak and "Closer" falls 3 after 43 weeks on the chart.

Big jumps for "Kings Of Medicine" by Placebo and "Crazi" by Sharam. Yeah Yeah Yeahs ("Heads Will Rolls") and The-Dream ("Can't Wait To Hate You") also make big jumps to land in the top 50 this week. Drake came short of being the biggest jump but it's good enough as "Best I Ever Had" leaps to #13. On the other hand, the biggest jump of the week is Cobra Starship's "Good Girls Go Bad (Feat. Leighton Meester)" but the song is still lingering in the lower half of the chart.

Two hot shot debuts within the top 50 as David Guetta leads with "Sexy Bitch (Feat. Akon)", probably his first song to really catch my attention since "The World Is Mine" came out a few years ago. Mariah Carey follows with the Jump Smokers Remix to "Obsessed". Jump Smokers' other appearance on the chart is their "Jump" remix by Flo Rida featuring Nelly Furtado. Some more new tracks from Placebo's new album Battle For The Sun and Bloc Party returns with "One More Chance" remixed by Alex Metric.

We Are Scientists rule the recurrent chart for a third consecutive week with "What's The Word". I'm thinking this should have been #1 when it made its rounds on the main chart.

----------------
Now playing: The Black Eyed Peas - Alive
via FoxyTunes