[WGO] In the Week of Obama

Next Tuesday, the 27th, we will be seeing releases by Mariah Carey (the repackaged hits collection "The Ballads"), Franz Ferdinand, Hoobastank, Bruce Springsteen & The Dream, as well as the 2009 package for the Grammy Nom's. This is usually a good package to pick up, as it has a pretty wide range of artists who were successful in the year previous. I have the 1996, 1999 and 2003 cuts. :) This year's collection is no different and may be something I end up getting, or at least arranging as I have most of these songs already now that I think about it...The tracklist is reported to be:

1. Coldplay - Viva La Vida
2. Estelle f. Kanye West - American Boy
3. Sara Bareilles - Love Song
4. Ne-Yo - Closer
5. Lil Wayne f. T-Pain - Got Money
6. Robert Plant/Alison Krauss - Please Read the Letter
7. Radiohead - House of Cards
8. Lady Antebellum - Love Don't Live Here
9. Jonas Brothers - Burnin' Up
10. Jazmine Sullivan - Need U Bad
11. Duffy - Mercy
12. M.I.A. - Paper Planes
13. Adele - Chasing Pavements
14. Katy Perry - I Kissed A Girl
15. Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love
16. P!NK - So What
17. Gnarls Barkley - Going On
18. OneRepublic - Apologize
19. Maroon 5 - Won't Go Home Without You
20. Eagles - Waiting In the Weeds

In the Billboard 200, not much has changed. Taylor Swift is still on top for her seventh nonconsecutive week with over 63K sold this week, but it's a bit of a downturn from last week. Beyonce is up two to snatch the #2 spot with "Sasha Fierce", making a small sales gain this week, probably due to the hype surrounding her Inaugural Performances. Nickelback is #3, and the soundtrack to the Biggie biopic "Notorious" bowed at #4 (the hot shot of the week) with just shy of 40K sold in its debut week. The album features old material from Big, bonus cuts, previously unreleased demos and tribute songs by his friends, as well as the "Notorious Theme" composed by Danny Elfman, the man behind "Nightmare Before Christmas"'s gorgeous score. Kanye makes a significant sales drop to #5, "Twilight" holds on at #6 and Britney's "Circus" is #7. Jamie Foxx's "Intuition" remains in the #8 position, and Keysha Cole's "A Different Me" drops to #9. However, the big winner goes to the ever sexy David Cook, whose debut self-titled album is expected to push up to the top 10 from the #18 position with an almost 60% sales increase.

In other news, "Now That's What I Call Motown", a compilation released in the wake of it being 50 years since Motown was "founded" debuts in the #13 position with almost 22K sold. The soundtrack to the film "Slumdog Millionaire" (which I just saw recently -- it's amazing, and the music is good too!) lands at #16 with a little over 18K sold, and is the "Pace Setter" of the week, up from#55. Derek Trucks Band debuts at #19 with just over 16K. Never heard of them. Can anyone fill me in? John Legend's epic "Evolver" album jumps up from #45 to #33 this week, up by almost 40%. My boys in Kings of Leon slide down to #22 from #17. Heather Headley's "Audience of One" also debuts at #27 with just over 14K, just ahead of the All-American Rejects' "When the World Comes Down."

In other misses, Fall Out Boy's "Folie A Deux" slides from #24 to #38, moving just over 11K this week in a 37% downgrade. But Katy Perry did even worse. After being just ouside the top 10 at #12 last week, she is now #36 with "One of the Boys" selling almost 11K, a 57% slump. Goes to show you just how little records are selling in this marketplace.

My boys in Hollywood Undead also take a slide up from #48 to #45, but hey -- at least they are still in the top 50! I have high hopes, as they sit pretty at #5 on Hits Daily Double's Vibe-Raters chart of artists about to break. You may also be interested to know that Lily Allen is #8, Red Jumpsuit Apparatus is #9 and Christina Milian is #12 on that same chart.

Over on the Hot 100, Lady Gaga continues to dominate with "Just Dance" at #1 for its third week. The rest of the top 10 is as follows:
2. Beyonce - Single Ladies
3. Kanye West - Heartless
4. T.I. feat. Rihanna - Live Your Life
5. Taylor Swift - Love Story
6. All American Rejects - Give You Hell (up 4 spots to its new peak position)
7. Jason Mraz - I'm Yours
8. Katy Perry - Hot N Cold
9. Kevin Rudolf - Let It Rock
10. Britney Spears - Circus

Other notable nods: the Pussycat Dolls' "I Hate This Part" is up to #11 from #18 last week, and is the sales gainer, this week. I'm not giving up on this one yet -- I knew it'd be a hit! T.I. & Justin Timberlake's "Dead and Gone" is up from #30 to #18 and is the airplay gainer. P!NK has back to back positions this week with "So What" at #19 and "Sober" at #20. However, the former is down from #16, and the latter is up from #25. David Cook's anthematic (not to mention Daughtry-esque) "Light On" is #23, up from #39.

Ne-Yo's latest single off of Year of the Gentleman, "Mad", is up to #25 from #33 last week, and Beyonce's latest Sasha Fierce offering, "Diva", is up to #37 from #51, its new personal best. My girl Keri Hilson's "Turing Me On" is #43, up from #61 last week, and Lady Gaga's other hot single, "Poker Face", is up to its new personal best, #48, from #72 just last week.