“All I Want for Christmas is You” - Carla Thomas (1963) #11 (1966 Christmas chart re-issue)

Written by Stax Records session writer A.C. Williams, the song was originally released as the B-side of Thomas’ 1963 holiday hit, “Gee Whiz, It’s Christmas,” which itself peaked at #23. A new version recorded by her hit the Billboard Christmas Singles chart in 1966 and peaked at #11. This song should not be confused with the Mariah Carey, Vince Vance and the Valiants, or Foghat songs of the same name. (more…)

Christmas is right around the corner, so in honor of the holiday season, I am bringing you the 40 Blogs of Christmas! From November 15 to December 24, I will count down the 40 biggest Christmas-themed hits of the Billboard Pop Singles/Hot 100 and/or the Christmas charts (beginning in 1963, Billboard relegated seasonal re-releases to a separate Christmas chart, ending their strings of appearances on the Hot 100. A Christmas song can only appear on the Hot 100 once; if it is re-released the following year, it charts on the Christmas chart.) Keep in mind…several favorites didn’t make the list because they only appeared on other charts (R&B, Country, Adult Contemporary, etc.), or they were ineligible for the Hot 100 because they didn’t have a commercially available single (the most infamous of this was Mariah Carey’s 1994 song “All I Want for Christmas is You,” which would have been a top 10 hit if it had a commercially available single.) I also want to pull the Band-Aid (pun unintended, referring to the #40 song) off quickly and tell you songs #41-#60 (based on my research) so you won’t be disappointed later (I will give you their highest original chart position and which chart it appeared on):

41. “The Little Drummer Boy (Carol of the Drum)” - Harry Simeone Chorale (1958) #13 (1959 Hot 100 re-issue)

42. “A Holly Jolly Christmas” - Burl Ives (1964) #13 (Christmas chart)

43. “Pretty Paper” - Roy Orbison (1964) #15 (Hot 100)

44. “Rockin’ Around the Christmas Tree” - Brenda Lee (1958) #16 (1960 Hot 100 re-issue)

45. “Silent Night” - Bing Crosby (1935) #16 (1941 Pop Singles re-issue)

46. “Christmas Blues” - Canned Heat (1968) #18 (Christmas chart)

47. “Sleigh Ride” - Boston Pops Orchestra (1949) #24 (Hot 100)

48. “I’ll Be Home for Christmas” - The Brothers Four (1966) #26 (Christmas chart)

49. “If We Make it Through December” - Merle Haggard (1973) #28 (1974 Hot 100 re-issue)

50. “Better Days” - Goo Goo Dolls (2005) #36 (Hot 100)

51. “Green Chri$tma$” - Stan Freberg (1958) #44 (Hot 100)

52. “The Christmas Song (Chestnuts Roasting on an Open Fire)” - Nat “King” Cole (1946) #65 (1962 stereo Hot 100 re-issue)

53. “Where Are You, Christmas?” - Faith Hill (2000) #65 (Hot 100)

54. “This Time of the Year” - Brook Benton (1959) #66 (Hot 100)

55. “Run Rudolph Run” - Chuck Berry (1958) #69 (Hot 100)

56. “Please Come Home for Christmas” - Charles Brown (1960) #76 (1961 Hot 100 re-issue)

57. “White Christmas” - The Drifters (1954) #80 (Pop Singles)

58. “All Alone on Christmas” - Darlene Love (1992) #83 (Hot 100)

59. “Christmas Dream” - Perry Como (1974) #92 (Hot 100)

60. “I Believe in Father Christmas” - Greg Lake (1975) #95 (Hot 100) (more…)

After almost a decade, Britney Spears finally tops the Billboard Hot 100 for the second time with the song “Womanizer” off her forthcoming sixth studio album, Circus. Spears’ first #1 single on the Hot 100 was her debut song, “…Baby One More Time,” back in 1999. Her first-week download sales of the song were 286,000, the biggest opening-week tally by a female artist since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking digital downloads in 2003, topping Mariah Carey’s take for “Touch My Body” by just over 200 units. In addition, the song made a record-breaking jump from #96 to #1 on the Hot 100, breaking the record set by T.I.’s “Live Your Life” (featuring Rihanna), which jumped from #80 to #1 last week. “Live Your Life” has dropped to #3, but it is the Airplay Gainer, and it retains its bullet. T.I.’s other song, “Whatever You Like,” stays in the #2 position with a bullet, and is the Sales Gainer for the week. Despite the song also having a bullet, either T.I. song could easily knock “Womanizer” out of the top spot next week (I think that it will be “Live Your Life.”) Katy Perry’s “Hot N Cold” inches up one spot to #5 with a bullet, but I don’t think that it is a threat to Britney or T.I. next week. (more…)

We have come to the end of our exploration of the 50 years of the Billboard Hot 100. The beginning of the last decade starts with two songs that never went to #1, but ended up winning the Year-End #1 chart of their years. It ends with a solo #1 from a singer of one of the most successful girl groups of the new millennium. Unlike the ‘90s, the 2000’s rocked a little more. It’s now time to delve into the Year-End #1’s from 2000 to 2007 (my prediction…in case you were curious…is that the #1 tune of 2008 will go to “Low” by Flo Rida featuring T-Pain, which spent 10 weeks at #1 earlier this year.) Hey…if Go-Go’s lead singer Belinda Carlisle, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, country singers Marty Stuart and Alan Jackson, Duran Duran lead singer Simon Le Bon, and Mötley Crüe bassist Nikki Sixx can all turn 50…why can’t the Hot 100? (more…)

Wow…this is T.I.’s week! He is at #1 again on the Billboard Hot 100…but not for the song “Whatever You Like.” His song, “Live Your Life” featuring Rihanna, makes an amazing leap from #80 to #1, making it the highest leap to #1 in Hot 100 history (”Whatever” slips to #2.) Who held that honor previously? None other than T.I. with “Whatever You Like”… when the song jumped from #71 to #1 six weeks ago. He is also the first artist to replace himself at the top of the chart since Usher did it in July of 2004, when his single “Confessions Part II” replaced his single “Burn” at #1. The honors keep rolling though… the song broke the record for highest first week digital sales ever, shifting 335,000 digital downloads to debut at #1 on the Hot Digital Songs chart, according to Nielsen SoundScan, beating Mariah Carey’s prior digital debut week high-water mark of 286,000 with “Touch My Body.” Rihanna gets some props too, because the song officially makes her the female with the most #1 songs this decade (with five), beating Beyoncé Knowles and Carey. Predictions for next week? I’m almost positive that “Live Your Life” will be #1 for a second week, because it has a bullet and it is the Airplay Gainer for the week. Their are only two possible contenders. Kevin Rudolf featuring Lil Wayne with their song “Let it Rock,” which jumps from #15 to #5 with a bullet and is the Digital Sales Gainer this week, and Christina Aguilera’s “Keeps Gettin’ Better,” which debuts on the chart at #7 (her first time debuting in the top 10) with a bullet based on digital sales of 144,000. M.I.A.’s “Paper Planes” run on the chart appears to have finally petered out, because it sinks from #5 to #9 and has lost its bullet. (more…)

I guess that T.I. is “Whatever You Like,” because his song is #1 for a third week with a bullet. It has sold 145,000 copies in the United States this week, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and it is the Greatest Airplay Gainer for the week as well. To be honest with you…the song is a little boring. I certainly hope that Pink’s “So What” takes the top spot next week. Last week it became her highest charting song to date at #3 (beating her former peaks of 2000’s “Most Girls” and 2002’s “Get the Party Started”…both of which peaked at #4), but this week, it is at #2 with a bullet. It is also the Greatest Digital Gainer after selling 197,000 downloads. Other possible contenders to take T.I.’s crown many, as the top nine songs all have bullets. Pink is a big one, but another one is “I’m Yours” by Jason Mraz, who moves from #9 to #6. Last week I said that he probably won’t make it to #1 because the song is too quirky, but I have been surprised before. I originally thought that Katy Perry’s “I Kissed a Girl” wouldn’t make it…but it went on to top the chart for seven weeks. The last big threat may be from Flo Rida featuring will.i.am’s “In the Ayer,” which jumps from #21 to #9. I have been hearing the song everywhere, from radio airplay to a featured appearance in an episode of the CW’s “One Tree Hill.” I don’t think that it will take the top spot next week, but it might in two weeks. I hope that it does, because it is a fun little dance song that I could see all the high school kids requesting that it be played at their homecoming dances this fall (I should know…I am a part-time mobile DJ on the weekends when I’m not being The Chart Guy.) One possible last contender is the charity single “Just Stand Up!” by Artists Stand Up to Cancer, featuring an all-star group of pop/R&B/rock performers, including Beyoncé Knowles, Mariah Carey, Mary J. Blige, Rihanna, Fergie, Sheryl Crow, Melissa Etheridge, Natasha Bedingfield, Miley Cyrus, Leona Lewis, Carrie Underwood, Keyshia Cole, LeAnn Rimes, Ashanti, and Ciara. Last week it debuted at #78, and this week it rockets to #11. Could it be the next “We are the World” by USA for Africa? (more…)