Weekly Chart Notes: William Shatner, 'Footloose,' the Original 7ven

by Gary Trust  |   October 21, 2011 11:05 EDT

MR. SPACEMAN: William Shatner boldly goes where he never has before ... to ... No. ...  1 ... on ... a ... Billboard ... albums ... chart!

As "Searching for Major Tom" bows atop Heatseekers Albums, the multi-media star treks to his first chart-topping set.

The album plays up Shatner's pantheon sci-fi status, sporting covers of such cosmic-themed songs as David Bowie's "Space Oddity," Peter Schilling's answer song "Major Tom (Coming Home)" and Steve Miller Band's "Space Cowboy." Guests include Sheryl Crow, Peter Frampton and Brad Paisley.

"Searching" is Shatner's third album, following 1968's spoken-word covers collection "The Transformed Man" and 2004's "Has Been." The latter set, co-written and produced by Ben Folds and featuring cameos from Joe Jackson, Aimee Mann and Paisley, debuted and peaked at No. 22 on Heatseekers Albums.

While Shatner makes his first voyage to the top of a Billboard albums survey, five soundtracks from the series that immortalized the real-life Captain Kirk have reached the Billboard 200. "Star Trek - the Motion Picture" rose to No. 50 in 1980, followed by "Star Trek II - the Wrath of Khan" (No. 61, 1982); "Star Trek III - the Search for Spock" (No. 82, 1984); "Star Trek IV - the Undiscovered Country" (No. 171, 1992); and, "Star Trek" (No. 49, 2009).

While the 80-years-young Shatner doesn't quote beam himself up to No. 1 like Scotty (McCreery) did last week, his new set concurrently launches at No. 131 on the Billboard 200, marking his first appearance on the ranking.

Following his latest musical enterprise, will Shatner return to his signature character portrayal?

"If J.J. (Abrams) (director of 2009's "Star Trek") were to ask me, I would certainly consider it," Shatner says. "It's a great role, and they were writing it so beautifully as the aging Kirk. The stages that human beings go through as they age; it seems to be a great interest in tackling 'Star Trek.'

"I don't know how he'd allow for the 45 years that have gone on since I was there, but, you know, that's science fiction."

LANDED: Shatner's one-time collaborator likewise debuts a new release, as Ben Folds' "The Best Imitation of Myself: a Retrospective" enters Alternative Albums at No. 11 and the Billboard 200 at No. 62.

The compilation includes Folds' 1998 Alternative Songs No. 6-peaking "Brick," as well as the new Ben Folds Five single "House," first released on the website for NBC's a capella competition "The Sing Off," on which Folds moonlights as one of the show's three judges. Both of Folds' fellow arbiters - Boyz II Men's Shawn Stockman and Sara Bareilles - are additionally showing the series' contestants how it's done.

Tuesday (Oct. 25), Boyz II Men releases "Twenty," a collection of 13 new songs and eight updates of hits from the vocal group's first two decades.

On Adult Pop Songs, Bareilles bullets at No. 39 with "Gonna Get Over You," the third single from "Kaleidoscope Heart," which opened at No. 1 on the Sept. 25, 2010, Billboard 200.

NEXT: After 27 years, a "Footloose" soundtrack reigns again

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Weekly Chart Notes: Adele, Def Leppard, George Strait

by Gary Trust  |   June 17, 2011 12:15 EDT

CHART ROYALTY: By notching a sixth week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, Adele's "Rolling in the Deep" passes Lulu's five-week 1967 leader "To Sir With Love" and trails only Olivia Newton-John's "Physical" for most frames tallied at the summit among songs by British-born solo women.

(It's a fitting honor for a song that borrows from British vernacular. Adele, born in Tottenham, North London, describes "Deep" as an "adaptation of a kind of slang, slur phrase in the U.K. called 'roll deep,' which means to ... always have someone that has your back, and you're never on your own").

Here is a look at the songs by British-born solo female artists to spend the most time atop the Hot 100:

Weeks at No. 1, Title, Artist, Year
10 weeks, "Physical," Olivia Newton-John, 1981
6 weeks, "Rolling in the Deep," Adele, 2011
5 weeks, "To Sir With Love," Lulu, 1967
4 weeks, "Bleeding Love," Leona Lewis, 2008
4 weeks, "Don't Go Breaking My Heart," Kiki Dee (duet with Elton John), 1976

Adele likewise continues her domination on the Billboard 200.

As parent album "21" returns for a 10th week atop the album survey, Adele extends her lead for longest reign atop the list among sets by British-born solo women.

How does the chart-topping longevity of "21" rank among Billboard 200 No. 1s by all-British acts? Here is a recap of the longest-leading such collections dating to the chart's launch as a weekly survey March 24, 1956:

Weeks at No. 1, Title, Artist, Year
15 weeks, "The Wall," Pink Floyd, 1980
15 weeks, "Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band," the Beatles, 1967
14 weeks, "A Hard Day's Night," the Beatles (soundtrack), 1964
12 weeks, "Faith," George Michael, 1988
11 weeks, "Abbey Road," the Beatles, 1969
11 weeks, "Meet the Beatles," the Beatles, 1964
10 weeks, "21," Adele, 2011
10 weeks, "Frampton Comes Alive!," Peter Frampton, 1976
10 weeks, "Elton John - Greatest Hits," Elton John, 1974

"21" (which, with 2.2 million sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan, is the top-selling album in the U.S. this year) includes an ode to a fellow British act.

Adele's cover of the Cure's "Lovesong," a No. 2 Hot 100 hit for the band in 1989, breaks into the top 20 (22-19) on Billboard's Jazz Songs chart.

LEPPARD SPOTS: Def Leppard likewise represents the U.K. well, as "Mirrorball: Live & More," the rock band's first live album in a career spanning more than 30 years, bows on the Billboard 200 at No. 16.

Released on Mailboat Records, home to (former Billboard Nashville bureau chief) Jimmy Buffett, the set also marks Def Leppard's first independent effort. The album begins on the Independent Albums chart at No. 5.

A Def Leppard album hasn't missed the Billboard 200's top 20 since the group's second release, "High 'n' Dry," peaked at No. 38 in 1981. (The band's debut, "On Through the Night," reached No. 51 in 1980). Beginning with "Pyromania," which spent two weeks at No. 2 in 1983, Def Leppard has sent 12 consecutive albums into the top 20.

The band has scored two No. 1s: "Hysteria" (six weeks, 1988) and follow-up "Adrenalize" (five weeks, 1992).

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Clear Channel to Offer up Another $750 Million in Notes

Clear Channel said yesterday it plans to offer $750 million in notes to "qualified institutional buyers." Of the anticipated proceeds from the notes, CCU intends to use $250 million to repay at maturity a portion of CCU?s 5% legacy notes which mature in March 2012. The remaining $500 million will be used for general corporate purposes (to replenish cash on hand that CCU previously used to pay legacy notes at maturity on March 15, 2011 and May 15, 2011).

The $500 million of proceeds available for general corporate purposes may be used to repay indebtedness, including repaying indebtedness outstanding under CCU?s revolving credit facilities. In addition, such proceeds may be used in connection with one or more future transactions involving a permanent repayment of a portion of CCU?s senior secured credit facilities as part of CCU?s long-term efforts to optimize its capital structure. CCU intends to use cash on hand to pay fees and expenses in connection with the offering.

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Weekly Chart Notes: Scotty McCreery, Lauren Alaina, Beyonce

THE START OF SOMETHING 'BIG': After a one-year break, the annual "American Idol" coronation single returns to the Billboard Hot 100's top 15.

Newly-crowned "Idol" champion Scotty McCreery's "I Love You This Big" blasts in at No. 11, making the country singer the ninth of the Fox series' 10 winners to launch their debut track at No. 15 or higher. Lee DeWyze snapped the streak last year when his cover of U2's "Beautiful Day" debuted and peaked at No. 24.

Here is a recap of how each "Idol" victor has fared on the Hot 100 with their introductory singles:

Year, Peak Pos., Artist, Title
2002, No. 1 (two weeks), Kelly Clarkson, "A Moment Like This"
2003, No. 2, Ruben Studdard, "Flying Without Wings"
2004, No. 1 (one week), Fantasia, "I Believe"

2005, No. 1 (one week), Carrie Underwood, "Inside Your Heaven"
2006, No. 1 (one week), Taylor Hicks, "Do I Make You Proud"
2007, No. 15, Jordin Sparks, "This Is My Now"
2008, No. 3, David Cook, "The Time of My Life"
2009, No. 11, Kris Allen, "No Boundaries"
2010, No. 24, Lee DeWyze, "Beautiful Day"
2011, No. 11, Scotty McCreery, "I Love You This Big"

As previously reported, McCreery scores the highest debut on Country Songs for a new artist since the chart converted to Nielsen BDS data in 1990. The 17-year-old also manages his first Billboard No. 1, as "Big" begins atop Country Digital Songs.

ADORIN' LAUREN: 2011 runner-up Lauren Alaina likewise translates her "Idol" exposure to residence on multiple charts, as her "Like My Mother Does" enters the Hot 100 at No. 20 and Country Digital Songs at No. 2.

Alaina logs the highest Hot 100 arrival since 2005 for a runner-up's single released alongside an "Idol" finale:

Year, Peak Pos., Artist, Title
2002, n/a, Justin Guarini (no single released)
2003, No. 1 (two weeks), Clay Aiken, "This Is the Night"

2004, n/a, Diana DeGarmo (no single released)
2005, No. 2, Bo Bice, "Inside Your Heaven"
2006, No. 60, Katharine McPhee, "My Destiny"
2007, n/a, Blake Lewis (no single released)
2008, No. 60, David Archuleta, "In This Moment"
2009, No. 72, Adam Lambert, "No Boundaries"
2010, No. 57, Crystal Bowersox, "Up to the Mountain"
2011, No. 20, Lauren Alaina, "Like My Mother Does"

(Lambert, Archuleta and McPhee each charted higher on the Hot 100 with tracks other than their official finale singles, while DeGarmo started at No. 14 with "Dreams," the lead single from her first album, "Blue Skies," shortly after the 2004 "Idol" season).

'YOUNG' LOVE: As Lauren Alaina scores her own chart success, the 16-year-old adds an assist on the continued chart path of the Band Perry's "If I Die Young."

Six months after topping Country Songs, "Young" debuts on the Pop Songs radio airplay chart at No. 36. While Universal Republic has been promoting the song to pop stations since the beginning of the year, Alaina boosted its profile when she sang the ballad on "Idol" May 16.

"Young," which concurrently bows on Adult Contemporary at No. 29, is the 15th former Country Songs leader to cross to Pop Songs and just the fifth by a group. Lonestar reached No. 7 with "Amazed" in 2000, followed by Bon Jovi's "Who Says You Can't Go Home" (No. 30, 2006), Rascal Flatts' "What Hurts the Most" (No. 22, 2006) and Lady Antebellum's "Need You Now" (No. 2, 2010).

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