Aks Billboard: Britney's Latest Greatest Hit

The following italicized article is from www.billboard.com:

BEST OF THE BEST

Hi Gary,

With much talk about Britney Spears' debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with "3" this week, let's not miss an interesting record that may have been set.

This may be a bit tricky to confirm, but is "3" the first song originally released as new material on a greatest hits album to reach No. 1? Here, I am talking about albums containing mostly previously-released material, so I'd be hesitant to count "HIStory" by Michael Jackson (containing the 1995 Hot 100 No. 1 "You Are Not Alone"), because half that collection's tracks were new.

I recall that "Slip Slidin' Away" by Paul Simon, one of two new songs on his 1977 album "Greatest Hits, Etc." reached No. 5 on the Hot 100. I'd be interested in seeing if your readers can find any other examples of new tracks from hits sets performing better.

Thanks,

Patrick Kelly
Brampton, Ontario, Canada

Hi Patrick,

What an interesting take on Spears' new Hot 100 leader. By their very nature, greatest hits albums in many cases do not contain any new music. So when they do, and a new song becomes a hit, it can only give consumers more reason to purchase a set containing numerous tracks they may already own.

It's also rare for a greatest hits set to yield a smash single in the sense that, generally, an act releasing such an album has collected so many hits that they may have graduated from receiving major airplay on popular, hit-driven radio formats. For an act to release a new song and send it to the Hot 100's summit illustrates that even well into a career, that artist remains extremely relevant, which is no small feat.

With such a wide scope to research - namely, only every greatest hits album that has ever been released - I sure wouldn't turn down any assistance from any willing Chart Beat readers. But, I can cite at least two songs from all-out greatest hits albums that crowned the Hot 100 prior to Spears' "3."

The first was by an artist who once duetted with Spears, not to mention shared the stage with her in one of the most famous moments ever on the MTV Video Music Awards: Madonna.

While Michael Jackson's 1995 retrospective contained one disc of hits and one of new songs, Madonna had released a clear-cut hits package more than four years earlier that contained 15 smashes and two new tracks, "The Immaculate Collection." The old- and new-material girl ushered in the set with "Justify My Love," and the hypnotic track topped the Hot 100 for two weeks in January 1991.

In November 2005, Destiny's Child topped the Billboard 200 with "#1's." The album included among its three new tracks a solo Beyonce cut, "Check On It." The song, also subsequently included in the film (but not the soundtrack to) "The Pink Panther," in which Beyonce starred, topped the Hot 100 for five weeks beginning in February 2006. (Thanks to Billboard 200 chart manager Keith Caulfield for noting this feat).

Again, readers are welcome to note any other such song, but here are five hits first made available on best-of sets that reached the Hot 100's top five, joining the Paul Simon track that you reference:

No. 3, "Runaway," Janet Jackson, 1995
No. 4, "Always," Bon Jovi, 1994
No. 4, "I Still Believe," Mariah Carey, 1999
No. 4, "Again," Lenny Kravitz, 2001
No. 5, "What Kind of Man Would I Be?," Chicago, 1990

Spears releases the standard version her second hits compilation, "The Singles Collection," Nov. 10. The album will contain 17 previously-released songs and "3."

The "Ultimate Fan Box Set" version of "The Singles Collection," out Nov. 24, will contain all her singles, including "3." Each disc will be packaged in its own slip sleeve case with original artwork, and will include an additional b-side or remix of the track. The collection will also sport a DVD featuring all of Spears' videos in chronological order and a booklet with images and trivia about each track.

Spears' first retrospective, "Greatest Hits: My Prerogative," reached No. 4 on the Billboard 200 in 2004. It has sold 1,363,000 copies to date, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

Source: Billboard

Chart Beat Wednesday: Britney By The Numbers

The following italicized article is from www.billboard.com:

'3' IS THE NEW 1: As previously reported, Britney Spears' "3" rockets onto the Billboard Hot 100 at No. 1. The song's arrival at the summit marks just the 15th song in the Hot 100's history to open at No. 1:

Sept. 2, 1995, "You Are Not Alone," Michael Jackson
Sept. 30, 1995, "Fantasy," Mariah Carey
Nov. 25, 1995, "Exhale (Shoop Shoop)," Whitney Houston
Dec. 2, 1995, "One Sweet Day," Mariah Carey & Boyz II Men
June 14, 1997, "I'll Be Missing You," Puff Daddy & Faith Evans featuring 112
Sept. 13, 1997, "Honey," Mariah Carey
Oct. 11, 1997, "Candle in the Wind 1997/Something About the Way You Look Tonight," Elton John
Feb. 28, 1998, "My Heart Will Go On," Celine Dion
Sept. 5, 1998, "I Don't Want to Miss a Thing," Aerosmith
Nov. 14, 1998, "Doo Wop (That Thing)," Lauryn Hill
June 28, 2003, "This Is the Night," Clay Aiken
July 10, 2004, "Believe," Fantasia
July 2, 2005, "Inside Your Heaven," Carrie Underwood
July 1, 2006, "Do I Make You Proud," Taylor Hicks
Oct. 24, 2009, "3," Britney Spears

"3" concurrently launches at No. 1 on Digital Songs and No. 49 on Radio Songs/Hot 100 Airplay. After its first week of airplay and prior to its digital release, the song debuted last week at No. 14 on the Hot 100's Bubbling Under chart (viewable at billboard.biz).

SHORT STORY: Two weeks after the Black Eyed Peas completed the longest uninterrupted stay for an act at the top (26 weeks with "Boom Boom Pow" and "I Gotta Feeling"), Britney Spears establishes a record somewhat opposite in nature: "3" becomes the shortest title to reach the pinnacle in the Hot 100's 51-year history.

"3" passes the previous mark of three characters held by seven No. 1 titles, three of which feature vocals from Michael Jackson:

"Why," Frankie Avalon, 1959
"ABC," the Jackson 5, 1970
"War," Edwin Starr, 1970
"Ben," Michael Jackson, 1972
"Bad," Michael Jackson, 1987
"SOS," Rihanna, 2006
"Low," Flo Rida, 2008

DIGITAL SONGS: "3" is the 10th Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 whose title features at least one digit (not including titles that spell out numbers, such as Barenaked Ladies' "One Week," Roman numerals, i.e., Don McLean's "American Pie - Parts I & II," or titles with a serial notation such as Eddie Kendricks' "Keep On Truckin' (Part 1)").

Here are the 10 such songs to associate numbers with the best number of all, No. 1, on the Hot 100.

"96 Tears," ? & the Mysterians, 1966
"In the Year 2525," Zager & Evans, 1969
"50 Ways to Leave Your Lover," Paul Simon, 1976
"December, 1963 (Oh, What a Night)," the 4 Seasons, 1976
"9 to 5," Dolly Parton, 1981
"Nothing Compares 2 U," Sinead O'Connor, 1990
"All 4 Love," Color Me Badd, 1992
"4 Seasons of Loneliness," Boyz II Men, 1997
"21 Questions," 50 Cent featuring Nate Dogg, 2003
"3," Britney Spears, 2009

"3" becomes the second-highest numeral to appear solely atop the Hot 100. Sinead O'Connor retains the honor with "Nothing Compares 2 U."

'3'-SOME: "3" is, fittingly, Britney Spears' third No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100.

She first led with "...Baby One More Time" for two weeks beginning on the Jan. 30, 1999, chart. She scored her second No. 1, "Womanizer," a year ago this week.

"3" also instantly becomes Spears' 23rd Hot 100 chart entry and eighth top 10. Since her first appearance on the chart dated Nov. 21, 1998, Spears and Mariah Carey trail only Miley Cyrus/Hannah Montana (30) for most chart appearances among women.

POP MUSIC: Britney Spears continues to dominate at her home radio format.

"3" bounds 38-25 on Pop Songs. Since she first appeared on the mainstream top 40 airplay tally 11 years ago this week, her 24 chart entries are the most among all artists.

Source: Billboard

Britney Spears - ‘3′ Music Video Preview

The following italicized article is from www.justjared.com:

Britney Spears shakes her groove thang as she shoots her new “3″ music video at a Los Angeles studio earlier this month.

“3″ has been burning up the charts and Brit wanted to thank everyone via Twitter.

“I want to thank my fans for making ‘3′ the No. 1 song on the Billboard Hot 100,” she said. “I am truly blessed with the greatest fans in the world, and I am so happy y’all love it because I do this all for you. I can’t wait till you see the video.”

The vid was directed by Diane Martell, with special choreography help from Tone & Rich.

See more pics here!

Source: Just Jared

New Message from Britney

Source: Twitter

'3' To 1: Britney Beats Odds To Debut Atop Hot 100

The following italicized article is from www.billboard.com:

Britney Spears becomes the first artist in over three years to debut at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, to be released tomorrow (Oct. 15), as "3" opens at the pinnacle of the chart. Her new track, a racy paean to the joys of three-way sex from the upcoming hits set "The Singles Collection," due Nov. 24, shifts 255,000 downloads in its first week of release, also propelling it to No. 1 on Digital Songs. The title also jumps 38-25 on the Pop Songs chart and debuts at No. 49 on Radio Songs/Hot 100 Airplay, which ranks songs based on airplay audience on all radio formats.

"3" is the first title to debut at No. 1 since Taylor Hicks' "American Idol" victory song "Do I Make You Proud" did so on the chart dated July 1, 2006. In fact, the last four songs to open at No. 1 were all "American Idol"-related. Prior to Hicks, Carrie Underwood's "Inside Your Heaven" (July 2, 2005), "I Believe" by Fantasia (July 10, 2004) and Clay Aiken's "This Is The Night" each debuted at No. 1. The last non-"Idol" song to open at No. 1 was Lauryn Hill's "Doo Wop (That Thing)" on Nov. 14, 1998. "3" is Spears' third Hot 100 No. 1. Her debut single "...Baby One More Time" spent two weeks at No. 1 in 1999 and "Womanizer" spent a sole frame at the top, exactly one year ago this week, on the chart dated Oct. 25, 2008.

Source: Billboard

Britney Scores Her 3rd #1 in The US

Britney's new single '3' has just reached #1 on the Billboard 100 selling more than 250K in it's first week of release. Congratulations Britney!

'3' is only Britney's 3rd #1 after 'Hit Me Baby One More Time' and 'Womanizer'.

Britney’s #1 In North America

The following italicized article is from www.pollstar.com:

The legendary Pollstar Boxoffice Department has been crunching numbers, adding up ticket sales and figuring out final grosses to give you a glimpse of the overall concert picture for the first six months of 2009.

Britney Spears tops the North American tour scene. Brit’s 37 shows in 30 cities resulted in an average of 20,498 tickets sold per show at an average price of $99.29 for a total gross of $61.1 million.

North America’s #1 grosser – Britney – finished third worldwide – 48 shows in 33 cities at an average ticket price of $95.04 and grossing 74.6 million total for the first half of the year.

Source: Pollstar

Britney Moves Into A Tie For Second-Most No. 1s In The Mainstream Top 40

Britney Spears moves into a tie for second-most No. 1s in the Mainstream Top 40 chart's 16-year history, as "Circus" becomes her fifth chart-topper with a 3-1 rise. She's tied with Beyonce, Avril Lavigne, Pink and Justin Timberlake, and they all trail Mariah Carey's six career leaders. "Circus" also grants Spears her first set of back-to-back No. 1s -- "Womanizer" led for two weeks in December. She previously reigned with "Baby One More Time" (1999), "Oops! I Did It Again" (2000) and "Toxic" (2004).

Source: Billboard

Credit: Break The Ice

"Circus" #1 On Billboard's European Top 100 Albums Chart

U.S. domination? Check.

World domination? Check.

So what's left now?

Manager: Britney Spears' 'Circus' is Best in 5 Years

The following italicized article is from www.etonline.com:

ET talks to Britney's manager Larry Rudolph about her new album soaring to No. 1!

Larry says even though Circus started out as "just an experiment," it has now emerged as a great album that fans have embraced to put the pop star back on top of the charts.

Click to watch the video for more of Larry's thoughts on the album and why he thinks the title track "Circus" is Britney's best song in five years.

Source: ET Online

Britney's Album Sells Big - Even Better Still Than Expected!

Based on early sales last week, Britney Spears' latest album, Circus, was expected to debut with over 450,000 copies sold - up from an original prediction of around 300k..

But Britney has surpassed the expectations.

According to Hits Daily Double, Brit Brit has now sold 504,507 copies of Circus and made it to the top of the U.S. album charts!

She's sold more albums in her first week than Kanye and Beyonce did with their new albums!

Source: Perez Hilton

'Circus' Sells 500k+!

She did it! Britney's new album Circus is number one!

According to Hitsdailydouble.com, Britney sold 504,507 albums in her first week - making her #1 this week in the United States!!! SHE SOLD OVER 500,000!!!

You are an amazing talent with the world in the palm of your hands!

Congrats Britney!!!

Source: Hits Daily Double

Update: Call It The BritTunes

Top 100 singles:

#1 'Circus'

#10 'Womanizer'

#19 'Shattered Glass'

#23 'If U Seek Amy'

#34 'Kill The Lights'

#41 'Womanizer'

#45 'Out From Under'

#57 'Unusual You'

#61 'Lace And Leather'

#78 'Radar'

#92 'Mannequin'

Top 100 albums:

#1 'Circus'

#8 'Circus'

#86 'Blackout'

Top 100 ringtones:

#1 'Circus'

#8 'Womanizer'

#12 'If U Seek Amy'

#25 'Womanizer'

#43 'Kill The Lights'

Top 100 pop singles:

#1 'Circus'

#5 'Womanizer'

#9 'Shattered Glass'

#11 'If U Seek Amy'

#14 'Kill The Lights'

#17 'Womanizer'

#21 'Out From Under'

#23 'Unusual You'

#25 'Lace And Leather'

#28 'Radar'

#30 'Mannequin'

#33 'Mmm Papi'

#35 'Blur'

#43 'Piece Of Me'

#47 'My Baby'

#56 'Toxic'

#59 'Circus'

#80 'Break The Ice'

#89 'Gimme More'

Top 100 pop albums:

#1 'Circus'

#2 'Circus'

#12 'Blackout'

#15 'Blackout'

#19 'In The Zone'

#25 'Britney'

#33 'Greatest Hits'

#39 'B In The Mix'

#44 'Oops I Did It Again'

#45 '...Baby One More Time'

Source: Break The Ice

Guess Who's #1 On iTunes...

Britney Re-records "Baby One More Time" With Max Martin

It's only appropriate that Britney rehearses in front of a mirror - reflecting back upon her her 10 successful years in the industry. Last Thursday marked the ten year anniversary of "Baby One More Time," Britney's first single released on October 23, 1998. Enjoy the classic, because this time around Britney is trading in her signature pigtails for something a little more... adult.

According to an insider at the International Dance Studio, the dance complex Britney has spent several weeks in rehearsing for her upcoming performances and world tour, Britney is practicing a dance routine for a new version of "Baby One More Time."

The insider reveals exclusively to BreatheHeavy.com that Britney has once again teamed up with pop-music writing mastermind Max Martin ("Baby One More Time," "Oops!.. I Did It Again) for the new track, and has re-recorded her vocals with an urban twist, but still "keeping the same feel to it." The newly amped up "Baby One More Time" song, renamed to "One More Time," is a 10th anniversary mix.

"[The song] is for an upcoming concert performance to promote her new album," says the source. "It is likely that this could be a bonus track on her upcoming CD."

"The track sounds hot," the IDA insider continued. "A lot more mature than the original, and very modern."

"Womanizer," Britney's new single off Circus, marks her second #1 off the Billboard Hot 100, an astounding ten years after "Baby One More Time" was certified in the top spot.

It's "Baby One More Time" one more time, baby.

Source: Breathe Heavy

Britney Thanks Fans For #1

Britney's Back On The Rails

The following italicized article is from www.dailymail.co.uk:

Britney Spears looked every inch the doting mother as she collect her sons Sean and Jayden for a weekend visit.

The 26-year-old singer, who has managed to turn her life around after a very public breakdown, appeared happy and healthy in a pink top and jeans as she balanced her youngest boy on her hip.

She was accompanied by the man who has been credited with nursing her back to full health - her father Jamie Spears.

The scenes are a sharp contrast to earlier this year, when a wild-eyed Britney lost custody of Sean Preston, 3, and two-year-old Jayden James to her ex-husband Kevin Federline.

But since that time the singer's life has turned around for the better.

This week saw a return to form as her new song Womanizer topped the digital download chart in the US.

It debuted with downloads of 285,800 — the best first week for a female artist on that chart since it began in 2003.

The previous record holder was Mariah Carey's Touch My Body which entered the digital songs chart with just 200 fewer units back in April.

Womanizer also hit No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100, which aggregates digital sales with airplay.

Yesterday her father Jamie told told jurors that Britney was planning to move back to Louisiana - her home town.

The singer is currently on trial for allegedly driving without a valid license.

Jamie Spears, 56, claimed that - although she lived there at the moment- California was not his daughter's permanent residence and she was only in the state for the sake of her sons.

'Her home is Louisiana', he told the court in his southern drawl.

Asked when she would be returning to the Deep South, he said: 'There's plans right now.'

'We're here with her kids. We have visitation rights. We have to stay to augment those rights.'

He told the jurors they planned to move back to Louisiana 'once we can travel with the kids and spend time there'

She faces up to six months in jail and a $1,000 fine if she is convicted of driving without a valid license in August last year.

Source: Daily Mail

'Womanizer' Back At #1 On iTunes

Britney Spears' New Single Hits Top of Pop Charts

The following italicized article is from www.abcnews.com:

Britney Spears' new single "Womanizer" made a record-breaking leap to top spot on Billboard's Hot 100 singles chart on Wednesday, underscoring her musical comeback after making headlines with her personal woes.

Billboard said the song, the first from a new Spears album due for release in December, jumped from No.96 to No.1 in the past week and returned Spears to the top of the list for the first time since her 1999 debut single "Baby One More Time."

"Womanizer" is also No. 1 on iTunes charts in Canada, France, Spain and Sweden, Spears' record company Jive said.

Billboard said the unprecedented leap of "Womanizer" was spurred by first-week download sales of 286,000, the biggest opening week tally by a female artist since Nielsen SoundScan began tracking digital downloads in 2003.

The charts were released as expectations rose that Spears would start a tour in early 2009 -- her first since 2004 -- to support the new album "Circus" to be released on December 2.

Spears, 26, looking recently more like her old pop princess self, told a New York radio station last month that she planned to tour around the world next year but gave no details.

Last year, Spears performed a handful of club shows in southern California but did not go on the road to promote her last album "Blackout," which had a good chart debut in November 2007 but faded quickly.

Spears has been on the mend this year after making headlines for shaving her head, attacking paparazzi with an umbrella, losing custody of her two sons and two admissions to psychiatric hospital units.

Her father took control of her business affairs in February and, in September, Spears won three awards for her 2007 song "Piece of Me" at the MTV video music awards.

She plans to set the record straight about her highly public meltdown in a 90-minute documentary to be aired on MTV on November 30.

Source: ABC News

Brit's Back: "Womanizer" Tops Charts, Record Books

The following italicized article is from www.eonline.com:

Britney Spears' Circus is coming to town, and "Womanizer" looks to be the main attraction.

The lead single from Spears' birthday-targeting album, opened at No. 96 based on airplay alone last week. This week, digital sales and expanded radio rotation helped "Womanizer" rewrite the record books with a historic jump to the top of the charts.

The song's 95-spot jump to No. 1 is the biggest in Billboard history and marks the third time the record's been broken in the past seven weeks. T.I.'s "Live Your Life" made a 79-spot jump to the top last week and his "Whatever You Like" made a 70-spot jump in late August. Before that, Maroon 5's "Makes Me Wonder" held the record for 15 months after leaping 63 spots to No. 1 in May 2007.

Womanizer" also set a record by selling 286,000 digital copies. That not only tops the singer's 179,000-copy debut for 2007's "Gimme More," it's also the biggest digital debut for any female artist since Nielsen SoundScan started tracking digital sales five years ago. Mariah Carey's "Touch My Body" previously held the record.

For all her success, Spears had topped the Hot 100 just once before, with her debut single, "…Baby One More Time," in January 1999. Her albums, on the other hand, have consistently topped the charts with 2007's Blackout being the lone exception. Blackout bowed in at No. 2 behind The Eagles' Long Road Out of Eden.

Spears will drop Circus on Dec. 2, her 27th birthday. She's also set to hit the road again in spring, marking her first tour in over four years.

Source: E! Online