Blogcritics The critical lens on today's culture & entertainment
It's been awhile but I haven't forgot about all you digital music lovers. It's time to examine the weekly scoreboard at the iTunes Music Store and see what's selling.
Starting with the singles, Ke$ha's "Tik Tok" tops the charts, followed by Lady Gaga and Jay-Z (featuring Alicia Keys). Lady Gaga continues to be one of the hottest-selling artists of the moment. I don't think I'm alone wondering if she's got staying power or if this ascension to the top of the charts is a temporary thing. We have the return of Jason Derulo's "Whatcha Say," a song that briefly fell out of the charts but has spent a lot of time there since its release. I still don't understand what it is people are seeing and hearing in this Owl City song "Fireflies," but it has been a huge hit.
The albums chart is a little more representative of the season, as Christmas releases litter the lower reaches of the Top 10. We have the timeless classic Charlie Brown Christmas from the Vince Guaraldi Trio as well as Christmas collections from Taylor Swift and Andrea Bocelli. The 'Gleeks' have put both volumes of the hit TV show's soundtracks in the Top 10, and Alicia Keys' latest record tops them all.
Next week, we'll see what all the kids who got iTunes gift cards for Christmas downloaded.
iTunes' top 10 selling singles of the week ending Dec. 21, 2009:
1. "Tik Tok" – Ke$ha
2. "Bad Romance" – Lady Gaga
3. "Empire State of Mind (feat. Alicia Keys)" – Jay-Z
4. "Replay" – Iyaz
5. "Fireflies" – Owl City
6. "Down (feat. Lil Wayne)" – Jay Sean
7. "Meet Me Halfway" – Black Eyed Peas
8. "Sexy Chick (feat. Akon)" – David Guetta
9. "Whatcha Say" – Jason Derulo
10. "How Low" – Ludacris
iTunes' top 10 selling albums of the week ending Dec. 21, 2009:
1. The Element of Freedom – Alicia Keys
2. Sex Therapy — The Experience – Robin Thicke
3. Glee — The Music, Vol. 2 – Glee Cast
4. Animal – Ke$ha
5. The Fame Monster (standard) – Lady GaGa
6. My Christmas – Andrea Bocelli
7. The Taylor Swift Holiday Collection – Taylor Swift
8. Ocean Eyes – Owl City
9. Glee — The Music, Vol. 1 – Glee Cast
10. A Charlie Brown Christmas – Vince Guaraldi Trio
