Tom Petty, Sarah McLachlan Debut on iTunes Chart Watch

I tried.  I really, really tried last week to be less snarky, elitist, and snotty about the songs and albums on the iTunes Music Charts and when I look at this week’s charts I feel that restraint has been rewarded because there are a couple items on this week’s chart worth talking about.

Let’s dispense with the other news before we get to the good stuff.  I wonder if Eminem’s Recovery would have unseated Drake at #1 if the album hadn’t leaked.  Drake is the flavor of the moment and Eminem has been around for awhile in a genre that rarely rewards longevity.  Em debuts at #2 and has a single in the Top 5 so it’s clear he’s not completely out of gas but one wonders if this is the last hurrah (notice I said “wonders” and not “hopes”).

Now to the good stuff on the albums chart.  Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers have made their first album together since The Last DJ in 2002.  In the years since, Petty recorded a fantastic solo record (Highway Companion) and an album with his pre-Heartbreakers band Mudcrutch.  That album was also excellent.  He and The Heartbreakers have toured a couple times and released a massive, rewarding box set called Live Anthology.  The band now returns with Mojo, and it’s a wonderful album everyone should check out.  More than 30 years into their career, the Heartbreakers continue to push themselves in new directions and it is working.

I’m also very happy to see Sarah McLachlan’s new album Laws of Illusion on the albums chart.  I’ve been a Sarah Mc fan since the early-mid ‘90s and continue to check out just about everything she does.  I’ve only gotten to listen to the album once owing to a very busy review schedule at present but I enjoyed the first listen and plan to go back and spend more time listening more carefully soon.

iTunes' top 10 selling singles of the week ending June 21, 2010:

1. "California Gurls (feat. Snoop Dogg)" – Katy Perry
2. "Airplanes (feat. Hayley Williams of Paramore)" – B.o.B.
3. "OMG (feat. will.i.am)" – Usher
4. "Billionaire (feat. Bruno Mars)" – Travie McCoy
5. "Not Afraid" – Eminem
6. "Cooler Than Me" – Mike Posner
7. "Your Love Is My Drug" – Ke$ha
8. "My First Kiss (feat. Ke$ha)" – 3OH!3
9. "Rock That Body" – Black Eyed Peas
10. "Find Your Love" – Drake

iTunes' top 10 selling albums of the week ending June 21, 2010:

1. Thank Me Later – Drake
2. Recovery – Eminem
3. Laws of Illusion – Sarah McLachlan
4. Glee: The Music – Journey to Regionals – Glee Cast
5. To the Sea – Jack Johnson
6. Mojo – Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers
7. The Twilight Saga: Eclipse (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) – Various Artists
8. B.o.B Presents: The Adventures of Bobby Ray – B.o.B
9. Glee — The Music – Vol. 3 — Showstoppers – Glee Cast
10. American Slang – The Gaslight Anthem