Mariah tops the US yearend charts

Mariah Carey has indeed returned in full diva glory. Thanks to the Platinum-selling The Emancipation of Mimi with the hit singles We Belong Together and Shake It Off, her Glitter debacle is now forgotten and Mariah is back on top as the biggest selling artist of 2004. Would you believe that she was even dropped by a record label during that low point in her career? But things have changed and her impressive comeback is one of the major stories of the year.

Can’t say though that Mariah’s success was the biggest story because that distinction will always belong to Michael Jackson who had his worst year ever in 2004. But there is hope yet. The year was not really all that bad if Michael will only take his cue from other controversial artists in the list. The most successful male artist of the year was rapper 50 Cent who is an ex-con. Besides, fans are still listening to R&B balladeer R. Kelly, who had been accused of allegedly having sex with minors.

But back to Mariah, according to the Billboard Magazine recap of the past year, We Belong Together was in the No. 1 slot of the Hot 100 for 14 weeks, longer than any other song. It was also the first single to have a 14-week reign in eight years. The last one was Candle in the Wind 1997/Something in the Way You Look Tonight by Elton John. Take note, that one had the Princess Diana funeral media blitz behind it. This makes Mariah’s success even sweeter because she did it all by herself.

This is Mariah’s first yearend No. 1. She had been there seven times before with My Sweet Day in number two as her highest charter. And things are also looking all ripe and rosy for 2006 thanks to another hit single, Don’t Forget About Us. Take note though that first American Idol winner Kelly Clarkson’s change of image in Breakaway has given her two hits in the Top 10 of the Hot 100, Since U Been Gone and Behind These Hazel Eyes plus the No. 5 slot in the Top 10 albums. She has another biggie that is fast-climbing up the charts, the poignant Because of You.

And now the hit lists for 2005:

The rest of the Top 20 in the Hot 100 are: Hollaback Girl by Gwen Stefani; Let Me Love You by Mario; Since U Been Gone by Kelly; 1, 2 Step by Ciara featuring Missy Elliott; Gold Digger by Kanye West featuring Jamie Foxx; Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day; Candy Shop by 50 Cent featuring Olivia; Don’t Cha by The Pussycat Dolls featuring Busta Rhymes; Behind These Hazel Eyes by Kelly; Disco Inferno by 50 Cent; You and Me by Lifehouse; Don’t Phunk with My Heart by The Black Eyed Peas; Lose Control by Missy Elliott featuring Ciara & Fat Man Scoop; Shake It Off by Mariah; Mr. Brightside by The Killers; Just a Lil Bit by 50 Cent; Pon De Replay by Rihanna; How We Do by The Game featuring 50 Cent; and Beverly Hills by Weezer.

The Top 20 albums in the Billboard 200 are: The Massacre by 50 Cent; Encore by Eminem; American Idiot by Green Day; The Emancipation of Mimi by Mariah; Breakaway by Kelly; Love. Angel. Music. Baby. by Gwen; Destiny Fulfilled by Destiny’s Child; How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb by U2; Greatest Hits by Shania Twain; Feels Like Today by Rascal Flatts, Confessions by Usher; Greatest Hits 2 by Toby Keith; Now 17 by Various Artists; X&Y by Coldplay; Crunk Juice by Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz; The Documentary by The Game; Hot Fuss by The Killers; Monkey Business by The Black Eyed Peas; Goodies by Ciara; and Genius Loves Company by Ray Charles.

And just to give you an idea of how sophisticated and intensive the process of tabulating the hit charts has become in the US, here are the No. 1s in the other lists. It is no longer just counting albums and singles. There are also Hot Digital Song, Hollaback Girl by Gwen; Hot Ringtone, Candy Shop by 50 Cent featuring Olivia; Hot Latin Song, La Tortura by Shakira featuring Alejandro Sanz; Hot Dance Club Play Single, Don’t Cha by The Pussycat Dolls featuring Busta Rhymes; Hot Dance Single, We Will Become Silhouettes by The Postal Service.

Top R&B/Hip-Hop Album, The Massacre by 50 Cent; Top R&B/Hip Hop Song, Let Me Love You by Mario; Hot Rap Single, Lovers & Friends by Lil Jon & The East Side Boyz featuring Usher and Ludacris; Top Jazz Album, It’s Time by Michael Bublé; Hot Adult Top 40 Song, Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day; Hot Adult Contemporary Song, Breakaway by Kelly; Hot Modern Rock Song, Best of You by Foo Fighters; and Best Mainstream Rock Song, Boulevard of Broken Dreams by Green Day.

Come Wednesday, we will take a look at the hits of the year in the local charts.