RockOnTheNet.com

Whitney Houston Died At 48

2012-02-12T08:26:00.003-05:00

Whitney Houston died at the age of 48. Early reports state that Whitney was found unresponsive in the bath tub of her Beverly Hilton hotel room. Her death occured on the eve of the Grammy Awards and Whitney had been scheduled to make an appearance at Clive Davis' annual pre-Grammy concert that night. Whitney had last appeared on stage 2 days earlier joining Kelly Price at a pre-Grammy party. Whitney had also finished up a part in the up-coming film Sparkle, which she co-produced. Over the years, Whitney topped the ARC Weekly Top 40 14 times amassing 31 weeks at #1. The 6 time Grammy winner has hit the Top 40 thirty four times in addition to a film career. We invite you to learn more about Whitney's career on our Whitney Houston Info Page.

ARC Weekly Top 40...

2012-02-11T07:08:00.002-05:00

Adele makes it 3 for 3 #1 songs from her monster LP 21 as "Set Fire To The Rain" knocks Flo Rida out of the top spot on The ARC Weekly Top 40. Gym Class Heroes featuring Neon Hitch and Kelly Clarkson jump into the Top 10 and although there is only 1 debut song this week, it comes in high on the chart by Madonna featuring Nicki Minaj & M.I.A.

Top Pop Songs of All-Time

2012-01-22T09:06:00.003-05:00

We have added 1955 to The Top Pop Songs of All-Time - the year that many believe started the era of rock and pop music. This will be the earliest year our cumulative chart will include - and our goal now is to continue to expand the chart beyond # 500.
With the addition of 1955 we see that Perez Prado claims the # 2 spot with "Cherry Pink And Apple Blossom White" and the song that many believe symbolizes the beginning of the rock era, Bill Haley's "(We're Gonna) Rock Around The Clock" comes in at # 12. Additional artists with hits from 1955 making the rankings include Roger Williams, Four Lads, Tennesee Ernie Ford, Mitch Miller, Bill Hayes, Four Aces, McGuire Sisters, Pat Boone, Nat King Cole, and Frank Sinatra.
Also, songs from 2011 finishing their chart run have been ranked and include "Moves Like Jagger" by Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera coming in at # 93 and "Pumped Up Kicks" by Foster The People at # 477.

2011: Top Song and Top Pop Artist

2012-01-01T17:18:00.003-05:00

The year-end tabulations of songs that have peaked on The ARC Weekly Top 40 in 2011 have resulted in the Top Pop Songs of 2011. Adele leads the list with "Rolling In The Deep" commanding the top spot. Several songs are still charting, and final rankings are determined when a chart run has ended. Currently the # 2 ("Moves Like Jagger"), #3 ("We Found Love"), and #4 ("Someone Like You") songs are still charting but likely to remain in the year-end Top 5, but not take over the top spot.

The rankings for the Top 100 Pop Artists of 2011 are final (because the rankings only include chart appearances from January 1 to December 31st) - and Rihanna has garnished enough points during the year to not only rank her the #1 Female Artist of the Year, but the Top Pop Artist of the Year. Bruno Mars came in at #2, but is the #1 Male Artist of the Year. LMFAO comes in as the #1 Group/Duo of the Year.

Grammy Awards.... Best Pop Vocal Performance

2011-12-27T18:50:00.003-05:00

At this year's Grammy Awards, the Best Pop Vocal Performance is no longer separated by gender (one of the many changes made with the Grammys this year). So this year it is 4 women (Adele, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and Pink) in the category with one lonely male (Bruno Mars). In previous years, the category had artist's singles competing with whole albums at times - but that appears to have ended in 1995 with the introduction of the Best Pop Vocal Album category, which remains today. In the early years of the Grammys, winners and nominees in this category were often dominated with familiar names: Frank Sinatra, Barbra Streisand, Ella Fitzgerald, Tony Bennett, and Glen Campbell. In the 70's, awards went to Stevie Wonder, Roberta Flack, James Taylor, Carole King, and Linda Ronstadt.

In the past 20 years, the category has awarded Beyonce, Justin Timberlake, John Mayer, Kelly Clarkson, Norah Jones, Christina Aguilera, Sarah McLachlan, and Sting.

Grammy Awards.... Best New Artist

2011-12-13T20:45:00.006-05:00

This year's Grammy nominees for Best New Artist include the country trio Band Perry, folk artist Bon Iver, dance artist Skrillex, and the rappers J. Cole and Nicki Minaj. History as shown that winning Best New Artist at the Grammys can be viewed as the industry respecting your debut work and welcoming you into the artistry of music, or just acknowledging that you had a good debut year. Some have even said winning the Best New Artist is curse - followed by a lack-luster music career.

Winners seem to fall into various categories:

Getting it right:.... Adele (2009), Amy Winehouse (2008), Alicia Keys (2002), Christina Aguilera (2000 over Britney Spears), Lauryn Hill (1999), Sheryl Crow (1995), Toni Braxton (1994), Mariah Carey (1991), Tracy Chapman (1989), Sade (1986), Cyndi Lauper (1985), Men At Work (1983), Natalie Cole (1976), Bette Midler (1974), Carly Simon (1972), and The Beatles (1965).

Getting it wrong:......... Maroon 5 (2005 over Kanye West), Shelby Lynne (2001 over Brad Paisley and Jill Scott), Paula Cole (1998), Hootie & The Blowfish (1996), Marc Cohn (1992 over Boyz II Men and Seal), Sheena Easton (1982 over Luther Vandros), Christopher Cross (1981 over The Pretenders), A Taste Of Honey (1979 over The Cars and Elvis Costello), Debby Boone (1978), Starland Vocal Band (1977 over Boston and everyone else), America (1973 over The Eagles), The Carpenters (1971 over Elton John and the Partridge Family (just kiddin')), Jose Feliciano (1969 over Cream), and Bobbie Gentry (1968 over Jefferson Airplane and the 5th Dimension).

Ya, okay, whatever: ....... Zac Brown Band (2010), Carrie Underwood (2007 over Chris Brown?), John Legend (2006), Evanescence (2004), Norah Jones (2003), LeAnn Rimes (1997), Arrested Development (1993), Jody Watley (1988), Bruce Hornsby & The Range (1987), Culture Club (1984), Rickie Lee Jones (1980 but over Dire Straits), Marvin Hamlisch (1975), Crosby, Stills & Nash (1970 but over Led Zeppelin), Tom Jones (1966), The Swingle Singers (1964), Robert Goulet (1963), and Peter Nero (1962)

What the heck?:......Esperanza Spalding (2011 winning over Mumford & Sons, Drake, and Florence & the Machine (but at least it wasn't Justin Bieber)) and Bob Newhart (1961).

Then there were the years when nobody was new and no award was givien (1959 and 1967). And then there was 1990: Milli Vanilli beat out Neneh Cherry, Indigo Girls, Soul II Soul, and Tone Loc only to have their Best New Artist Grammy Award revoked later when it was learned they didn't sing on the LP.

So... good luck to this year's nominees....

Grammy Awards... Album of the Year

2011-12-07T20:20:00.009-05:00

The Grammy for Album of the Year has traditionally been the 'big' award of the night, representing what collection of music was better than all those released during the prior year. As Grammy History has shown... sometimes they get it right, sometimes not, sometimes they go for the 'wild-card' nominee, sometimes they go for an artist's history in the business, and sometimes it just leaves us scratching our heads. If you look at Rolling Stone magazine's '500 Greatest Albums of All Time' (created in 2003): the Top 10 only has 1 Grammy winner for Album of the Year: The Beatles' Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band; most of the Top 10 were not even nominees for the category.

Last year, Arcade Fire surprised most every one when their critically acclaimed LP The Suburbs beat out Eminem, Lady Gaga, Lady Antebellum, and Katy Perry. Other surprise winners in comparison to the other nominees over the years include the O Brother Where Are Thou? soundtrack in 2002, Phil Collins in 1986, and Bob Newhart in 1961. The Grammy Awards also has history of being too soft with their choices (with attempts to change that reputation in the past decade) - but 'soft' winners included Celine Dion in 1997, Lionel Richie in 1985, Toto in 1983, and who could forget the domination of Christopher Cross in 1981.

Then there are the winners for good-t0-great LPs by living legends: Herbie Hancock in 2008, Ray Charles in 2005, Steely Dan in 2001, and Tony Bennett in 1995. 'Comeback' albums are popular winners too and include winners Santana, Quincy Jones, and Bonnie Raitt. Sometimes the winners are obvious and sum up the year... U2's The Joshua Tree, Michael Jackson's Thriller, the Saturday Night Fever soundtrack, Fleetwood Mac's Rumours, and Stevie Wonder's Songs In The Key Of Life.

This year, the odds-on favorite to win is Adele's 21. The Foo Fighters and Lady Gaga are Grammy favorites and could pull an upset. Bruno Mars is likely to be a Grammy favorite in the future but not this year, and Rihanna should be just be happy and surprised with the nomination.

54th Grammy Award Nominations....

2011-12-06T08:06:00.010-05:00

When the 54^th Grammy Award Nominations were announced many predictions came true, many snubs were noticed, and some just had us scratching our heads in wonder. Between now and February 12, 2012, when the statues are handing out, it gives us plenty of time to catch up with the nominees and try and figure out where things went wrong and right.

It’s no surprise that Adele dominated many of the categories she was eligible for including the top awards: Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year (awarded to the songwriters). But she was topped in nominations by Grammy-fave Kanye West. Unfortunately for Kanye, 4 of the nominations are within 2 categories – and ties at the Grammy Awards are as common as Milli Vanilli singing live (yes, it’s been almost 22 years since their Best New Artist Grammy was revoked). Kanye also wasn’t nominated in the Album of the Year category but 2 other multiple Grammy nominees were (Foo Fighters and Bruno Mars). Rounding out the Album of the Year category is Rihanna and Lady Gaga (who can now claim 3 Album of the Year nominations for all 3 of her LPs).

In the Record of the Year category, Adele and Bruno Mars are surprisingly joined by the folk band Bon Iver and Mumford & Sons. Although Mumford & Sons were nominated for 2 Grammy Awards last year for their debut LP, it is largely felt that their work should have amassed more recognition by the Grammys. This year the single “The Cave” racked up 4 nominations – possibly a move to make up for over-looking one of the best LPs of last year. The final spot for Record of the Year goes to Katy Perry for “Firework.” A year ago when nominations for the 53^rd Grammy Awards were announced, there was much mumbling about Katy’s abundance of nominations including Album of the Year. After 5 #1 tracks from the LP Teenage Dream, it looks like the mumbling can stop.

This year the Grammy categories have been shortened with some categories being dropped and some being combined. The Male and Female Vocal Performances in all the major categories are no longer gender-specific. As a result, the Best Pop Solo Performance is dominated by females (Adele, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, and Pink) with Bruno Mars rounding out the list. The Best R&B Performance is also dominated mostly by women with many major acts left out (i.e. Beyonce). Even the Best Country Solo Performance has 3 female nominations (Martina McBride, Taylor Swift, and Carrie Underwood) and 2 male nominations (Jason Aldean and Blake Shelton).

The Best Pop Duo/Group Performance category is always interesting with a mix of actual groups, collaborations, and groups we always thought were solo artists (think Sade). This year one of the last recordings Amy Winehouse did with Tony Bennett is up against the like of Foster The People, Coldplay, Maroon 5 with Christina Aguilera, and the Black Keys.

The Best Dance Recording category was said to be stripped from any acts that should be considered pop acts (i.e. Lady Gaga, Britney Spears, Rihanna) resulting in nominees considered strictly dance acts (Deadmau5, Duck Sauce, David Guetta, Robyn, and Skrillex).

In the Grammy tradition, there are always odd nominations: Seth MacFarlane (of Family Guy fame) is up against Tony Bennett, Susan Boyle, Harry Connick, Jr., and Barbra Streisand in the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album category. The Best Country Duo/Group Performance only has 4 nominees and only 2 are actual groups. Duets by Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson and Kenny Chesney and Grace Potter were nominated along with country act Thompson Square. The 4^th spot goes to The Civil Wars who aren’t considered a strictly country act but need a spot to be nominated for their critically lauded debut work. Comedian Steve Martin landed a Grammy nod for Best Bluegrass Album. Pearl Jam’s Eddie Vedder got a nod for Best Folk Album. Betty White could get a Grammy for Best Spoken Word Album.

Surprises/Snubs: Kanye West and Taylor Swift not making it into the Album of the Year category is considered head-scratching to some, not so much to others. Tony Bennett was expected to get more nominations for his star-studded collaboration album Duets II (his first #1 album during his career) but only made it into the Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album category. Taylor Swift received 3 Grammy nominations, all in the country category, and was considered a front runner for many other categories (but she has already has an Album of the Year Grammy – so let it go). Beyonce received only 2 nominations (with 1 for a DVD). Traditionally she has dominated nominations but this year likely suffered from a lack-luster LP release and with the slimming down of categories. Beyonce has traditionally released worked that covered spectrum of R&B and Hip-Hop, along with collaborations – and this year, there were less eclectic categories to possibly include her in. The Grammys are a far stretch from the popularity-based American Music Awards, and therefore this is no mention of Justin Bieber this year. The closest link is Diane Warren’s nomination for Best Song Written for Visual Media for the song “Born To Be Somebody” from his ‘movie’. Grammy favorites Paul Simon and Jill Scott were also missing from the nominations. But before anyone can really get upset about who got nominated and who didn’t… think of your own job and how many awards you receive for being paid to work and for being ‘better’ than your co-workers (just slipping in a reality check).

Grammy Nominations To Be Announced This Week...

2011-11-28T09:21:00.005-05:00

The nominations for the 54th Grammy Awards will be announced this week (Wednesday, Nov. 30) with a live special on CBS. The Grammy Awards will be held on February 12, 2012. There is no doubt that one name will be topping the list of nominations: Adele has been dominating the charts all year with her critically acclaimed LP 21. It's likely her name will be included in the major categories of Album of the Year, Record of the Year, and Song of the Year, in addition to other pop and contemporary categories. Other contenders for nominations include the Grammy favorites Lady Gaga, Foo Fighters, Beyonce, Jay-Z & Kanye West, Rihanna, Maroon 5, and newcomers Foster The People. Katy Perry had her eligability for last year's ceremony, but her single "E.T." with Kanye West is likely to hit a few categories.

This year's ceremony does already have some controversy. Last April, it was announced that some categories were dropped and categories in major fields would no longer be separated by gender. There is also word that many 'pop' artists would not be allowed in the dance categories.

New CD Releases... Rihanna, Blige, Gaga...

2011-11-26T22:05:00.007-05:00

In the past week many artists released new material in time for the holidays. Adele released the DVD/CD combo Live At The Royal Albert Hall, Taylor Swift released the CD/DVD Speak Now World Tour Live, and Lady Gaga released the 2CD/DVD Born This Way - The Collection which includes a DVD of her HBO special.

New CDs by Drake (Take Care), Mary J. Blige (My Life II: The Journey Continues, Act 1), Kate Bush (50 Words For Snow), Daughtry (Break The Spell), Michael Jackson (Immortal), Lady Gaga (Born This Way - The Remix), Willie Nelson (Remember Me 1), Nickelback (Here & Now), Rihanna (Talk That Talk), and the Rolling Stones (Some Girls: Deluxe Edition).

Top Pop Songs of All-Time (updated with 1956 hits)

2011-11-26T21:37:00.000-05:00

We have added the top hits from 1956 with highest entry from Elvis Presley ("Don't Be Cruel" at # 44). Other additions to chart include hits by Gogi Grant, Jim Lowe, Nelson Riddle, Les Baxter, Johnnie Ray, Kay Starr, The Platters, Dean Martin, Doris Day, Fats Domino, Bing Crosby & Grace Kelly. Also, Britney Spears' "I Wanna Go" finished its chart run and came in at # 490.

Check out The Top Pop Songs of All-Time

The ARC Weekly Top 40... this week

2011-11-24T20:30:00.000-05:00

Rihanna lands her 11th #1 song on The ARC Weekly Top 40 with "We Found Love" (featuring Calvin Harris). Jason Derulo makes it into the Top 10 with "It Girl." Strong moves up the chart by T-Pain and Lady Gaga, and new debuts by Taio Cruz featuring Flo Rida nd Pitbull featuring Chris Brown.