'KISS' ON THE LIST: Chris Brown had one of the biggest hits of 2005, when his debut single, "Run It!" was No. 1 for five weeks. Brown hasn't returned to pole position since, but he's the likeliest candidate to lead the list next week. His latest single, "Kiss Kiss" (Jive), rockets 22-2 on the current Hot 100 after a digital release.
"Kiss Kiss" is Brown's fifth top 10 hit, following "Run It!" and three 2006 releases: "Yo (Excuse Me Miss)" (No. 7), "Say Goodbye" (No. 10) and "Shortie Like Mine" (No. 9), a Bow Wow track that featured Brown and Johnta Austin.
On Hot Digital Songs, "Kiss Kiss" debuts at No. 1, making it the first chart-topper on this survey for the 18-year-old from Virginia. "Run It!" peaked at No. 2 on the digital chart dated Dec. 17, 2005. This is his first time back in the top 10 of Hot Digital Songs since "Run It!"
If "Kiss Kiss" makes its expected move to the top of the Hot 100 next week, it will be the sixth No. 1 hit in the rock era with a title that begins with the word "Kiss" and the first in 12 years. The first five "Kiss" No. 1 songs, in chronological order, are:
"Kiss and Say Goodbye," Manhattans (1976), two weeks
"Kiss You All Over," Exile (1978), four weeks
"Kiss on My List," Daryl Hall & John Oates (1981), three weeks
"Kiss," Prince (1986), two weeks
"Kiss from a Rose," Seal (1995), one week
STILL CRANKED AFTER ALL THESE WEEKS: If Chris Brown's "Kiss Kiss" does capture the No. 1 spot next week, it will depose Soulja Boy Tell'em's "Crank That (Soulja Boy)" (Collipark), which is in its seventh frame as leader of the pack.
That means "Crank That" is tied with "Umbrella" by Rihanna featuring Jay-Z as the longest-running No. 1 song of 2007.
With the end of the calendar year rapidly approaching, the chances for a future No. 1 from 2007 to have a longer run than "Crank That" or "Umbrella" are diminishing. If those two songs do remain the longevity champs for this year, it will be the first time since 2001 than no No. 1 hit has reigned longer than seven weeks. The longest-running No. 1 of 2001 was "All for You" by Janet Jackson.
Since then, the longest-running No. 1 songs of each year are:
2002: "Lose Yourself," Eminem (12 weeks)
2003: "In Da Club," 50 Cent; "Baby Boy," Beyonce featuring Sean Paul and "Hey Ya!", OutKast (nine weeks each)
2004: "Yeah!", Usher (12 weeks)
2005: "We Belong Together," Mariah Carey (14 weeks)
2006: "Irreplaceable," Beyonce (10 weeks)
ALL-TIME TOP FIVE: Now the big question is, can Carrie Underwood's "Before He Cheats" (Arista) remain on the Hot 100 for 10 more weeks?
If it does, it will become the longest-running song in the 49-year history of this chart. "Cheats" reaches a plateau this week, rising 42-40 in its 60th chart week. It is only the fifth song to stay on the chart for 60 weeks or more.
Since the single has been rebounding the last couple of weeks, due to heavy recurrent airplay at multiple formats and continued sales of digital downloads, it seems destined to move into fourth place next week when it passes "Macarena" by Los Del Rio. In two weeks, Underwood will be tied with Lifehouse for third place. In six weeks, Underwood will have second place all to herself, and in 10 weeks she will surpass LeAnn Rimes' 69-week chart run with "How Do I Live."
The five longest-running songs on the Hot 100 are:
69 weeks: "How Do I Live," LeAnn Rimes (1997)
65 weeks: "You Were Meant for Me" / "Foolish Games," Jewel (1997)
62 weeks: "You and Me," Lifehouse (2005)
60 weeks: "Macarena" (Bayside Boys Mix), Los Del Rio (1996)
60 weeks: "Before He Cheats," Carrie Underwood (2007)
A MEDLEY OF HITS: Bill Medley made his Billboard chart debut 44 years, five months and three weeks ago, when "Little Latin Lupe Lu" by the Righteous Brothers entered the Hot 100. He last appeared on a Billboard album chart 23 years and one week ago, when his "I Still Do" LP had its final week on Top Country Albums.
Now, Medley returns with "Damn Near Righteous" (Westlake). That 2007 release debuts on the Top Heatseekers chart at No. 42. Even though he has been charting for 44 years, Medley qualifies for the Heatseekers tally because none of his solo albums have charted higher than No. 100 on The Billboard 200.
Medley has appeared twice on The Billboard 200 under his own name. In 1968, "Bill Medley 100%" peaked at No. 188 and in 1969, "Soft and Soulful" went to No. 152.
AND BETTY, TOO: Bill Medley is not the only artist who has been recording since the '60s to debut on Top Heatseekers this week. Betty Buckley, who has starred in Broadway musicals like "Cats," "Carrie" and "Sunset Boulevard," debuts at No. 33 with "Betty Buckley 1967" (Playbill/Masterworks Broadway). The never-before-released CD features songs Buckley recorded when she was 19 years old.
This is the first time Buckley has charted under her own name. The original Broadway cast album of "Cats" peaked at No. 113 in 1983, while a single-disc highlights version peaked at No. 131.
This is the second album to be released on the Playbill label, which is connected to the well-known producer of theater programs and the Playbill.com website, which features daily news updates about the theater world.
HITTING A TRIPLE IN THE PARK: A 27-20 move propels Linkin Park's "Shadow of the Day" (Warner Bros.) into the top 20 of the Modern Rock Tracks chart. With "Bleed It Out" spending its eighth week at No. 2 and former No. 1 "What I've Done" sliding 11-13, Linkin Park becomes the third group in the history of this chart to have three songs in the top 20 in the same week.
U2 has accomplished this hat trick twice, in 1988 and 1992. The week of Dec. 10, 1988, U2 descended 4-5 with "Angel of Harlem," slid 8-9 with "Desire" and advanced 23-20 with "When Love Comes to Town." These three songs remained in the top 20 the following week. U2 repeated this feat the week of Feb. 1, 1992, when "Mysterious Ways" plunged 1-5, "Until the End of the World" bowed at No. 7 and "One" dipped 14-15. This trio of U2 hits remained in the top 20 for two additional weeks.
The only other act to have three simultaneous top 20 hits on the Modern Rock list is R.E.M. While U2 was having three top 20 hits the week of Dec. 10, 1988, R.E.M. was doing the same thing with "Orange Crush" in its third week at No. 1, "Pop Song 89" marching 20-16 and "Stand" opening at No. 18.
WITH RESPECT: Chaka Khan remains No. 1 on Hot Dance Club Play with "Disrespectful" (Burgundy/Columbia), a collaboration with Mary J. Blige. The song is Khan's seventh chart-topper on this tally and her first in 10 years.
Khan first appeared on the club play list in 1978 with "I'm Every Woman," giving her a span of 28 years and 11 months. She first topped the Club Play chart in 1984 with the Prince-composed "I Feel for You." That song topped the survey for three weeks, making it her biggest hit to date on the dance chart.
Khan was most recently No. 1 in February 1997 with "Never Miss the Water," which featured Ne'Shell Ndegeocello.
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