MANY COOKS: David Cook may have dreamed big when he auditioned for "American Idol," but it's doubtful he ever envisioned having 11 songs debut on The Billboard Hot 100 at once, the highest number of new entries for one artist in a single week in the 50-year history of the chart. The previous record of six was held by Miley Cyrus.
The seventh season winner of the popular TV series rewrites chart history in a number of ways this week. Those 11 charted songs on the Hot 100 give Cook the highest number of titles on the survey in a single week since the Beatles placed 14 songs on the list in 1964. On Hot Digital Songs, Cook has 14 titles debut, the highest number to ever enter or appear on this chart.
On the Hot 100, the highest-ranked of Cook's 11 new entries is "The Time of My Life" (19/RCA), which bows at No. 3. That is the highest first week position for any song in 2008. So far, 12 songs have started their chart lives in the top 30 portion of the chart this calendar year, and Cook owns three of those titles. Here is a summary of the highest debuts of 2008:
No. 3 "The Time of My Life," David Cook (June 7)
No. 9 "New Soul," Yael Naim (Feb. 16)
No. 9 "Forever," Chris Brown (May 10)
No. 14 "Leavin'," Jesse McCartney (May 10)
No. 15 "Viva La Vida," Coldplay (May 24)
No. 15 "Dream Big," David Cook (June 7)
No. 18 "What About Now," Daughtry (April 26)
No. 22 "Beat It," Fall Out Boy featuring John Mayer (April 12)
No. 22 "I Still Haven't Found What I'm Looking For," David Cook (June 7)
No. 23 "Bye Bye," Mariah Carey (May 3)
No. 27 "Praying for Time," Carrie Underwood (April 26)
No. 28 "The World I Know," David Cook (June 7)
"The Time of My Life" enters Hot Digital Songs and Hot Digital Tracks at No. 1, giving Cook his first two chart-toppers and the "American Idol" franchise its 178th and 179th No. 1 records.
Cook is the 34th "American Idol" contestant to appear on a Billboard chart. Right behind him is seventh season runner-up David Archuleta, who has three songs enter the Hot 100, starting with his cover of John Lennon's "Imagine" at No. 36. Archuleta is the 35th "Idol" to chart. Between Cook and Archuleta, "American Idol" finalists have 14 debuts on the Hot 100. Add in current hits by Jordin Sparks, Carrie Underwood and Daughtry, and top 10 contestants are responsible for 17 positions this week.
SUMMER ARRIVES: The top two "American Idol" finalists are not the only chart beneficiaries of the popular TV series. One of the finale's guest stars, Donna Summer, has her best showing on The Billboard 200 in 28 years. The disco diva's latest album, "Crayons" (Burgundy), enters the survey at No. 17. That's Summer's highest ranking since "On the Radio-Greatest Hits-Volumes I & II" spent a week at No. 1 in January 1980.
"Crayons" makes an even splashier entrance on Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums, where it bows at No. 5. That's her best showing on this list since that same greatest hits collection, which soared to No. 4 at the end of 1979.
"Crayons" is Summer's 19th album to chart on the R&B tally. Of those 19, only three have placed higher than this latest release. "Live and More" went to No. 4 in 1978, "Bad Girls" spent three weeks at No. 1 in 1979 and the aforementioned "On the Radio" reached No. 4. In 1983, the album titled "She Works Hard for the Money" also peaked at No. 5.
'DEPARTURE' ARRIVES: Jesse McCartney's fourth album to debut on The Billboard 200 becomes his highest-charted set to date, but just by one rung. "Departure" (Hollywood) shows up at No. 14, besting the No. 15 peaks of "Beautiful Soul" in April 2005 and "Right Where You Want Me" in October 2006.
McCartney also charted with "Live: The Beautiful Soul Tour," which topped out at No. 153 in December 2005.
'YEARS' GO BY: In its third week on the Adult Contemporary tally, Journey's "After All These Years" (Nomota) is holding at No. 26. If the song can resume its upward journey, it has the potential to become the group's biggest hit since 1996, but it will have to break into the top 20 to claim that distinction.
"Years" is the first Journey song to appear on the AC list since "All the Way" went to No. 22 in May 2001. Before "Way," Journey had a No. 21 hit in April 1997 with "If He Should Break Your Heart," and before that, Journey had a three-week run at No. 1 with "When You Love a Woman" in December 1996.
TAKING IT 'ALL': Four years after making its debut on Hot Country Songs, Sugarland has the highest new entry of its career with "All I Want to Do" (Mercury). The track opens at No. 27, beating the No. 36 debut of "Want To" in August 2006.
"All I Want to Do," the 13th entry for Sugarland on the country survey, is bidding to become Sugarland's eighth top 10 hit. If the song goes all the way, it will become Sugarland's third No. 1, after "Want To" and its follow-up, "Settlin'."
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