1. Chart Moves: Daft Punk Scores Biggest Hot 100 Hit, Black Sabbath Returns and More

    April 26, 2013 4:54 PM EDT As previously reported, P!nk's "Just Give Me a Reason" (featuring fun.'s Nate Ruess) spends a second week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Who else makes noteworthy moves on the Hot 100 and other song charts this week?   -- ...

  2. iTunes 10-Year Anniversary: 12 Best iTunes Ads

    April 26, 2013 2:37 PM EDT The iTunes Store launched on April 28, 2003, as an industry-supported alternative to combatting online music piracy, starting a revolution for companies and customers alike. Their first customers received a free download of The Fray's " ...

  3. What Is iTunes Today?

    April 26, 2013 11:22 AM EDT This article first appeared in the May 4, 2013 issue of Billboard magazine, which also features our cover story on Rod Stewart's return to rock, an in-depth look at the 10th anniversary of the iTunes Music Store, our incomparable charts and ...

  4. George Jones Was King of the Country Charts

    April 26, 2013 11:16 AM EDT 3 28 8 0 0 He may have been known as the Possum, but on Billboard's country charts, George Jones was a king. Jones passed away this morning at 81. Jones holds the record for the most entries on Billboard's Hot Country Songs chart - 166 - from 19 ...

  5. Business Matters: The Importance of Apple's Ecosystem

    April 25, 2013 5:01 PM EDT It's no secret that Apple's ecosystem is vital to the company's success. Now two of the three ratings agencies agree. Because Apple plans to access the debt markets (it will allow the company to return cash to shareholders without ...

  6. Record Store Day Drives Vinyl Sales to Historic Peak in SoundScan Era

    April 25, 2013 2:40 PM EDT Thanks to Record Store Day (April 20), weekly U.S. vinyl album sales hit a historic high. A total of 244,000 vinyl LPs were sold in the week ending April 21, according to Nielsen SoundScan -- the largest one-week sum for vinyl albums since Sound ...

  7. Ten Years of iTunes: The Retailer's Biggest Songs and Albums (Listen)

    April 25, 2013 12:30 PM EDT This Sunday, the iTunes store will be celebrating its 10th anniversary, well atop of the digital retailer heap for a corresponding number consecutive years. Billboard.biz will be taking a closer look at the growth and ever-expanding importance o ...

  8. Neil Diamond’s ‘Sweet Caroline’ Sees 597% Sales Increase after Boston Bombing

    April 24, 2013 9:50 PM EDT Music appears to be helping provide some measure of comfort to mourners in Boston and other regions following the Boston Marathon bombing on April 15 that killed three and injured approximately 180. Neil Diamond made an impromptu visit to Boston ...

  9. Michael Buble Bound For Fourth No. 1 Album on Billboard 200

    April 24, 2013 4:05 PM EDT Pop singer Michael Buble is heading for his fourth No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart. Industry forecasters suggest his just-released album, "To Be Loved," is on course to sell around 165,000-185,000 copies by the end of the tracki ...

  10. Business Matters: Why Are Track Sales Down in 2013?

    April 23, 2013 11:47 AM EDT 1 6 15 0 0 U.S. track sales are down 2% through April 14th, according to Nielsen SoundScan, while digital album sales are up 9%. A deficit in the digital marketplace is unusual. Although tracks were in negative territory through part of 2010 -- they finis ...

  11. Record Store Day Backbeat: Billboard Hits Six Stores in 12 Hours

    April 21, 2013 7:02 PM EDT 7 6 23 1 0 Record Store Day started as a celebration but now it’s big business, too. Of course, it’s been about business since it began in 2008, with retailers initially comparing it to Christmas. But it’s also a party, with some great shows and in-stores ...

  12. Record Store Day 2013: Brooklyn's Black Gold Records; Hoboken's Tunes

    April 20, 2013 4:09 PM EDT 1 6 0 0 Halcyon Days: Williamsburg, Brooklyn's Sound Fix on its final Record Store Day. After nine years in business, the independent music retailer closed its doors for good. (Photo: Reggie Ugwu) Brooklyn's Sound Fix’s Last Day, Smiles Tinged ...

  13. From A Stream to a Torrent: Music Journalism's Elite Talk Discovery in Age of One-Click Availability at EMP Pop Conf.

    April 20, 2013 1:56 PM EDT 1 16 35 1 0 In an industry where “music discovery” has become a buzzword -- companies like Twitter and Beats By Dre have invested in high-profile products designed to help users find the unfound -- is there any real ability to wade through the almost unli ...

  14. 'Glee' Renewed for Another Two Seasons

    April 19, 2013 9:39 PM EDT 1 12 18 0 0 Fox has something to sing about. Musical dramedy "Glee" has been renewed for a fifth and sixth season, the network announced Friday. "'Glee' debuted as the first and only successful musical comedy series on television, ...

  15. Fall Out Boy, Kid Cudi Continue Battle for No. 1 on Billboard 200

    April 19, 2013 9:03 PM EDT 1 2 18 0 0 It's a race for No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart next week. As reported on Wednesday , new albums from rock band Fall Out Boy and rapper Kid Cudi are locked in a battle for No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart next week. Friday, little ...

  16. Chart Moves: Postal Service's 'Give Up' Makes 10th Anniversary Return to Charts

    April 19, 2013 6:28 PM EDT 1 0 15 0 0 This week on the Billboard 200 albums chart , Justin Timberlake's The 20/20 Experience fell from the No. 1 slot after a three-week reign, letting Paramore open atop the list with its self-titled album (106,000 according to Nielsen SoundSca ...

  17. Chart Moves: P!nk Tops AC With 'Try'; Selena Gomez, Avril Lavigne Return; Lady Antebellum Makes Fastest Trip To Country Airplay Summit

    April 19, 2013 5:21 PM EDT 4 65 2 0 As previously reported , P!nk's "Just Give Me a Reason," featuring fun.'s Nate Ruess, rises 3-1 on the Billboard Hot 100. Who else makes notable moves on the Hot 100 and other song charts this week? -- P!nk: As she crowns th ...

  18. Newbury Comics Shutters Stores, Warehouse In Wake of Boston Manhunt

    April 19, 2013 2:08 PM EDT 1 1 23 0 0 Newbury Comics warehouse and office headquarters, which is located within Boston’s  lockdown zone in the manhunt for Marathon bomber suspect, is shuttered today, as are four of the chain's stores. "Early on we got the word not to open ...

  19. Sound Fix's James Bradley Talks Closing His Lauded Brooklyn Shop on Record Store Day (Q&A)

    April 19, 2013 12:57 PM EDT 1 76 34 0 0 This interview originally appeared on the blog for Brooklyn-based author Chris Ruen's new book on the past, present and future of digital piracy, "Freeloading: How our insatiable hunger for free content starves creativity." A fe ...

  20. Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin Album Art Designer Storm Thorgerson Dies

    April 18, 2013 6:07 PM EDT 1 111 26 0 0 LONDON (AP) -- English graphic designer Storm Thorgerson, whose eye-popping album art for Pink Floyd and Led Zeppelin encapsulated the spirit of 1970s psychedelia, died Thursday. He was 69. In a statement, Thorgerson's family said that h ...

  21. Record Store Day: Just How Big Is the Big Vinyl Resurgence?

    April 18, 2013 2:27 PM EDT 12 151 109 5 0 While vinyl's ascension has moved beyond the realm of cool into an important moneymaker for key niches in the U.S. music industry, for all of its growth, the format still remains a small percentage of sales. This article first appeared ...

  22. Record Store Day Q&A With Graham Jones of 'Last Shop Standing'

    April 18, 2013 10:02 AM EDT 3 27 33 0 0 Record Store Day has made “Last Shop Standing” -- a new documentary on U.K. record shops -- the official film of this year’s edition of its annual event. “Last Shop Standing,” released in the U.K. last year and coming out April 20 on DVD, has ...

  23. Universal, X5 Create Digital Compilation Business

    April 17, 2013 8:20 PM EDT 6 24 26 0 0 Universal Music Group and the Stockholm-based digital music company X5 Music Group have launched a partnership to produce digital compilation albums from the catalogs of Universal’s Decca, Deutsche Grammophon, Verve and Blue Note Records label ...

  24. Tooth & Nail, Solid State Records Sign Distribution Deal With RED

    April 17, 2013 5:48 PM EDT 1 2 9 0 0 Tooth & Nail and its Solid State Records imprint have signed a distribution deal with RED Distribution. The first new release through RED will be the third studio album from The Almost, Fear Inside Our Bones , out June 11 on Tooth & Nail ...

  25. Indie Beat: A2IM Heads to Brazil, Rough Trade Posts 25% Growth, and NXNE Gets a New Director

    April 16, 2013 3:50 PM EDT 24 18 0 0 A2IM Heads South A2IM and representatives from 11 indie labels are headed south of the border this week. VP Records, Dead Oceans, Naxos, Yep Roc and more will join American Association for Independent Music president Rich Bengloff on a mission ...

  26. Bleecker Bob's, New York's Iconic Record Store, Closes

    April 16, 2013 2:08 PM EDT 2 309 64 2 0 File under: just another nail in the coffin. Downtown New York City's Bleecker Bob’s Golden Oldies Record Shop closed on Saturday, April 13 -- just one week shy of Record Store Day. I didn’t get there before its unceremonious final hours ...

  27. Business Matters: Muve Music-Powered TIMmusic in Brazil a Step Forward for Digital Music

    April 15, 2013 5:52 PM EDT 8 23 11 1 0 On-demand music service Muve Music and Brazilian mobile carrier TIM announced their partnership Monday that marks Muve Music's first foray outside of the United States. As Billboard previously reported , TIMmusic was quietly launched last ...

  28. HMV To Shed 400 Staff: Reports

    April 15, 2013 8:40 AM EDT 3 14 0 0 Retail restructuring specialist Hilco is reportedly close to cutting 400 jobs from HMV. Hilco bought HMV out of administration earlier this month . The rescue package, reportedly worth £50 million, initially saved 141 stores and more than 2,500 ...

  29. Anti-Thatcher Song ‘Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead’ Beat By Duke Dumont’s ‘Need U (100%)’ on UK Singles Chart

    April 14, 2013 2:50 PM EDT The highly controversial campaign to get “Ding! Dong! The Witch Is Dead,” by the “Wizard of Oz” Film Cast to No. 1 on the U.K. singles chart has ended in narrow defeat. As BBC Radio 1 announced the Official Charts Company’s new sales data on Sun ...

  30. Brad Paisley Headed For Eighth Top 10 Album On Billboard 200 Chart

    April 12, 2013 6:58 PM EDT Country super star Brad Paisley is aiming for his eighth top 10 album on the Billboard 200 chart next week. The singer's new Wheelhouse could bow at either No. 2 or No. 3, depending on how the rest of the week shakes out. Industry sources s ...

  31. Rick Ross Issues Official Apology For 'U.O.E.N.O.' Rape Lyrics

    April 12, 2013 3:17 PM EDT Rick Ross has issued an official statement in which he task fault for his pro-rape lyrics on Rocko's "U.O.E.N.O." song. "Before I am an artist, I am a father, a son, and a brother to some of the most cherished women in the wo ...

  32. Business Matters: How Sagging PC Sales Will Impact the Music Business

    April 11, 2013 7:53 PM EDT The PC is taking a beating this week. IDC reported that worldwide PC shipments fell nearly 14% in the first quarter and posted the fourth-straight year-over-year decline. Gartner released similarly gloomy numbers for PC shipments. Three equity a ...

  33. Chart Moves: Jonas Brothers Return To Hot 100; Little Wings Fly to New U.S. Heights; Anna Kendrick's 'Pitch Perfect' Song Wins Over Radio

    April 11, 2013 5:42 PM EDT As previously reported , Bruno mars' "When I Was Your Man" (2-1) becomes just the second all-piano-and-vocal ballad to top the Billboard Hot 100, following Adele's "Someone Like You" in 2011. Who else makes notable ...

  34. Reebok Drops Rick Ross Over 'U.O.E.N.O.' Rape Lyrics

    April 11, 2013 5:07 PM EDT 2 28 0 0 After stirring up controversy with lyrics deemed pro-rape, Reebok has decided to end their partnership with Rick Ross. “Reebok holds our partners to a high standard, and we expect them to live up to the values of our brand. Unfortunately, Rick ...

  35. Pub Briefs: Nelly Signs With SONGS Music, Warner/Chappell Inks With THIS Music, The Who Get Into Apparel Biz, More

    April 11, 2013 11:20 AM EDT -- SONGS Music Publishing signed Nelly to a worldwide co-publishing deal, beginning with his most recent album, 5.0, and future releases, including his next album M.O. , which is slated to come out later this year. “Nelly has proven time and tim ...

  36. Billboard Expands Streaming Charts With Seven Genre-Specific Rankings

    April 11, 2013 9:00 AM EDT Less than two months after launching the Streaming Songs chart, which blends data from a variety of streaming services into one ranking, Billboard today unveils seven genre-specific charts utilizing the same methodology.   Rankings for country, ...

  37. Fender's Sergio Villanueva Previews Upcoming Panel at Billboard Latin Conference & Awards (Q&A)

    April 11, 2013 8:50 AM EDT Instruments like guitars have helped artists from Eric Clapton to Jimi Hendrix find their voice in music. During the Billboard Latin Conference & Awards, presented by State Farm, this theme will be explored during the panel "The Essenti ...

  38. Indie Beat: Sub Pop’s Jubilee, Caroline Sponsors the Libbys, and CocoRosie Teams with Redeye

    April 10, 2013 8:11 PM EDT Sub Pop’s Jubilee Sub Pop is turning 25 this year, so naturally it’s time for a big blowout party in honor of fading youth. The legendary Seattle label announced its Silver Jubilee on Wednesday, a one-day festival to take place July 13 in the Se ...

  39. Paramore Aiming for First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart

    April 10, 2013 7:36 PM EDT Rock band Paramore is aiming for its first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart, as its new self-titled set should bow atop the list next week. Industry sources project that the album, the group's first since 2009, may sell around 110,000 ...

  40. Bruno Mars Lands Fifth Hot 100 No. 1, Fastest Male Artist Since Elvis To Reach Milestone

    April 10, 2013 2:25 PM EDT Bruno Mars' "When I Was Your Man" advances 2-1 on the Billboard Hot 100, granting the pop singer/songwriter his fifth leading title. It also marks just the second No. 1 in the chart's more than five-decade history for a song ...

  41. Business Matters: Looking for a Link Between Subscription and Download Sales

    April 09, 2013 7:48 PM EDT Countries with greater adoption of subscription services had lower rates of growth in digital download sales in 2012. This doesn't necessarily indicate subscription services cannibalized digital sales, but it does show that different countr ...

  42. Anti-Margaret Thatcher Campaign Drives Judy Garland's 'Ding Dong! The Witch Is Dead' Up UK's Charts

    April 09, 2013 2:22 PM EDT Margaret Thatcher, the divisive former Prime Minister who died of a stroke on Monday afternoon, may have another musical footnote to her legacy next week: chart catalyst. A macabre Facebook campaign , titled "Make 'Ding dong the witch ...

  43. 'Alabama & Friends' Tribute to Feature Luke Bryan, Toby Keith & More (Exclusive)

    April 08, 2013 9:15 PM EDT 1 12 14 0 0 Luke Bryan, Toby Keith, Jason Aldean and Kenny Chesney are among the artists paying tribute to Alabama on the legendary country group’s “Alabama & Friends.” The album, which will feature members of Alabama duetting with the acts on some of ...

  44. Business Matters: Did Anti-Piracy Laws Improve Revenue in New Zealand or Japan?

    April 08, 2013 9:00 PM EDT 1 12 1 0 The two newest countries to the anti-piracy law club, New Zealand and Japan, had mixed results in 2012, according to data in the IFPI’s new Recording Industry in Numbers 2013 report that was released Monday. Whether or not the laws had an impac ...

  45. IFPI 2013 Recording Industry in Numbers: Global Revenue, Emerging Markets Rise; U.S., U.K., Germany Drop

    April 08, 2013 5:00 AM EDT An increase in digital, performance rights and sync revenues, combined with the rise of rapidly growing emerging markets, contributed to a 0.2% rise in global trade revenue generated by the recorded music industry in 2012, according to the Inter ...

  46. The Band Perry and Tyler, the Creator Aiming for Top Three on Billboard 200 Chart

    April 05, 2013 8:22 PM EDT While Justin Timberlake's "The 20/20 Experience" is set for a third straight week at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart next week, a number of new arrivals should grace the top 10. The Band Perry's sophomore album, " ...

  47. Bruno Mars' 'Man' Gunning For No. 1 On Hot 100 Chart Next Week

    April 05, 2013 5:29 PM EDT Bruno Mars' "When I Was Your Man" is aiming for the No. 1 slot on the Billboard Hot 100 chart next week, thanks to continued growth in airplay, streaming and a new discounted price in the iTunes Store.   Mars' piano ballad ha ...

  48. Business Matters: Lack of Hits Not Behind 2013's Track Sales Decline

    April 05, 2013 3:14 PM EDT US digital track sales were down 1% in the first quarter, but a lack of hits wasn't the problem. Current tracks were up 3% and the top 10 tracks were also up 3% while catalog tracks were down 4% through March 31st, according to Nielsen Soun ...

  49. Chart Moves: Thompson Square's Best Week Yet, Pink Floyd's 'Dark Side' Soars

    April 05, 2013 11:35 AM EDT This week on the Billboard 200 albums chart, Justin Timberlake's  The 20/20 Experience held firm at No. 1 for a second week. It sold 318,000 copies according to Nielsen SoundScan -- down a moderate 67% from its 968,000 start. Justin Timberl ...

  50. Morning Fix: Hilco Buys HMV; YouTube, UMPG's Multi-National Pub Deal; Anthony, Santos, Tapia To Play Billboard Latin Music Awards

    April 05, 2013 9:18 AM EDT Get the Morning Fix Delivered Directly To Your Inbox HERE . HILCO BUYS HMV HMV has been handed a lifeline. Retail restructuring specialist Hilco has swooped in with a rescue package for the British chain -- reportedly worth some £50 million ($76 ...

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