December, 2009

Dubliners U2 have grossed over $123 million during their 2009 tour of North America beating Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band ($94.5m) to the number two spot.

U2′s ’360°’ stadium tour was not able to touch the Rolling Stones record set back in 2005 when Jagger and Co. raked in an astounding £162 million during their shows in the US and Canada.

Before you let your dad read this list you might want to have him sit down. His beloved Beatles don’t appear in the top 5 and he probably won’t recognize most of the artists on here, unless your dad is really cool or he works in the industry ….

The official video for Polly Scattergood’s  single directed by Blair Young.

Documentary on the meeting between guitar innovators Jack White, Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmy Page and U2 guitarist The Edge.

Even though Snow Patrol’s Chasing Cars only peaked at number six in the UK , the 2006 release has managed to accumulate a massive amount of airplay on radio , TV , online and music play lists in stores. The single has now beaten out Take That‘s Shine as the most played song of the past 10 years.

Since every magazine , blog and radio station on earth have come up with their own top 10 list of some kind ,  music retail giant HMV took it upon themselves to collate the results of 34 Year End Polls and present us with the Mother of all top 10 Lists.

Ipod Generation please pay close attention. Bad boy drummer Lars Ulrich, 46, from heavy metal favorites Metallica has a message for you: Turn your volume down…..

Ulrich has good reason to be giving such advice. In a recent interview with CNN he acknowledged that he suffers from Tinnitus , a condition causing a perception of sound where there is none.

As another year ends, we start to look forward to the future stars of 2010. Some great bands have crossed our paths in 2009, some outstanding debuts have been released. I start to wonder now then, what does next year have to offer in the way of great bands!?

So without further ado I give you my tips for 2010 and ones to definitely watch over the next 12 months.

Twelve-time Grammy Award winner Alicia Keys‘ latest opus The Element of Freedom (MBK/J Records) debuts at No 1 on Billboard’s R&B Albums and Digital Albums charts and No 2 on Billboard’s Top 200 Albums chart, according to Nielsen/SoundScan. With a total of 417,277 units sold in a week, this marks the biggest first week sales debut for a female R&B singer this year and Keys’ 5th straight chart-topping debut (Keys’ previous four albums debuted at No 1 on the aforementioned charts).

Named one of Billboard’s Artists of the Decade, Keys is never one to rest on her laurels as we move into the new year. Keys will launch 2010 in high gear with a performance on Saturday Night Live on January 9 followed by an AOL Music Sessions premiere on January 14. On March 3, Keys embarks on the U.S. portion of “The Freedom Tour” at Chicago’s Allstate Arena. The European leg of the tour will commence late April 2010.

The Alicia Keys Freedom Tour U.S. dates are as follows (subject to change):

March 03, 2010 Chicago, IL Allstate Arena
March 05, 2010 Detroit, MI Fox Theater
March 06, 2010 Detroit, MI Fox Theater
March 13, 2010 Mashantucket, CT Foxwoods Casino
March 17, 2010 New York, NY Madison Square Garden
March 19, 2010 Newark, NJ Prudential Centre
March 20, 2010 Atlantic City, NJ Mark Estess Arena
March 22, 2010 Boston, MA Agganis Arena
March 24, 2010 Baltimore, MD 1st Mariner Arena
March 25, 2010 Washington, D.C. Verizon Center
March 27, 2010 Miami, FL American Airlines Arena
March 28, 2010 Tampa, FL St. Pete Times-Forum
March 30, 2010 Atlanta, GA Phillips Arena
April 02, 2010 Dallas, TX Nokia Theater (Grand Prairie)
April 03, 2010 Houston, TX Toyota Centre
April 06, 2010 Los Angeles, CA Staples Centre
April 07, 2010 San Jose, CA HP Pavilion
April 09, 2010 Las Vegas, NV Mandalay Bay

(RCA Music Group)

Canadian crooner Michael Buble’s Crazy Love, which has been in the charts for ten weeks, toppled Susan Boyle’s debut album I Dreamed A Dream from the top spot.

Elsewhere in the album chart, the Black Eyed Peas, Lady GaGa and JLS stayed in the same place to complete the top five.

Chuckie & LMFAO managed to hold on to the Indie chart’s top spot with ‘Let the Bass kick in Miami Girl‘ while solo flying Julian Casablancas from the Strokes managed to sing his way into the hearts and souls of the holiday fans with his Christmas rocker’ I wish it was Christmas Today‘ edging its way into the top 10 at #9.