Ok, so there are going to be a lot of numbers assaulting you fairly quickly here. But, like those on the board during your middle school Algebra II class, or the ones on the inside of your girlfriend’s emergency contraception packet, they’re numbers to which you should probably pay attention. For those of you who are still living in fantasy land, your favorite artists’ music careers aren’t driven by your hopes and dreams. They are, however, driven by how much airplay their songs receive on mainstream radio. Each week, SphereMagazine.com intends to report exactly what songs are making what kind of impact on the top 25 songs on mainstream radio. But before we hit the actual numbers, here are the key things to know…

LISTEN TO OUR MOST INFLUENTIAL SINGLES HERE:

1. PINK “U+Ur Hand”

Hey, remember when Pink was the artist that was forgotten? Note to anybody trying to make it in the music industry, it’s not about sales, it’s about tour money. And when you have a collection of singles to sing to people, you’re guaranteed a music career.

3. Fergie “Glamourous”

Do NOT be fooled America. This is a poorly reworked version of Gwen Stefani’s remix to “Luxurious”, using the same Polow beat, but featuring none of the cleverness of someone forced to prove herself as a legitimate female artist. On a side note, does anyone else notice that yesterday’s female crossover R&B artist has been replaced by today’s Pop crossover artist? Act as though you don’t care about the future, and the future won’t care about you.

9. Justin Timberlake “Summer Love”

JT has had two go arounds now where he’s had two songs off of the same album in the top 20. Wait, remind me why it’s so important to have a clear genre? Meanwhile, while you explain that, Mr. Timberlake will R&B/Pop/Dance his way to a multi-platinum album and a multi-year career. But you’re probably right, it’s much better for internet message boards to think you’re awesome.

10. Diddy “Last Night”

Yet another example of why the definition “genre” is archaic. On his most adventurous record, imagine if Diddy had decided to try this, his most adventurous single, some time before six months after he released his album. Instead, the desire to play by the accepted industry rules leads to one of the year’s biggest disappointments, given the massive publicity budget behind it. At least we can boogie to this while the Bad Boy records ship sinks.

24. T-Pain “Buy U A Drank”

The number one sone on traditional urban radio, as well as a major gainer on mainstream charts. Oh, did we mention that T-Pain, much like his hyper succesful label-boss Akon, produces, writes, and sings his own material? Could someone explain why it’s still a better idea to let a major label determine your path? The industry is not only accepting of people carving their path, it’s BEGGING for it. Adapt or die, singer/songwriter.

CHART FORMAT:

ARTIST
Song
Last Week’s Plays
This Week’s Plays
Move

PINK
U + Ur Hand
8277
7750
527

GYM CLASS HEROES
Cupid’s Chokehold
8020
8740
-720

FERGIE
Glamorous
7907
8376
-469

TIMBALAND
Give It To Me f/Furt…
7699
7597
102

AVRIL LAVIGNE
Girlfriend
7488
6646
842

GWEN STEFANI
The Sweet Escape
7261
7822
-561

AKON
Don’t Matter
7190
8177
-987

MAROON 5
Makes Me Wonder
5427
5232
195

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE
Summer Love
5070
4457
613

DIDDY
Last Night (f/Keyshi…
5044
4762
282

CARRIE UNDERWOOD
Before He Cheats
5035
4557
478

RED JUMPSUIT APPARATUS
Face Down
4860
5022
-162

DAUGHTRY
Home
4717
4076
641

DAUGHTRY
It’s Not Over
4704
5209
-505

RIHANNA
Umbrella (f/Jay-Z)
4378
3954
424

NE-YO
Because Of You
4297
4323
-26

JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE
What Goes Around Com…
4274
4695
-421

NELLY FURTADO
Say It Right
4238
4834
-596

HINDER
Better Than Me
4177
4037
140

NICKELBACK
If Everyone Cared
4167
4589
-422

BEYONCE
Beautiful Liar f/Sha…
3804
4032
-228

KELLY CLARKSON
Never Again
3420
3248
172

BABY BOY
The Way I Live
3018
2889
129

T-PAIN
Buy U A Drank…(f/Y…
2776
2011
765

MIMS
This Is Why I’m Hot
2361
3242
-881

BY ZAC SOTO

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This entry was posted on Monday, May 7th, 2007 at 11:19 pm and is filed under Business. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.