januari 2011 – WelcheMusic.com

Alicia Keys Was Ready for the Un-Thinkable

2010 CHART REWIND. As WelcheMusic looks back on 2010, one of the favorite tracks was “Un-Thinkable (I’m Ready).” The track topped the US R&B charts, becoming Alicia Keys’s first No.1 since “Like You’ll Never See Me Again” in 2007. Topping the chart for twelve consecutive weeks, an official remix featuring a verse by Drake was also released on iTunes.

The track was included on Alicia Keys’s album Elements of Freedom and followed “Empire State of Mind (Part II).” The video featured Lucas Scott from One Tree Hill. Alicia Keys also performed this track at the AOL Sessions.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ENWGKtA6_4Q

Read other Alicia Keys blog posts.

Skavlan Effect for Duffy

CHART SPOTLIGHT. Fredrik Skavlan, the talk show host with the eponymous TV show is the blessing of any pop star’s career. WelcheMusic recently highlighted the surge in sales for Cheryl Cole’s debut album following her visit to the show. The next star in line is Duffy.

The singer paid Skavlan a visit last week resulting in a 13-6 leap on the Swedish album tally. Her album Endlessly spends its eighth week on the chart, making a welcome rebound. The set bowed at No.4 last December, quickly falling out of the top ten. Her debut album Rockferry spent topped the Swedish album tally in 2008, remaining there for 72 weeks. The set spawned three hit singles:

“Mercy” (No.3)
“Warwick Avenue” (No.16)
“Rain on Your Parade” (No.32)

Endlessly has so far produced one hit single. “Well Well Well” spent one week at No.60. The single has fared better in Switzerland, Holland, Belgium, Finland and Italy where it reached the top twenty. In January 2010, WelcheMusic highlighted that Duffy would return to the charts with a new album.

UPDATED 02-06: This week, Duffy falls back 6-8 on the Swedish album chart adding a ninth week on the chart.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R6UwmJRkjBs

Cher’s Remixes Hit the Dancefloor

CHART PLAYLIST. The new Cher and Christina Aguilera flick Burlesque recently hit theaters in Sweden. WelcheMusic has already covered the groovy soundtrack and a bunch of dance remixes recently bowed on Spotify. “You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me” has already topped the US dance chart, becoming the nation’s biggest floor filler. Written by the queen of ballads – Diane Warren – the track got the dance treatment by the likes of Almighty, the Swede Stonebridge and Dave Audé.

Unfortunately, the song failed to qualify for this year’s Oscars. Despite winning a Golden Globe earlier, it was not included among the list of nominees recently announced by the jury.

httpv://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cQNnGocNf7Y

You can listen to all the remixes below – get the party started.

Cher – You Haven’t Seen the Last of Me via Spotify

ABBA Gold Third Biggest Selling Album in UK History

CHART REWIND. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 1992 Greatest Hits collection ABBA Gold is the biggest selling album since 1956. The agency has compiled sales statistics between 1956 and 2009 and the ABBA album has sold 4.6m copies since its release. Earlier this month, rumors of a reunion sparked on the Internet. Agnetha Fältskog has hinted that a charity event could be an excuse. In 2008, the group turned down $1bn to play a 100-date world tour in 2000.

The biggest selling album is Queen’s Greatest Hits (1981) which sold 5.7m. It was followed by The Beatles’s Sgt. Pepper’s Lonely Heart Club Band (1967) at 4.9m. The biggest selling single was Elton John’s “Candle in the Wind ’97,” which was rush-released after Princess Di’s death.