record charts

Regarding the topic in last week's "Ask Billboard," while some people may be bored by music trivia, I find that there is absolutely nothing boring about it. After all, shows like "American Top 40" wouldn't have lasted nearly as long as they have if no one was interested in music trivia. I think that it's fun to find and read trivia tidbits.  

The following is a round-up of the 10 most popular stories on Billboard.biz during the past week. 1. Citi Rejects Terra Firma's Latest Bid To Save EMI: Citigroup Inc recently rejected a proposal from Guy Hands' private equity firm Terra Firma Capital Partners to restructure the debt of music group EMI, the Wall Street Journal said on Monday. 2.  

Usher, Trey Songz and Maxwell battled it out over the last week for the top spot on the R&B charts. While they lost to Jay-Z's no.1 charting single "Empire State of Mind," the trio's success on the chart is noteworthy. Coming in right behind Jay-Z, Usher's rising hit single "Papers" earns its second highest position on the Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Songs chart this week.  

Jay-Z officially has the top song in the country, crowning both the Billboard Hot 100 and Billboard R&B/Hip Hop Songs charts. Coming in at no.1, after weeks of steady growth, Jay-Z's "Empire State of Mind" reached the summit Wednesday. While the song, which features Alicia Keys, is Jay-Z's fourth feature at the top of Billboard's coveted Hot 100 chart, it is his first number one as a non featured artist.  

The 'Umbrella' singer - who has been single since Chris Brown assaulted her in February - is ready to date again but isn't interested in suitors who don't measure up in the bedroom. When asked what a guy needed to impress her, she quipped to German magazine Bravo: "He has to be good in bed and the size matters. You know what I mean? I love flirting at the moment.

I love flirting at the moment. I'm single and I'm enjoying my freedom. But I dont give my phone number out that often. But if I'm dating, I check the boy from the top to the bottom.   -Rihanna

 

Jay-Z earned his fourth No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart Thursday with "Empire State of Mind," his collaboration with Alicia Keys. All of Jay-Z's four chart-toppers have been collaborations, but this is his first No. 1 as a lead or co-billed vocalist. His prior chart-topping entries came as a featured vocalist on Mariah Carey's "Heartbreaker" (1999), his now-wife Beyonce's "Crazy In Love" (2003) and Rihanna's "Umbrella" (2007). "Empire State of Mind" is also Keys' fourth overall No. 1, as  

In what may be the highest-ever first-week position on the Billboard Top Latin Albums chart from a debut act with independent distribution, Jencarlos' "Búscame" debuts this week at No. 2. The set from Jencarlos, the star of Telemundo's hit soap "Mas Sabe el Diablo," sold about 8,000 copies, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Sales of "Búscame" were supported by the actor/singer's appearance on Telemundo talk shows, a primetime TV campaign on the network, as well as the use of Jencarlos' single "Amor Quéd  

Billboard will change the criteria for its weekly Billboard 200 chart, said the company on November 17. Beginning with the 2010 chart year, Billboard 200 will become a comprehensive list of top-selling albums in the US, rather than featuring only those albums with recent release dates. Billboard 200 has up until now included only albums released within 18 months, after which point they are no longer eligible to make the chart.  

The annual onslaught of big album releases has begun in earnest as a bevy of superstar acts are in the hunt for high debuts on next week's Billboard 200 chart. John Mayer is on track to debut at No. 1 with "Battle Studies," which could sell somewhere between 275,000 and 300,000 copies by week's end on Nov. 22, according to industry sources. It will be the singer/songwriter's second topper, following "Heavier Things" in 2003.  

Jay-Z earns his fourth Billboard Hot 100 No. 1 - his first as a lead or co-billed performer - as his collaboration with Alicia Keys, "Empire State of Mind," tops the chart to be released Thursday. The rapper's prior chart-topping entries came as a featured vocalist on Mariah Carey's "Heartbreaker" (1999), his wife Beyonce's "Crazy In Love" (2003) and Rihanna's "Umbrella" (2007). "Empire" is Keys' fourth overall No. 1, as she previously scaled the list with her debut single "Fallin' " (2001), her duet wi