July 11th, 2011 | 1:53 pm by Mark Graham (@unclegrambo)

Song Of The Summer Countdown: Katy Perry Stakes Her Claim To Another S.O.T.S. Crown


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You know the moment when, near the end of horror movies, the seemingly-dead killer pops back to life, only to be shot/stabbed/poked-in-the-eye-with-a-wire-clothes-hanger by the protagonist? Well, if the Song of the Summer Countdown were a horror movie –this analogy is admittedly a stretch, but just follow us here for a sec– and Katy Perry were the doe-eyed Final Girl, then Adele would have to be the villain of our race.

Last week, after being unseated the week prior by “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.),” “Rolling In The Deep” came back from the grave to make one final (?) run at the #1 position. However, on this week’s just-updated Song of the Summer countdown, Katy Perry once again asserted her dominance as the Queen of the Summer Songs to claim the top spot back from the British songbird. However, the race is nowhere near over yet.

Pitbull and Ne-Yo’s ode to joys of pre-apocalyptic nookie, “Give Me Everything,” continues to climb its way up the charts; its third-place position this week marks the song’s best performance on the charts to date. LMFAO‘s “Party Rock Anthem” is currently sitting atop the Billboard and iTunes charts, and OneRepublic‘s “Good Life” burst into the Top 10 in its first week on this chart, no doubt propelled by Ryan Tedder’s recent appearances on NBC/Universal linear properties, The Voice, Platinum Hit and the Today Show (corporate synergy at its finest!). It’s entirely possible that the zeitgeist could blow in the direction of any of these songs and put some serious wind behind their sails (and sales), but at this point, it sure seems like Katy is once again the girl to beat!

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July 5th, 2011 | 6:00 pm by Mark Graham (@unclegrambo)

Song Of The Summer Countdown: Adele, America Can’t Quit You


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Well, for those of you who thought you had heard the last of Adele‘s “Rolling In The Deep” after it was bested by Katy Perry‘s “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” in last week’s Song Of The Summer Countdown, Adele will have you know that she’s not the type to go out quietly. Adele’s composite S.O.T.S. score slipped by one point from last week, but thanks to Katy Perry’s slippage of four points, we have ourselves the first ever tie in this here humble countdown!

In other chart insights, the summer of Pitbull continues to roll along nicely. “Give Me Everything,” which features Ne-Yo, Afrojack and Nayer, just hit #1 on the Billboard Hot 100, which factors both sales and radio airplay in its formula. The song seems unescapable at the moment; Pitbull and Ne-Yo performed it both on the Today Show and The Voice last week alone, continuing to give it some much needed momentum as we begin to approach the dog days. But as huge as this song is in its current incarnation, we can’t help but wonder how big it would’ve gotten if Shakira had sang the hook (as she was originally supposed to)?

One other interesting factoid for you S.O.T.S. watchers out there. If you check out the Top 100 songs on Metrolyrics, a site that is solely dedicated to helping readers find out what some of their favorite vocalists are actually singing, their current number one is “Super Bass” by Nicki Minaj (which seems to be making a nice run of its own right now). If we were to take a guess as to why this song is popping over the rest, we would have to say that the speed at which Nicki raps probably confuses a lot of her listeners, so getting a helping hand with the lyrics really comes in handy when, like Taylor Swift and Selena Gomez, someone asks you to start spontaneously rapping!

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June 27th, 2011 | 3:00 pm by Mark Graham (@unclegrambo)

Song Of The Summer Countdown: Will Katy Perry Claim Her Third S.O.T.S In Four Years?


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For the first time since we started counting down this year’s Song Of The Summer, someone other than Adele is sitting in the proverbial cat bird’s seat. Weirdly enough, though, “Rolling In The Deep” has been usurped by another song that audiences first heard back in 2010.

While we’re plenty excited that Katy Perry‘s “Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.)” knocked Adele out of the top spot, we can’t help but lament the fact that Katy Perry is still ruling the airwaves with songs from her Teenage Dream album. If you’ll recall, that record came out way back on August 24, 2010, but last year’s Song Of The Summer, “California Gurls,” was released even further back (May 11, 2010, to be exact). And if you flip the calendar back to the summer of 2008, Perry’s first smash single, “I Kissed A Girl,” was that summer’s biggest party jam.

So, folks, you tell us: What exactly is it about the summertime that makes you want to listen to Katy Perry? Why does her particular blend of breezy pop music make you want to roll your windows down and turn the singles from Teenage Dream up? Let us know in the comments, and check back here next week to see if Katy can fend off the likes of Britney Spears, Pitbull and Lady Gaga to keep the top spot in VH1′s Song Of The Summer countdown!

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June 22nd, 2011 | 11:15 am by Nick Minichino

Tuned In: Pitbull and Ne-Yo Give “Everything” On Kimmel


 
When Pitbull and Ne-Yo teamed to perform their single “Give Me Everything” at the 2011 Billboard Music Awards last month, we didn’t even think it worth a mention in our roundup of the show’s highlights; the slightly out-of-breath Pitbull and a seemingly off-his-game Ne-Yo turned out a solidly mediocre performance. Their appearance last night on Jimmy Kimmel Live!, though, was an entirely different story.
 
Sure, the backing tracks didn’t exactly sound stellar through the booming outdoor soundsystem, but it didn’t matter, because both performers brought their best to a performance of what in the last month has climbed the charts to top out at #2 (just beneath the ever-present “Rolling In the Deep”). Sometimes, victory-lap performances like this one can be marked by indolence, but being as near the top of the charts as Adele will allow is apparently no reason for either performer to slack off. Pitbull, in particular, is all over our Song of the Summer charts, and he was similarly dominating onstage last night (so much so that Ne-Yo was not even announced beforehand as a musical guest). The Miami rapper has quietly become a chart monster over the last few years, and it’s great to see him enjoy the heck out of it.

Elsewhere on late night?
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June 20th, 2011 | 1:45 pm by Mark Graham (@unclegrambo)

Song Of The Summer Countdown: Is The Summer Of Pitbull Nearly Upon Us?


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Now that we’re four weeks into this year’s race to determine the Song Of The Summer, the race is finally starting to heat up. Adele still has a firm grasp on the #1 spot, but closer analysis reveals that the gap between her and those who would gladly take her position is closing (thanks to minor slips in iTunes sales and the VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown this week).

While Adele isn’t giving up her throne anytime soon, it looks pretty clear at this point that Miami rapper Pitbull is shaping up to have his Best Summer Ever. He’s currently got three songs resting comfortably in the S.O.T.S. Top 20: He contributes guest vocals to both Jennifer Lopez‘s “On The Floor” and Shakira‘s new chart entry, “Rabiosa,” and he’s also the lead artist on the club-friendly “Give Me Everything.” Not only that, his new single with Marc Anthony, “Rain Over Me,” is just starting to bubble up and could make a strong run itself after his new album, Planet Pit, drops tomorrow.

Also, while we’re talking about potential songs that could dethrone “Rolling In The Deep,” keep an eye on Lady Gaga’s “The Edge Of Glory” next week. The video just debuted on Thursday night, and even though it underwhelmed many upon its release, the song should benefit greatly from increased exposure in the wake of Clarence Clemons’ tragic passing this week.

Got any thoughts on the Song Of The Summer? Tweet us @vh1 or leave your comments below!

June 13th, 2011 | 5:20 pm by Mark Graham (@unclegrambo)

Song Of The Summer Countdown: Adele Is Still Dominating, But Here Comes Bruno Mars


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If it doesn’t feel quite like summer yet, that’s because it’s still technically spring until the summer solstice arrives on June 21. After looking at the release dates of the songs atop this week’s Song Of The Summer chart, it certainly appears as if we’re still mired in springtime.

As you’ll see in our handy Microsoft Excel chart, Adele‘s dark and wintry chart topper “Rolling In The Deep” —which, we’ll continue to note until (if?) it leaves this countdown, was released in December (!)— has a strangehold on the Song Of The Summer crown for the third consecutive week. However, the smoky-voiced Brit seems to have some competition by the name of Bruno Mars, who lept over Katy Perry and J. Lo this week to snag the #2 spot with his breezy ditty, “The Lazy Song.”

However, even though “The Lazy Song” has yet to crest, we sorta feel like Pitbull‘s club-friendly plea as to why it’s best to just give in to your carnal desires, “Give Me Everything,” has the most momentum this week. Not only did it make its debut in the VH1 Top 20 Video Countdown, but it’s also holding down the number two spots on both the Billboard 100 and iTunes sales charts, which certainly signals that people are going to be listening Ne-Yo crooning this song’s catchy, Eurotrance-y hook all summer long.

What song do YOU think is poised to make a big leap this summer? Continue along with our analysis and then let us know in the comments!

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June 7th, 2011 | 6:30 pm by Nick Minichino

Shakira Practices Some Spirited Baile de Tubo In “Rabiosa”

Latin-flavored pop music rarely crosses over in America unless the lyrics are sung entirely in English, but you can’t blame Shakira for trying. Her latest album, the bilingual Sale el Sol/The Sun Comes Out, debuted at #7 on the Billboard 200 (#4 among Digital Albums) when it was released in the first week of November against tough competition (namely, Kings of Leon and Sugarland), but the English-language version of single “Loca” featured British rapper Dizzee Rascal, who’s talented but hardly an American hitmaker.

“Rabiosa,” on the other hand, features Miami rapper Pitbull, so it’s getting a much bigger push, which seems warranted, since the lyric video posted a week ago already has nearly half a million views. (Granted, Latin artists perform disproportionately well on YouTube when compared to other charts.)
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June 6th, 2011 | 4:00 pm by Mark Graham (@unclegrambo)

2011 Song of the Summer Countdown: Adele Continues To Roll Deep


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Welcome to Week Two of VH1′s Song of the Summer countdown. Each and every Monday from now until Labor Day, we’ll be utilizing today’s most advanced data collection techniques Microsoft Excel to chart the competition of what will become THE song that people will think of when they remember the summer of 2011.

Last week, Adele‘s monster smash, “Rolling In The Deep,” captured the top spot, scoring 87 of a possible 100 points. (For a reminder on how the scoring system works, click here.) Somehow, the English songbird managed to increase her stranglehold on the #1 spot in this countdown this week, racking up 91 (!!!) points and proving that no matter what medium people use to consume music these days, they’re using it to listen to Adele.

However, lest you think that Adele has got this summer on lock only two weeks in, there are a number of new songs that cracked the charts this week for the first time: Jason Derulo‘s “Don’t Wanna Go Home,” DJ Khaled‘s superstar-laced hit “I’m On One” (which features Drake, Rick Ross and Lil Wayne), Coldplay’s “Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall” (which was just released on Friday) and Taylor Swift‘s bid for power pop domination, “The Story Of Us.” Oh yeah, and Adele’s powerful anthem of lost love, “Someone Like You,” managed to crack the Top 20, too.

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June 2nd, 2011 | 8:00 pm by Mark Graham (@unclegrambo)

Keep An Eye On This Summer’s Hottest Jams With VH1′s 2011 Song of the Summer Countdown

According to the calendar, until the Summer Solstice occurs on June 21, we’re still firmly in the grasp of Spring. That said, pretty much everyone we know considers “summertime” to be the period of time between Memorial Day and Labor Day. To wit, this past weekend millions of Americans broke out their barbeque grills, removed their sandals from storage, and spent the long weekend soaking up the sunshine with family and friends for the first time since last summer (and, if the temperatures here in NYC were any indication, it sure as hell felt like summer with temperatures hovering in the low 90s).

One of our favorite parts about the summertime is the way that music takes on an even more omnipresent role in all of our lives. Sure, we all listen to music year-round, but during the winter months, music is generally something you only experience either inside or through earbuds. Once the summertime rolls around, though, suddenly you start hearing music blasting EVERYWHERE: rattling out from car speakers, blaring from boomboxes while you’re lounging poolside, emanating from an iPod dock when you’re chilling in the park enjoying a picnic, and even crackling through old transistor radios while you’re camping in the woods.

And each year, one song emerges from the pack to stand out as that year’s Song of the Summer. It’s not generally a title that is officially anointed by any governing board, but we here at VH1 wanted to put a little science behind the emotion that these Songs of Summer convey.

Hence, we’re excited to announce that we here at VH1 will be tracking this year’s Song of the Summer from now until Labor Day. So, you’re no doubt wondering, what artist has the lead out of the gate: Lady Gaga? Adele? Bruno Mars? Continue along to find out…

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May 18th, 2011 | 3:39 pm by Nick Minichino

Strong Debuts Are No Match For Adele’s Sales

The Lonely Island‘s Turtleneck and Chain came closest, at #3, but none of this past week’s album releases posed a real challenge to the continued chart dominance of Adele. Her 21 is #1 for the eighth of its twelve weeks on the chart, thanks in part to the continued success of “Rolling in the Deep,” which itself finally hit #1 on the Hot 100 last week after 17 weeks climbing the chart. Not even Lady Gaga‘s “Edge of Glory” (in at #2) could topple it this week. In its second chart week, Now 38 also outsold Turtleneck and Chain. Christina Perri‘s and Tyler, the Creator‘s debut LPs round out the top five.

Aside from the one-two punch of Adele and Lady Gaga, the top of the singles chart is mostly full of songs that have peaked but remain popular (excepting Pitbull‘s “Give Me Everything” and the Black Eyed Peas‘ “Just Can’t Get Enough”). And the two women are likely to continue to battle for the top of the chart, especially once Born This Way is released. So the bump in digital sales that has temporarily boosted the industry is largely due to the success of female artists, as Chris Molanphy explained last week for the Village Voice‘s Sound of the City blog.