Drake NY concert cancelled after security concerns

July 10, 2010 By Leave a Comment

NEW YORK (Billboard) – A second free Drake concert in New York has been canceled after security concerns were raised by the city’s police department.

The Toronto rapper, whose debut album recently opened at No. 1 on the U.S. pop chart, was in talks to perform in Central Park on July 16 as part of ABC’s “Good Morning America” summer concert series. According to the Daily News, the plans were scrapped after the NYPD told the city’s Parks Department to bolster its security efforts.

A spokesperson for ABC told the newspaper, “We were interested in having Drake perform, but he was never officially booked,” while a rep said that there was a “booking in place.” The cast of Green Day’s Broadway musical “American Idiot” will play “Good Morning America” on July 16 instead.

Drake’s first free New York show was scheduled to take place at South Street Seaport on June 15, the same day his album “Thank Me Later” was released. The event was shut down at the last minute, however, after an estimated crowd of 10,000 swelled to 25,000.

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Drake and Tom Petty lead U.S. album charts

June 25, 2010 By Leave a Comment

LOS ANGELES (Billboard) – Canadian rapper Drake’s debut album flew to the No. 1 spot on the U.S. pop chart Wednesday, while Tom Petty and the Heartbreakers came in at No. 2 with their highest ranking since 1980.

Entertainment | Music

Drake’s “Thank Me Later” sold 447,000 copies during the week ended June 20, according to Nielsen SoundScan. It’s the third-best sales week of the year, surpassed only by the opening rounds of Sade’s “Soldier of Love” (502,000 in February) and Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now” (481,000 in January).

Drake, whose real name is Aubrey Graham, also topped the Canadian album chart after selling 31,000 units, said Nielsen SoundScan.

The entire top four slots in the United States housed new entries for the first time since last December.

Petty’s “Mojo,” his first album with the Heartbreakers since 2002′s “The Last DJ,” sold 125,000 copies. It marks the veteran rock act’s best debut sales week since SoundScan started tracking sales in 1991 and its highest charting album since 1980′s “Damn the Torpedos” peaked at No. 2. “Mojo” sales were aided by a successful concert ticket/album download offer, which accounted for a fair amount of the set’s first week.

Sarah McLachlan’s “Laws of Illusion” opened at No. 3 with 94,000 copies. Her last proper studio album, 2003′s “Afterglow,” started at No. 2 with 361,000. (In the interim, she charted with two remix sets, a live effort, a rarities collection, a greatest hits package and a holiday album.)

The “Now 34″ hits compilation followed at No. 4 with 88,000. It’s the first album in the main “Now” series — not counting its various genre-specific offshoots — to debut with less than 100,000 since the first “Now” compilation started with 48,000 in 1998.

Jack Johnson’s “To The Sea” slipped one to No. 5 (68,000), the “Eclipse” soundtrack dropped four to No. 6 (55,000), Justin Bieber’s “My World 2.0″ was off one to No. 7 (47,000), Lady Antebellum’s “Need You Now” held at No. 8 (40,000) and Christina Aguilera’s “Bionic” slid six to No. 9 (40,000). Last week’s No. 1, “Glee: The Music, Journey to Regionals,” slid to No. 10 (39,000).

Overall album sales totaled 6.14 million units, up 9% compared from the previous week, but down 9% compared to the comparable sales week of 2009. Year-to-date sales are off 11%.

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Rascal Flatts, Miley Cyrus lead U.S. pop chart

April 17, 2009 By Leave a Comment

By Anthony Colombo and Wade Jessen

NEW YORK (Billboard) – Country combo Rascal Flatts logged its fourth No. 1 on the U.S. pop album chart on Wednesday, while Miley Cyrus enjoyed a big boost for the soundtrack to her new box office champ.

Rascal Flatts’ sixth set of new songs, “Unstoppable,” sold 351,000 copies during the week ended April 12, according to Nielsen SoundScan.

In line with the overall music business, the group’s sales have been on a downward trajectory since “Me and My Gang” blew in with 722,000 copies in 2006. The follow-up, “Still Feels Good,” started with 547,000 units in 2007.

With its fourth chart-topper, the group moves out of a tie with Dave Matthews Band, Disturbed, Linkin Park, Staind and System of a Down, all of whom have three No. 1s on the Billboard 200 this decade.

Cyrus jumped three places to No. 2 with “Hannah Montana: The Movie,” which sold 196,000 copies. The title, which started at No. 2 (136,000) two weeks ago, benefited from the movie’s first-place debut at the North American box office last weekend with ticket sales of $32 million.

A pair of debuts earned the next two spots: Jadakiss’ “Last Kiss” opened at No. 3 with 135,000 copies. The rapper last hit in 2004 when “Kiss of Death” started at No. 1 with 246,000 units. Country rocker Jason Aldean followed with “Wide Open,” which sold 109,000. His last set, “Relentless,” also began at No. 4 in 2007 with 98,000 units.

The multi-artist set “Now 30″ slipped one to No. 5. Taylor Swift, who appears in “Hannah Montana: The Movie,” jumped four places to No. 6 with “Fearless.”

Keith Urban’s reigning champ “Defying Gravity” fell to No. 7, in its second week. The “Twilight” soundtrack slipped one to No. 8. Prince’s Target-exclusive triple-disc set “Lotus Flow3r/MPLSound/Elix3r” slid seven places to No. 9, also in its second week. Lady GaGa’s “The Fame” was down one at No. 10.

Also new was a reissued version of Dolly Parton’s 2008 album “Backwoods Barbie,” which entered the chart at No. 40.

(Editing by Dean Gooodman at Reuters)

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