As 2016 approaches the finish line, Hamilton Mixtape and the Rolling Stones make big debuts on the Billboard 200.
Billboard Artist Top 10
For the magazine dated December 24, 2016
See the full chart at http://www.billboard.com/charts/artist-100
| Billboard Artist Top 10 | Name | Billboard 200 Album Rank | Billboard Hot 100 Singles | Highest Charting Single |
| 1 | Weeknd | 2 | 14 | 2: Starboy |
| 2 | Pentatonix | 3 | 1 | 45: Hallelujah |
| 3 | Bruno Mars | 6 | 1 | 4: 24K Magic |
| 4 | Drake | 17 | 5 | 11: Fake Love |
| 5 | Rolling Stones | 4 | – | |
| 6 | Twenty One Pilots | 21 | 2 | 9: Heathens |
| 7 | Childish Gambino | 5 | 2 | 48: Redbone |
| 8 | Ariana Grande | 31 | 1 | 5: Side To Side |
| 9 | Rae Sremmurd | 22 | 1 | 1: Black Beatles |
| 10 | Chainsmokers | 23 | 3 | 3: Closer |
Last week Scoreboard got into the holiday spirit and although it’s the most wonderful time of the year, non-holiday albums still come out in December. This week the new #1 album on the Billboard 200 is The Hamilton Mixtape and coming in at #4 are The Rolling Stones with Blue & Lonesome. The Weeknd has another strong week at #1 on the Artist 100 as 14 of 18 songs from Starboy are still on the Hot 100. On that chart Rae Sremmurd ft. Gucci Mane are #1 for the fifth week in a row with “Black Beatles” and Mariah Carey climbs to #17 with “All I Want For Christmas Is You.” Because each passing year makes 1994 that much more awesome.
While The Rolling Stones are Blue & Lonesome this week, John Legend comes in at #14 on the Billboard 200 with new album Darkness And Light
The Hamilton Empire Expands
Yes, Hamilton: An American Musical has been the biggest Broadway smash of the mid-decade and Hamilton’s Original Broadway Cast recording was named the tenth best-selling album of 2016 by Billboard. This week features an addition to the Hamilton empire. The Hamilton Mixtape is the first mixtape of Hamilton songs performed by pop and hip-hop artists, produced by Black Thought and Questlove of The Roots in collaboration with Hamilton creator Lin-Manuel Miranda. The most popular song on the Mixtape in its first week is Kelly Clarkson‘s take on “It’s Quiet Uptown,” in which Clarkson does her best to convey the devastation following Alexander and Eliza’s loss of a child. @kellyclarkson is one of the few pop acts on the album, but hip-hop dominates, with rappers ranging from the legendary Nas to the not-so-legendary Ja Rule appearing on the 23-track compilation. Bringing the stars of Broadway and music together, the Mixtape is bound to continue the Hamilton streak of success into 2017.
@kellyclarkson was tapped to be the lead diva of Hamilton Mixtape
The Rolling Stones Are Still Kicking
Week 1 of this fall release season featured Barbra Streisand on the Scoreboard, who earned her 11th #1 album and extended her stretch at #1 on Billboard charts to over 51 years. The Rolling Stones have been on the charts as long as @barbrastreisand and this week 15 of the fall release season their set of blues covers, Blue & Lonesome, becomes their 37th top 10 album. This extends their position as the artist or band with the most career top 10 albums, with Streisand coming in second with 34 top 10 albums. 52 years after their first American release, the Stones are still kicking and dropping profanity on “Ride ‘Em On Down,” which was originally recorded (not by the Stones) in 1937. The album’s lead single “Just Your Fool” is a 1954 standard by Buddy Johnson and @mickjagger does an admirable job with his blues swagger. Too bad Cyndi Lauper beat the Stones to it, releasing “Just Your Fool” as the lead single of her album of blues covers that came out in 2010.
The 73-year-old @mickjagger recently fathered his eighth child, his fourth son. His oldest daughter is 46 years old
Donald Glover Is Childish Gambino, Again
Since graduating NYU 10 years ago, Donald Glover has been one of the most ambidextrous people in show business. He has written comedy, acted, done stand-up, deejayed, and produced his own cable television show Atlanta. He has also rapped as Childish Gambino and this week Gambino is back with new album Awaken, My Love! Yet those expecting cerebral and funny rap are in for a surprise. Glover has had an André 3000-like transformation in which he has left rap for soul and funk. The result is uneven. On “Me And Your Mama” Glover does his best Prince-like yelping that recalls “Purple Rain” but comes off as a disappointing karaoke performance. When Gambino takes it easy, for example on “Redbone,” the 80’s funk flashback is more fun and listenable. With his television show being renewed for a second season and a role in a forthcoming Star Wars release, Glover got his hands full and the music appears to be a diversion, albeit a sonically pleasing one. Check out the “Redbone” audio below: