With New No. 1, Jay-Z Grabs Record From Elvis

Sony blamed for UK price hike, now reversed

(NEWSER) - On Saturday, a Whitney Houston greatest-hits album cost about $8 in the UK iTunes store; but shortly after the singer was found dead, it had jumped to a little more than $12.50. The changed sparked a customer uproar. "It is just a case of iTunes cashing in on the singer's death, which in my opinion is totally parasitic," said one, according to DigitalSpy . But the Guardian reports that it was Sony, not iTunes, that was responsible for the change—which has now been reversed. More»

New single rocketed from 97th spot in Hot 100

(NEWSER) - Kelly Clarkson’s new single has jumped from No. 97 to No. 1 , breaking the record held by Britney Spears’ “Womanizer” for the largest leap to the top spot, Billboard reports. “My Life Would Suck Without You” sold 280,000 digital downloads in one week and is climbing radio charts. The onetime American Idol held the record in 2002 with “A Moment Like This,” and this is her first No. 1 since. More»

With her 18th No. 1, she moves into 2nd place behind Beatles

(NEWSER) - Mariah Carey unseated Elvis for the No. 2 spot in chart-topping songs this week. Her single "Touch My Body" became her 18th No. 1 and pushed Elvis into third place, the Los Angeles Times reports. The Beatles' all-time record of 20 remains, but Carey could eclipse the Fab Four by the end of summer. More»

It's the biggest seller in 5 years

(NEWSER) - Nice week for Taylor Swift: Her Speak Now album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard charts, racking up 1,047,000 sales. (That includes iTunes and the like.) Billboard rounds up some of the milestones:

• It's the biggest single sales week for an album since 50 Cent's The Massacre sold 1,141,000 in 2005. (And the LA Times notes that Swift's feat may be more impressive given the state of the music industry.)

U2's 'No Line on the Horizon' tops the list

(NEWSER) - Who says the album's dead? This year saw some fine ones, with veterans like U2 and Bruce Springsteen setting the bar. Rolling Stone rates the cream of the crop:

1. U2, No Line on the Horizon: Bono & Co. explored “dark places” and came away “with a sense of drama that no one could match all year."
2. Bruce Springsteen, Working on a Dream: The Boss at his “wildly baroque” best: “decked-out folk and rock struggling with the big stuff—and having a great time along the way.”
3. Phoenix, Wolfgang Amadeus Phoenix: “The wholesome French version of the Strokes,” delivered an energetic and insanely catchy mix of guitar rock and electronics.