On December 11, 2009, Billboard announced the Decade-End Charts in the field of music. Since Clay Aiken was included in 6 of the charts, I wondered what the criteria was for the lists. The following article from the Billboard Staff helps to understand how the lists are compiled.
How Billboard’s Decade-End Charts Are Compiled
By Billboard staff
Most of the decade-end music tallies in this special online section represent aggregated sales or radio airplay (audience impressions or total plays) for each artist and title from the weekly charts on which they appeared from the start of the 2000 chart year (Dec. 4, 1999 charts) though the end of the 2009 chart year (Nov. 28, 2009 charts).
The sales totals are based on data compiled by Nielsen SoundScan, with radio airplay measured by Nielsen BDS.
Sales or airplay registered before or after a title’s chart run are not considered in the Billboard decade-end standings. That detail accounts for some of the differences between these lists and the decade-end recaps that are compiled independently by either SoundScan or BDS.
Because of changes in Billboard chart methodology during the decade, some ranking are based on a point system, instead of aggregated sales or airplay compiled during a chart run. All recaps for the Hot 100, R&B Songs, Country Songs, Gospel Songs, Christian Songs, Christian AC and the four Latin sub-genre radio charts (Regional Mexican, Pop, Tropical and Triple A) utilize an inverse point system, with weeks at No. 1 earning the greatest value and weeks at the lower end of the chart earning the least. This explains why some songs might be ranked in a different order than they appear in their corresponding year-end rankings.
The top artists of the decade category is based on a formula blending sales point totals from the Billboard 200 recap and recap points from the Hot 100. The top overall artists category for Latin, Country and R&B were determined by employing an inverse point system based on an artist’s weekly ranking on each format’s respective albums and songs charts.
The following charts from Billboard all contain Clay Aiken. His popularity during the decade has been amazing.
Billboard 200 Albums
1 NO STRINGS ATTACHED ‘N Sync Jive/Zomba
2 CONFESSIONS Usher LaFace/Zomba
3 THE EMINEM SHOW Eminem Web/Aftermath/Interscope
4 COME AWAY WITH ME Norah Jones Blue Note
5 HUMAN CLAY Creed Wind-up
6 OOPS!…I DID IT AGAIN Britney Spears Jive/Zomba
7 THE MARSHALL MATHERS LP Eminem Web/Aftermath/Interscope
8 1 The Beatles Apple/Capitol
9 SUPERNATURAL Santana Arista
10 COUNTRY GRAMMAR Nelly Fo’ Reel/Universal/UMRG
….
170 MEASURE OF A MAN Clay Aiken RCA/RMG
Billboard 200 Artists
1 EMINEM
2 BRITNEY SPEARS
3 TOBY KEITH
4 NELLY
5 LINKIN PARK
…
120 CLAY AIKEN
…
200 BOB DYLAN
Billboard Hot 100 Singles Sales *
1 MARIA MARIA Santana Featuring The Product G&B Arista
2 MUSIC Madonna Maverick/Warner Bros.
3 HOT BOYZ Missy “Misdemeanor” Elliott Featuring NAS, EVE & Q-Tip The Gold Mind/East West/EEG
4 INCOMPLETE Sisqo Dragon/Def Soul/IDJMG
5 THIS IS THE NIGHT/BRIDGE OVER TROUBLED WATER Clay Aiken RCA/RMG
6 BREATHE Faith Hill Warner Bros. (Nashville)/WRN
7 GET IT ON TONITE Montell Jordan Def Soul/IDJMG
8 FROM THE BOTTOM OF MY BROKEN HEART Britney Spears Jive
9 FLYING WITHOUT WINGS/SUPERSTAR Ruben Studdard J/RMG
10 I LIKE IT Sammie Freeworld/Capitol
Singles Sales Artists*
1 MADONNA
2 CHRISTINA AGUILERA
3 DESTINY’S CHILD
4 JANET JACKSON
5 MARIAH CAREY
6 SANTANA
7 CLAY AIKEN
8 WHITNEY HOUSTON
9 LEANN RIMES
10 BRITNEY SPEARS
Holiday Albums
# Title Artist Label
1 NOEL Josh Groban 143/Reprise/Warner Bros.
2 NOW THAT’S WHAT I CALL CHRISTMAS! Various Artists EMI/Zomba/Sony Music/Universal/UMRG
3 CHRISTMAS EXTRAORDINAIRE Mannheim Steamroller American Gramaphone
4 FAITH: A HOLIDAY ALBUM Kenny G Arista/RMG
5 CHRISTMAS EVE AND OTHER STORIES Trans-Siberian Orchestra Lava/AG
6 THESE ARE SPECIAL TIMES Celine Dion 550 Music/Epic/Sony Music
7 A CHARLIE BROWN CHRISTMAS (SOUNDTRACK) Vince Guaraldi Trio Fantasy/Concord
8 THE LOST CHRISTMAS EVE Trans-Siberian Orchestra Lava/AG
9 DREAM A DREAM Charlotte Church Sony Classical/Sony Music
10 MERRY CHRISTMAS WITH LOVE Clay Aiken RCA/RMG
Christian Albums
1 SATELLITE P.O.D. Atlantic/Word-Curb
2 THE BEAUTIFUL LETDOWN Switchfoot Columbia/Sparrow/EMI CMG
3 PRECIOUS MEMORIES Alan Jackson ACR/Arista Nashville/Provident-Integrity
4 ALMOST THERE MercyMe INO/Word-Curb
5 SONGS 4 WORSHIP: SHOUT TO THE LORD Various Artists Integrity/Time Life
…
12 MERRY CHRISTMAS WITH LOVE Clay Aiken RCA/Provident-Integrity
…
50 (SPEECHLESS) Steven Curtis Chapman Sparrow/EMI CMG
Congratulations to Clay Aiken. I am looking forward to seeing his name on many lists in the next decade.
Musicfan,
Great to see Billboard's decade lists in print, especially since Clay Aiken's music is represented. Thnx for sharing them in your blog.
Have an awesome week!
Caro
Oh my God! I've never seen the MCWL CD cover so big before! I can't believe how cute he is on it!! 🙂
Yes…..definately congratulations to Clay Aiken……
Clay has held up so well…considering the lack of radio play…and very little support from RCA…..Here's hoping with Decca, that they will promote Clay properly and get his name out there. Marketing….I have good feelings about 2010…and I can't wait….We all just want to see and hear Clay…and we'll be more than happy……
Thanks for bringing the article over here….It truly is amazing.
Hugs,
Judy
Congrats Clay!
I'm proud being your fan 🙂
It is wonderful to find Clay Aiken in all those Billboard charts. Thanks for the information
Congrats to Clay Aiken!!!
I love MCWL – it's too bad you can't find it in the stores since so many of Clay's Christmas songs are being played on the radio. Oh well, who am I to second guess the wisdom of Sony/BMG/RCA *snark*
Thanks for posting this!!!
Thanks for this post Musicfan. I had read some of these stats before but the chart was so convoluted, I didn't have the patience to persevere.
MCWL is playing as I type and will be for quite a time to come. I haven't checked but I'm wondering if it is still available on Amazon. I still haven't found my AIW nor my compilation of the two and I'm fuming. Of course, I can only look in my own direction for the culprit. MDYK is on now and I'm mellowing!
Thanks again. 🙂
So wonderful to see Clay on these charts…right where he belongs. I am confident that Decca will give him the promotion that was so obviously missing with RCA. Hoping to see him on many more charts.
It's very puzzling why there are no copies of MCWL in the stores. That started last year. Before that my Walmart had him readily out there and they were selling like hot cakes. Maybe, that's what the problem is…I believe someone from AI has a Christmas Cd out there…and maybe they are worried about the competition. Anyhow, can't wait to see Clay all over those charts again.
Congrats to Clay Aiken for being on so many lists for the decade. It is amazing what he has done in the music world.
I sure hope that we see a lot more lists with CLay on them.
Thanks for posting the lists.
No surprise at all to see Clay Aiken listed among the other chart toppers!
Looking forward to more record-setting music in the future!!
So terrific to see Clay Aiken cahrt on all of those decade charts, especially the singles!
Clay Aiken certainly deserves to be listed on those best chart. Personally I've never listened to 98% of the others–the 2 % of others, maybe once! It's going to be very interesting what the next decade will bring–I believe the trend is slowly moving back to real music, hope so! Clay will always be my #1 regardless 🙂
It's great to see Clay in those charts. He has accomplished so much in such a relatively short
career
It is great to see Clay on all these lists. He is an amazing entertainer and musician and I expect to see him on many lists.
Many thanks for the lists
It puts a smile on my face seeing Clay's name on all those lists.