1. Katy Perry: “Roar” roars up the chart, leaping from 85 to 2 on the Billboard Hot 100, largest on the back of selling more than 550,000 digital downloads, a career high for Perry.
2. Taylor Swift: She sets the record for most sellouts at Staples Center for a solo act at 11. The current album may be called “Red,” but she”s so in the black.
3. One Direction: The British boy band breaks the attendance record for “Today” concerts as 18,000 crowd into mid-town Manhattan. They are never going away, are they?
4. Luke Bryan: His “Crash My Party” crashes on the Billboard 200 with sales of 528,000, the third highest opening tally this year and the best by a country artist.
5. Ed Sheeran: He sells out his gig at Madison Square Garden. Not bad for Taylor Swift”s opening act.
6. Sara Bareilles: Her single, “Brave,” which some are claiming Perry ripped off for “Roar,” gets a serious sales bump following the controversy. After peaking at No. 61 this Spring, it rebounded last week flying 66-41 on the Billboard Hot 100 from sales soaring from 28,000 to 51,000 in one week.
7. ‘N Sync: The boy group gets ready to reunite for the first time in 10 years for Sunday”s Video Music Awards, but then we”ll have to say “bye, bye, bye” to them once again…
8. Madonna: She turns 55 and celebrates by getting grills on her teeth. Someone call AARP; It”s time for an intervention.
9. Bon Jovi: Like pulling a band-aid off slowly, the process that has led to founding guitarist Richie Sambora leaving the band after 30 years started in April and allegedly came to a formal end this week (though neither party has confirmed it). Yes, the group is named after Jon Bon Jovi, but it”s always been a partnership to the fans. Whatever kept Sambora off this tour, we still hope it’s only temporary.
10. Sid Bernstein: The man who brought the Beatles to America died at 95 earlier this week. We loved him, yeah, yeah, yeah.