1) Tony Bennett: At 85, he lands the first No. 1 album of his career. Imagine what he”ll do to celebrate turning 100?
2) J. Cole: Rapper, whose mix tapes lead to his signing with Jay-Z”s Roc Nation label, is a lock to see his label debut, the appropriately titled “Cole World: the Sideline Story,” bow at No. 1 on the Billboard 200. That hardly sounds like the sideline to us.
3) Spotify: The music streaming service”s usage soars 50% after it integrates with Facebook. Looks like Daniel Ek has found a new friend in Mark Zuckerberg.
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4) Adele: With only one quarter left in 2011, the singer claims the top spot among all downloads. “Rolling In the Deep” has sold a staggering 5.1 million paid downloads so far. Katy Perry”s “E.T.” featuring Kanye West is No. 2 with 4.6 million, while LMFAO”s “Party Rock Anthem” chimes in at No. 3 with 3.9 million.
5) Sylvia Robinson: Sugar Hill Records founder/artist dies at 76. Though she contributed much more, she will be primarily remembered for releasing “Rapper”s Delight,” the first mainstream rap hit. “I said a hip hop, the hippie, the hippie to the hip, hip hop…”
6) Justin Timberlake: Actor/singer signs on to portray Neil Bogart, the head of Casablanca Records, first home of Kiss and Donna Summer. But would Bogart have released “D**k In a Box?”
7) Bruno Mars: There”s Team Edward and Team Jacob and now there”s Team Bruno, as the star scores “It Will Rain,” the first single from “The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1” soundtrack.
8) IHeartRadio: Whether it”s terrestrial or internet radio, Clear Channel proves it still is the 900-lb. gorilla on the airwaves as it snares the biggest names in music from Lady Gaga to Kenny Chesney to Sting for its weekend long party in Vegas.
9) Gene Simmons: He and longtime girlfriend Shannon Tweed tie the knot after 29 years together. He refuses to promise to be faithful. We”re guessing “to honor and obey”were totally out of the question.
10) Scion: Toyota gets fully into the music business with the expansion of Scion A/V. Initial signings include The Melvin, Steve Aoki and Switch. What? The auto industry isn’t enough of a money loser for them ?