It’s been an interesting week. The No. 17 downloaded song on iTunes is Badfinger’s “Baby Blue,” a top 15 hit from 1972 that’s been given new life thanks to its play during the Sept. 29 series finale of “Breaking Bad.” Meanwhile, new releases by Cher, Elton John and Sting—who first charted hits in 1965, 1970 and 1979, respectively—debut on the Billboard 200 at Nos. 3, 4 and 13.
But don’t expect any of these evergreen acts to find a home at top 40, unless it’s as a “featured” artist, like Mick Jagger(first U.S. hit: also in 1964) was on Will.i.am’s “T.H.E. (The Hardest Ever)” in 2012, or TLC (first hit: 1992) currently is on J. Cole’s “Crooked Smile.”
Following a year where most mainstream or adult top 40 outlets ignored long-awaited new singles by the Rolling Stones, Bruce Springsteen and the Beach Boys—except for SiriusXM’s Hits1 and 20 on 20 (which played the Stones’ “Doom and Gloom”) and two adult top 40s (neither one anywhere near Jersey) that played Springsteen’s “We Take Care of Our Own”—it’s no surprise that “New,” “Home Again” and Cher’s “Woman’s World” haven’t gotten better reception at top 40. In Cher’s case, that’s a shame, as “Woman’s World” veers closer to the Lady Gaga sound we know and love than “Applause” does. Which may explain why Hits1 and dance-leaning WKTU New York have been the only non-AC stations giving “World” significant airplay.
Ok Billboard can you tell me what that "Gaga sound we know and love" is exactly? She changes up her sound all the time yet you're stuck on The Fame Monster.
Now as for Cher, she would be slaying with Woman's World if she was 40 years younger. The main market for pop music i'd say is 12-18 and some young kids just don't want to buy music by someone from their parents era.
Applause was a move in a different direction, but come on, content/style/delivery wise it's Gaga as ****. It has stuttering, repetitive hooks, deep verses, shouty chorus, bizarre lyrics, Just Dance-esque opening synth...
