2010 Music~ The Year of the Collaboration

It you turn on the radio these days, you can’t go a minute without hearing two big artists team up on new song. It seems to be the easiest and best way to get a hit these days. Witness the biggest hits of 2010 and you’ll see collaborations all over the place (Eminem/Rihanna, Jay Z/Alicia Keyes, Beyonce/Lady Gaga) and luckily, most of them, produce some fantastic music. So, here’s my take on the 15 best music collaborations of 2010. Take note that French DJ David Guetta is all over this chart and big new stars B.o.B. and  Bruno Mars makes two appearances as well.

Top 15 Collaborations of 2010:

15. “Billionaire”- Travis McCoy w/Bruno Mars (this top 5 hit was covered on Glee and introduced us to Mars who would later conquer the pop charts with his own hits including the # 1 “Just the Way You Are”)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8aRor905cCw

14. “Club Can’t Handle Me”- Flo Rida w/David Guetta (this undeniable dance hit was featured in Step Up 3D and is the first of three Guetta songs on the list)

13. “Gettin’ Over You”- David Guetta & Chris Willis w/Fergie & LMFAO (here’s Guetta again this time with frequent collaborator Willis and Fergie who he worked with on the Black Eye Peas’ The E.N.D. album)

12. “Let it Be”- Jennifer Hudson w/The Roots (one of two songs from the Hope for Haiti telethon, Hudson brought a gorgeous gospel and R&N vibe to this Beatles’ classic)

11. “I Like It”- Enrique Iglesias & Pitbull (Iglesias nabbed his first top ten hit in 8 years with this simple but undeniable dance/pop hit)

10. “Nothin’ on You”- B.o.B. w/Bruno Mars (here’s Mars second song and B.o.B’s first of two entries on the list. It’s a massive smash and a Grammy nominee for Record of the Year to boot!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8PTDv_szmL0

9. “Hallelujah”- Justin Timberlake & Matt Morris (on this haunting track from the Hope for Haiti telethon, Timberlake and buddy Morris beautifully tackle Leonard Cohen’s iconic track)

8. “Break Your Heart”- Taio Cruz w/Ludacris (for his first single, Cruz enlisted rapper Ludacris and subsequently, “Heart” became a # 1 hit)

7. “Empire State of Mind”- Jay Z & Alicia Keyes (this song was arguably 2009′s best collaboration and continued to make impressions all year-long)

6. “Commander”- Kelly Rowland w/David Guetta (this is Guetta’s third appearance on the list on the best dance track of 2010 and it’s also a worldwide smash)

5. “Airplanes”- B.o.B. w/Hayley Williams (B.o.B got a little help from Paramore’s Hayley Williams for this megahit)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kn6-c223DUU

4. “Don’t You Wanna Stay”- Jason Aldean & Kelly Clarkson (this gorgeous ballad is only just starting to fly up the charts and could top this list next year. Aldean wisely asked Clarkson to duet with him to an amazing result and a brilliant vocal from Clarkson)

3. “Love the Way You Lie”- Eminem w/Rihanna (this multiple Grammy nominated # 1 hit was inescapable this summer and fall and is the front-runner to win in several categories at the upcoming ceremony)

2. “California Gurls”- Katy Perry w/Snoop Dogg (here’s another Grammy nominated # 1 smash which was also the song of the summer and cemented Perry as a giant pop star)

1. “Telephone”- Lady Gaga & Beyonce (What happens when you get two of the biggest ladies in the biz together? “Telephone” happens, that’s what. It was a giant hit. It’s a Grammy nominee and have you seen that video? It’s all just too delicious to deny.)

Eminem leads the Grammy noms but Bruno Mars, Cee Lo and the Lady’s Antbellum and Gaga are hot on his heels

Eminem completed his career Recovery with his recent # 1 album of the same name and now he has grabbed a leading 10 Grammy Award  nominations including Album and Record and Song of the Year for “Love the Way You Lie” with Rihanna. He may just be the first rap artist to actually win Record of the Year come February 13, 2011 when the awards are handed out. He does have some stiff competition in a very competitive year from big names like Jay Z, Lady Gaga and Katy Perry, but also from some strong upstarts like Bruno Mars, B.o.B and the surprise big contender Cee Lo Green. In fact, Cee Lo and his expletive laden track “F##k You” netted 7 nominations, as did Mars. Up next with 6 apiece were Lady Gaga and country superstars Lady Antebellum. Also grabbing multiple noms were Perry (a shocker in the Album of the Year category), Usher, Miranda Lambert, Arcade Fire, Rihanna, Drake, John Mayer, and last year’s Best New Artist winners The Zac Brown Band. Take a look at the full list on the Grammy website here. Below I have the big contenders in the pop, country, dance, rap, rock, R&B and a few other choice fields.

First here’s a few comments on the contenders…

Big snubs this year include Ke$ha (not much of a surprise, but she’s had a big year), The Script, Alicia Keyes (for her solo work aside from the Jay Z single), Sheryl Crow and Taylor Swift (last year’s big winner got the goose egg despite being eligible for her singles “Mine” and “Today was a Fairytale”)

Happy Inclusions: A big congrats to Idols Fantasia who nabbed 2 nominations, Carrie Underwood in Country Female and Adam Lambert in the Pop Male category and the Glee cast in Pop Vocal Duo or Group. Plus it’s a Female Comedy showdown between the hilarious Kathy Griffin and Margaret Cho for Comedy Album. Congrats to Robyn for grabbing a nod in the Dance field.  

The Bad nominees:
~Justin Bieber for New Artist and Pop Album… um vomit!
~Beyonce is nomm’d for Pop Female for “Halo” again. Yeah, it’s a new live version, but she won this category for that song last year. And she got in over Pink, Sarah McLachlan, Sheryl Crow and Christina Aguilera? Not right!
~Where’s Carrie Underwood in Country Album?
~ Where are Pink and Madonna in Long Form Music Video?
~ Why is B.o.B’s “Nothin’ on You” in Record of the Year instead of the superior “Airplanes”?
~ No “Bad Romance” in Record of the Year??? (well, Gaga did get 6 other noms, so I shouldn’t complain)
~ No Kylie Minogue in the Dance categories~ a travesty!
~ No Melissa Etheridge in the Rock categories~ another travesty
~ Susan Boyle in Pop Album? Oh please! (and she got in over Sheryl, Sarah, Adam, Maroon 5 and more~ ridiculous) 

Ok, I could go on and on, but I’ll let the nominee list do the talking for you… Check them out below!

The 53rd Annual Grammy Award Nominations List

GENERAL FIELD

Album Of The Year

The Suburbs — Arcade Fire
Recovery — Eminem
Need You Now — Lady Antebellum
The Fame Monster — Lady Gaga
Teenage Dream — Katy Perry

Record Of The Year

“Nothin’ On You” — B.o.B Featuring Bruno Mars
“Love The Way You Lie” — Eminem Featuring Rihanna
“…. You” — Cee Lo Green
“Empire State Of Mind” — Jay-Z & Alicia Keys
“Need You Now” — Lady Antebellum

Best New Artist

Justin Bieber
Drake
Florence & The Machine
Mumford & Sons
Esperanza Spalding

Song Of The Year

“Beg Steal Or Borrow” — Ray LaMontagne, songwriter (Ray LaMontagne And The Pariah Dogs)
“… You” — Cee Lo Green, Philip Lawrence & Bruno Mars, songwriters (Cee Lo Green)
“The House That Built Me” –Tom Douglas & Allen Shamblin, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)
“Love The Way You Lie” — Alexander Grant, Skylar Grey & Marshall Mathers, songwriters
(Eminem Featuring Rihanna)
“Need You Now” — Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley & Hillary Scott, songwriters (Lady Antebellum)

POP FIELD

Best Female Pop Vocal Performance

“King Of Anything” — Sara Bareilles
“Halo (Live)” — Beyoncé
“Chasing Pirates” — Norah Jones
“Bad Romance” — Lady Gaga
“Teenage Dream” — Katy Perry

Best Male Pop Vocal Performance

“Haven’t Met You Yet” — Michael Bublé
“This Is It” — Michael Jackson
“Whataya Want From Me” — Adam Lambert
“Just The Way You Are” — Bruno Mars
“Half Of My Heart — John Mayer

Best Pop Instrumental Performance

“Flow” — Laurie Anderson
“Nessun Dorma” — Jeff Beck
“No Mystery” — Stanley Clarke
“Orchestral Intro” — Gorillaz
“Sleepwalk” — The Brian Setzer Orchestra

Best Pop Instrumental Album

“Pushing The Envelope” — Gerald Albright
“Take Your Pick” — Larry Carlton & Tak Matsumoto
“Heart And Soul” — Kenny G
“Singularity” — Robby Krieger
“Everything Is Everything: The Music Of Donny Hathaway” — Kirk Whalum

Best Pop Vocal Album

“My World 2.0″ — Justin Bieber
“I Dreamed A Dream” — Susan Boyle
“The Fame Monster” — Lady Gaga
“Battle Studies” — John Mayer
“Teenage Dream” — Katy Perry

Best Pop Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals

“Don’t Stop Believin’ (Regionals Version)” — “Glee” Cast
“Misery” — Maroon 5
“The Only Exception” — Paramore
“Babyfather” — Sade
“Hey, Soul Sister (Live)” — Train

Best Pop Collaboration With Vocals

“Airplanes II” — B.o.B, Eminem & Hayley Williams
“Imagine” — Herbie Hancock, Pink, India.Arie, Seal, Konono No. 1, Jeff Beck & Oumou Sangare
“If It Wasn’t For Bad” — Elton John & Leon Russell
“Telephone” — Lady Gaga & Beyoncé
“California Gurls” — Katy Perry & Snoop Dogg

TRADITIONAL POP FIELD

Best Traditional Pop Vocal Album

“Crazy Love” — Michael Bublé
“The Greatest Love Songs Of All Time” — Barry Manilow
“Let It Be Me: Mathis In Nashville” — Johnny Mathis
“Fly Me To The Moon…The Great American Songbook: Volume V” — Rod Stewart
“Love Is The Answer” — Barbra Streisand

DANCE FIELD

Best Dance Recording

“Rocket” — Goldfrapp
“In For The Kill” — La Roux
“Dance In The Dark” — Lady Gaga
“Only Girl (In The World)” — Rihanna
“Dancing On My Own” — Robyn

Best Electronic/Dance Album

“These Hopeful Machines” — BT
“Further” — The Chemical Brothers
“Head First” — Goldfrapp
“Black Light” — Groove Armada
“La Roux” — La Roux

ROCK FIELD

Best Rock Song

“Angry World” — Neil Young, songwriter (Neil Young)
“Little Lion Man” — Ted Dwane, Ben Lovett, Marcus Mumford & Country Winston, songwriters (Mumford & Sons)
“Radioactive” — Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill & Nathan Followill, songwriters (Kings Of Leon)
“Resistance” — Matthew Bellamy, songwriter (Muse)
“Tighten Up” — Dan Auerbach & Patrick Carney, songwriters (The Black Keys)

Best Rock Album

Emotion & Commotion — Jeff Beck
“The Resistance” — Muse
“Backspacer” — Pearl Jam
“Mojo” — Tom Petty And The Heartbreakers
“Le Noise” — Neil Young

Best Solo Rock Vocal Performance

“Run Back To Your Side” — Eric Clapton
“Crossroads” — John Mayer
“Helter Skelter” — Paul McCartney
“Silver Rider” — Robert Plant
“Angry World” — Neil Young

Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals

“Ready To Start” — Arcade Fire
“I Put A Spell On You” — Jeff Beck & Joss Stone
“Tighten Up” — The Black Keys
“Radioactive” — Kings Of Leon
“Resistance” — Muse

Best Hard Rock Performance

“A Looking In View” — Alice In Chains
“Let Me Hear You Scream” — Ozzy Osbourne
“Black Rain” — Soundgarden
“Between The Lines” — Stone Temple Pilots
“New Fang” — Them Crooked Vultures

Best Rock Song

“Angry World” — Neil Young, songwriter (Neil Young)
“Little Lion Man” — Ted Dwane, Ben Lovett, Marcus Mumford & Country Winston, songwriters
(Mumford & Sons)
“Radioactive” — Caleb Followill, Jared Followill, Matthew Followill & Nathan Followill, songwriters
(Kings Of Leon)
“Resistance” — Matthew Bellamy, songwriter (Muse)
“Tighten Up” — Dan Auerbach & Patrick Carney, songwriter (The Black Keys)

Best Metal Performance

“El Dorado” — Iron Maiden
“Let The Guilt Go” — Korn
“In Your Words” — Lamb Of God
“Sudden Death” — Megadeth
“World Painted Blood” — Slayer

Best Rock Instrumental Performance

“Hammerhead” — Jeff Beck
“Black Mud” — The Black Keys
“Do The Murray” — Los Lobos
“Kundalini Bonfire” — Dave Matthews & Tim Reynolds
“The Deathless Horsie” — Dweezil Zappa

ALTERNATIVE FIELD

Best Alternative Music Album

The Suburbs — Arcade Fire
Infinite Arms — Band Of Horses
Brothers — The Black Keys
Broken Bells — Broken Bells
Contra — Vampire Weekend

R&B FIELD

Best R&B Song

“Bittersweet” — Charles Harmon & Claude Kelly, songwriters (Fantasia)
“Finding My Way Back” — Ivan “Orthodox” Barias, Curt Chambers, Carvin ”Ransum” Haggins, Jaheim Hoagland & Miquel Jontel, songwriters (Jaheim)
“Second Chance” — E. Debarge & Mischke, songwriters (El DeBarge)
“Shine” — John Stephens, songwriter (John Legend & The Roots)
“Why Would You Stay” — K. Owens, songwriter (Kem)

Best R&B Album

The Love & War Masterpeace – Raheem DeVaughn
Back To Me — Fantasia
Another Round — Jaheim
Wake Up! — John Legend & The Roots
Still Standing — Monica

Best Female R&B Vocal Performance

“Gone Already” — Faith Evans
“Bittersweet” — Fantasia
“Everything To Me” — Monica
“Tired” — Kelly Price
“Holding You Down (Going In Circles)” — Jazmine Sullivan

Best Male R&B Vocal Performance

“Second Chance” — El DeBarge
“Finding My Way Back” — Jaheim
“Why Would You Stay” — Kem
“We’re Still Friends” — (Kirk Whalum &) Musiq Soulchild
“There Goes My Baby” — Usher

Best Traditional R&B Vocal Performance

“When A Woman Loves” — R. Kelly
“Hang On In There” — John Legend & The Roots
“You’re So Amazing” — Calvin Richardson
“In Between” — Ryan Shaw
“Go [Live]” — Betty Wright

Best Urban/Alternative Performance

“Little One” — Bilal
“… You” — Cee Lo Green
“Orion” — Carolyn Malachi
“Tightrope” — Janelle Monáe & Big Boi
“Still” — Eric Roberson

Best R&B Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals

“Take My Time” — Chris Brown & Tank
“Love” — Chuck Brown, Jill Scott & Marcus Miller
“You’ve Got A Friend” — Ronald Isley & Aretha Franklin
“Shine” — John Legend & The Roots
“Soldier Of Love” — Sade

Best Contemporary R&B Album

Graffiti — Chris Brown
Untitled — R. Kelly
Transition — Ryan Leslie
The ArchAndroid – Janelle Monáe
Raymond V Raymond — Usher

RAP FIELD

Best Rap Solo Performance

“Over” — Drake
“Not Afraid” — Eminem
“How Low” — Ludacris
“I’m Back” — T.I.
“Power” — Kanye West

Best Rap Performance By A Duo Or Group

“Shutterbugg” — Big Boi & Cutty
“Fancy” — Drake, T.I. & Swizz Beatz
“On To The Next One” — Jay-Z & Swizz Beatz
“My Chick Bad” — Ludacris & Nicki Minaj
“Lose My Mind” — Young Jeezy & Plies

Best Rap/Sung Collaboration

“Nothin’ On You” — B.o.B Featuring Bruno Mars
“Deuces” — Chris Brown, Tyga & Kevin McCall
“Love The Way You Lie” — Eminem & Rihanna
“Empire State Of Mind” — Jay-Z & Alicia Keys
“Wake Up! Everybody” — John Legend, The Roots, Melanie Fiona & Common

Best Rap Song

“Empire State Of Mind” — Shawn Carter, Angela Hunte, Burt Keyes, Alicia Keys, Jane’t ”Jnay” Sewell-Ulepic & Alexander Shuckburgh, songwriters (Sylvia Robinson, songwriter) (Jay-Z & Alicia Keys)
“Love The Way You Lie” — Alexander Grant, Skylar Grey & Marshall Mathers, songwriters
(Eminem & Rihanna)
“Not Afraid” — M. Burnett, J. Evans, Marshall Mathers, L. Resto & M. Samuels, songwriters (Eminem)
“Nothin’ On You” — Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine, Bruno Mars & Bobby Simmons Jr., songwriters (B.o.B Featuring Bruno Mars)
“On To The Next One” — Shawn Carter, J. Chaton & K. Dean, songwriters (G. Auge & X. De Rosnay, songwriters) (Jay-Z & Swizz Beatz)

Best Rap Album

The Adventures Of Bobby Ray — B.o.B
Thank Me Later — Drake
Recovery — Eminem
The Blueprint 3 — Jay-Z
How I Got Over — The Roots

COUNTRY FIELD

Best Country Song

“The Breath You Take” — Casey Beathard, Dean Dillon & Jessie Jo Dillon, songwriters (George Strait)
“Free” — Zac Brown, songwriter (Zac Brown Band)
“The House That Built Me” — Tom Douglas & Allen Shamblin, songwriters (Miranda Lambert)
“I’d Love To Be Your Last” — Rivers Rutherford, Annie Tate & Sam Tate, songwriters (Gretchen Wilson)
“If I Die Young” — Kimberly Perry, songwriter (The Band Perry)
“Need You Now” — Dave Haywood, Josh Kear, Charles Kelley & Hillary Scott, songwriters (Lady Antebellum)

Best Country Album

Up On The Ridge — Dierks Bentley
You Get What You Give — Zac Brown Band
The Guitar Song — Jamey Johnson
Need You Now — Lady Antebellum
Revolution — Miranda Lambert

Best Female Country Vocal Performance

“Satisfied” — Jewel
“The House That Built Me” — Miranda Lambert
“Swingin’” — LeAnn Rimes
“Temporary Home” — Carrie Underwood
“I’d Love To Be Your Last” — Gretchen Wilson

Best Male Country Vocal Performance

“Macon” — Jamey Johnson
“Cryin’ For Me (Wayman’s Song)” — Toby Keith
“Turning Home” — David Nail
“‘Til Summer Comes Around” — Keith Urban
“Gettin’ You Home” — Chris Young

Best Country Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocals

“Free” — Zac Brown Band
“Elizabeth” — Dailey & Vincent
“Need You Now” — Lady Antebellum
“Little White Church” — Little Big Town
“Where Rainbows Never Die” — The SteelDrivers

Best Country Instrumental Performance

“Tattoo Of A Smudge” — Cherryholmes
“Magic #9″ — The Infamous Stringdusters
“New Chance Blues” — Punch Brothers
“Willow Creek” — Darrell Scott
“Hummingbyrd” — Marty Stuart

Best Country Collaboration With Vocals

“Bad Angel” — Dierks Bentley, Miranda Lambert & Jamey Johnson
“Pride (In The Name Of Love)” — Dierks Bentley, Del McCoury & The Punch Brothers
“As She’s Walking Away” — Zac Brown Band & Alan Jackson
“Hillbilly Bone” — Blake Shelton & Trace Adkins
“I Run To You” — Marty Stuart & Connie Smith

COMEDY FIELD

Best Comedy Album

Cho Dependent — Margaret Cho
I Told You I Was Freaky — Flight Of The Conchords
Kathy Griffin Does The Bible Belt — Kathy Griffin
Stark Raving Black — Lewis Black
Weapons Of Self Destruction — Robin Williams

MUSICAL SHOW FIELD

Best Musical Show Album

American Idiot (Featuring Green Day) — Billie Joe Armstrong, producer (Green Day, composers; Billie Joe Armstrong, lyricist) (Original Broadway Cast With John Gallagher, Jr., Michael Esper & Others)
Fela! — Robert Sher, producer (Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, composer; Fela Anikulapo-Kuti, lyricist) (Original Broadway Cast With Sahr Ngaujah, Lillias White & Others)
A Little Night Music — Tommy Krasker, producer (Stephen Sondheim, composer; Stephen Sondheim, lyricist) (2009 Broadway Revival Cast With Catherine Zeta-Jones, Angela Lansbury & Others)
Promises, Promises — David Caddick & David Lai, producers (Burt Bacharach, composer; Hal David, lyricist) (New Broadway Cast With Sean Hayes, Kristin Chenoweth & Others)
Sondheim On Sondheim — Philip Chaffin & Tommy Krasker, producers (Stephen Sondheim, composer; Stephen Sondheim, lyricist) (Original Broadway Cast With Barbara Cook , Vanessa Williams, Tom Wopat & Others)

FILM/TV/VISUAL MEDIA FIELD

Best Compilation Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media

“Crazy Heart” — (Various Artists)
“Glee: The Music, Volume 1″ — (Glee Cast)
“Tremé” — (Various Artists)
“True Blood – Volume 2″ — (Various Artists)
“The Twilight Saga: Eclipse” — (Various Artists)

Best Score Soundtrack Album For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media

“Alice In Wonderland” — Danny Elfman, composer
“Avatar” — James Horner, composer
“Inception” — Hans Zimmer, composer
“Sherlock Holmes” — Hans Zimmer, composer
“Toy Story 3″ — Randy Newman, composer

Best Song Written For Motion Picture, Television Or Other Visual Media

“Down In New Orleans” (From “The Princess And The Frog”) — Randy Newman, songwriter (Dr. John)
“I See You” (From “Avatar”) — Simon Franglen, Kuk Harrell & James Horner, songwriters (Leona Lewis)
“Kiss Like Your Kiss” (From “True Blood”) — Lucinda Williams, songwriter (Lucinda Williams & Elvis Costello)
“This City” (From “Tremé”) — Steve Earle, songwriter (Steve Earle)
“The Weary Kind” (From “Crazy Heart”) — Ryan Bingham & T Bone Burnett, songwriters (Ryan Bingham)

Producer Of The Year, Non-Classical

Rob Cavallo – Brand New Eyes (Paramore) (A); Hang Cool Teddy Bear (Meat Loaf) (A); Happy Hour (Uncle Kracker) (A); Music Again (Adam Lambert) (T); Soaked (Adam Lambert) (T); Sure Fire Winners (Adam Lambert) (T); Time For Miracles (Adam Lambert) (T); When It’s Time (Green Day) (T)

Danger Mouse — Broken Bells (Broken Bells) (A); Dark Night Of The Soul (Danger Mouse And Sparklehorse) (A); Tighten Up (The Black Keys) (T)

Dr. Luke — California Gurls (Katy Perry Featuring Snoop Dogg) (T); For Your Entertainment (Adam Lambert) (T); Hungover (Kesha) (T); Kiss N Tell (Kesha) (T); Magic (B.o.B. Featuring Rivers Cuomo) (T); Take It Off (Kesha) (T); Teenage Dream (Katy Perry) (T); Your Love Is My Drug (Kesha) (T)

RedOne — Alejandro (Lady Gaga) (S); Bad Romance (Lady Gaga) (S); The Fame Monster (Lady Gaga) (A); I Like It (Enrique Iglesias Featuring Pitbull) (S); More (Usher) (T); We Are The World 25 For Haiti (Artists For Haiti) (S); Whole Lotta Love (Mary J. Blige) (S)

The Smeezingtons (Bruno Mars, Philip Lawrence, Ari Levine) — Billionaire (Travie McCoy Featuring Bruno Mars) (T); Bow Chicka Wow Wow (Mike Posner) (T); … You (Cee Lo Green) (S); Island Queen (Sean Kingston) (T); Just The Way You Are (Bruno Mars) (S); Nothin’ On You (B.o.B Featuring Bruno Mars) (T)

Best Remixed Recording, Non-Classical

Fantasy (Morgan Page Remix) — Morgan Page, remixer (Nadia Ali)
Funk Nasty (Wolfgang Gartner Remix Edit) — Wolfgang Gartner, remixer (Andy Caldwell Featuring Gram’ma Funk)
Orpheus (Quiet Carnival) (Funk Generation Mix) — Mike Rizzo, remixer (Sergio Mendes)
Revolver (David Guetta’s One Love Club Remix) — David Guetta, remixer (Madonna)
Sweet Disposition (Axwell & Dirty South Remix) — Axel Hedfors & Dragan Roganovic, remixers (The Temper Trap)

MUSIC VIDEOS

Best Short Form Music Video

“Ain’t No Grave / The Johnny Cash Project” — Johnny Cash; Chris Milk, video director; Jennifer Heath, Aaron Koblin & Rick Rubin, video producers
“Love The Way You Lie (Explicit Version)” — Eminem & Rihanna; Joseph Kahn, video director; Maryann Tanedo, video producer
“Stylo” — Gorillaz, Mos Def & Bobby Womack; Pete Candeland & Jamie Hewlett, video directors; Cara Speller, video producer
“… You” — Cee Lo Green; Matt Stawski, video director; Paul Bock, video producer
“Bad Romance” — Lady Gaga; Francis Lawrence, video director; Heather Heller, video producer

Best Long Form Music Video

“No Distance Left To Run” — Blur; Will Lovelace, Dylan Southern & Giorgio Testi, video directors; Thomas Benski, Laura Collins & Lucas Ochoa, video producers
“When You’re Strange” — The Doors; Tom Dicillo, video director; John Beug, Jeff Jampol, Peter Jankowski & Dick Wolf, video producers
“The Greatest Ears In Town: The Arif Mardin Story” — Arif Mardin; Doug Biro & Joe Mardin, video directors; Doug Biro & Joe Mardin, video producers
“Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage” — Rush; Sam Dunn & Scot McFadyen, video directors; Sam Dunn & Scot McFadyen, video producers
“Under Great White Northern Lights” — The White Stripes; Emmett Malloy, video director; Ian Montone & Mike Sarkissian, video producers

My Big Bold Grammy Award Nomination Predictions

It’s that time again…. Grammy Time! … Tonight, CBS is airing a special Grammy Awards Concert live that will feature performances by Katy Perry, Justin Bieber, Miranda Lambert, B.o.B, and Bruno Mars. Also appearing to announce the nominees for this year’s awards will be Train, Selena Gomez, Dave Grohl, and Hayley Williams. All of the above are likely to grab nominations tonight as well, except for Gomez and Grohl. The special is hosted by Grammy winning NCIS LA star L.L. Cool J at 10pm.
On the broadcast, you will likely hear all the big categories nominations announced with a few choice ones thrown in for good mix. And I’ve got my Big Bold Grammy Nominations Predictions for you below focusing on the big 4 races and the Pop field. Take a look, watch the special tonight or head to the Grammy website here to see who made the cut…. I’m expecting Eminem, Lady Antebellum, Jay Z and Lady Gaga to be the frontrunners with the most nominations. However, we should also see multiple nods for Perry, Lambert, Train, Usher, Sade, Carrie Underwood, John Mayer, Rihanna, Alicia Keyes, Carole King & James Taylor, and more….

My Big Bold Grammy Award Nomination Predictions…

Record of the Year
“Love the Way You Lie”- Eminem w/Rihanna
“Empire State of Mind”- Jay Z w/Alicia Keyes
“Need You Now”- Lady Antebellum
“Dog Days are Over”- Florence + the Machine
“Bad Romance”- Lady Gaga
~spoilers:
“Hey Soul Sister”- Train”, “Nothin’ on You”- B.o.B w/Bruno Mars, “Airplanes”- B.o.B w/Hayley Williams, “California Gurls”- Katy Perry w/Snoop Dogg

Album of the Year:
Lady Antebellum- Need You Now
Eminem- Recovery
Jay Z- The Blueprint 3
Miranda Lambert- Revolution
Sade- Soldier of Love
spoilers~ Arcade Fire (The Suburbs), Usher (Raymond v. Raymond), James Taylor & Carole King (Live at the Troubadour)

Song of the Year:
“Hey Soul Sister”- Train
“Just the Way You Are”- Burno Mars
“Need You Now”- Lady Antebellum
“Love the Way You Lie”- Eminem w/Rihanna
“The House that Built Me”- Miranda Lambert
~ spoilers:  ”Bad Romance”- Lady Gaga, “Just the Way You Are”- Bruno Mars,  “Dog Days are Over”- Florence + the Machine

New Artist:
Drake
Justin Bieber
Nicki Minaj
Florence + the Machine
B.o.B
apoilers ~ Bruno Mars, Janelle Monae, Adam Lambert, Neon Trees, Mumford and Sons

Pop Album:

Sade- Soldier of Love
Katy Perry- Teenage Dream
James Taylor & Carole King- Live at the Troubadour
Lady Gaga- The Fame Monster
Sheryl Crow- 100 Miles from Memphis

spoilers~ Maroon 5- Hands All Over, Kaleidoscope Heart- Sara Bareilles, Jack Johnson- To the Sea, Sarah McLachlan- Laws of Illusion

Pop Female:
Sara Bareilles “King of Anything”
Sheryl Crow “Summer Day”
Lady Gaga “Bad Romance”
Katy Perry “Teenage Dream”
Pink “Gillter in the Air”
spoilers ~ Sarah McLachlan ”Loving You is Easy”, Norah Jones “Chasing Pirates”, Christina Aguilera “You Lost Me”

Pop Male:
Michael Buble “Haven’t Met You Yet”
Adam Lambert “Whataya Want from Me”
Bruno Mars “Just the Way You Are”
John Mayer “Half of My Heart”
Jason Mraz “A Beautiful Mess”
~Jack Johnson “You and Your Heart”, Seal “Secret”,  Taio Cruz “Dynamite”

Pop Duo or Group:

Sade “Baby Father”
The Script “Breakeven”
Maroon 5 “Misery”
Train “Hey Soul Sister”
Paramore “The Only Exception”

~ spoilers: Daughtry “Tennessee Line”, Glee Cast “Don’t Stop Believing”, One Republic “Secrets”

Best Pop Collaboration:

“You’ve Got a Friend” – James Taylor & Carol King
“Telephone” – Lady Gaga feat. Beyonce
“California Gurls” – Katy Perry feat. Snoop Dogg
”Imagine”- Herbie Hanc*ck, Pink, India.Arie, Seal, Komono No. 1, Jeff Beck & Omnon Sangare
”Hallelujah”- Justin Timberlake with Matt Morris & Charlie Sexton

~spoilers: “If We Ever Meet Again” – Timbaland feat. Katy Perry, B.o.B, Eminem & Hayley Williams, “Airplanes II”, Santana, India.Arie & Yo-Yo Ma, “When My Guitar Gently Weeps”

Look for Lady Antebellum, Carrie Underwood, Brad Paisley, Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert to rule the Country noms. In Dance, watch for Rihanna, Robyn, Kylie Minogue and Lady Gaga to name a few while Eminem, Drake and Jay Z should front the Rap categories. In R&B, we should see Usher, Alicia Keyes and Fantasia reap bids. In the Rock field, watch for Florence + the Machine, Arcade Fire and John Mayer to battle.  And watch for Madonna and Pink to go head to head in the Longform Music Video category for their recent Live Tour videos… Head to Grammy.com for all your Grammy info…

Susan Boyle, Rihanna, and The Beatles make news on the Charts while an Idol tanks…

The holiday shopping season is upon us and the music biz is finally perking up with 8 new debuts in the top ten of the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart. However, it was a holdover that grabbed #1 as Susan Boyle’s seasonal collection, The Gift, stayed on top and actually increased its sales to 335,000 copies in week two. She held off a shockingly strong performance from another TV bred star, ten-year old Jackie Evancho of America’s Got Talent, whose holiday opera debut landed in the runner-up spot besting Rihanna‘s Loud which actually gave the pop star her biggest first week sales to date. Rihanna also has the new # 1 single in the country this week with “Only Girl in the World” which hits the summit just two weeks after her other song “What’s My Name?’ began its run on top.
Back on the album chart, Josh Groban, Kid Rock, The Glee Christmas album, Rascal Flats, Keith Urban and Nelly all made it into the top ten with the only other stalwart being Taylor Swift who hung on at # 9. Watch for strong sales for most of those releases throughout the holiday season particularly Groban and Boyle… It wasn’t good news for the latest American Idol winner, Lee Dewyze, though whose first album Live It Up tanked landing at # 19 with a paltry 39,000 for the lowest first week sales of any Idol winner or runner-up in the show’s history. Perhaps the more deserving singer he beat Crystal Bowersox will have stronger  sales power with her debut in a few weeks. Stay tuned…

Here’s this week’s top Ten albums:
1. Susan Boyle- The Gift (lw~ 1)
2. Jackie Evancho- O Holy Night (debut)
3. Rihanna- Loud (debut)
4. Josh Groban- Illuminations (debut)
5. Kid Rock- Born Free (debut)
6. Rascal Flatts- Nothing Like This (debut)
7. Keith Urban- Get Closer (debut)
8. Glee- The Christmas Album (debut)
9. Taylor Swift- Speak Now (lw~ 2)
10. Nelly- 5.0 (debut)

Back over on the singles chart, the Glee cast made more big news with “Forget You” featuring Gwyneth Paltrow which debuted at # 1 on the digital singles sales chart. That was the second # 1 in a row on the chart for the show which hit the top last week with “Teenage Dream”. The later single debuted at # 8 on the Hot 100 as well, but “Forget You” just misses the top ten debuting at # 11. The original version original version of that song “F*%k You (Forget You)” by Cee -Lo does grab a spot in the top ten though spurred on by the attention from the hit show to zoom up to # 9.

Here’s this week’s top ten songs:
1. “Only Girl in the World”- Rihanna (lw~ 2)
2. “Raise Your Glass”- Pink (lw~ 4)
3. “Like a G6”- Far East Movement (lw~ 1)
4. “We R Who We R”- Ke$ha (lw~ 6)
5. “Just a Dream”- Nelly (lw~ 5)
6. “Firework”- Katy Perry (lw~ 9)
7. “Just the Way You Are”- Bruno Mars (lw~ 3)
8. “What’s My Name?”- Rihanna w/Drake (lw~ 7)
9. “F#%k You (Forget You)”- Cee-Lo (lw~ 19)
10. “Bottoms Up”- Trey Songz (lw~ 10)

With Rihanna’s latest # 1, she now has a total of 9 chart toppers and that means she has more # 1′s than any other artist this decade. Pretty shocking, huh? Here’s a list of Rihanna’s # 1′s below.

Rihanna’s #1 songs (the most in the 2000′s by any artist):
“S.O.S.”
“Umbrella” with Jay Z
“Take A Bow”
“Disturbia”
“Live Your Life” with T.I.
“Rude Boy”
“Love the Way You Lie” with Eminem
“What’s My Name?” with Drake
“Only Girl in the World”

~and is it me or is it also shocking that “Don’t Stop the Music” didnt’ hit the top of the Hot 100? It peaked at # 3.

The lastl big chart news of the week belongs to The Beatles who finally made all their albums and singles available to iTunes. After just one week out, the supergroup sold over 450,000 albums worldwide and over 2 million singles. Looks like good music will always thrive. For more on all your chart needs, head to Billboard here.

And here’s your # 1 song in the country, Rihanna’s “Only Girl in the World”

Rihanna is Ready to Rule the Charts Again!

Did you know that Rihanna has had seven # 1 singles on the Billboard Hot 100 chart? Did you also know she’s had another eight top 10 hits on that chart? If you just look at the pop charts her numbers get even better and it looks like she’s about to grab another chart topper with her brand new single “Only Girl in the World” which debuted on iTunes yesterday and is already at the summit. With these strong sales for the dance single, watch for the track to fight Katy Perry (“Teenage Dream”) and Bruno Mars (“Just the Way You Are”) for # 1 on next week’s Hot 100. If she hits the peak, she’ll have back to back chart leaders following her current smash with Eminem ”Love the Way You Lie” which lead for 6 weeks. That’s quite an accomplishment for an artist who only debuted in 2005. Take a look at Rihanna’s # 1 songs below and watch for her new album to drop in November. She’s also venturing on an acting career with a part in the new big budget action film Battleship with Liam Neeson and Alexander Saarsgard. Finally, hear her new and incredibly awesome hit “Only Girl in the World” below.

~Rihanna’s # 1 Hits:
“S.O.S.”
“Umbrella” (with Jay Z)
“Take a Bow”
“Disturbia”
“Live Your Life” (with T.I.)
“Rude Boy”
“Love the Way You Lie” (with Eminem)

~Her other top 10′s include: “Pon de Replay”, “If It’s Lovin’ that You Want”, “Unfaithful”, “Don’t Stop the Music”, “Hard”, “Russian Roulette”, “Hate that I Love You” (with NeYo), “Run This Town” (with Jay Z & Kanye West).
~And here are her remaining top 40 hits: “Break It Off”, “Shut Up and Drive”, “Rehab”, and “Rockstar 101″

Rihanna “Only Girl in the World”

New Glee Music!

The Glee season premiere is just one week away and today we got another little tidbit to tide us over. The new Glee version of “Empire State of Mind” (originally performed by Jay Z & Alicia Keyes) just hit the web. Check it out below and watch the premiere Tuesday 9/21 on Fox.

Glee Cast “Empire State of Mind”

The MTV VMA nominations go Gaga for GAGA!

Apparently MTV should be renamed the Haus of Gaga after they handed Lady Gaga  a record-breaking 13 Video Music Award nominations including two for Video of the Year for “Bad Romance” and “Telephone” featuring Beyonce. She also received some bids for her other collaboration with Beyonce “Video Phone”. Grabbing the second most nominations was rapper Eminem with 8. Other multiple nominees include Beyonce, B.O.B with Hayley Williams, Florence + the Machine,Ke$ha, Usher, Jay Z & Alicia Keyes, Katy Perry, 30 Seconds to Mars, Drake and Pink. Watch for several of these artists and certainly Gaga to take to the stage when the show airs on MTV Sept 12 at the Nokia Theatre live in LA. For more info and to vote for your faves, click here.

And here’s the full list of nominees for the 2010 MTV Video Music Awards

BEST COLLABORATION
B.o.B featuring Hayley Williams, “Airplanes”
Beyoncé featuring Lady Gaga, “Video Phone (Extended Remix)”
Lady Gaga featuring Beyoncé, “Telephone”
3OH!3 featuring Ke$ha, “My First Kiss”
Jay-Z & Alicia Keys, “Empire State of Mind”

BEST FEMALE VIDEO
Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”
Ke$ha, “Tik Tok”
Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg, “California Gurls”
Beyoncé featuring Lady Gaga, “Video Phone (Extended Remix)”
Taylor Swift, “Fifteen”

BEST MALE VIDEO
Eminem, “Not Afraid”
Usher featuring Will.i.am, “OMG”
B.o.B featuring Hayley Williams, “Airplanes”
Drake, “Find Your Love”
Jason Derulo, “In My Head”

BEST HIP HOP VIDEO
B.oB featuring Hayley Williams, “Airplanes”
Eminem, “Not Afraid”
Drake, Kanye West, Lil Wayne & Eminem, “Forever”
Jay-Z & Swizz Beats, “On To The Next One”
Kid Cudi featuring MGMT & Ratatat, “Pursuit Of Happiness”

BEST NEW ARTIST
Ke$ha, “Tik Tok”
Jason Derulo, “In My Head”
Justin Bieber featuring Ludacris, “Baby”
Nicki Minaj featuring Sean Garrett, “Massive Attack”
Broken Bells, “The Ghost Inside”

BEST POP VIDEO
Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”
Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dog, “California Gurls”
Ke$ha, “Tik Tok”
Beyoncé featuring Lady Gaga, “Video Phone (Extended Remix)”
B.o.B featuring Bruno Mars, “Nothing on You”

BEST ROCK VIDEO
30 Seconds To Mars, “Kings and Queens”
MUSE, “Uprising”
Paramore, “Ignorance”
Florence + the Machine, “Dog Days Are Over”
MGMT, “Flash Delirium”

BEST DANCE MUSIC VIDEO
Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”
Enrique Iglesias featuring Pitbull, “I Like It”
Cascada, “Evacuate The Dancefloor”
Akon, “Sexy Chick”
Usher featuring Will.I.Am, “OMG”

VIDEO OF THE YEAR
Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”
Florence + The Machine, “Dog Days Are Over”
30 Seconds To Mars, “Kings and Queens”
Lady Gaga featuring Beyoncé, “Telephone”
Eminem, “Not Afraid”

BEST ART DIRECTION
Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”
Florence + The Machine, “Dogs Days Are Over”
Eminem, “Not Afraid”
30 Seconds To Mars, “Kings and Queens”
Beyoncé featuring Lady Gaga, “Video Phone (Extended Remix)”

BEST CHOREOGRAPHY
Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”
Lady Gaga featuring Beyoncé, “Telephone”
Beyoncé featuring Lady Gaga, “Video Phone (Extended Remix)”
Usher featuring Will.i.am, “OMG”
Janelle Monáe featuring Big Boi, “Tightrope”

BEST CINEMATOGRAPHY
Eminem, “Not Afraid”
Jay-Z & Alicia Keys, “Empire State of Mind”
Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”
Mumford & Sons, “Little Lion Man”
Florence + The Machine, “Dog Days Are Over”

BEST DIRECTION
Jay-Z & Alicia Keys, “Empire State of Mind”
Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”
Eminem, “Not Afraid”
Pink, “Funhouse”
30 Seconds To Mars, “Kings and Queens”

BEST EDITING
Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”
Eminem, “Not Afraid”
Rihanna, “Rude Boy”
Pink, “Funhouse”
Miike Snow, “Animal”

BEST SFX (SPECIAL EFFECTS)
Lady Gaga, “Bad Romance”
Eminem, “Not Afraid”
MUSE, “Uprising”
Green Day, “1st Century Breakdown”
Dan Black, “Symphonies”

BREAKTHROUGH VIDEO
Dan Black, “Symphonies”
Gorillaz featuring Bobby Womack & Mos Def, “Stylo”
Coldplay, “Strawberry Swing”
The Black Keys, “Tighten Up”

Wasted Guy at Coachella. It’s HIGH-larious!

This past weekend was the annual Coachella Music Festival celebrating all kinds of great music and great artists, not to mention harboring a ton of wasted people. While some enjoyed watching Jay Z or The Gossip, others enjoyed all variety of mood enhancers. Here’s a “High”larious video of one guy who is just havin’ a rough time gettin his flip flops back on… Admit, you might know him, or maybe you’ve been him!
Enjoy.