Showing posts with label people. Show all posts
Showing posts with label people. Show all posts

Tuesday, January 4, 2011

25 Hottest Hollywood Singles

For the most part, celebrities have their pick of whom they want to date. After all, being rich and famous tends to make you irresistible to the opposite sex. Yet despite their otherworldly hotness, impeccable style and killer bods, some celebs are still flying solo in the love department. So which celebs are currently on the market? Click through for a rundown of the 25 hottest singles.


Sandra Bullock
Age: 46
Relationship Status: Divorced

Saturday, January 1, 2011

Top 12 TV's Biggest Turkeys

In an industry propped up by hits, the programming landscape is typically dominated by misses. Roughly 80% of all new shows fail; about a third of this year's freshman crop won't even make it past January. Figures like these have driven many to question network television's costly model, but none to actually alter it. And so it goes, another season of turkeys, as we've affectionately dubbed the shows that have already gotten the ax or are dangerously close to it.

Fox's Lone Star

Status: Done
The heavily marketed show about a big oil conman leading dual lives had the benefit of critical acclaim. Everything from the soapy series' out-of-the-box premise to its breakout leading man, James Wolk, garnered praise from early reviewers. But it wasn't enough to lure viewers. Some blame the show's unforgivable plot lines about cons and adultery; others blame its hard-to-define premise and hardly explanatory title. Whatever the reason, only 4 million or so tuned in, making it the fall season's first casualty.

ABC's My Generation

Status: Done
A documentary-style drama about nine people told in two time periods, the year 2000 and today. As show-runner Noah Hawley described it in his post-cancellation love letter to the show's loyal fan base: "No doctors, no lawyers, no murders to solve. Real life is dramatic enough. That was my feeling. … It was our great experiment, and then it was over." The end came when only 4 million or so tuned in, despite a plum Thursday night slot and a costly--albeit confusing--marketing campaign. Though the series was canceled after just two episodes, Hawley has completed eight episodes for release online.

NBC's Outlaw

Status: Done
Fans may chalk up Outlaw's early demise to the show's Conan O'Brien association. After all, it was the displaced NBC host's company that produced the Jimmy Smits legal series for the network. The reality: The series struggled on multiple fronts. Critics bemoaned its improbable plot lines and poor writing, and viewers lacked interest. The drama averaged some 4 million viewers in its original Friday night slot, and its cancellation was announced after just four episodes. (The four remaining episodes aired in a Saturday night timeslot.)

ABC's Whole Truth

Status: Done
Despite heavyweight Jerry Bruckheimer's involvement, a leading lady in ER darling Maura Tierney and a cushy Wednesday evening timeslot, the legal drama failure to pique the curiosity of viewers. Thus far this season, the Tierney star vehicle has averaged only 4.3 million viewers, reports Nielsen. Co-executive producer Kristie Anne Reed confirmed the show's cancellation in late October: "ABC gave us the word," she tweeted. "We will only make 13 episodes of The Whole Truth."

NBC's Undercovers

Status: Done
For those who think networks are incapable of--or at least uninterested in--canceling a J.J. Abrams show, think again. The latest high-concept drama from the famed producer-director featured a pair of retired, married spies who were lured back to the world of international intrigue. But viewers lacked the latter. According to Nielsen, the show averaged only 6 million or so viewers and will end its run after 13 episodes.

Fox's Running Wilde

Status: Over
Despite heavy hype and an all-star pairing of Mitch Hurwitz and Will Arnett, the duo that brought viewers cult hit Arrested Development has once again failed to snag an adequately sized audience. The difference this time around is a lack of widespread critical support for the ratings-starved comedy, which has averaged about 3.5 million viewers this season. Hardly a vote of confidence: Fox benched the series for the remainder of November sweeps. (Fox pulled Arrested during the similarly important February sweeps six years earlier, and it petered out in the months that followed.) Though no network likes to throw around the term "canceled," Fox has opted against ordering more episodes.

NBC's Chase

Status: Limping Along
Though the Jerry Bruckheimer series received a full 22-episode order, it has fallen short of CSI status. While not outright nasty, early reviews were far from winning--critics called the formulaic show "mindless" and "unimaginative." Still worse, only some 5 million viewers have regularly tuned in for episodes of the action series the network had hoped to make a tent-pole.

NBC's The Event

Status: Shedding Viewers
At this rate, viewers may not get to find out what "the event" is, much less care. In spite of its heavy hype from marketers and critics alike, the network's high-concept, serialized drama billed by some as Lost meets 24 came out of the gate strong, only to fizzle in the weeks that followed. Recent episodes have averaged fewer than 6 million viewers, down from 11 million-plus on premiere night, reports Nielsen. Earlier this month, the network announced plans to yank the series for three months beginning in December.

CBS's Medium

Status: Over
After seven seasons, two network homes, several awards, even more cancellation threats and a $58 million write down, the show's star Patricia Arquette announced the CBS drama would end its run. It will feel like déjà vu for long-time viewers, since former chief Ben Silverman once canceled it on NBC, where it had run until 2005. Given the strength of CBS' schedule, the 6 or 7 million viewers who regularly watch Medium aren't as appealing--and for that matter, necessary-- as they'd likely be at a lesser-watched rival.

CW's Life Unexpected

Status: Over
Despite early critical praise, the CW series failed to generate either the pop cultural attention of Gossip Girl or the ratings success of The Vampire Diaries. Instead, the Portland-based drama about a foster child who has reconnected with her birth parents has averaged about 1.5 million viewers an episode in its second season. Though an official announcement won't come until May, Lux's season has been cut to just 13 episodes and its future is far from bright.

NBC's Apprentice

Status: Limping Along
The network's decision to bring back the civilian version of Apprentice has proved a questionable one. The Donald Trump star vehicle, which once made a catch phrase out of "You're Fired," is lacking in buzz and viewership. In recent weeks, the show's audience hovered around 4 million. The 10 p.m. hour it currently occupies on Thursday evenings will be filled by a third hour of comedy come January. The good news for The Donald and his host network: The more popular celebrity iteration will return this spring.

NBC's Parenthood

Status: Limping along
Despite an all-star cast in front of the camera (Peter Krause, Lauren Graham, Dax Shepard) and behind (Friday Night Lights' Jason Katims), the series based on the late 1980s flick of the same name has struggled to find an audience. Its lackluster ratings followed a particularly rocky start care of a cancer-stricken cast member and an unrelated death on set. NBC will attempt to give the series another push with a new timeslot early next year.

Top 15 Biggest Pop Culture Turkeys

When most people think turkey, they think of the North American gallinaceous bird we chow down on for Thanksgiving. But here at Wonderwall, turkey reminds us of people like Christina Aguilera and Ben Affleck. Why? 'Cause their major career flops are unforgettable. So in celebration of the upcoming holiday, we're counting down the biggest pop culture turkeys. Gobble gobble!

15. Christina Aguilera, "Bionic"
After 2006's Grammy-winning "Back to Basics," expectations were high for Christina's sixth studio album. And it's not like "Bionic" was bad, per se. But between
her postponing her tour for unknown reasons and allegations from Lady Gaga fans that Christina was copying Gaga's style, the album was doomed. Worldwide, it only sold 600,000 copies; compare that with the 4.5 million copies "Back to Basics" has sold.
14. Lindsay Price
We're sure she's a really nice lady, but Lindsay Price is TV Teflon. Sure, the pilots she's on get picked up, but how long do the series last? Take her latest show, "Eastwick," for example: Not only was it never picked up for a full season, but all 13 episodes of the 2009 NBC
show never even made it to air. Want more proof of Lindsay's TV turkeydom? "Lipstick Jungle," "Pepper Dennis," "Coupling."
13. Madonna as an actress
From "Shanghai Surprise" to "The Next Best Thing" to "Swept Away," there's no lack of examples of Madonna's suckiness as an actress. Yes, she's one of the great performers of all time, but give her lines and blocking instead of lyrics and choreography and she's a total train
wreck. Thankfully, she got the point after "Swept Away" (could it have been winning yet another Worst Actress Razzie that really drove the message home?). Now we get to look forward to her direction on "W.E." (yay?).
12. "Cutthroat Island"
A box office bomb’s costs exceeds its revenue. By that definition, "Cutthroat Island" wasn't just a bomb; it was a nuclear warhead. Listed in the Guinness Book of World Records as the largest box office loss of all time, the 1995 Geena Davis and Matthew Modine pirate thriller
cost $100 million to make and promote, but made just $11 million total at the box office. Not only that, but it pushed Carloco Pictures into bankruptcy.
11. JC Chasez's solo career
It's hard to live in Justin Timberlake's shadow. But after seeing his solo career explode, JC thought he could do the same. (He was the second-most-popular member of *NSYNC, after all.) But it just didn't work out that way. First of all, calling your album "Schizophrenic" and
wearing a straight jacket on the cover is bound to bring some anger from mental health groups. Also, let's not forget JC is just not JT. Besides, anyone with this facial hair is a turkey by definition.
10. "Coupling"
"Coupling" was about a group of six good-looking thirtysomethings who are either dating, have dated or want to date one another. The UK version was a smash hit, so in 2003 they tried to adapt it for a U.S. audience. It failed miserably (only four episodes aired), but we won't
blame this one all on Lindsay Price, who (surprise!) played Jane Honda.
9. Garth Brooks as Chris Gaines
In 1999 Garth Brooks had begun to develop a movie with Paramount called "The Lamb," in which he'd star as Chris Gaines, an emotionally conflicted rock star. To create buzz for the project, "Chris" recorded "Garth Brooks in … The Life of Chris Gaines," filmed a "Behind
the Music" for Chris and performed on "SNL" when Garth hosted. It all left the public confused, and as a result the album was a bust and the movie went on an indefinite hiatus. No wonder Rolling Stone called the whole project "the most monumentally disastrous marketing idea that mainstream pop had seen in years."
8. "Glitter"
If you've seen "Precious," you know Mariah Carey can act. But back in 2001 when "Glitter" came out, critics were singing a different tune. Reviews for the movie couldn't have been worse, and "Glitter" bombed at the box office. (It grossed just over $5 million worldwide, less
than a quarter of its $22 million budget.) Even the film's soundtrack was a dismal failure: It was Mariah's worst showing on the Billboard charts, and Mariah was dropped from her label as a result.
7. The Spice Girls, "Forever"
By 2000 Geri had peaced out of the Spice Girls, but Victoria, Mel B, Emma and Mel C had enough girl power left in them -- or so they thought. Unfortunately, their edgier R&B sound on "Forever" didn't resonate with audiences, and in early 2001, they officially announced
that they were breaking up. (Forever? Try for never -- or until 2007, when they did their reunion tour.)
6. Lindsay Lohan at Ungaro
Say what you want about Lindsay Lohan's personal life, but the girl has style. So in September 2009, when it was announced that Emanuel Ungaro hired her as its artistic adviser, it actually seemed like a good pairing. But when the collection, designed by Estrella Archs, was
presented that October in Paris, it was met with about as much praise as "I Know Who Killed Me." Women's Wear Daily called the collection "an embarrassment." What? They don't like heart-shaped sequined pasties? By March, Lindsay and Ungaro had parted ways.
5. Prince changing his name to the Love Symbol
Prince was actually born Prince Rogers Nelson, so he actually lucked out in the celebrity name game. So why he would want to change his name to an unpronounceable symbol is absolutely insane. But that's what he did in 1993. Since you can't pronounce the
symbol, people would just call him "The Artist Formerly Known as Prince." On May 16, 2000, after his contract with Warner/Chappell expired, Prince stopped using the Love Symbol moniker, explaining that since he was now freed from undesirable relationships associated with the name Prince, he would use his name again. And all was right with the world.
4. Jessica Simpson's country career
Jessica Simpson's a Texas girl who was raised on country music, so making country music would be a logical step in her career, right? So very, very wrong. While "Do You Know" became Jess's first #1 album of her career, it all went south from there. Less than a year
after the record's release, she and her country label, Sony Nashville, parted ways. Never a good sign.
3. "The Jay Leno Show"
Here are the dismal effects of the 10 p.m. "The Jay Leno Show" and NBC's subsequent flip-flopping: five wasted hours of primetime TV weekly; destroyed ratings for local NBC newscasts; made Jay Leno look like a selfish jerk; made NBC look like bumbling fools; NBC lost Conan
O'Brien. Sure, there's more, but we think that's enough to suffice for turkeydom.
2. "Gigli"
This Jennifer Lopez-Ben Affleck stinker doesn't just make the list because it was so awful that it was yanked from theaters three weeks after release. It's not just on here because it's the only movie ever to win the Razzie gram slam: Worst Picture, Worst Actor, Worst Actress, Worst
Director, Worst Screenplay and Worst Screen Couple. Nope, "Gigli" is mostly on here because it also contributed to the beginning of the end of Jen and Ben's relationship. RIP Bennifer 1.0.
1. Britney Spears's 2007 VMA "comeback"
Where were you when the bomb hit? The bomb that was Britney's 2007 MTV Video Music Awards performance. It was supposed to be her finest hour, her big comeback. Instead, it was an absolute bust. Who could forget that dazed look in her eyes as she basically just stood there,
unable to even lip-sync right while her backup dancers moved around her? But we'd say she made up for it since then, don't cha think?

Thanksgiving Holiday Travel

 Over the hill, through the woods and past the body scanners and the security checkpoints en route to Grandma's house this holiday season. Thanksgiving cooking
It's all about the cooking on thank-the-turkey day. Now, about that gravy …

To be thankful
Take a minute -- OK maybe five -- to consider the blessings that surround you.

Family at the holidays
Before the homemade chow, there's the meet-and-greet with the relatives standing by Grandma's fireplace. Some conversation starters.

Giving to the merchants
After all the holiday leftovers have been subdivided, it's time for some tactical planning. Now, where are the sale fliers with store layouts?

Maintaining your figure
After you went to all that trouble to shed those pounds, the holidays arrive and with them the "Seasonal Seven."

Acts of service
People often find that saying the words of thanksgiving isn't enough, and they feel the need to act on that conviction.

Thanksgiving table
This year, just do it. Get beyond a pop-up turkey centerpiece and questions about your cousin's fifth husband, and there's no need to arm-wrestle over the electric carver.

Thanksgiving entertainment
Thanksgiving is more than just turkey. Some of the trimmings include old flicks, trivia quizzes and, of course, parades. Did someone say "Miracle on 34th Street"

History of Thanksgiving
A survival guide wouldn't be complete without a recap of how all this Thanksgiving stuff got started.

Giving Thanks For Everyday American Heroes

Meet 5 who answered the call, and hear what they learned from their acts of kindness and courage

No. 1: Bus driver to the rescue

Richard Lucas stands in front of a burned-out home in Buffalo, N.Y. Lucas was driving a bus in July when he noticed smoke coming from a two-story house, home to two families. Lucas stopped and pounded on the door to wake the families sleeping inside. The families, shown standing on the porch of their former home, credit him with saving their lives. They are Shannon Reiter, Alysa Huertas, 13, Hanna Huertas, 10, Briana Huertas, 8, Emily Hunter, RosaLynda Baez, 11, MarcoAntonio Baez, 9, and Emiliana Baez, 5.
 Richard Lucas, 45, receives letters from the two families he rescued from the house blaze. "Everytime I drive by the house, I think about what would have happened had I not stopped," Lucas says.
 Fire victims extend their gratitude to Lucas, who reads letters from one of the children he saved from the burning home. Authorities still do not know what caused the blaze

No. 2: Good Samaritan

Victor Perez chased down a suspected kidnapper in his truck, shown here in Fresno, Calif. His actions are credited with freeing an abducted 8-year-old girl.

No. 3: Hero tot

Jaden Bolli is credited with saving the life of his grandmother, Patricia Bolli, who is holding him at her home in Maple Shade, N.J. Bolli had a seizure and Jaden, then 3, helped her by calling 911

No. 4: 'Amazing woman'

After seeing his plea for a kidney donation on Facebook, April Capone Almon donated her organ to Carlos Sanchez. They have formed a close friendship because of it and are seen here catching up near the East Haven Town Hall in East Haven, Conn., where Almon is mayor. "She is an amazing woman," Sanchez says

No. 5: 'Lucky'

Christa Brelsford, 25, was volunteering in a literacy program in Haiti when the January earthquake hit. She was pinned by falling rubble until several Haitians, including Wenson George, 19, helped rescue her. Brelsford, who ended up having her right leg amputated below the knee, is committed to giving back to the Haitian community. "I was lucky," she says. Now, her family is planning to bring George to Anchorage so he can attend high school.

Meet the Youngest Top 10 Album Artist

 Jackie Evancho, a 10-year old vocal prodigy who was the runner-up in September on America's Got Talent, enters The Billboard 200 at #2 with O Holy Night. Evancho is the youngest artist ever to land a top 10 album. Michael Jackson was 11 in 1970 when the Jackson 5 landed their first top 10 album . Zac Hanson was 11 in 1997 when Hanson first scored. Stevie Wonder, LeAnn Rimes and Miley Cyrus were each 13 when they first reached the top 10 (counting Hannah Montana for Cyrus).
Evancho is a "classical crossover" artist in the style of Charlotte Church and Hayley Westenra, who were 13 and 17, respectively, when they first cracked The Billboard 200.
 O Holy Night is a four-song EP which consists of two Christmas standards ("O Holy Night" and "Silent Night") and two classical crossover pieces. Evancho sang one of those pieces, "Pie Jesu," on both America's Got Talent and Oprah. The singer, who lives with her family near Pittsburgh, has also appeared on The Tonight Show with Jay Leno, The Today Show and The View. (When I was 10, I had a paper route.)
Evancho first charted last summer with an (aptly-titled) album, Prelude To A Dream, which debuted and peaked at #121. The independently-released, digital-only album was thereafter pulled from the market on the theory that it didn't reflect the singer's current sound. Evancho's new release is on Columbia Records.
 (Amazingly, Evancho isn't the only 10-year old who is making noise on this week's charts. Willow, the daughter of Will Smith and Jada Pickett Smith, is riding high with her hit "Whip My Hair," which reached #11 on the Hot 100 a few weeks ago. Bruce Springsteen and Jimmy Fallon (as Neil Young) sang a deadpan parody of the song last week on Late Night With Jimmy Fallon.)

O Holy Night debuts just behind Susan Boyle's The Gift, which holds at #1 for the second week. This marks the first time that holiday collections have held down the top two spots on The Billboard 200 since December 1957, when Bing Crosby's Merry Christmas and Elvis Presley's Elvis' Christmas Album were #1 and #2.
 Boyle was the runner-up in 2009 on Britain's Got Talent, so both of this week's top two albums are by artists who rose to fame on reality TV shows. Simon Cowell is credited with discovering both artists.
 But the best news for Rihanna is on the Hot 100. "Only Girl (In The World)" will rise to #1 when that chart is officially released tomorrow. "Only Girl" is Rihanna's fourth #1 hit on the Hot 100 so far this year, following "Rude Boy," Eminem's "Love The Way You Lie" (on which Rihanna is featured) and "What's My Name?" (featuring Drake), which hit the top spot just two weeks ago. Rihanna is the first artist to amass four #1 hits in a calendar year since Usher scored in 2004.
 Only Girl (In The World)" hit #1 in the U.K. last week. It's Rihanna's third song to reach #1 in both the U.S. and the U.K., following "Umbrella" (featuring Jay-Z) and "Take A Bow." Among female artists, only Madonna has had more transatlantic #1 hits (five). Whitney Houston is tied with Rihanna with three.
 Two songs from Glee are listed in the top 10 on Hot Digital Songs for the first time in the show's history. Gwyneth Paltrow's cover of Cee Lo Green's "Forget You" debuts at #1, based on sales of 192K copies. The cast's medley of Gene Kelly's 1952 classic "Singin' In The Rain" and Rihanna/Jay-Z's 2007 smash "Umbrella" debuts at #7, based on sales of 140K copies. This is Glee's first "mash-up" to make the top 10.
 The new album includes such holiday perennials as the Carpenters' "Merry Christmas Darling," Wham!'s "Last Christmas" and Jerry Herman's "We Need A Little Christmas" from Mame.
 Eminem's Recovery this week becomes the first album to sell 3 million copies in 2010. This is the earliest in the year that an album has topped 3 million in year-to-date sales since 2006, when the first High School Musical album hit that plateau in the week ending Sept. 3. Josh Groban's Noel was the only album to top the 3 million mark in 2007. It reached that plateau in the week ending Dec. 23. In 2008, no album reached 3 million. Taylor Swift's Fearless was the first to top the 3 million mark in 2009. It rang the bell in the week ending Dec. 27. This is a little bit of good news for the beleaguered music industry.
Here's the top 10 on Hot Digital Songs. The Glee version of "Forget You" debuts at #1 (192K). Cee Lo Green's original version of "F*** You (Forget You)" vaults from #12 to #2 (191K). Ke$ha's "We R Who We R" dips from #2 to #3 (189K). Katy Perry's "Firework" holds at #4 (175K). P!nk's "Raise Your Glass" holds at #5 (171K). Rihanna featuring Drake's "What's My Name?" holds at #6 (147K). The Glee version of "Singin' In The Rain"/"Umbrella" debuts at #7 (140K). The Black Eyed Peas' "The Time (Dirty Bit)" drops from #3 to #8 (140K). Rihanna's "Only Girl (In The World)" dips from #8 to #9 (131K). Far*East Movement featuring Cataracs & Dev's "Like A G6" drops from #7 to #10 (130K).
 Three of the acts that debut in the top 10 on this week's Billboard 200 have reason to be both pleased and a little concerned. Kid Rock, who debuts at #5, opened at #1 with his last album. Rascal Flatts, which debuts at #6, bowed at #1 with its last four studio albums. Keith Urban, who debuts at #7, started in the top three with his last three studio albums. These lower debuts are largely a function of the logjam in the top 10. With so many superstars releasing albums at the same time, some acts are bound to lose ground in the chart wars.
 Shameless Plug: The Beatles were late to the digital "Revolution," but they're "Here, There and Everywhere" on the digital charts in the week after they finally allowed their music to be sold digitally. Forty seven Beatles songs enter the Hot Digital Songs chart this week, while 17 of the group's albums enter the Top Digital Albums chart. I have all the details in a Chart Watch Extra.
Here's the low-down on this week's top 10 albums.
 1. Susan Boyle, The Gift, 335,000. The album holds at #1 for the second week. It's the first #1 album to post a sales increase in its second week atop the chart since Michael Buble's Crazy Love in October 2009.
 2. Jackie Evancho, O Holy Night, 239,000. This new entry is the first top 10 album for the 10-year old singer. It's also #2 on this week's Christmas Albums chart.
 3. Rihanna, Loud, 207,000. This new entry is Rihanna's fifth studio album in a row to make the top 10; her fourth in a row to make the top five. Five songs from the album are listed in the top 10 on Hot Digital Songs, topped by "What's Your Name?" (featuring Drake), which holds at #6.
 4. Josh Groban, Illuminations, 191,000. This new entry is Groban's sixth top 10 album. Groban's last album, Noel, debuted at #10 in 2007. His last non-holiday studio album, Awake, debuted at #2 in 2006.
 5. Kid Rock, Born Free, 189,000. This new entry is Kid's sixth top 10 album. That's his entire output since his 1999 breakthrough except for a 2006 live album
 6. Rascal Flatts, Nothing Like This, 165,000. This new entry is the country trio's seventh straight top 10 album. It's the band's sixth #1 album on the country chart. "Why Wait" drops from #114 to #177 on Hot Digital Songs.
 7. Keith Urban, Get Closer, 162,000. This new entry is Urban's fourth top 10 album. "Put You In A Song" drops from #95 to #107 on Hot Digital Songs.
 8. Various Artists, Glee: The Music, The Christmas Album, 161,000. This new entry is the seventh Glee album or EP to crack the top 10. It's also the week's top soundtrack. Two songs from the album are listed on Hot Digital Songs. "O Holy Night" debuts at #116. "Baby, It's Cold Outside" bows at #179.
 9. Taylor Swift, Speak Now, 146,000. The former #1 album drops from #2 to #9 in its fourth week. Two songs from the album are listed on Hot Digital Songs. "Mine" drops from #42 to #56. "Back To December" drops from #51 to #74.
 10. Nelly, 5.0, 63,000. This new entry is the rapper's sixth top 10 album. Two songs from the album are listed on Hot Digital Songs. "Just A Dream" drops from #9 to #11. "Liv Tonight" (featuring Keri Hilson) debuts at #46.
 A Day To Remember's What Separates Me From You opens at #11. This is the metal band's first top 20 album...P!nk's Greatest Hits...So Far!! bows at #14.  This is P!nk's fifth album to crack the top 20, though it failed to follow the other four into the top 10. Greatest hits albums simply don't mean what they used to.
 Bruce Springsteen's The Promise bows at #16. The Promise: The Darkness On The Edge Of Town Story debuts at #27. The former album includes 21 previously-unreleased songs that were recorded during the sessions that produced Springsteen's 1978 album Darkness At The Edge Of Town. The latter album is a three-CD, three-DVD box set. (If the sales for the two albums had been combined, Springsteen would have debuted at #10 this week, which would have upped his total of top 10 albums to 17.) Darkness, which reached #5 in July 1978, was Springsteen's follow-up to his 1975 breakthrough album Born To Run. (That album also inspired a successful archival project, Born To Run: 30th Anniversary Edition, which hit #18 in November 2005.)
 Lee DeWyze's Live It Up bows at #19. This is the lowest entry for an album by an American Idol winner. Last year, Kris Allen became the first Idol winner to fall short of the top 10 with his debut. (Kris Allen opened and peaked at #11.)  While DeWyze and Allen haven't set off the sparks of such Idol superstars as Kelly Clarkson and Carrie Underwood, these diminished chart numbers are largely a reflection of the series being past its peak. It's still a hit show, but it's not the force it was. If Clarkson and Underwood had won the competition in the last two years, instead of in Seasons 1 and 4, would they have been able to overcome this Idol fatigue and still chart powerfully? Discuss amongst yourselves.
 Take That's Progress enters the U.K. chart at #1. The album sold nearly 520,000 copies during the week, according to the Official Charts Company. That's the biggest one-week sales tally in the U.K. since Oasis' Be Here Now, which sold 663,000 in its first week in August 1997. Progress is Take That's sixth #1 album in the U.K.
 Harry Potter And The Deathly Hallows, Part One was #1 at the box-office over the weekend. All seven movies in the series have opened at #1. The score by Alexandre Desplat enters The Billboard 200 at #74. It's the week's highest-charting soundtrack to a theatrically-released film. All seven Potter soundtracks have made the top half of The Billboard 200. This is the first Potter movie that Desplat has scored. John Williams did the honors on the first three. Patrick Doyle scored the fourth. Nicholas Hooper handled the last two.
 Coming Attractions: Kanye West's My Beautiful Dark Twisted Fantasy and Nicki Minaj's Pink Friday are expected to enter The Billboard 200 in the top two slots next week. Also due: My Chemical Romance's Danger Days The True Lives Of The Fabulous Killjoys, Ne-Yo's Libra ScaleKe$ha's Cannibal, Lloyd Banks' H.F.M. 2 (Hunger For More 2), the Burlesque soundtrack, Jay-Z's The Hits Collection-Volume One, Alan Jackson's 34 Number One Hits and Nine Inch Nails' Pretty Hate Machine: 2010 Remastered.
Be Thankful: What's the best Thanksgiving song of all time? The list would certainly include William DeVaughn's 1974 hit "Be Thankful For What You Got." The Rolling Stones also expressed the day's sentiments perfectly in their 1969 classic "You Can't Always Get What You Want" (the next line: "But if you try sometimes you just might find/You get what you need)." I also like Andrew Gold's 1978 hit "Thank You For Being A Friend," which gained immortality when it was used as the theme song for The Golden Girls. Happy Thanksgiving, everybody.