Must Read: The "Grammy" Process [Billboard]

The Grammy vote begins with its 21,000-strong membership (industry personnel, singers, musicians, producers, engineers, conductors, songwriters, arrangers, art directors, music video artists and technicians) of whom only 12,000 are eligible to cast ballots because they meet the criteria of six total credits on a physical music release or 12 on digital. The voting process then takes three steps:

Robin Thicke wins first US Billboard number one single

Robin Thicke has claimed his first number one on the Billboard Hot 100 with 'Blurred Lines'.  The song, which features Pharrell Williams and TI, leaps from six to number one for its eighth week on the tally. The feat marks Thicke's first number one single in his ...

Daft Punk album 'Random Access Memories' tops US Billboard Album chart

Daft Punk have topped the US album chart with their new album Random Access Memories. The duo topped the Billboard 200 tally with sales of ...

Daft Punk's 'Get Lucky' breaks US singles top ten

Daft Punk's 'Get Lucky' has broken the top ten on the Billboard Hot 100. The track climbs from 15 to ten on the tally, earning them their first ever top ten hit in America.  Meanwhile, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis remain at ...

Daft Punk on EDM Producers: 'They’re Missing the Tools' [BILLBOARD]

CODE’s Kerri Mason had the rare chance to speak with Daft Punk’s Thomas Bangalter last week for an extended feature in this week’s issue of Billboard. The conversation was so rich that ...

Michael Buble Tops Billboard 200, Fantasia Arrives at No. 2 [Billboard]

pop singer Michael Buble earns his fourth No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart this week with the arrival of "To Be Loved." The set sold  ...

Fantasia, Phoenix Heading for Top Five on Billboard 200 Chart [Billboard]

Fantasia is heading for her third top 10 album, as "Side Effects Of You" is on course for a No. 2 bow next week on the Billboard 200 chart. Industry sources suggest the album -- her fourth -- could sell around  ...

Rihanna Rewrites Record For Most Pop Songs No. 1s

Rihanna becomes the first artist in the 20-year history of Billboard's Nielsen BDS-based Pop Songs radio airplay chart to tally 10 No. 1s, as "Stay," featuring Mikky Ekko, rises 2-1. Rihanna breaks a tie with Katy Perry, who's notched nine No. 1s since her 2008 arrival; also impressively, Rihanna has rung up her No. 1 sum since just 2006, when "SOS," her first leader, reached the summit. She'd last led with "We Found Love," featuring Calvin Harris, for eight weeks, marking her ...

'American Idol' Recap: Big Voices and Forgotten Words on Detroit-Honoring Night (BILLBOARD)

The good news with "American Idol" this week? Apparently 'Motown Week' means less ballads on the singing competition, which after the last few weeks is a welcome respite indeed (let's thank Smokey Robinson, the mentor this evening). The bad? It's down to the top eight and still needs to fill two hours, so it's time for group performances! While that may not sound like a poor proposition, remember that this is the ...

Lil Wayne Set for Top Debut Next Week on Billboard 200 Chart

Lil Wayne should earn the highest debut on next week's Billboard 200 chart, as the rapper's new album, "I Am Not a Human Being II," is on course to arrive at No. 2. Industry sources suggest the set could sell around 190,000 to 210,000 copies by the end of the tracking week on Sunday, March 31.

That likely won't be enough to knock the current king of the chart -- Justin Timberlake -- out of the No. 1 slot with his "The 20/20 Experience." It launched at No. 1 this week with ...

Justin Timberlake's '20/20 Experience' Sells ...

It's official: Justin Timberlake's new album "The 20/20 Experience" debuts at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart, selling ....

Justin Timberlake's '20/20' Heading to 950,000-Plus Debut

If another day has gone by, that must mean the sales forecast for Justin Timberlake's blockbuster "The 20/20 Experience" album have grown by at least another 50,000-100,000. Yesterday, industry sources forecast that the pop star's new "The 20/20 Experience" could sell between 950,000 and 975,000 by the close of the tracking week. (Nielsen SoundScan's sales week runs Monday-Sunday each week.). The top 10 of the new Billboard 200 chart, where "20/20" will no doubt be No. 1, will be revealed on Wednesday, March 27.

It's possible that "20/20" could reach a million, but sources are ...

Justin Timberlake's '20/20' Pushes Towards 900,000 for Debut Week [BILLBOARD]

This is getting ridiculously awesome!!! Industry sources now forecast that Justin Timberlake's "The 20/20 Experience" could sell between 850,000 and 900,000 by the end of the tracking week on Sunday, March 24. To bring you up to speed: On May 11 -- before the RCA Records album came out on March 19 -- Billboard first reported that the album was headed for ....

Justin Timberlake Confirms Second '20/20 Experience' Album Coming

The singer revealed the news Monday night at the El Rey Theatre in Los Angeles. The singer confirmed that the second half of "The 20/20 Experience" is coming during his album release party at Los Angeles' El Rey Theatre on Monday night. Timberlake did not go so far as to confirm a release date. The Roots drummer and "Late Night With Jimmy Fallon" bandleader Questlove revealed on his news website, Okayplayer, earlier that day that Timberlake was releasing another ...

Bruno Mars Scores First No. 1 Album on Billboard 200 Chart

Bruno Mars claims his first No. 1 album on the Billboard 200 chart, as "Unorthodox Jukebox" jumps one slot to the top of the tally. The set, largely fueled by sale pricing by Amazon MP3, sold 95,000 copies in the week ending March 3 -- for a gain of 96% compared to the previous week (according to Nielsen SoundScan). On Tuesday, Feb. 26, the digital retailer offered a bevy of albums for just $1.99, including Mars' latest and Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' "The Heist." Discounted sales of "Unorthodox Jukebox" and "The Heist" -- and all of last week's other Amazon MP3 $1.99-priced titles -- count toward their weekly total because the albums have been out for more than four weeks. Billboard doesn't count sales of albums priced below $3.49 in their first four weeks of release. After their one-day $1.99 offering, the price of both "Unorthodox Jukebox" and "The Heist" went up to $3.99 for the rest of the week. (Both are still being sold for $3.99 as of March 5.)

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' 'Thrift Shop' No. 1 On Hot 100 for Fourth Week

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis tally a fourth week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with "Thrift Shop," featuring Wanz. And, even though the chart's top six titles remain at their same ranks as last week, action abounds in the top 10, with Maroon 5 and Bruno Mars reaching the region, while Taylor Swift takes over atop the Radio Songs ranking. "Thrift" maintains its Hot 100 command while logging a pair of ...

Chart News: Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Lead Hot 100 for Third Straight Week

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis log a third week at No. 1 on the Billboard Hot 100 with their debut entry "Thrift Shop," featuring Wanz. P!nk and Calvin Harris, along with guest Florence Welch, meanwhile, ascend to the chart's top 10. "Thrift" continues its Hot 100 command by tacking on Airplay Gainer honors for a second consecutive week. The track lifts 8-7 on ...

Bieber Set to Break Record with New Acoustic Record

If Justin Bieber's "Believe Acoustic" reaches No. 1 on the Billboard 200, it will mark two historic achievements for the singer/songwriter. First, he'll be the only artist in history to have five No. 1 albums before turning 19. Presently, both he and Miley Cyrus are tied with four chart-toppers at such a young age. Cyrus, now 20, logged her so-far quartet of No. 1s between ...

A$AP Rocky Bags a No. 1 on Billboard 200 Albums Chart

As forecasted a week ago, rapper A$AP Rocky bows at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 albums chart with his debut album "Long.Live.A$AP," selling 139,000 copies according to Nielsen SoundScan. "Long.Live.A$AP" is the first debut album to hit No. 1 since fellow rapper 2 Chainz's "Based On a T.R.U. Story" opened atop the Sept. 1, 2012 list. (Though, 2 Chainz had released two earlier charting sets as part of the hip-hop duo Playaz Circle.) 

A$AP Rocky's set is currently enjoying a top five hit single on the R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart with "F**kin' Problems" (featuring Drake, 2 Chainz and Kendrick Lamar). So far, the song has sold 854,000 downloads. 

A$AP Rocky's first taste of a ...

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis Score First No1 with "Thrift Shop"

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis continue their out-of-the-box success story, as "Thrift Shop," featuring Wanz, tops the Billboard Hot 100 with a 2-1 rise in its 16th week. Justin Timberlake, meanwhile, vaults 84-4 following the first full week of airplay and sales for his comeback track "Suit & Tie."

 After the pair's independently-released album "The Heist" blasted onto the Billboard 200 at No. 2 the week of Oct. 27, "Thrift" thrives with ...