Arch MUSIC NEWS for 12/20/12

Arch MUSIC NEWS is compiled by Jay Philpott -

Bruno Mars‘ “Unorthodox Jukebox” had a successful first week – but still wasn’t able to knock Taylor Swift’s “Red” from the number one spot on the Billboard 200. Mars’ sophomore album brought the singer his biggest sales week ever, with 192 thousand copies sold, winding up at number two behind “Red.” ”
Adele, Justin Bieber and Lady Gaga are among music’s brightest stars. “Forbes” magazine puts Adele at the top of its “30 Under 30″ in music end-of-the-year list. Swedish electronic musician Avicii ranks second. Though new mom Adele had a relatively quiet year for the most part, her album “21″ hit a remarkable milestone in 2012 when it topped the iTunes sales list for the second year in a row. She was also recently nominated for a Golden Globe for her James Bond theme “Skyfall.”

Forbes’ 30 Under 30 in Music list:

1. Adele
2. Avicii
3. Justin Bieber
4. Benny Bianco
5. Drake
6. Daniel Ek
7. Lady Gaga
8. Skylar Grey
9. Calvin Harris
10. Matt Jones – Crowdsurge
11. Ke$ha
12. Wiz Khalifa
13. Adam Kluger
14. Kendrick Lamar
15. Mahbod Moghadam, Ilan Zechory, Tom Lehman – Rap Genius
16. Bruno Mars
17. Mac Miller
18. Marcus Mumford
19. Frank Ocean
20. One Direction
21. Katy Perry
22. Delta Rae
23. Rihanna
24. Elias Roman, Peter Asbill, Elliott Breece, Eric Davich – Songza
25. James “J” Sider – BandPage
26. Skrillex
27. Taylor Swift
28. Sam Tarantino and Josh Greenberg – Grooveshark
29. Alex White – Next Big Sound
30. Sara Winter – Dr. Our Marketing, Messina Group/AEG Live

Christina Aguilera will sing for the people at next month’s People’s Choice Awards. The Grammy winner joins previously announced performer Jason Aldean on the musical roster for the January 9th event. Aguilera, who just wrapped up her third season as a coach on NBC’s “The Voice,” will also be presented with the 2013 “People’s Voice” award honoring her outstanding achievements in the music industry. CBS will air the 2013 People’s Choice Awards live from the Nokia Theatre L.A. Live in Los Angeles from 9:00 pm to 11:00 pm Eastern.
Lady Gaga is under fire from PETA yet again. The animal activist group has released a statement to GossipCop.com, accusing the singer was purchasing over 200 thousand dollars in fur from a luxury store in Moscow last week. PETA blasted Gaga for splurging on the fur coats, especially in the wake of the Newtown shooting tragedy that has put a cloud over the holidays for most Americans. In the statement the group says, “while the country focuses on rejecting violence … Gaga is busy decking herself out in a coat made of at least 30 slaughtered animals’ skins.” The timing of the alleged fur purchase is questionable, as Gaga was in Moscow on December 12th – two days before the shooting – performing there as a part of her “Born This Way Ball” tour.

There won’t be any more episodes of “Ted Nugent‘s Gun Country” on the Discovery Channel. An unnamed spokesperson says that his fall special didn’t do well in the ratings. According to the Nielsen numbers, the show only drew an audience of 864-thousand when it debuted on October 10th. The rep also says that while Nugent had been claiming that “Gun Country” was going to turn into a series, Discovery never had any intention of doing so. The source adds that following the Connecticut elementary school shooting last Friday, the network does not intend to feature the gun advocate rocker in any future programming. But Nugent isn’t the only one getting the ax from Discovery. The network has also dropped the pro-firearms series “American Guns” from its lineup.

Queen’s Brian May might have a new outlet for his astrophysics work. The UK’s “Telegraph” says British astronomers are calling on the BBC to tap the guitarist to take over on the long-running series “Sky At Night” following the death of host Sir Patrick Moore. Royal Astronomical Society President David Southwood says May, like Moore, has “a terrific gift for communication.” He explains that while most astronomers specialize, Moore “cared about the moon as much as black holes as much as life on Mars” and “didn’t discriminate.” He feels May demonstrates that same type of passion for all aspects of the subject. Southwood adds that the BBC needs to find “a pretty strong personality to replace someone who had such a strong identity, like Patrick,” so a known celebrity with “a complete and utter enthusiasm for the universe” would be the ideal choice.

Fans who prefer their music in a tangible form will soon be able to get the Hurricane Sandy benefit album. A physical, two-disc version of the “12-12-12 The Concert for Sandy Relief” album is slated to hit stores on January 22nd. The set is available now digitally via iTunes. The 24-song compilation features performances from last week’s all-star “12-12-12″ charity event. Tracks include Bruce Springsteen and The E Street Band’s performances of “Land of Hope and Dreams” and “Wrecking Ball;” The Rolling Stones’ “You Got Me Rocking” and “Jumpin Jack Flash;” The Who’s “Who Are You,” Baba O’Riley,” and “Love Reign O’er Me;” and Paul McCartney’s “Helter Skelter.” Two songs each from Eric Clapton and Bon Jovi are also included, along with three songs each from Billy Joel and Roger Waters. Alicia Keys, Coldplay’s Chris Martin, and Adam Sandler and Paul Shaffer are also part of the mix. A portion of the money raised through album sales will go to the Robin Hood Relief Fund.

Track Listing For The “12-12-12 The Concert for Sandy Relief” Album

1. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, “Land of Hope and Dreams”
2. Bruce Springsteen & The E Street Band, “Wrecking Ball”
3. Roger Waters, “Another Brick In The Atlantic Wall Part I, II & III”
4. Roger Waters, “Us and Them”
5. Roger Waters (Feat. Eddie Vedder), “Comfortably Numb”
6. Adam Sandler and Paul Shaffer, “Hallelujah (Sandy Relief Version)”
7. Bon Jovi, “It’s My Life”
8. Bon Jovi, “Wanted Dead Or Alive”
9. Eric Clapton, “Got To Be Better In A Little While”
10. Eric Clapton, “Crossroads”
11. The Rolling Stones, “You Got Me Rocking”
12. The Rolling Stones, “Jumpin Jack Flash”
13. Alicia Keys, “No One”
14. The Who, “Who Are You”
15. The Who, “Baba O’Riley”
16. The Who, “Love Reign O’er Me”
17. Billy Joel, “Miami 2017 (Seen The Lights Go Out On Broadway)”
18. Billy Joel, “Moving Out (Anthony’s Song)”
19. Billy Joel, “You May Be Right”
20. Chris Martin, “Viva La Vida”
21. Chris Martin (Feat. Michael Stipe), “Losing My Religion”
22. Chris Martin, “Us Against The World”
23. Paul McCartney, “Helter Skelter”
24. Alicia Keys, “Empire State Of Mind”