50 Cent Wasn't Only Artist of the Year
The honors for top artist of the year may go to 50 Cent, but he is sharing the pedestal with the ladies in 2005.
After a few off years, Mariah Carey returned to the top of the heap, Kelly Clarkson shed her "American Idol" past on the way to superstardom and Gwen Stefani left no doubt that she is the queen of the dance/pop world.
50 Cent captured several year-end plaudits thanks to the success of "The Massacre" (Shady/Aftermath/Interscope), including the No. 1 position on the Top Artists, Top Billboard 200 Albums Artists and Hot 100 Artists year-end recaps. But he and the gals were not the only successful ones on the pop and rock charts in 2005.
Green Day continued on the straight upward trajectory it started with 2004's political rock opera "American Idiot." Foo Fighters proved they have not lost a beat 10 years into their career. Los Lonely Boys got a major-label push, and Fall Out Boy seemingly dropped out of nowhere with a top 10 debut on The Billboard 200 earlier this year.
"American Idol" may have given Clarkson her start a few years back, but she shed any possible remaining stigma attached to being a talent contest winner with her aptly titled album "Breakaway."
Unlike other Idols who have proved to be strong singles sellers but have not been supported at radio, Clarkson has dominated pop, AC and adult top 40 airwaves for more than a year with multiple tracks showcasing her versatility.
The title track to "Breakaway" was the runaway winner as the No. 1 song on the year-end Hot Adult Contemporary Songs chart.
Even though she is just beginning her chart path, this season's "American Idol" winner, Carrie Underwood, is already off to a strong start. Her first single, "Inside Your Heaven," topped the Hot 100 Songs Sales chart, followed closely by "Idol" runner-up Bo Bice with his version of "Inside Your Heaven" backed with "Vehicle."
Underwood's debut album, "Some Hearts" was off to a great beginning by year's end, debuting only behind Madonna on The Billboard 200.
Clarkson and Carey vied for the top spot on several charts as Carey scored the comeback story on the year with her autobiographical "The Emancipation of Mimi."
Carey's "We Belong Together" ruled the Billboard 100 for 14 weeks this year, more than any other song in 2005. "We Belong Together" topped the Billboard Hot 100 Singles Airplay year-end chart, with another Carey single, "Shake It Off," coming in at No. 10 on the same chart.
As a fashion icon or music maven, Gwen Stefani was everywhere in 2005. Her "Hollaback Girl" was arguably the song of the summer, and it ended the year as the No. 2 tune on the Pop 100 Songs recap. The song also hit a notable milestone: It became the first tune to surpass the 1 million download mark, according to Nielsen SoundScan.
She was not alone in cyberspace. The Black Eyed Peas, who are at No. 6 on the Top Artists recap, captured the poll position on the Hot Digital Songs Artists chart. U2 snared No. 1 on the Top Internet Artists chart.
