Go to main content

Usher Beats Elvis At No. 1

December 08, 2004 | Music
Rapper Usher rcently started his sixth week at #1 on Billboard's Hot 100 with "My Boo" featuring Alicia Keys. That gives Usher a total of 28 weeks at No. 1 in 2004; last week, he became the only artist ever to top the Hot 100 for more than half a year, beating Elvis' previous record of 26 weeks.
Source:Billboard
DAB2355 wrote on December 08, 2004
Times do change, don't they. And not for the better.
gribz wrote on December 08, 2004
That's nice. He beat Elvis at one minor record, he only has 200 more to go! Good Luck...
Tomek wrote on December 08, 2004
Let's wait 40 years and see how many Usher's hits will be on Hot 100 :-) That will be fair with Elvis I think :-)
jsstcb wrote on December 08, 2004
I don't care for Usher or the mess of the song: "My Boo", (different styles blended together, badly) But usher does sing, he's not a rapper.
Neckywoudje wrote on December 08, 2004
Times are changin' indeed. I don't think he really beats Elvis Record. you know why? Because in 1956 you had to sell hundreds of thousands of records to get to number one, nowadays only 10.000 or so. By the way, do you think anyone in about 50 years will still know that song?
Viva wrote on December 08, 2004
Well very well done to Usher for that extoardinary achievement. It's a pity that it is marred by the fact that the Billboard Hot 100 chart is a load of fetid Dingo's kidneys. Based on sales AND radio airplay it really doesn't reflect how popular a song is, only that it fits within a certain, selective criteria. Add up the total sales of Elvis' previous record and I bet he outsells Usher by 10-1. Remember that single sales are virtually dead now, so this only proves that there are more radio stations available to play what ever they are told to play. Someone with more intelligence than me should work out a relative, proportional figure to compare the two. Or maybe we should not worry about it as it does seem a bit like sour grapes to whinge every time a record set by Elvis is broken, it's bound to happen eventually and the fact that the record has stood for so long is testament to Elvis' greatness. Usher? My Boo? Lord have mercy.
Griff wrote on December 09, 2004
Boo who who.
Colin B wrote on December 09, 2004
When Elvis set the record, at least it brought him some fame. The general public today [including me] would say: "Who is this Usher guy ?"
CD King wrote on December 09, 2004
Who the shit is Usher? Never heard of him. The only Usher I know is ELVIS Presley. He was an usher in the Lowe State Theatre before he drove a truck..
get real wrote on December 09, 2004
i would say that the fact that most people who have posted reguarding this new do not have a CLUE who Usher is, only goes to show how out of touch most of you really are. CD King & Colin B. ,Usher is the worlds top selling artist this year - hands down. Do you still think no one knows who he is ? Just shows how some people here just cant keep up. True, the charts are less related to sales as they were in the past, however, everyone is still playing on the same level playing field. So a #1 is a #1 is a #1. The reason why the charts are not based mostly on sale is money. They use a system that reflects airplay and such becasue of the dollars that are generated. Gibz, face it - this is not a minor record. Are you saying you dont care how many #1's Elvis had or how many weeks he spent there ? jsstcb, your right - i dont care much for that Boo song either - but yes he can sing, and he dances like theres no tomorrow.
get real wrote on December 09, 2004
i would say that the fact that most people who have posted reguarding this new post*** do not have a CLUE who Usher is, only goes to show how out of touch most of you really are. sorry for the type O
Eddie White wrote on December 09, 2004
So what. Let Usher and his saddoes croak about it now but I dare say that although he is successful now ,he will be confined to the dustbin before he can have any kudos on popular music. Yes. youv'e guessed it, another has been. Another also ran. Another quick buck merchant. Another rider on the gravy train. Another Johnny come lately. I wonder who Usher will impress next. ...I know, himself.
Carl wrote on December 09, 2004
Does anyone remember MC Hammer? This guy had an album that sold 10 million copies in one year. Not even Elvis or The Beatles ever equaled that! But MC Hammer is flippin burgers with Garth Brooks today. Does anyone remember how they said that Garth was going to outsell Elvis and be god himself? Give me a break. Garth has no talent. Same with Shaggy in 2000. I remember when the Beatles kicked his ass on Billboard in 2000. Shaggy is cleaning toilets now in some McDonalds. I remember when Destiny's Child was supposed to be so hot. Now they are finished. Their single only got to no.3 and their album failed to make no. 1. You can only go so far with the porn thing. I remember when they said Whitney Houston had broken the Beatles' straight no. 1s record. But come on? Is she a musical talent? She is a has-been. I don't friggin remember any of her records. Same with George Strait. he is a great artist and he recorded a Carl perkins song called "A Man on his Own". I dig Strait a lot! But come on!!! This guy has 50 no.1 records, more than Elvis and The Beatles. I can't friggin remember a single one, except "All My Exs Live in Texas". That is about it. So you have to put things in perspective. Strait is no Elvis. He is just a safe, commercial creation, middle of the road wimpy safe country. Remember Milli Vanilli? They had a bunch of no.1s and were nominated for Grammy awards. One of them boasted that they were more talented than McCartney and Dylan. Boy, what a laugher! LOL But they were considered bigger than Elvis in 1989. And we all know what happened to them....One of them committed suicide. Nuff said. No one ever dominated the charts like Elvis did. Usher does not change this fact. Whoooopdee do. My boo boo boo. Give me a break. He is another Milli Vanilli. Enjoy it while it lasts. He is like Shaggy and MC Hammer. Also, technically, Elvis still beats him because "My Boo" is a duet with Alicia Keys. Those morons forgot about that. Duets don't count. So technically, Elvis still holds the record. You just, watch, Usher will be joining MC Hammer. Whitney Houston, Shaggy, John Secada, Bob E. Brown, Michael Jackson, and Garth Brooks flipping burgers in a few years. That is my prediction.
gbalaban wrote on December 09, 2004
Give Usher his due, but when Elvis did it he did it all alone, as opposed to Usher who does it with the help of Alicia Keys. Anyway, like someone said earlier #1 is a $1.
get real wrote on December 09, 2004
Well Carl, let me be the first to congradulate you on having posted the most ignorant post ever posted on this site. Idiotic. Congradualtions on your new record! Ninja, i do see your point about Alicia Keys, but i would but it more this way - Usher got her to #1 - not the other way around.
gribz wrote on December 09, 2004
Carl First of all George Straite doesn't have any number 1 songs.. You're talking about the country chart, which is just a niche chart. I don't think any of his records went to number 1 on Billboards Pop chart. That's the one that counts.
Elvis girl wrote on December 09, 2004
As Tomek said on December 8th...let us see how well Usher is remembered in another 40 years..... No-one can beat Elvis for staying power etc. USHER WHO?
ElvisDayByDay wrote on December 09, 2004
Why all the hostility? Elvis lost a record, so be it. Why put Usher down? He is in the beginning of his career, just like Elvis once was, and we'll have to wait and see how he does in the years to come, for starters he picked up 11 Billboard Awards last night. Looking back at E's carreer many did not give a daim for it in the second half of the sixties ... neither for a major part of the seventies ... so it wasn't one big glorious record breaking ride for our man either. Weren't you happy with Elvis' last two # hits ... they only had to sell about 11.000 copies in a big country as the US to get there ... it are just statistics, and the Billboard charts are build up very strange. I believe a few years back the biggest hit of the year was an album track from a former model ... the song wasn't even a single in the US. So relax ... we all know who is (our) #1 :-)
Jeoliverm wrote on December 09, 2004
Why don't we just say "congratulations, Usher"? Such comments that we usually write and say can only bring to the Elvis non fan the idea that we are so conservative. Are we? Maybe. I think that if we are, maybe none of us woud have liked Elvis back in the fifties (if we were born). Let's the music roll, enjoy the new ones or at least forget them before we know them, but, please, don't think that anyone who has success in the show-biz is an Elvis enemy.
data wrote on December 09, 2004
Another time and another kind of chart. I do'nt like the music scene of today,and i am not out of touch, but let's face it a lot of today's music is here today and two months later you do'nt even remember what the melody was like. Why? Because in a lot of today's music there simply is no melody.It's a beat, a beat to dance to.And (dance) is a big word because it is a one woman or a one man jump thing. Now do'nt get me wrong, i like some of those numbers but i seldom buy them.And the video clips,well there is in most of them a lot of feminine flesh,and i like woman,but if you get the same a whole day long,you have to admit you seen it all. Nevertheless: my congratulations to Usher,if an artist is succesful than i believe Elvis would have been the first to wish him the best in his further career. if it is of any comfort for us fans Hound dog / Don't be cruel was a two sided hit and number 1. so count the weeks and Elvis is still. YES I don't even begin to compare singels sales because there is nothing to compare, we all know who the winner is.
ronnie mole wrote on December 09, 2004
Usher is number one with a other person,so he has not beat ELVIS at all.Once again get the facts Elvis is top artist a artist who stands alone well ahead of all others.That`s why he`s still the KING.the man can not be beat the leader,number 1.
Lex wrote on December 09, 2004
Ronnie, didn't the old labels of RCA say "Elvis Presley and the Jordannaires"? :-)
get real wrote on December 09, 2004
Lex, i was going to post the samr thing about the Jordannaires, but i thought it would be a lost cause here - so thanks for your mention of it. Elvis gave them alot of credit to them for helping him. Maybe he gave them too much credit, but non-the-less. Kess, your right - why do people have to be so hostile towards this guy ? I dont understand it at all.
ep_tcb77 wrote on December 09, 2004
This is just ridiculous! Everyone knows that Elvis is the one and only kind, and I'm sure Usher knows it as well. The music scene today is nothing compared to what it was in Elvis' era. He was, and still is, the top artist. I can almost guarantee that if Usher died (heaven forbid, I don't want anyone to die) tomorrow, he would not be popular 27 years after his death the way Elvis is. Nobody can compete with that and anyone with the least bit of competence knows that! Sorry! I had to vent!
EspenK wrote on December 09, 2004
"The music scene today is nothing compared to what it was in Elvis' era." Oh come on. To even start comparing the two eras are meaningless. The amount of artists, tv-channels, radio channels, internet channels, magazines, music styles, and the amount of releases was nothing back then compared to today. To stay on top of any list for several weeks today is an incredible achievement given the huge amount of releases coming out every single day. Whenever some modern artist get some kind of recognition or are mentioned in the same sentence as Elvis, he or she gets slammered beyond any sanity by Elvis fans on this website. Whats your problem, guys? I am happy to see that at least SOME of you here say "hey give it a break and be happy for Usher". You gotta realize that as the years go by there will be other artists that manage SOME of the things that Elvis managed during his career. So what? Elvis is still Elvis, his music stays, his memory stays, and we all got a lot to enjoy and a lot to look forward to of releases from the big E. But please, dont slander every single other artist out there. Its just so ignorant and sad to have to read Elvis-fans acting like that. Face it - there are other skilled musicians out there too. There was before Elvis, will be after Elvis. And thank god for that.
Jim Semple wrote on December 09, 2004
This is why Non-Elvis fans think we are some kind of weird freaks ! Why can't we simply say ''Congratulations Usher'' and then move on. Some of these comments are rediculous. In a 1000 years from now, all of Elvis's records may be broken, somebody may have sold 5 billion records, but you cant change history and Elvis will always be remembered, SO CHILL !!!
vegaselvisfan wrote on December 09, 2004
this has been the most entertaining and thought provoking discussion i ve seen in awhile. :) i ll give usher his due, but yes, let's see the test of time. i met a young girl who was ga-ga over usher and she reminded me of how i was/am about elvis. think of bing, frank, johnnie ray, elvis, the beatles, etc... the torch is passed on. i am a fan of rick springfield. rick was a big hit in the 80s-- isnt now, but he still writes, records and performs. so what of the past and present?... i am still a loyal fan of someone who once was a super pop idol. that just goes to show how things change...and stay the same. no matter what or who, elvis rules. let's pay attention to that. there is no matching all the records , all the things he did, and all the talent. didnt we just see that with elvis still making it to #1 with ALLC? elvis still makes it to the top or near top in various opinion polls, and bob dylan just told the world the influence elvis had on him. in general, our man is doing *really well*. long live the king of rock n roll!
King Of Western Bop wrote on December 09, 2004
Here we go again. Meaningless records being broken. So what? If like me you think Elvis was and is the best then who cares what Usher achieves? I disagree with the person who said that one day maybe all of Elvis' records will be broken. In that case why did you have to sell millions of records in the past to get to No.1?? Nowadays you only have to sell thousands to get there - hardly the signs of a healthy recording industry that such achivements will happen. If it does then it'll take a lot longer to achieve than it took Elvis. It's a fact that record sales (OK, CD's) are not what they once were. Now you have many people downloading their music from the internet, etc. I just think that people don't really LISTEN to music anymore. It seems like it's there as no more than a backdrop to a night out at the local nightclub, etc. It provides a backbeat for people to dance to - that's if they're not totally out of their heads on booze and the like. Seeing who gets to the number one spot is not the event that it once was. Mozart was a musical genius. How many sales have recordings of his works achieved this year? Not many?? Somehow I don't think his musical genius or legacy will suffer because of it. As I have absolutely no interest in today's music scene then it follows that I frankly couldn't care less who sells what. I only know that I get pleasure from listening to Elvis and the other artists and music that I like. Elvis doesn't have to break records for me to admire him. He broke the mould, that's what counts. That's one thing he did that others will never achieve.
PJGois wrote on December 09, 2004
In regards to Ushers, breaking Elvis' 26th week record on the charts with his own 28 weeks stay, means nothing. Elvis was the greatest entertainer of the 20th century. However; some rescords are going to be broken. There's always a chance that one day, someone might come along and break them all. if that happens, Elvis loses nothing. It does't change the fact of how great of an entertainer he was. No one should be disrespecting Usher or any other entertainer. Weather he's at #1 and just sold a few thousand or millions, the fact is, that he got to the number position. In no way, does this take anything from the king. I've Been a Elvis Fan for almost 40 Years. I've been in and around the music seen/world for a long-time and I've seen a lot. Elvis' fans are the greatess and most loyal fans that I've had the plessure of knowing, but there's also a lot of them who as soon as they hear that an entertainer favers someone else over Elvis. They're the first to put down an artist or someone for liking someone better or thinking that some else is better. Point is, everyone has a right to think what they want to think. As long as we know that Elvis is the greatest, Who cares! Defend Elvis only when it the right thing to do. I think and it's just my opinion, Elvis would probably be iembarresed if he heard how some of his fans treat people who might faver someone else or think that some other might have influenced them moore. That's really and sad way to stick up for Elvis. No matter how many records most entertainers sell. Thousands, millions, there are just a few people in the enternainment world have changed are lives or the lives of other people worldwide. Elvis, The Beatles, Sanatra, you get the Idea. This is just might thoughts and my opinion. I'm sure I'll piss someone off. My be that's a good thing.
Lex wrote on December 09, 2004
A last remark on this non discussion from me. Especially to those that said Usher "only" sold a couple of thousand and Elvis did sell thousands in the 50's. Only two years ago Elvis had another #1 in the UK (with a song I didn't like in that version). Why not in the US?? He only needed a couple of thousand... And yes I know he was #1 on the sales list, but nowhere in the hot 100. Well, I guess you'll blame the DJ's for that...
Colin B wrote on December 10, 2004
get real says I am out of touch because I don't know who Usher is ! The point is, when Elvis set this record, everyone knew who he was ! In touch, out of touch, we all knew him ! That's the difference.
dailyone wrote on December 10, 2004
good luck to usher who ever he is . unfortunately the charts are dominated by an listenting audience that is largly un-employed and depressed .
get real wrote on December 10, 2004
Colin B, eveyone does know who he is. Dont think that your lunacy is a picture of the nation. Your giving Carl a run for his money for the #1 spot. Please read down the list of postiong to see what im refering to if you dodnt knwo already. I love Elvis as much as ANYONE, but that doesnt mean i cant appriciate the achievments of new artists and give them their due. Its amazing how many posts this news has generated, especially if you add the 16 posts about it that were about the Monday chart then we are getting close to 50 !! That has to be close to a record for postings here id think. Lots of interesting views, even if i dont agree with many of them. Lots of passions for Elvis.
Jeoliverm wrote on December 10, 2004
Reading now all the comments I feel again proud of liking Elvis Presley. For a while I was embarrased (some unrespectful opinions), but I see that most of us are on the right way. Long live the King! (And long live to all the artists, though I won't buy any records of lots of them).
data wrote on December 10, 2004
To Lex this is a dissussion and if you don't like it why bother to take part in it. Everyone has a right to give his opinion here that is what this section is made for on Elvis news. And ALLC was N° 1 on sales in the US and if a chart was made up in the right way then he should have been at N° 1 in the hot 100 to. I still blame BMG for it's lack of promotion for it and also radio dj's in the US for whom Elvis is a hasbeen and they don't respect the choice of the record bying public. You don't like the remix well i do and it gave Elvis sales a boost in the right way. It also gave Elvis fans something to talk about and in most countrys it was a big hit record and Elvis was back on the radio. If you don't like a remix , why then do you like FTD to bring out all the out takes of a song. Do you believe Elvis would have liked it? It is a way to give us fans something new and i see a remix as a good thing do do the same. It also has the advantage to bring in new people that become more interested in Elvis music.
Loesje wrote on December 10, 2004
To Lex too ;-) : why do you think the editors of ElvisNews have created this section in the first place? LMAO
EspenK wrote on December 10, 2004
Uhm... Lex IS Elvisnews.
Lamar Fike wrote on December 10, 2004
Why all that rambling? ood for Usher, I wish him congratulations even though I hate his music...! Everyone is allowed to have their taste, and I completely agree with ya'll, but I respect the guy for his acheevements! Well done, Usher!
Eddie White wrote on December 10, 2004
If Lex is Elvis News I am delighted that he is not in charge of the British Elvis Fan Club .
EspenK wrote on December 10, 2004
Why do you say that? Elvisnews is an *excellent* service, in that it gives us the news thats out there, and its up to us if we want to read it or not, or find it interesting or not. Design, navigation, content and technical solution is superior to any other Elvis site thats out there. Sure, there are other websites thats good too, but they are (in my not-so-humble opinion) just a addendum to Elvisnews.com. Elvisnews is objective when distributing news (meaning it give us whats out there regarding Elvis, unedited straight from the source), and subjective on its reviews. And the reviews itself are also getting better and better.
Eddie White wrote on December 11, 2004
Youre missing the point. The problem is Lex is not being objective he is being subjective. His weight of opinion is how HE views the situation. It is his views that counterbalance the views of I dare say many fans. He should be a gladiator of Elvis ethics not an iconoclast. You don't carry the Elvis flag and then hold it up at half mast and claim a victory. I'm sorry if I offend anyone by saying that but this is the impression I get. I conclude by saying that Lex should be more positive about Elvis and not concilliatory. Keep Elvis's flag flying.
memphisflash wrote on December 11, 2004
IMHO...there are certain people throughout history who were born to put their mark on the world...Elvis was one of those people....Usher is not.
sathien wrote on December 13, 2004
usher's most weeks at #1 this year so far should not count as a record. this is because it is also contributed by usher & alicia keys, which should be regarded as a different artist or entity like paul mccartney or john lennon and the beatles. in addition, the hot singles chart today is much less competitive in comparison to the past. a popular song can stay on the chart for quite a long period of time. each week there is hardly any new entries. any hits therefore can stay on top for many weeks and easily break past records. this can be measured by average weeks on chart of a song or track compares to that in the 50's or 60's, and one will see a significant different.
William S. Burroughs wrote on December 14, 2004
And after all, since when a No.-1 on Billboard´s Hot 100 means good music, real music, music with soul? I mean, Elvis Wooden Heart? Rock a Hula Baby? that lousy nike remix? all that is full of shit. Many of Elvis great great cuts were far from the No.-1 in the hot 100, remember the Nashville 66-68 recordings? the gospel stuff? great singles of the 70's era like Always On My Mind, I´m Leaving, Merry Chirstmas Baby, I´ve Got a Thing About You Baby, The Promised Land? in the 50´s Shake Rattle and Roll/Lawdy Miss Clawdy reached nothing and those were classic recordings, what about all the Sun Sessions? those were the recordings that changed music history. Teddy Bear? give me a break, that´s only hot candy for horny represed 50´s female teenagers, which was pretty cool in that context but in the music field irrelevant today. The Sun Sessions, the stuff he made in Nasvhille during the mid to late 60's, that has musical value. And remember all the good stuff that never made the hot 100 because was not released as a single, "Reconsider Baby" or "Girl Next Door Went..." are far better than No.- 1´s "Surrender" or "Wooden Heart" Remember The Jimi Hendrix Experience? Jimi only has one entry in the Billboard´s hot 100 and that was at No.-20 in September 1968 with Dylan's "All Along the Wach Tower"; Does that means the rest of his recordings are irrelevant? or that means that the Billboard Hot 100 is full of Shit and is irrelevant if what you care is good music and the real history behind the "official" history of American Music. Who do you think are making art and shaping "the music" of tomorrow not "the business of mass alienation of tomorrow", people like Usher or little Britney piece of nice meat but nothing more except No.-1 hits on the Billboard´s chart... or people with virtually none No.-1 on Billboard Hot 100 chart like Bjork, Beck, Radiohead or Tom Daniels and Mark Adams to mention a few. Some Elvis No.-1 are great like "Hound Dog", "All Shook Up" "Hi Burn Motel" "Little Sister/His Latest..." "Suspicious..." "Big Hunk Of Love" but those are great tracks because of musical quality, not because how much they sell. Im not at all into "30 #1 hits" and "Second to All" sets; but more into "Artist of the Century" stuff. A little less about money, commercial success and statistics if you want to prove Elvis is the King please. A little bit more about real music. With Love...Willie Nelson B.