Ask Billboard: Who's The Hot 100's King? Elvis Presley Vs. Lil Wayne

As always, submit your questions about Billboard charts, sales and airplay, as well as general music musings, to askbb@billboard.com. Please include your first and last name, as well as your city, state and country, if outside the U.S.

WHO'S THE HOT 100'S KING? ELVIS PRESLEY VS. LIL WAYNE

Dear Gary,

I can usually count on you. But, comparing Lil Wayne to Elvis Presley put me right over the top.

Weekly Chart Notes: Lil Wayne Ties Elvis Presley's Hot 100 Record

You're comparing someone who had 108 solo Billboard Hot 100 hits with someone whose hits include about 70% featured appearances? That's as big a joke as saying - which Billboard also has - that the "Glee" cast broke Elvis' record. I'm sure Presley could've released eight singles from each of his albums, and all of them would have surely at least flopped into the lower echelons of the Hot 100 for a week or two before falling off the chart. And that's what "Glee" does: just keeps barfin' 'em out, at which point they hit the chart and, for the most part, fall off after a week or two.

To say that these "artists" are really breaking all of these longstanding records is an insult to the artists who truly accomplished something special, to your magazine's reputation and to your readers.

Regards,

David FritzReseda, California

Gary,

Your recent article about Lil Wayne tying Elvis Presley's Hot 100 record is not only deceiving but very twisted in the information it presents. There are so many factors wrong with the article that I don't understand why it was written.

Pres! ley being the solo artist on all of his Hot 100 charted tracks and the fact that 31 of his songs could not be on the chart because the Hot 100 didn't exist yet makes the "tie" ridiculous. You can't compare him to Elvis Presley.

All the best,

Cory Cooper, "Elvis Expert"

Hi David and Cory,

Um ... thankyou, thankyouverymuch!

Yes, Friday's column revealed some negative comments. Why was it written? Well, because Billboard keeps the stats on music history. That's one of the hallmarks of what we do. In the piece, I didn't editorialize whether Presley or Lil Wayne is "better" than the other. I did, however, note the key points that Presley's career pre-dated the Hot 100's, and that, while Presley sang lead on all 108 of his Hot 100 hits, Wayne has done so on just 42 of his. Still, the facts are that both artists have placed 108 entries on the Hot 100 since the chart launched in 1958. That's not deceiving, it's the truth.

Of course, beyond presenting facts, Billboard certainly editorializes. It's just as much our job, or that of any respectable journalistic entity, to put any facts into context. So, let's do so further.

Presley's long-held feat for the most Hot 100 appearances among men is one of those hallowed chart records. Last year, the "Glee" cast passed him for most Hot 100 entries among all acts. Now, he shares the male mantle with Lil Wayne ... who's likely to pass him before long, too.

Does that mean that the "Glee" cast and Lil Wayne have passed him on a scale of artistic integrity, or his place in American pop culture history? I'm not arguing that. If he didn't invent it, Presley shaped rock and roll into the musical force that it's been for 56 years. He's one of the most recognizable figures in world history. And, who possessed a more revered sense of style, swagger and the ability to make women swoon? (Chart-column authors excluded).

The "Gl! ee" cast ! and Lil Wayne receive criticism for recording remakes almost exclusively and for joining other artists by making numerous featured appearances, respectively. Still, their art has found welcoming ears. The "Glee" ensemble has sold an astonishing 36.7 million downloads, according to Nielsen SoundScan. Personally, if I ever count $36.7 million (equating a download to $1) as my own, I'll consider myself having offered a service that the public surely appreciates. Plus, accomplished singers like Kristin Chenoweth, Idina Menzel and Ricky Martin have found their talents worthy of sharing with the show. ABC's '90s music-centric "Cop Rock" didn't receive that kind of support. Neither has NBC's "Smash." No one's forcing fans to buy "Glee" songs. Don't blame the charts, blame the Gleeks. (Or, give 'em your best Slushee. But that wouldn't be nice.)

Lil Wayne, meanwhile, has sold 14.2 million albums, according to SoundScan, and sent nine titles into the Billboard 200's top 10, including three that reached No. 1. Again, that would seem to define a great level of success. Plus, as billboard.commenter "Benjamin Wichenbach" noted, artists "put Wayne on their songs because his feature often increases the sales and radio play of the track, due to his lasting star power and relevance ... Wayne has had a very accomplished career as far as charts and sales go."

Key, too, is that Elvis' era vs. that of "Glee" and Lil Wayne is, obviously, vastly different. As cited in Friday's column, Presley could've had approximately 30 more Hot 100 hits had the chart existed when he first arrived in 1956, two years before the Hot 100's inception. It's not just Presley ahead of Lil Wayne for most appearances among men as a lead act. James Brown (all 91 of his chart hits), Ray Charles (72 of 74), Elton John (all 67) and others far outpace him. Featuring artists just wasn't! a practi! ce in the '50s. Singers sang with orchestras or backing groups - i.e., Presley's the Jordanaires - but, as with rappers now, stars simply didn't team up on hits with any regularity, never mind that which exists now. As for "Glee," thanks to iTunes, a popular TV show has the ability and cachet to release multiple tracks each week that people can purchase from their homes; no waiting for the next 45 to arrive in your local record store.

Ultimately, the "Glee" cast, Lil Wayne and Presley have earned prominence each in their own ways. For that, they all deserve to be lauded.

And, despite who eventually breaks any other of his chart marks, Presley's reign as the King of Rock and Roll will surely continue for generations to come.

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