KEITH CAULFIELD
Billboard chart manager, Billboard.com contributor, BillboardChartAlert.com Editor
1. Girls Aloud, “Tangled Up” (Fascination/Polydor Ltd. [UK])
Amazing pure dance pop? Yes yes yes!
2. Britney Spears, “Blackout” (Jive)
3. Rihanna, “Good Girl Gone Bad” (SRP/Def Jam/IDJMG)
Specifically the non-U.S. version that’s packaged with what amounts to a complete “Good Girl Gone Bad” remix album. Awesome.
4. Sophie Ellis-Bextor, “Trip the Light Fantastic” (Universal/Fascination/Polydor Ltd. [UK])
5. Junior Senior, “Hey Hey My My Yo Yo” (Crunchy Frog)
6. Ultra Naté, “Grime Silk & Thunder” (Silver Label/Tommy Boy/BluFire)
7. Sugababes, “Change” (Universal/Island)
8. Hilary Duff, “Dignity” (Hollywood/Angel)
9. Amy Winehouse, “Back to Black” (Universal Republic)
10. Dannii Minogue, “Club Disco” (All Around the World)
WOLFGANG SPAHR
Billboard German bureau chief
1. Roger Cicero, “Beziehungsweise” (Starwatch/Warner Music)
A German-language swing singer of real international quality.
2. Britney Spears, “Blackout” (Jive)
Back from the brink with renewed creativity.
3. Annett Louisan, “Das optimale Leben” (105 music/Sony BMG) Germany’s best “chansonnette.”
4. Christina Stürmer, “Lebe lauter” (Universal)
Tough lyrics, hard voice, energetic rock.
5. Die Fantastischen Vier, “Fornika” (Columbia/Sony BMG)
Still the freshest rap act to emerge from Germany.
6. Marquess, “Frenetica” (Starwatch/Warner Music)
And Germans are also able to produce latino hits…
7. Colbie Caillat, “Coco” (Universal Republic)
A new, inspiring voice.
8. Luciano Pavarotti, “Pavarotti Forever” (Decca/Universal)
Encapsulating everything that made the tenor a global star.
9. Culcha Candela, “Culcha Candela” (Urban/Universal)
Reggae at its best-out of Berlin!
10. The Bosshoss, “Stallion Battalion” (Island/Universal)