Daughtry, The Police Named Kings of the 2007 Billboard Charts

The final numbers are in, and the Billboard album-sales champion for 2007 is -- Daughtry. The former American Idol loser was a big winner on the charts, as his band's self-titled debut beat out Akon's Konvicted and Fergie's The Dutchess (though both the fan-tosser and the Black Eyed Pea took other honors in the Pop and Digital Songs fields, respectively). In what has to be further proof that the recording industry had a terrible year, the top seven best-selling albums of 2007 were all released in 2006, with the top-selling 2007 release being the High School Musical 2 soundtrack in the eighth spot.

The current chart champion, Josh Groban's Noel, appears way on down the list at 135, nine slots behind Modest Mouse's We Were Dead Before the Ship Even Sank, despite absolutely crushing the charts on its way past double-platinum status thanks the magic of Christmas and Oprah. So what's the reason for Groban falling so low, you ask? Billboard only factors in sales from December 2006 to November 2007, thus explaining Alicia Keys' absence despite As I Am selling 1.5 million in a month.

On the tour front, to no one's surprise, the Police had the highest-grossing trek, bringing in $212 million and counting. The Genesis reunion tour came in second with $129 million, while Justin Timberlake's FutureSex/LoveShow took third. Thanks in part to a late start, the Van Halen reunion tour did not make the top ten, but that'll likely change on the 2008 charts, when Van Halen takes number two behind the inevitable Led Zeppelin tour (?).

Related Stories:
• 'High School Musical 2' Soundtrack Sets Record For Worst Best-Seller Ever
• The Police's First New York Show in Twenty-Four Years: A Trio Playing In Sync
• Exclusive Audio: Chris Daughtry Opens Up

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Song Stories

“Smells Like Teen Spirit”

Nirvana | 1991

"Smells Like Teen Spirit," named after a brand of deodorant marketed to girls, was Kurt Cobain's attempt to "write the ultimate pop song," he said, using the soft-loud dynamic of his favorite band, the Pixies. Cobain "had that dichotomy of punk rage and alienation," the song’s producer, Butch Vig, told Rolling Stone, "but also this vulnerable pop sensibility. In 'Teen Spirit,' a lot of that vulnerability is in the tone of his voice." Sadly, by the time of Nirvana's last U.S. tour, in late '93, Cobain was tortured by the obligation to play "Teen Spirit" every night. "There are many other songs that I have written that are as good, if not better," he claimed.

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