Lady Gaga, Taylor Swift Barely Made it to Billboard’s 2012 Power 100 List

Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift ! Sweet.. =)

Interestingly, despite their sold-out concerts worldwide and huge sales of their individual albums, Lady Gaga and Taylor Swift almost did not make it to Billboard's 2012 Power 100 list, which ranks the 100 most powerful people in the music industry - from artists to label executives, managers, television and movie executives.

The list is determined by a combination of factors including market share, exclusive Billboard chart data/boxscore information and revenue.

Here's the full list:

1. Irving Azoff

2. Coran Capshaw

3. Lucian Grainge

4. Martin Bandier

5. Doug Morris

6. Michael Rapino

7. Rob Light

8. Len Blavatnik

9. Tim Leiweke

10. Jimmy Iovine

11. Eddy Cue and Robert Kondrk

12. John Hogan

13. Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter & Beyonce Knowles

14. Lyor Cohen

15. Randy Phillips

16. Emmanuel Seuge

17. Frank Cooper

18. Barry Weiss

19. Rob Stringer and Steve Barnett

20. Arthur Fogel

21. Marc Geiger

22. Dan Mason

23. Bob Pittman

24. Roger Faxon

25. Ronald “Slim” Williams and Bryan “Birdman” Williams

26. Rio Caraeff

27. U2 and Paul McGuinness

28. Julie Greenwald and Craig Kallman

29. Daniel Ek

30. Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald

31. Lewis W. Dickey, Jr

32. Peter Grosslight

33. Charles Attal, Charlie Jones and Charlie Walker

34. Robert Greenblatt

35. Van Toffler

36. Monte Lipman

37. Antonio “L.A.” Reid

38. Joel Katz

39. Mark Campana and Bob Roux

40. Tim Westergren

41. Peter Edge and Tom Corson

42. Tom Poleman

43. Chip Hooper

44. Hartwig Masuch

45. Rob Cavallo and Todd Moscowitz

46. Cliff Burnstein and Peter Mensch

47. Nathan Hubbard

48. Jay Brown

49. Evan Lamberg

50. Jon Bon Jovi

51. Lia Vollack

52. Jan Jeffries

53. Steve Bartels

54. Scott Borchetta

55. Blaise D’Sylva

56. Neil Portnow

57. Dennis Arfa

58. Cameron Strang

59. Cortez Bryant/Gee Roberson

60. Sean Parker

61. Steve Moore

62. Paul Rosenberg

63. Tifanie Van Laar

64. Ryan Seacrest

65. Robert Kyncl

66. Lorne Michaels

67. John Butcher

68. Clint Higham

69. Randy Spendlove

70. Rich Lehrfeld

71. Peter Luukko

72. John Branca

73. Melissa Lonner

74. Raul Alarcon, Jr.

75. John Frankenheimer

76. Cary Sherman

77. Larry Marcus

78. Taylor Swift

79. Kevin Mayer

80. PJ Bloom

81. James L. Dolan

82. Jesus Lopez

83. Martin Karl “Max Martin” Sandberg

84. Lady Gaga

85. Mike Dungan

86. Fred Wilson

87. Jon Platt

88. Willard Ahdritz

89. John Ivey and Alex Tear

90. Jody Gerson

91. Chris Tsakalakis

92. Nigel Lythgoe

93. Richard Busch

94. Debra Lee

95. David Israelite

96. Steve Berman

97. Rich Bengloff

98. Gary Overton

99. Daniel Glass

100. Simon Cowell

Ask Billboard: What Should Lady Gaga's Next Single Be?

Ask Billboard is updated every week. 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. 


WHAT SHOULD LADY GAGA'S NEXT SINGLE BE? 

Hi Gary, 

I have a question related to Lady Gaga and the mid-chart success on the Billboard Hot 100 of "Marry the Night," which reached No. 29. 

In "Ask Billboard" last week, you wrote: "'Marry' is, ultimately, more of a club groove than a top 40 natural." I want to know what you think are more "top 40 natural"s from Gaga's "Born This Way" album and what you think her next single should be (if you think there should be a next single). 

Thanks, 

Kevin Ramos 
New York, New York 


Hi Kevin, 

If I worked at Interscope Records and had the almighty power to pick singles, I'd choose "Hair" as the sixth and final single from "Born This Way." 

The song already peaked at No. 12 in its only week on the Hot 100 last June as a preview digital track from the album but has not made its way to the radio-listening masses. Co-written by Gaga and RedOne, the song, which has sold 174,000 downloads, according to Nielsen SoundScan, and whose audio video on the official LadyGagaVEVO channel stands at 11 million views, just sounds like a smash, doesn't it? The pair also co-wrote the set's second single, "Judas." 

If "Hair" remains an album cut, it'll join that bittersweet group of great songs that were never released as radio singles. Gaga has already has two others, by my humble count: 

"Boys Boys Boys," also a Gaga/RedOne co-write 

and, "Eh, Eh (Nothing Else I Can Say)," another song from "The Fame" that showcases more of her bubblegum pop side 

The artist to whom Gaga seemingly receives the most comparisons also boasts a catalog of album tracks that might've been big radio hits had they been released as singles. Here's one fan's list of five songs that may have been big singles for Madonna had they gotten the chance: 

"Dear Jessie" (1989), a European-only single that might've been too left-of-center for U.S. radio. Still, it has a great hook and is similar in sound to fellow "Like a Prayer" cut "Cherish," which hit No. 2 on the Hot 100. 

"Love Tried to Welcome Me" (1994), which, had it followed "Take a Bow," might've won over radio more easily than the rather experimental "Bedtime Story" and "Human Nature" 

"Time Stood Still" (2000), from the movie in which she starred, "The Next Best Thing," the song built upon the melodic almost-new age vibe in places of her 1998 album, "Ray of Light" 

"Amazing" (2000), from "Music," a sonic sequel to 1999's '60s-retro "Beautiful Stranger" 

"Devil Wouldn't Recognize You" (2008), a song from "Hard Candy" that she co-wrote with Justin Timberlake, whose obvious influence might've made it fit in better at radio than second single "Give It 2 Me." Then again, since lead track "4 Minutes" featured Timberlake on vocals, releasing "Devil" could've been inferred as Madonna piggybacking too heavily on the starpower of a younger-generation act. 


"Ask Billboard" asks you: What's on your list of songs that absolutely, positively should've been radio singles over the years? From theBeatles ("Across the Universe," "Blackbird," "Getting Better," "Here Comes the Sun," "While My Guitar Gently Weeps") to Bruno Mars (what a shame that "Marry You" was never a single), what songs do you think could've garnered years of radio airplay but instead remain hidden album gems. 

Share your choices at askbb@billboard.com and we'll pick up the discussion in the next "Ask Billboard." 

Chart Highlights: Lady Gaga's 'Marry The Night' Tops Dance/Club Play Songs

Chart Highlights offers a sneak peek at a select group of Billboard charts every Monday. Find out the top songs, Greatest Gainers and debuts on the surveys listed below. 

All our charts are refreshed on billboard.com every Thursday. 


Pop Songs 
*** No. 1 *** "We Found Love" Rihanna Featuring Calvin Harris 
Greatest Gainer No. 9 "Set Fire To The Rain" Adele 
Debut No. 38 "Dance (A$$)" Big Sean Featuring Nicki Minaj 


Adult Contemporary    
*** No. 1 *** "Someone Like You" Adele 
Greatest Gainer No. 10 "Brighter Than The Sun" Colbie Caillat 
Debut No. 28 "Heartbeat" The Fray 
Debut No. 29 "Pumped Up Kicks" Foster The People 


Adult Pop Songs 
*** No. 1 *** "Mr. Know It All" Kelly Clarkson 
Greatest Gainer No. 11 "Set Fire To The Rain" Adele 
Debut No. 38 "Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You)" Kelly Clarkson 
Debut No. 40 "5 O'Clock" T-Pain Featuring Wiz Khalifa & Lily Allen 


Dance/Club Play Songs 
Greatest Gainer/*** No. 1 *** "Marry The Night" Lady Gaga 

Lady Gaga scores eleventh dance number one

Lady Gaga has scored another dance number one. The singer’s single “Yoü And I” this week climbs 2-1 on Billboards Dance/Club Songs, becoming her eleventh consecutive chart-topper. Gaga’s only song not to reach the top spot of the chart was “Just Dance,” which peaked at number two.

The “Yoü And I” remixes bundle, which features club-ready mixes of the track by 10 Kings, Danny Verde and Hector Fonseca, as well as renditions by British bands Wild Beasts and Metronomy, is out now. The Wild Beasts mix is also included in Born This Way – The Remix, in stores November 21st.

Earlier this week, Lady Gaga released the single cover for her newest single “Marry The Night.” Do you think it will become yet another chart-topper for the singer? Share your thoughts in the comments…

Lady GaGa Voted Billboard's 'Most Overrated' Artist

Lady GaGa has been named the 'Most Overrated' artist of 2011 by voters inBillboard's Year in Music poll.

The Marry The Night singer topped the list with 30% of the votes, beating second-placeBritney Spears with 29% and Justin Bieber, who came third with 21%.

Despite topping the most overly hyped act of the year poll, GaGa was also top in the Best Fashion list, pulling in 30% of the votes due to her daring dress sense.

Bajan babe Rihanna was close behind Lady Gaga with 25%, while outlandish rapper Nicki Minajsecured 13% of the votes.

Earlier this week, the Born This Way star was also crowned the highest-earning female artist of the year by Forbes, after apparently pocketing a cool $90milion in 2011.

The 25-year old beat the likes of Taylor Swift, Katy Perry and Beyoncé  - with Adele being the only UK act to feature in the list, thanks to her record-breaking album 21.

Gauging the Lady Gaga Galaxy

Lady Gaga recently topped the ultimate media maven Oprah Winfrey in Forbes magazine as the world's most powerful celebrity. Billboard projected one million sales for the first week's release of her new album "Born This Way." Whatever your opinion about Gaga, she seems to be conquering the world one palatable pop beat at a time. So, what is the secret to her meteoric success?

There are countless talented, piano-playing singers drudging through the New York club scene trying to make it. Gaga made it bigger than she could've ever imagined. She once said in an interview with John Norris for "Noisevox," "I did pop music the way indie rock bands do rock n' roll." She built her career from the ground up.

The media specialists and public relations companies hired by Gaga's record label may in part be responsible for her popularity but ultimately it's her and her content that draws fans. She has taken over twitter with more than 10.5 million followers because people want to hear what she has to say. She exudes the perfect mix of charisma, talent, depth, originality and humbleness. Plus she births infectious beats people want to hear, or else no one would care about the rest.

On May 14, 2011 Gaga posted a YouTube message to her fans saying, "Thank you for supporting my artistic vision and always letting me be myself. I will always fight to the death for you to be yourself." This familial and familiar relationship between the Mother Monster and her Little Monster fans has produced a pantheistic pop religion. In her "Good Morning America" appearance earlier this month Gaga said about her fans, "They're my family, for sure."

Gaga was asked during her "GMA" interview what she would be doing if she wasn't famous. Her apt response was, "Well, I would still be a singer. I just wouldn't be famous." Asked if she ever thought of doing anything else she said, "That would be so awful, wouldn't it? If I just gave up because nobody bought my music? I just really love what I do."

The dictionary definition of gaga is to be "marked by wild enthusiasm: infatuated, doting." Complex theories aside, this could be the simple key to Gaga's fame and influence. It's the lesson Oprah Winfrey, the woman Gaga eclipsed on the Forbes' list, offered in her final episode. She urged her audience, " -- know what sparks the light in you so that you, in your own way, can illuminate the world."

Just like Gaga does in every appearance and performance, Oprah said people who found their calling, " -- lit up the stage with their passion." Perhaps beyond talent and luck, that's the real magic of Gaga. Her passion is the secret to her fame and ultimate pop legend longevity. Gaga pursued her calling and now illuminates the world.