Op-Ed: Billboard top 40, U2 number 1

Billboard magazine revealed Monday its fourth top 40 of artists or groups who made the most money. The boys from Dublin stay atop.

News U need 2 know: 360 4 U2 # 1 U2 first topped the Billboard 200 in 1987 with "The Joshua Tree," spending nine consecutive weeks at No. 1. The group followed it with four No. 1s in a row: "Rattle and Hum" (1988), "Achtung Baby" (1991), "Zooropa" (1993) and "Pop" (1997). The band returned to No. 1 again in 2004 with "How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb." That album was released during Thanksgiving week of 2004 and bowed with 840,000. Still very popular with the generation X and Y, even with the baby-boomers, "with or without U", U2 tops in the list of Billboard pops a 108 601 283 U.S. $ in 2009. Supporting their last album, the "Tour 360" raked the world contributing a large part to Bono & friends bonanza "Gloria".

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360 Tour, U2 on stage

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Scoring its seventh No. 1 on The Billboard 200 with "No Line on the Horizon", the 2009 album moved 484,000 copies in the U.S. on its first week, the best sales for an artist since Britney Spears' "Circus" arrived at No. 1 in early December with 505,000 according to SoundScan. U2 now ties up with the legends: Led Zeppelin for the third-most No. 1s among groups, behind only the Beatles' 19 and the Rolling Stones' 9. "What a beautiful day", there is "no line on the horizon", the Irish boys fly high over the sky, but U2 is not the only 1 staring at the sun. Don’t expect them to leave the stage for long though, ‘cause Bono "the fly" never stops humming: "I still haven’t found what I’m looking 4". "The unforgettable fire" of "desire" will probably burn in their green veins"until the end of the world". "Born 2 Run" The "glory days" are still rollin’ for Bruce Springsteen's "hungry heart", making it to the second place with earnings of 57 619 037 U.S. $, he won’t be "dancing in the dark" easily. The "Badlands" are far behind for the rockin' flag of the working class with such a "river" overflow of cash. "Give it 2 me" Always "into the groove", the Madonna of "material girls", has pocketed 47 237 774 U.S. $. and arrives third. With her 'Sticky & Sweet' Tour, the "lucky star" worked hard her "candy shop" for such an income. She deserves a "celebration" at her "Isla Bonita", if the fidgety over-achiever can enjoy an "holiday " and relax for more than a "4 minute" break, that is. "Moneytalks" "For those about to rock we salute you" AC / DC. Plugged on "high voltage" since the mid 70ies, the legendary group has arenas howling and giving the long horns sign before they even start performing. The Aussies keep rockin' on their "Highway to a-Hell" lot of loads of money with a 43 650 466 U.S. $ "thunderstruck". "Hell’s Bells" rang. "It’s a long way to the top", but hey’re a fourth to reckon with. "Born 2 make U happy" "Oops! She did it again". Britney Spears, who had experienced several personal setbacks, had a surprising comeback, making her "stronger". She's "a slave 4 U" and therefore with her last opus 'Circus' she "drives (you) crazy" with her following lip synch tour. Despite pocketing 38 885 267 U.S. $ last year she hadn’t had enough yet and moans "gimme more", "baby one more time"."That’s (her) prerogative".  Pink, the Jonas Brothers, Coldplay, country singer Kenny Chesney and the "unforgiven" Metallica close the top-10.  Billboard takes into account sales of music on CD and digital format, sales of promotional items, copyrights, rights from the distribution of music online without downloading and tours. It seems that the Billboard knows about our stars' earnings to the last cent but for some reason, they are retaining those numbers hidden behind the last coma. The data were compiled from the first week of 2009 until January 3, 2010.