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Australia’s unofficial anthem, Men At Work’s “Down Under,” is feted with APRA AMCOS’ Billions Award, in recognition for surpassing one billion streams across all platforms.
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The award takes into account streaming numbers from all major services including Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, YouTube Music, Vevo and Amazon, and is said to be the first of its kind to celebrate a songwriter’s streaming achievement.
Frontman and co-songwriter Colin Hay was on hand at the PRO’s offices to receive the accolade.
“I think that more than anything, the way that the song felt was that I had this deep love for this country, but not in a flag waving way, in a very deep spiritual way,” says Hay, who is currently on tour in these parts.
“I didn’t quite understand what it was, but I can still feel it, I can’t often put it into words—I love the place so much. That’s what the song is, it’s about love and celebration in a very true way.”
The 40-year journey for “Down Under” is as remarkable as the travel tales told in its lyrics.
Written by Hay and Men At Work guitarist Ron Strykert, “Down Under” was the second official single from the band’s debut album Business as Usual, released in 1981.
Some two years after its release, both album and single went to No. 1 in the U.S., and in the U.K., a rare achievement for a band from Australia, then and now.
The single reigned for four weeks on the Billboard Hot 100, and has sold two million copies in the U.S., according to APRA AMCOS.
“Down Under” also topped charts in Australia (in 1981) and New Zealand, Canada, Ireland, Denmark, Switzerland and Italy (all 1982), and Men At Work went on to win best new artist at the Grammy Awards.
The song was also the subject of a bruising — and costly — copyright battle, which began in 2009.
With that legal saga in the rearview, “Down Under” has reached new audiences through a drum ‘n’ bass reworking by DJ Luude, which peaked at No. 5 in the U.K. earlier in the year, and it soundtracks the new Tourism Australia campaign, with a re-imagined cut by north-east Arnhem Land band King Stingray, singing in Yolngu Matha and English.
Hay received the distinguished services award for outstanding contribution to Australian music at the Global APRA Music Awards, held 2020 in Los Angeles. On that occasion, he was presented with the trophy by pop superstar Sia, who remarked of her “Uncle Collie,” “You’re my favorite singer.”
Previous inductees into the 1,000,000 List include Sia (for multiple songs), Dean Lewis (“Be Alright”), Flume (“Never Be Like You”), Jake Mason, Ivan Khatchoyan, and Lance Ferguson (for Cookin’ On 3 Burners’ “This Girl”), Starley and P-Money (“Call On Me”), Troye Sivan and Alex Hope (“Youth”) and Tones And I (“Dance Monkey”).
See the full list here.
Billboard News stepped into Diddy’s home and sat down with the legendary artist to discuss his single “Gotta Move On” with Bryson Tiller reaching No. 1 on Billboard’s Adult R&B Airplay chart. Plus, Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” tops the Hot 100 once again.
“I wish you health and love, prosperity. Be kind to each other, ok, and farewell.” With those words, Elton John concluded the final show of his last U.S. tour Sunday night (Nov. 20) at Los Angeles’ Dodger Stadium, leaving behind the thousands of fans paying homage by wearing bejeweled eyeglasses, the hundreds wrapped in multi-colored feather boas, the dozens in sequined Dodgers outfits and one JoJo Siwa in John’s famous orange-plumed devil’s suit with horns, as the singer ascended to the top of the stage in an elevator — and disappeared for good.
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To say it’s the end of an era doesn’t begin to do justice to John and what his live shows have meant over the last six decades. Starting with his now-fabled run at Los Angeles Troubadour in 1970 to 52 years later, few solo artists have left as much of a mark on playing live.
Sunday’s show was his seventh at Dodger Stadium, dating back to his now iconic performances in October 1975 when the sparkly Dodger uniform made its first appearance, and his 103rd in the Los Angeles area. He also remarked it was the 271st show of the Farewell Yellow Brick Show outing, which began in 2018.
The sun may have gone down on the last U.S. show, but the tour will continue through July 2023 stopping in Australia, New Zealand and Europe. By October, the show had already grossed more than $660 million from over 250 U.S. shows. By the time the tour ends, it will undoubtedly surpass U2’s 360 Tour to be the second highest grossing tour in Billboard Boxscore history. The only question is if it can capture Ed Sheeran’s The Divide Tour, which earned $776.4 million.
Billboard Boxscore doesn’t span John’s entire touring life, but in the three decades it has been collecting data, John has grossed more than $1.7 billion to make him the highest grossing solo act in the chart’s history.
But the numbers are only part of the story. He has been a consistently magnificent live performer, not ever slowed by drug addiction, health issues, and now, at 75, age. And his final show of his last American tour at Dodger Stadium, showed why we’re unlikely to ever see an artist like him again in our lifetime.
Here are the top highlights from the show:
The extended takes on classics: They’ve been doing it for years, but it’s still striking to hear John and his band stretch out with bold muscularity on such tunes as “Rocket Man,” “Levon” and “Take Me to the Pilot,” lifting them far beyond the radio versions. They’ve been playing together for decades and have retained a razor sharpness, led by John’s pounding piano playing, Nigel Olsson’s precision drumming and Davey Johnstone’s blazing guitar work that is still stunning to hear without ever appearing superfluous. Somehow, the expanded version of “Levon” turned the song from the pristine, delicate studio take into a bop that had the 50-something, sparkly sweater-wearing man in front of me devising a solo dance worthy of “So You Think You Can Dance” and John dramatically collapsing over his piano by the time it was done.
John’s voice: It’s deeper now and not as sweet and clear as it was during the ‘70s, but the crystal tone has been replaced with a richness that shows off John’s love for the blues. That affinity always informed his playing, but not necessarily his vocals in the early years.
His BFF Brandi Carlile: Carlile was one of three special guests for the show that aired live on Disney + and while it was easy to guess that Kiki Dee and Dua Lipa would be singing their hits with John, Carlile’s song was a surprise. She joined him for “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down On Me,” so famously first turned into a duet by George Michael and John at 1985’s Live Aid. Walking out in a glittery suit of her own (with Rocket and 1 emblazoned on the back), Carlile’s lilting-yet-powerhouse vocals perfectly captured the song’s desperation. However, she couldn’t hide her joy in singing with one of her musical heroes, even giving an adorable fist pump when she left the stage. John came out from the piano to deliver a nostalgic rendition of his and Dee’s 1976 classic, “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” that finished strong after a timid start, and Lipa and John’s first performance ever together of their 2021 global mashup, “Cold Heart.”
The material: John’s songs have held up beautifully. With a few exceptions (we’re looking at you, 1979’s disco album, Victim of Love), John’s songs have always had a timeless quality to them whether it’s the simple, elegant beauty of “Your Song” or the raucous, barreling “Saturday Night’s Alright for Fighting” or the utter despair of “Sorry Seems to Be the Hardest Word.” They sound as good and relevant today as they did when they first came out decades ago. John and lyricist Bernie Taupin, who came out to a warm ovation, are simply one of the greatest partnerships in musical history. They’ve been creating together since 1967 and though John will no longer tour, he’s given no indication that he plans to stop making music.
John’s gratitude: He’s always made a point of making sure that audience knows how appreciative he is of their support that has enabled him to have such a remarkable career and life. He made sure to thank the fans one more time in a speech that was also a reminder of just how long he has been part of our lives (and through how many formats). “I became successful first in America, and you bought the singles and the albums and the 8 tracks and cassettes, the CDs, and more importantly you bought the tickets to the shows which I love more than anything, which is to play live,” he said. “So, I want to thank you because you made me. Without America, I wouldn’t be here. So, thank you for all the years of love and generosity and loyalty.” The feeling was clearly mutual. To be clichéd and obvious, how wonderful life has been while Elton John has been in the world.
Elton John Nov. 20 set list:
“Bennie and the Jets”
“Philadephia Freedom”
“I Guess That’s Why They Call It The Blues”
“Border Song”
“Tiny Dancer”
“Have Mercy”
“Rocketman”
“Take Me To The Pilot”
“Someone Saved My Life Tonight”
“Levon”
“Candle In The Wind”
“Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding”
“Burn Down The Mission”
“Sad Songs Say So Much”
“Sorry Seems To Be The Hardest Word”
“Don’t Let The Sun Go Down On Me”
“The Bitch Is Back”
“I’m Still Standing”
“Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”
“Crocodile Rock”
“Saturday Night’s Alright For Fighting”
“Cold Heart”
“Your Song”
“Goodbye Yellow Brick Road”
The Queen of Christmas is making her presence felt earlier than usual in the U.K.
Mariah Carey’s holiday classic “All I Want For Christmas Is You” (via Columbia) makes its annual merry-go-round into the U.K. top 40, leaping 56-36 on the latest chart, published Nov. 18.
According to the Official Charts Company, that’s the earliest top-flight appearance for the song since its original release back in 1994.
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“All I Want For Christmas Is You” reenters the top 40 in the 46th week of 2022, the charts compiler explains, having previously made its mark in the the 47th week in the years 2021, 2020 and 2017.
Carey and her evergreen hit have been in the news of late, first with the U.S. pop superstar dropping her “it’s time” meme the moment Halloween came to an end.
Then, last week, a federal tribunal rejected Carey’s attempts to trademark her holiday nickname, after another “Queen of Christmas” cried foul.
From now until year’s end, “All I Want For Christmas Is You” should march up the charts.
Brits love the song at this time of year. In December 2020, the single “All I Want for Christmas Is You” finally hit No. 1 in the U.K., a journey that set a new chart record.
In dawdling to the summit in its 70th week, no other song had spent more cycles in the top 40 before snaring the U.K. crown.
Meanwhile, several Christmas-themed numbers are on the way back into the top tier, including Wham’s “Last Christmas” (up 71-42 via RCA) and Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree” (No. 92 via MCA).
The Official U.K. Singles Chart is published late Friday.
Louis Tomlinson beats the Boss to score his first solo U.K. No. 1 album with Faith In The Future (via BMG).
As a member of One Direction, Tomlinson triumphed over the national albums survey on four occasions, while his debut solo set, 2020’s Walls, peaked at No. 4.
Perhaps just as sweet is the manner in which Tomlinson claimed the crown. The pop singer’s sophomore set outpaces Bruce Springsteen’s Only The Strong Survive (Columbia), a collection of soul covers, which debuts at No. 2 on the Official Chart.
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And he did so with one arm, following an injury sustained in a fall after performing at New York’s Irving Plaza. “Broken arm but number one in the U.K. Can’t quite believe it,” he wrote on his socials.
Springsteen is a chart goliath in the U.K. with 23 appearances in the top 10, including 12 No. 1s — equal third-best among solo acts, after Robbie Williams (14) and Elvis Presley (13), respectively.
Fewer than 1,200 chart sales split the two albums at the halfway point, the Official Charts Company reported.
Faith In The Future is the week’s best-seller on wax, to lead the Official Vinyl Albums Chart.
Tomlinson is the latest 1D star to enjoy a No. 1 on his own. The first to leave the boyband, Zayn Malik, was also the first to score a solo leader with 2016’s debut Mind Of Mine.
Harry Styles was next with his 2017 self-titled release, and 2022’s third album Harry’s House, while Irishman Niall Horan led the tally with 2020’s Heartbreak Weather.
Liam Payne is still waiting for his solo crown. His 2019 debut, LP1, peaked at No. 17 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart.
Christmas is coming. Expect the Bocelli family to provide the soundtrack for many Brits’ festive season. A Family Christmas (Decca), featuring operatic great Andrea Bocelli, his son Matteo and daughter Virginia, makes a notable climb on the latest chart, published Nov. 18. It’s flying 47-5.
The Christmas spirit is also bottled on Aled Jones and Russell Watson’s Christmas With Aled & Russell (BMG), new at No. 14.
Finally, Nigerian artist Wizkid debuts at No. 16 with his fifth LP More Love, Less Ego (Columbia), his fifth studio album. That’s just one place removed from the Afrobeat act’s career U.K. peak, a No. 15 best for 2020’s Made in Lagos.
Elton John pitched a major surprise when he brought out Dua Lipa to help wrap things up for his final performance at Dodger Stadium.
The Rocket Man is winding down his touring career with his Farewell Yellow Brick Road trek, the U.S. leg for which came to an end Sunday night (Nov. 20) with the third of three shows in Los Angeles.
Elton made it a night to remember when, during the encore, he invited Lipa onstage for their hit 2021 single “Cold Heart,” which had just won the best collaboration category at the 2022 American Music Awards.
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Remixed by Australian electronic trio PNAU, “Cold Heart” interpoles Elton’s hits “Sacrifice” with “Rocket Man,” “Kiss the Bride” and “Where’s My Shoorah,” and smashed records around the globe.
It topped Billboard’s Hot Dance/Electronic Songs chart, was nominated for song of the year at the Brit Awards, collected an APRA AMCOS Billion Award for cruising past one billion streams, and hit No. 1 in the U.K. and Australia.
Also, The Lockdown Sessions, the parent album for “Cold Heart,” gave Elton his first U.K. No. 1 LP in almost a decade.
Sunday night’s concert event was captured for the special, Elton John Live From Dodger Stadium, which streams exclusively on Disney+, and produced by Fulwell 73 Productions and Rocket Entertainment.
Lipa wasn’t the only starry guest on stage. Elton was joined by Kiki Dee for a performance of their upbeat ‘70s gem “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart” and Brandi Carlile for a rendition of “Don’t Let the Sun Go Down on Me.”
Billed as his final trek, Elton began his tour in 2018 before illness and the pandemic intervened in 2020. Based on figures reported to Billboard Boxscore, his goodbye run is just the third tour in history to pass the $600 million threshold, following U2’s 360 Tour ($736.4 million), and Ed Sheeran’s The Divide Tour ($776.4 million).
The end proper is scheduled for July 8, 2023 when Elton performs at Tele2 Arena in Stockholm, Sweden.
Watch below.
Taylor Swift’s “Anti-Hero” (EMI) is a top guy after all. The lead track from Swift’s tenth and latest studio album, Midnights, racks up its fourth consecutive week atop of the U.K. chart.
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It’s the first time any Swift song has led the Official U.K. Singles Chart for an entire month.
“Anti-Hero,” which enjoys a lift from a new cut by Bleachers, the solo project of Midnights producer Jack Antonoff, remains the most-streamed song of the week in the U.K., according to the Official Charts Company.
“Anti-Hero” has some competition. Top 10 releases from Oliver Tree & Robin Schulz (“Miss You,” up 4-3 via Atlantic), Meghan Trainor (“Made You Look” up 8-4 via Epic), and Venbee & goddard (“Messy In Heaven” up 9-5 via Columbia) are all on the climb.
Two tracks bounce back into the latest top 10: Anne-Marie & Aitch’s “Psycho” (Atlantic), up 14-7, while Rihanna’s “Lift Me Up” (Def Jam), finds new energy following the wide release of the Marvel film Black Panther: Wakanda Forever. It’s up 12-9.
Nigerian artist Rema bags his first top 10 appearance on the Official Singles Chart, published Nov. 18, with “Calm Down” (via Mavin), up 16-10. The Afrobeats star earns his new career high following the release of a remix featuring Selena Gomez.
Also enjoying new peaks are rapper K-Trap’s “Warm” (up 18-17 via Thousand8), Dermot Kennedy’s “Kiss Me” (up 25-21 via Island) and Joel Corry & Tom Grennan’s “Lionheart (Fearless)” (up 30-25 via Atlantic).
The highest new entry this week belongs to Bugzy Malone & TeeDee with “Out of Nowhere” (Bsomebody), new at No. 18; while Brit Award-winning grime star Stormzy scores his 27th U.K. top 40 single with “Firebabe” (0207/Merky), new at No. 26; and Burna Boy’s starts at No. 31 with “Alone” (Def Jam/Hollywood/Roc Nation), the Afrobeats artist’s ninth top 40 appearance.
The festival season is just around the corner, and Mariah Carey’s evergreen hit “All I Want For Christmas Is You” (Columbia) has arrived like clockwork, lifting 36-36 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart.
Finally, following his Nov. 5 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall of Fame, Eminem’s 2005 hit “Mockingbird” (Interscope) reenters the chart. The track, which originally peaked at No. 4, returns at No. 38.
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In a stunning turn of events, The Walt Disney Co. says that Bob Chapek will step down as CEO, with Bob Iger returning to lead the company.
Disney’s board of directors announced the decision Sunday night.
“We thank Bob Chapek for his service to Disney over his long career, including navigating the company through the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic,” said Susan Arnold, chairman of the board, in a statement. “The Board has concluded that as Disney embarks on an increasingly complex period of industry transformation, Bob Iger is uniquely situated to lead the Company through this pivotal period.”
Chapek had just signed a new multi-year contract in June.
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Iger even acknowledged in an email to Disney employees Sunday that he is returning “with an incredible sense of gratitude and humility — and, I must admit, a bit of amazement.”
While Iger will be returning to his old role, the board also made it clear that his new term will be a temporary one.
Iger “has agreed to serve as Disney’s CEO for two years, with a mandate from the Board to set the strategic direction for renewed growth and to work closely with the Board in developing a successor to lead the Company at the completion of his term,” the board said.
Iger stepped aside as CEO in February 2020, handing the reins to Chapek, who previously led the company’s theme parks and consumer products division. He continued to serve as executive chairman of the company, stepping down from that position just 11 months ago.
Of course, as Arnold noted in her statement, the novel coronavirus pandemic took its toll on the company, shutting its theme parks and cruise ships, and stopping almost all film and TV productions. It also, however, turbocharged streaming growth, with Chapek leaning into streaming by reorganizing the company to focus on digital.
But his tenure has also been rocky, marked with controversies and distractions. From the aggressive campaign against Marvel star Scarlett Johansson that resulted in a settlement over pay for Black Widow, to Disney’s response (or lack thereof) to Florida’s so-called “Don’t Say Gay” bill, Chapek has had to deal with a wide array of public misfires during his relatively brief tenure atop the company.
But in addition to the public controversies, Disney’s business has also begun to falter in recent quarters.
Chapek announced earlier this month that the company would freeze hiring and stop all non-essential travel, with layoffs likely to follow as his executive team sought to trim costs.
And while Disney+ continues to gain subscribers at a rapid clip, the company’s streaming losses have continued to grow, making it that much more challenging to hit their profitability target.
Iger, a company man at ABC since joining ABC in 1974, led the network after Disney acquired it in 1995 was elevated to CEO of Disney in 2005, succeeding Michael Eisner.
While his elevation within the company was due to his business acumen, he developed a reputation for having an elevated sense of taste and creative vision, skills he continued to put to use after stepping aside as CEO in 2020.
Iger grew Disney to new heights by acquiring Pixar (2006), Marvel (2009) and Lucasfilm (2012), creating a powerhouse that in 2019 saw the company pass $10 billion in global box office sales. The same year, it closed the unprecedented, $71.3 billion acquisition of Fox, creating a global content powerhouse.
While Iger built a reputation as talent-friendly, Chapek’s reputation amongst creatives took a hit in July 2021 when the dispute with Johansson over the day-and-date streaming release of Black Widow went public. The star filed a lawsuit claiming the studio was sacrificing its box office potential in order to juice Disney+.
Their differing styles and approaches led to something of an oil and water relationship between the two Bobs. As Kim Masters reported last year, at what was to be his last formal Disney board retreat with the company, Iger implored everyone in the room to focus on the virtues of creativity and talent.
Disney’s market cap was roughly $55 billion when Iger took over in 2005, rose to $260 billion in January 2020, and has fallen to $167 billion as of Friday.
“I am extremely optimistic for the future of this great company and thrilled to be asked by the Board to return as its CEO,” Iger said in a statement. “Disney and its incomparable brands and franchises hold a special place in the hearts of so many people around the globe—most especially in the hearts of our employees, whose dedication to this company and its mission is an inspiration. I am deeply honored to be asked to again lead this remarkable team, with a clear mission focused on creative excellence to inspire generations through unrivaled, bold storytelling.”
–Aaron Couch contributed to this THR report.