If you like downloading individual songs, you have lots of company. Three inescapable songs, "Right Round," "Poker Face" and "Boom Boom Pow," each sold more than 3 million downloads in the first half of 2009. No songs sold that well in the first half of 2008. If you like buying full albums, you're part of a shrinking club. A total of 19 albums sold 500,000 copies in the first half of this year, down from 26 in the first half of last year. You can imagine what shell-shocked record company executives are thinking when they look at these numbers: "We'll take the ‘boom boom,' but we really need more ‘pow.'"

Miley Cyrus' Hannah Montana: The Movie soundtrack is the best-selling album that was released in 2009 (beating out albums by Eminem and U2). Cyrus and Lady GaGa were the only artists to finish in the mid-year top 10 on both the album and song charts.

Lady GaGa is definitely the hit-maker of the moment: She had two of the top five song hits, with "Poker Face" joined in the top five by "Just Dance" (featuring Colby O'Donis). She's also the only performer to sell 1 million copies of three different songs in the first half (with those two hits joined by "Lovegame.") Lady GaGa, who clearly went to school on Madonna's sound and style, even made the cover of Rolling Stone last month.

Just one week after his death, Michael Jackson is already making gains. Three of his albums are listed among the top 200 sellers for the year-to-date, topped by Number Ones at #62. Three of his songs are listed among the top 200 digital songs for the year-to-date, topped by "Thriller" at #131. You can bet that he will be much higher on the year-end charts.

Top 10 songs with the most paid downloads since January 1. (If the song also had paid downloads in 2008, I note that fact in my text, but it's not reflected in the tally.)


1. Flo Rida - "Right Round"
Sales in 2009: 3,516,000.
Also the biggest hit by a hip-hop and male act.
(Thank you, Dead or Alive, wherever you are.)


2. Lady Gaga - "Poker Face"
Sales in 2009: 3,366,000.
Sales in 2008: 170,000.
Also the biggest hit by a female act.


3. Black Eyed Peas - "Boom Boom Pow"
Sales in 2009: 3,139,000.
Also the biggest hit~ by a group.
"I'm so 3008/You so 2000 and late" is one of the catchiest lyrical hooks of the year. It's dumb and inspired at the same time.


4. All-American Rejects -  "Gives You Hell"
Sales in 2009: 2,554,000
Sales in 2008: 523,000.
Also the biggest hit by a rock group.


5. Lady Gaga featuring Colby O'Donis - "Just Dance"
Sales in 2009: 2,520,000.
Sales in 2008: 1,743,000.
Also the biggest hit by a breakthrough act, and collaboration.


6. T.I. featuring Justin Timberlake - "Dead and Gone"
Sales in 2009: 2,273,000
Sales in 2008: 173,000.


7. Soulja Boy Tell 'Em featuring Sammie - "Kiss Me Thru The Phone"
Sales in 2009: 2,163,000.
Sales in 2008: 66,000.
The song that kept Soulja Boy from one-hit-wonder status.


8. Kanye West - "Heartless"
Sales in 2009: 1,991,000.
Sales in 2008: 1,115,000.
The Fray and Kris Allen both released versions of this song, which gave the original version a boost.


9. Kelly Clarkson -  "My Life Would Suck Without You"
Sales in 2009: 1,977,000.
This sassy smash was Clarkson's first #1 on the Hot 100 since her American Idol coronation song, "A Moment Like This."


10. Miley Cyrus - "The Climb"
Sales in 2009: 1,867,000.
Biggest hit drawn from a motion picture.
Will it get an Oscar nomination for Best Song next year? (Will the academy even have a Best Song category next year?) Stay tuned.


11. Taylor Swift - "Love Story"
Sales in 2009: 1,760,800.

Now, here are the top 10 albums since January 1. (Again, if the album also had sales in 2008, I note that fact in my text, but it's not reflected in the tally.)

1. Taylor Swift - "Fearless"
Sales in 2009: 1,316,000.
Sales in 2008: 2,112,000.
2008 year-end: #3.
Also the best-selling album by a female and country act.
The biggest hit from the album is "Love Story" which is #11 for the year-to-date.


2. Hannah Montana/Miley Cyrus - "Hannah Montana: The Movie"
Sales in 2009: 1,177,000.
This is the best-selling album released in 2009. It's also the best-selling soundtrack so far this year.


3. Eminem - "Relapse"
Sales in 2009: 1,169,000.
This is the best-selling album by a male artist so far this year. It's also the best-selling rap album.
But, to put the number in perspective, Eminem's 2000 album, The Marshall Mathers LP, sold more copies (1,760,000) in its first week.
Biggest hit: "Crack a Bottle" (with Dr. Dre and 50 Cent), #14 for the year-to-date.


4. Lady Gaga - "The Fame"
Sales in 2009: 976,000.
Sales in 2008: 150,000.
This is the best-selling debut album so far this year. It's also the best-selling pure pop album.
More than three times as many fans have paid to download "Poker Face", and more than four times to download "Just Dance", as have bought the album.


5. Various Artists - "Twilight Soundtrack"
Sales in 2009: 971,000.
Sales in 2008: 1,128,000.
2008 year-end: #21.
Best-selling rock album.
Biggest hit: Paramore's "Decode", #98 for the year.


6. U2 - "No Line on the Horizon"
Sales in 2009: 939,000.
Best-selling album by a group.
This is the only album on the list that had no songs among the top 200 for the year-to-date. (Which explains why the album isn't higher on the list.)


7. Nickelback - "Dark Horse"
Sales in 2009: 912,000.
Sales in 2008: 1,165,000
2008 year-end: #20.
Biggest hit: "Gotta Be Somebody", #48 for the year to date.


8. Rascal Flatts - "Unstoppable"
Sales in 2009: 825,000.
Again, for perspective's sake, Rascal Flatts' 2006 album, Me And My Gang, sold nearly as many copies (722,000) in its first week.
Biggest hit: Here Comes Goodbye, #82 for the year-to-date.


9. Beyoncé - "I Am... Sasha Fierce"
Sales in 2009: 809,000.
Sales in 2008: 1,459,000
2008 year-end: #10.
Best-selling R&B crossover album.
Biggest hit: Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It), #17 for the year-to-date.


10. Dave Matthews Band - "Big Whiskey and the GrooGrux King"
Sales in 2009: 689,000.
It racked up these sales in just four weeks. But again, for perspective's sake, 2001's Everyday sold more copies (733,000) in its opening week.
Biggest hit: Funny the Way It Is, #195 for the year-to-date.


11. Kelly Clarkson - "All I Ever Wanted"
Sales in 2009: 612,279.
This wasn't on the original list, but I think it should be pretty safe to call it #11.

Also, for anyone who's interested, this is the list of best-selling digital songs of all time (i.e. from 2005 onwards):

1. Low, Flo Rida and T-Pain, 4,993,357.
2. Apologize, OneRepublic and Timbaland, 4,312,888.
3. Crank That, Soulja Boy Tell 'Em, 4,213,918.
4. Just Dance, Lady Gaga and Colby O'Donis, 4,185,945.
5. I'm Yours, Jason Mraz, 4,145,380.
6. Viva La Vida, Coldplay, 3,856,182.
7. Hot 'N Cold, Katy Perry, 3,699,104.
8. Bleeding Love, Leona Lewis, 3,665,987.
9. Stronger, Kanye West, 3,645,086.
10. Love Story, Taylor Swift, 3,591,544.
11. Hey There Delilah, Plain White T's, 3,512,878.
12. Lollipop, Lil Wayne and Static Major, 3,510,002.
13. I Kissed a Girl, Katy Perry, 3,478,734.
14. Disturbia, Rihanna, 3,476,944.
15. Right Round, Flo Rida and Ke$ha, 3,426,944.
16. So What, P!nk, 3,409,904.
17. Live Your Life, T.I. and Rihanna, 3,399,755.
18. Poker Face, Lady Gaga, 3,382,520.
19. Whatever You Like, T.I., 3,368,241.
20. Let it Rock, Kevin Rudolf and Lil Wayne, 3,286,709.
21. Big Girls Don't Cry, Fergie, 3,285,684.
22. Umbrella, Rihanna and Jay-Z, 3,216,934.
23. How To Save a Life, The Fray, 3,148,815.
24. Heartless, Kanye West,  3,068,429.
25. Rockstar, Nickelback, 3,048,132.
26. Sexyback, Justin Timberlake, 3,037,000.
27. Gives You Hell, All-American Rejects, 3,033,764.
28. No One, Alicia Keys, 3,000,000.
29. Paper Planes, M.I.A., 2,913,276.
30. Love Song, Sara Bareilles, 2,876,052.
31. Bubbly, Colbie Caillat, 2,847,858.
32. No Air, Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown, 2,830,711.
33. Don't Stop Believin', Journey, 2,803,280.
34. Boom Boom Pow, Black Eyed Peas, 2,802,286.
35. Single Ladies (Put a Ring On It), Beyoncé, 2,801,125.
36. Bad Day, Daniel Powter, 2,756,106.
37. Smack That, Akon and Eminem, 2,742,000.
38. Womanizer, Britney Spears, 2,737,431.
39. Before He Cheats, Carrie Underwood, 2,682,246.
40. Girlfriend, Avril Lavigne, 2,681,810.
41. Don't Stop the Music, Rihanna, 2,675,331.
42. Love Lockdown, Kanye West, 2,654,602.
43. Irreplaceable, Beyoncé, 2,588,000.
44. The Way I Are, Timbaland, Keri Hilson and D.O.E., 2,562,000.
45. Pocketful of Sunshine, Natasha Bedingfield, 2,491,745.
46. 4 Minutes, Madonna, Justin Timberlake and Timbaland, 2,471,692.
47. Paralyzer, Finger Eleven, 2,457,058.
48. The Sweet Escape, Gwen Stefani and Akon, 2,447,446.
49. Kiss Kiss, Chris Brown and T-Pain, 2,428,910.
50. Fergalicious, Fergie and will.i.am, 2,427,377.

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