Pop-punk band Plain White T’s led the U.S. pop singles chart for a second week Thursday with “Hey There Delilah,” while Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie’s “Big Girls Don’t Cry” rose one to No. 2, swapping places with R&B starlet Rihanna’s former chart-topper “Umbrella.” Timbaland’s “The Way I Are” featuring Keri Hilson rose one to No. 4 on the Billboard Hot 100, trading places with Shop Boyz’s “Party Like a Rockstar.” At No. 6, the “High School Musical 2” onslaught began as the cast single “What Time Is It” entered the chart after selling 87,000 physical singles and 31,000 downloads.
The physical tally is the most for that format since “American Idol” veteran Taylor Hicks moved 190,000 units of “Do I Make You Proud” in late June 2006. The “High School Musical 2” album hits stores August 14, and the movie premieres three days later on the Disney Channel.
Akon’s “Sorry, Blame It on Me” scored a major debut at No. 7, the highest of his career. The R&B singer now has eight top 10 appearances in 2007.
Hurricane Chris’ “A Bay Bay” slipped one to No. 8, while T-Pain’s “Buy U a Drank (Shawty Snappin’)” was down three spots to No. 9, and his “Bartender” featuring Akon dropped two to No. 10.
Country singer Billy Ray Cyrus earned his first Hot 100 appearance since 2000 with “Ready, Set, Don’t Go,” which opened at No. 85. John Travolta and Queen Latifah also returned to the tally after long absences as part of the cast of “Hairspray,” whose “You Can’t Stop the Beat” was new at No. 88.
Travolta had been missing from the Hot 100 since “Greased Lightnin”‘ in 1978, while Latifah’s last appearance was in 1998 with “Paper.”
