Nielsen has issued a year-end look at the most popular trends among Americans during 2008, covering everything from the top TV programs to the most popular consumer packaged goods.
Alicia Keys’ “As I Am” was the top selling album of 2008, according to Billboard and Nielsen.
Keys also had the most listened-to radio song of the year, “No One,” which drew 3.08 billion radio listeners between November 12, 2007 through November 16, 2008.
“Low,” by Flo Rida, featuring T-Pain, was the most downloaded song of the year, through November 16.
According to Scarborough Research, a joint partnership with Nielsen and Arbitron, MP3 players are most prevalent in Washington D.C., where 40% of adults live in households with at least one player. Nationwide, 30% of adults live in homes with MP3 players.
Top 10 Albums
| Rank | Album | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | As I Am | Alicia Keys |
| 2 | Noel | Josh Groban |
| 3 | Tha Carter III | Lil Wayne |
| 4 | Long Road Out of Eden | Eagles |
| 5 | Taylor Swift | Taylor Swift |
| 6 | Rock N Roll Jesus | Kid Rock |
| 7 | Viva La Vida or Death and All His Friends | Coldplay |
| 8 | NOW 26 | Various Artists |
| 9 | Carnival Ride | Carrie Underwood |
| 10 | The Ultimate Hits | Garth Brooks |
| Source: Billboard 200 / The Nielsen Company. | ||
| Note: Data is from Billboard’s Dec 1, 2007 issue through November 29, 2008 (including sales data from Nov. 12, 2007 through November 16, 2008). | ||
Top 10 Most Listened-To Radio Songs
| Rank | Song | Artist | Total Listeners |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | No One | Alicia Keys | 3,084,014,000 |
| 2 | Low | Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain | 3,025,670,000 |
| 3 | Bleeding Love | Leona Lewis | 2,754,498,000 |
| 4 | Apologize | Timbaland Featuring OneRepublic | 2,508,246,000 |
| 5 | Lollipop | Lil Wayne Featuring Static Major | 2,365,270,000 |
| 6 | With You | Chris Brown | 2,348,062,000 |
| 7 | Love in this Club | Usher Featuring Young Jeezy | 2,280,490,000 |
| 8 | No Air | Jordin Sparks Duet With Chris Brown | 2,170,133,000 |
| 9 | Sexy Can I | Ray J & Yung Berg | 1,926,995,000 |
| 10 | Take A Bow | Rihanna | 1,920,855,000 |
| Source: Billboard Hot 100 Airplay / The Nielsen Company. | |||
| Note: Data is from Billboard’s Dec 1, 2007 issue through November 29, 2008 (including sales data from Nov. 12, 2007 through November 16, 2008). | |||
Top 10 Most Digitally-Downloaded Songs
| Rank | Song | Artist |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Low | Flo Rida Featuring T-Pain |
| 2 | Bleeding Love | Leona Lewis |
| 3 | Lollipop | Lil Wayne Featuring Static Major |
| 4 | I Kissed a Girl | Katy Perry |
| 5 | Viva La Vida | Coldplay |
| 6 | Love Song | Sara Bareilles |
| 7 | Apologize | Timbaland Featuring OneRepublic |
| 8 | No Air | Jordin Sparks Duet With Chris Brown |
| 9 | Disturbia | Rihanna |
| 10 | 4 Minutes | Madonna Featuring Justin Timberlake |
| Source: Billboard Hot Digital Songs / The Nielsen Company. | ||
| Note: Data is from Billboard’s Dec 1, 2007 issue through November 29, 2008 (including sales data from Nov. 12, 2007 through November 16, 2008). | ||
Top U.S. Markets: Adults Living In A Household With An MP3 Player
| Rank | Market | % Adults Living In Households With An MP3 Player |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Washington, D.C. DMA | 40% |
| 2 | Salt Lake City DMA | 39% |
| 3 | San Francisco/Oakland/San Jose DMA | 38% |
| 4 | Providence/New Bedford DMA | 36% |
| 5 | Chicago DMA | 36% |
| 6 | Seattle/Tacoma DMA | 35% |
| 7 | New York DMA | 35% |
| 8 | Denver DMA | 35% |
| 9 | Honolulu DMA | 34% |
| 10 | San Diego DMA | 34% |
| National Average | 30% | |
| Source: Scarborough Research, Scarborough USA+ Release 1 2008. | ||
View the press release.
Relive the greatest hits of 2008 — stay tuned on Nielsen Wire for more Tops In 2008 coverage.
Look ahead to the new year with Nielsen Wire’s 2009 Industry Outlook series.
