Music Power Rankings: 'Harlem Shake' tops Beyonce, Kelly Clarkson and Rihanna

Kelly Clarkson

Credit: John Shearer/AP

1. “Harlem Shake”: A change in methodology for the Billboard Hot 100 leads to Baauer’s viral sensation “Harlem Shake” debuting at No. 1 on the chart.  Somewhere, Rebecca Black is screaming, “It’s not fair!!”

2. Mumford & Sons: Not only does the British quartet get new hardware for its mantelpiece, but album of the year winner “Babel” soars back to the top of the Billboard chart, selling 185,000 copies, up 242% from the previous week.

3. Morrissey: Is there any other artist who could turn an entire arena vegetarian? Even McDonald’s will close when the former Smiths singer performs at Los Angeles’ Staples Center on March 1.

4. Kelly Clarkson: She dares to speak her truth to power as she challenges Clive Davis’s account of their falling out over the making of her third album, “My December.” The he said/she said ends with both sides standing by their story, but Clarkson wins in the court of public opinion.

5. Beyonce: Her HBO special, “Beyonce: Life is But A Dream,” attracted 1.8 million viewers in its Feb. 16 bow, making it the cable outlet’s top-drawing documentary since 2004. Blue Ivy got all her “Mommy and Me” classmates to tune in.

6. Pearl Jam: It only took 22 years, but this week the group’s debut album, “Ten,” hits sales of 10 million copies in the U.S., making it the 22nd album to reach the milestone in the Nielsen SoundScan era. Synchronicity.

7. Rihanna: “Stay” becomes her 24th Top 10 single, as she surpasses Whitney Houston and Rolling Stones, both of whom had 23 Top 10s.

8. M.I.A.: The artist accuses the Grammys of ripping off her set design for the Bob Marley tribute on Feb. 10’s show and announces she will “keep a steal log” on Tumblr calling out others who take her ideas. Here’s an idea:  M.I.A. is C.R.A.Z.Y.

9. Bonnaroo: While there are plenty of young acts to entertain the crowds, Bonnaroo turns to proven crowd pleasers such as Tom Petty & The Heartbreakers and Paul McCartney to headline the summer festival.

10. Ja Rule: The good news is the rapper got out of a New York prison after serving two years for illegal gun possession. The bad news is he goes straight to a federal prison to finish serving his time for tax evasion. And he did not pass Go.

Mindy McCready: RIP