The Jill Scott/Bon Iver Phenomenon: Top Albums Without a Top 40 Hit

While it may seem like the two have nothing in common, they actually do share an unusual feat: neither act has produced a top 40 single on the Billboard Hot 100 as a lead artist. Scott has gone as high as No. 43 with "A Long Walk" in 2001 -- one of just three singles she's notched on the list. As for Bon Iver, the act has yet to claim a Hot 100 hit as a lead -- though it has tagged along as a featured guest on two Kanye West tracks: "Monster" (No. 18) and "Dark Fantasy" (No. 60). Of course, Scott's format home is R&B, so it's no surprise that she's racked up 14 singles on the Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart. Her best showing so far is "Walk," which hit No. 9. However, her new single, "So in Love," reached No. 10 and an ascent back up the list isn't out of the question. (It dips 10-13 this week.) Meanwhile, on the Hot 100, "Love" debuts at No. 97, marking Scott's return to the list for the first time since 2001's "The Way" spent 20 weeks on the tally. Scott joins Susan Boyle (2009-10), India.Arie (2006) and Judy Garland (1961) as the only women to top the Billboard 200 without ever having banked a top 40 Hot 100 hit. That latter hitless group includes No. 1-debuting acts the Decemberists and Amos Lee, along with Social Distortion, Hollywood Undead, Asking Alexandra, Il Volo, Jackie Evancho and Ledisi. What those 39 acts have in common -- aside from a lack of Hot 100 hits -- is that they're all non-mainstream (read: pop) acts, and all of them have a strong following with a core demographic. There were 71 artist-album debuts between Jan. 16 and July 10, 2010, and of those, 41 (58%) were by acts that had placed a single in the top 40 of the Hot 100, while 30 (42%) had not. And, of the 30, 18 (60%) were lacking a Hot 100 hit entirely. (The no-hitters included, at that point: Vampire Weekend, Spoon, Broken Bells, Bullet for My Valentine, the National and LCD Soundsystem.) Well, first, it's easier to get a big debut on the Billboard 200 albums chart in 2011 than it has ever been -- especially for quirky under-the-radar acts. Why is that? As album sales have fallen off a cliff over the past decade -- and as more focus has been placed on first-week sales -- those acts with a core, dedicated fan base can propel an unlikely act straight into the top 10. One can not also discount the effect the digital age has had on the increase in non-hit acts reaching the upper tier of the Billboard 200 over the past five years.

All Music Book of Hit Albums, The Top 10 U.S. and U.K. Album Charts from 1960 to the Present Day

Various artists and compilation albums were given their own UK chart in 1989. ... Top 175 Top 200 Top 20 Top 30 Top 40 fluctuated between Top 15 and Top 77. ...

How Canadians communicate

Both developments nourished a rebirth of Top 40 radio formats in Canada. ... Compilation albums were one way of selling hit singles, and, by 2001, ...

Billboard

Though the band's album, "Kid A," which is nominated for album of the ... R&B and top 40 radio are rolling out promotional bonanzas in support of the Grammy ...

Billboard

Compilations accounted for 22% of all album ship- ROBBIE WILLIAMS and KYLIE ... which compiles live performances on national top 40 station BBC Radio 1. ...

Billboard

WDHA Releases Compilation On CD NJ Outlet Says Area Demand Is High ...newsline. ... TOP 40 "Word Up" (Atlanta Artists/ Poly Gram) was the first word off ...