With Christmas just days away, PPL and PRS for Music, organizations that are responsible for collecting royalties for performers and music creators, have revealed the top Christmas songs that have been played the most during the last ten years.

The chart is topped by Mariah Carey’s classic version of “All I Want For Christmas” that was released in 1994. The song was written by Walter Afanasieff and Mariah Carey. In the second spot is “Fairytale of New York” by the Pogues from 1987. The song was written by Jem Finer and Shane MacGowan and features the deceased Kristy MacColl.

Rounding out the top ten are “Merry Xmas Everybody,” released in 1973, performed by Slade and written by Noddy Holder & James Lee at number 3. At number 4 is “Stop the Calvary,” released in 1980 , performed and written by Jona Lewie. At number 5 is “Do They Know It’s Christmas,” released in 1984, performed by Band Aid and written by Bod Geldof & Midge Ure. At number 6 is “Driving Home For Christmas,” released in 1988, performed and written by Chris Rea. At number 7 is “Last Christmas,” released in 1984 and performed by Wham and written by George Michael. At number 8 is “I Believe In Father Christmas,” released in 1975, performed and written by Greg Lake. At number 9 is “Step Into Christmas,” released in 1973, performed by Elton John and written by Bernie Taupin and Elton John. At number 10 is “Wonderful Christmas Time,” released in 1979 and performed and written by Paul McCartney.

Data from live music, international performance, television, radio airplay and shops was analyzed from the decade to determine which songs were performed the most.

During the last 10 years the two organizations have each seen increases in terms of Christmas themed music being played in UK retail stores. Businesses are looking to music to help them boost their sales. Research conducted by musicworksforyou.com was able to identify a few trends.

One in four people claimed they were more generous when it came to buying presents if they heard Christmas music playing.

95% of people said they preferred to shop in stores that had music playing.

50% of people said that Christmas music shouldn’t start playing in stores until December.

A spokesperson from the licensing organizations said that Christmas would not really be Christmas unless the music that we all love and know was playing. It makes us not only feel good whenever we hear it, but it also directly benefits businesses that use Christmas music to set a mood and the atmosphere for encouraging us to buy. The extensive research conducted shows that music is very powerful and that businesses working with the public can affect consumer behavior considerably.

Its been three years since Mariah Carey toured in support of her “Adventures of Mimi” Tour and the wait for her fans is finally over. Mariah Carey will set out on a 19-city tour that starts New Year’s Eve (12/31) in New York, NY and carries through to February 27 in Las Vegas. RydazNrtist will be providing opening support on the upcoming tour. They are an R&B upstart group signed by Carey’s husband Nick Cannon to his label NCredible Entertainment. The upcoming tour will be largely be opting for theaters over arenas. Full Mariah Carey tour dates can be seen below.

Carey will be touring in support of her latest release “Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel” that hit store shelves on September 29. The album climbed up to number 3 on the Billboard Album charts and has sold 344,000 copies to date according to Nielsen Soundscan.

The majority of the dates will go onsale through Ticketmaster on December 19 with Mariah Carey’s fan club Honey B Fly handling presales in the days before.

2010 Mariah Carey Tour Dates
December 2009
31 – New York, NY – Madison Square Garden

January 2010
2 – Atlantic City, NJ – Borgata
15 – Mashantucket, CT – MGM Grand Theatre
16 – Mashantucket, CT – Foxwoods
19 – Atlanta, GA – Fox Theatre
21 – Hollywood, FL – Hard Rock Live at Seminole Hard Rock Hotel & Casino
25 – Detroit, MI – Fox Theatre
27 – Washington, DC – DAR Constitution Hall
30 – Boston, MA – Wang Theatre

February 2010
1 – Philadelphia, PA – Tower Theatre
4 – Montreal, Que. – Bell Centre
6 – Ottawa, Ont. – Scotiabank Place
9 – Toronto, Ont. – Air Canada Centre
10 – Columbus, OH – Schottenstein Center
13 – Chicago, IL – Chicago Theatre
16 – Minneapolis, MN – Northrop Auditorium
18 – Dallas, TX – Nokia Theatre
20 – Phoenix, AZ – Dodge Theatre
23 – Los Angeles, CA – Gibson Theatre
26 – Oakland, CA – Oracle Arena
27 – Las Vegas, NV – The Pearl Concert Theater

In the good old days, all musicians needed was a tune that was radio ready and a music video along with the willingness to go out on the road in order for your album to make sales. In the world today you need TV show placement, a Timbaland album spot, and some form of integrated marketing. It’s a mystery why more artists don’t develop iPhone apps. They aren’t very expensive to produce and have great potential in terms of impact and interactivity.

That’s what’s so exciting about “Mariah Carey-oke.” It’s an iPhone app that was released to tie in with Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel, Carey’s new album. It came out a few weeks ago, but we just got around to test driving it. Voice recognition software is used to judge just how well you really do know the lyrics and notes to four Carey songs: “Shake It Off,” “Don’t Forget About Us,” “Obsessed,” and “Touch My Body.” As the game continues to progress the songs become harder and harder. In fact we had some trouble getting through two of the songs, let alone all four. The app is also augmented with Memoirs of an Imperfect Angel artwork. It’s a very nice presentation.

As I said earlier, it’s crazy that that aren’t more artists who have these types of custom apps. The app that the tech savvy Trent Reznor, frontman of Nine Inch Nails, released is incredible. There are streams of Reznor’s songs and there is also a news feed to help you connect with other Nine Inch Nails fans. There are other groups who could really benefit from this type of technology, especially those who have a strong presence online. Weezer could easily transpose “Weezer Fight,” their very popular online game, into an app. Then there is Justin Bieber. He could run a photo stream or offer a direct connection straight into his Twitter feed. “Mariah Carey-oke,” with it’s great punny name, at $3.99 is a little pricey for four portable singalong songs. But the idea is pretty cool and will probably be stolen in the future repeatedly.

In terms of her role in Precious, the movie based on Sapphire’s novel Push, Mariah Carey has quite a good sense of humor concerning it. This is despite the fact that her character as well as the story, concerning a downtrodden, abused teen, is not at all funny. The global superstar Carey in playing Ms. Weiss, the welfare caseworker, wore dowdy clothes and no false eyelashes or makeup. Not that Carey didn’t try.

Carey said, you can just thank Mr. Daniels for that, as she looked over at Lee Daniels the producer and director during the film’s press conference held earlier this week at Toronto’s International Film Festival. There was a very specific look that he had in mind, Carey continued. I brought all my wigs in for my character. He said, no that’s not happening. What he kept bringing up was how what the characters were going through that were in the movie wasn’t about that.

Mariah whined, come on Lee, there wasn’t any makeup under my eyes. My friend was not the overhead lighting. You knew, you so knew. You loved it.

Daniels, sitting with the author Sapphire and the executive producers Lisa Cortes, Tyler Perry and Oprah Winfrey, along with Mary J. Blige, the composer, teased Carey by telling everyone in the room about an amusing story that took place on the set.

Daniels said, I am directing and looking at Mariah. I am talking, doing whatever and see out of my peripheral vision that she’s putting blush on.

Carey interjected, it was just a little bit.

Daniels asked her, what do you think you are doing? Forget about that continuity. What is this?

Carey said, nothing. Why does Precious have on makeup,

Mariah, poking fun at herself said, someone who does my makeup said it’s a real Mariah Carey nightmare. Everything you hate right now is going on. It was really cool though. Lots of people have said they don’t even recognize me in that movie. They don’t even know that it’s me. That was really a great gift to me that Lee was able to give me and really be able to get that far from who I really am.

Just like Sidibe, Blige, Patton and Winfrey, Carey has been a big fan of Sapphire’s novel Push for a very long time. It really changed my life, Carey said. Sapphire knows that, she added, nodding over to the author. For me it’s incredible just being involved. I don’t know even if I could even have imagined how the book could be turned into a movie. I was such a big fan in terms of the book. I read it two times right in a row. It was very overpowering.

One of the more intense scenes in the movie Previous features Carey. She does a revealing, probing interview with Precious along with Mary, her mother, played by Mo’Nique. Carey calls the scene “the answer.”

Carey said, my character isn’t a very likable person. However she bring this up to the surface. When I was playing the role, as an actor I need to stay very strong. I have to really thank Lee very much for giving me this chance. Also for allowing us to be really free in terms of that scene. It was a really big opportunity for me to get to exercise and work. We were so connected on a very deep level. In between scenes we were crying. For us it was very emotional.

Winfrey said, after I finished watching the movie, literally I needed to breathe. I didn’t start to cry until that card came up. “For Precious Girls Everywhere.” That really hit a nerve. I was able to recognize myself in the character. I recognized most of all I’ve seen these Precious girls in the world. They had all been quite invisible to me.

This film’s message is none of us seeing that movie will now be able to walk through this world and allow the world’s Preciouses to be invisible ever again to us.

Although the Neighborhood Ball, an event held for Barack Obama, got beat by “American Idol” last night in the TV ratings it was definitely the hottest of all official inaugural events by far.

Beyonce, Jay Z, Queen Latifah, Alicia Keys, Mariah Carey, Sting and Stevie Wonder were among the many performers who wowed the 2,000 plus crowd of Washington D.C. residents and former campaign workers for Obama.

Jamie Foxx, Leonardo DiCaprio and Denzel Washington also added lots of star power from Hollywood by introducing segments and hanging out backstage. Leonardo brought his dad along, who videotaped with his minicam the acrobat troupe forming a human pyramid. Actor Denzel Washington used a big freight elevator to get to the stage and was accompanied by a gospel choir who sang to him. They asked him if he could sing. He laughed and said not me. My wife is the one who can sing. No one wants to hear me.

Sting, standing in the back part of the elevator incognito with his brown beard, went unrecognized almost until a woman spotted him and shifted the attention.

Down inside the dressing room, made up of partitions made of thin curtains and furnished with couches and card tables, Stevie Wonder and Sting were right next to each other. As Stevie was practicing harmonica riffs, Sting was listening to the instrumental track for “Signed, Sealed, Delivered,” which was the evening’s superstar group sing along.

Stevie suddenly started to play along from the other side of the partition as Sting on his side tried the lyrics out. Stevie then stopped everything by going into an incredible jazz riff. The moment was extraordinary and only topped by the duo’s show closer on the Sting song “Brand New Day.”

Inside the holding area, meanwhile, Alicia Keys said hello to Queen Latifah. The two women’s moms discussed how they loved their performances in the movie “The Secret Life of Bees.” Queen Latifah looked absolutely stunning in the gown she was wearing. Sean Diddy Combs, dressed in a very spiffy tuxedo, lounged in a corner despite the fact he wasn’t in the show. Then later Queen Latifah went to the stage along with the mothers so they could watch the knockout performance of Alicia’s on “No One.” They also took pictures along with a nine year old beautiful girl who was wearing a white formal gown. Her mother was thrilled.

Then there was, of course, Mariah Carey along with Nick Cannon, her young husband. Cannon was perched over the stage deejaying songs for all the artists. After Wonder finished on “All About the Love Again,” his great new single from the Obama album, Cannon launched a Stevie Wonder classic hits medley.

He was asked if he did bar mitzvahs. Cannon laughed and said, why not, sure. That’s good money.

Meantime Mariah was happy and glowing, although not pregnant, over her “Hero” performance. She asked, was it ok? She then asked if Randy Jackson was there.

He wasn’t, since he was busy on his show “American Idol.” He probably would have been a lot happier here.

Sixteen months after “The Emancipation of Mimi,” her comeback album, was released Mariah Carey is hitting the road. She has a very tough road ahead of her to show up Madonna, her rival diva. Reportedly the Material Girl laughed hysterically earlier this year after hearing rumors of tanking ticket sales for Carey. Madonna’s “Confessions” tour has continued to cause controversy as well as sell out all over the world. Carey’s “The Adventures of Mimi: The Voice, The Hits, the Tour” does promise guest stars, big sets, and many costume changes, in keeping with Carey’s fashion.

Carey sets out on the long anticipated tour after selling 5 million copies of “Mimi” and winning three more Grammys. It’s more about reclamation than it is emancipation. It’s the ’90s all over again Once again Carey is topping the charts.

In the meantime, there is a certain phony British, aging diva still miffed over the time long ago when Carey told reporters about how when she was growing up she listened to Madonna. In London on July 4 at the Live 8 concert, reportedly Madonna told a toady she didn’t want Carey anywhere near her. Even during the Grammy opening spot the two feuded. Madonna won.

However Carey had the most nominations and also took gold gramophones home, proving that she isn’t down on the count.

Carey enlisted Randy “Dawg” Jackson, American Idol judge and longtime musical director of hers, to help with fine tuning the “Mimi” tour. Despite the Carey-Madonna rivalry, Jackson doesn’t put it past him to look for inspiration from the enemy. In a Larry King Live interview in May, Jackson showed his appreciation for the “Confessions” tour, featuring slide shows that are politically charged, a disco ball costing $2 million, and the mock crucifixion of Madonna on a gigantic mirrored cross. However, Carey says that the tour is not really about theatrics. What it is about is the songs, the music, and the fans of course.

Along with her quirky clothing, butterflies, nutty personality and three octave voice, Carey always has been about her fans. Whether she is communicating with kooky messages via her website or she’s choosing her set list based on what she thinks her fans will be pleased with the most, Mariah isn’t even above letting fans name the tour. The name of a Carey fan’s diary gave her tour its “The Adventures of Mimi” name. Carey says that this time out she will be making decisions depending on what really feels right to her and not in terms of what will make her the most money. Its that method that she faults for causing the career calamities in her past.

Despite the smashing success in 2005 of “Mimi,” it seemed that Carey wasn’t ever going to tour again. Most artists do plan their tours to coincide with their album releases. Maybe Carey’s camp had been holding back with their fingers crossed to wait and see how thing would turn out. After all, the early years in the new millennium hadn’t been kind to Carey. “Glitter,” her film debut bombed. Following a breakdown that was very public on the MTV show “Total Request Live,” Mariah was hospitalized. And EMI, Carey’s record label, paid her $28 million just so they could get rid of her contract.

No one, including Madonna, was expecting to see Carey return to the spotlight. In 2003 her latest album “Charmbracelet,” only received a very lukewarm response. Although there were a few minor hits, they were played mostly on the adult contemporary radio stations instead of R&B radio that a decade before Carey had helped to invent. Even Island/Def Jam, Carey’s new record label, appears to be hedging their bets when it comes to “Mimi.” The cover of the album features Carey in gold attire and styled more like Beyonce, the reigning diva of the decade, than herself.

Carey is on top of the game once again and looking a lot more like herself. That isn’t a good thing always. The entire career of Carey’s has been plagued with questionable choices in fashion along with her acting pursuits and wacky behavior. In a recent performance she wore a tank top and hot pants. It was the very same style of trailer trasher that back in the old days brought her ridicule. For her “Mimi” tour, fortunately wardrobe decisions are being made by a fashion professional.

June Ambrose, a stylist who has also worked with R. Kelly, Missy Elliot and Diddy, said that the tour wardrobe of Carey’s will include outfits that normally you wouldn’t see her in. “Mimi” tour wardrobe sketches feature a crystal covered black leotard, flowing gowns and a while dinner jacket in the James Bond style. According to Ambrose, the concert will start out as black-and-white attire. Then Carey will strip all the rumors away and be born again. In all there are a total of nine costume changes. The “Confessions” tour of Madonna features only seven. The accessories include stiletto heels that are 7 inches and a broach costing $10 million.

In terms of the set list, lots of classic Carey hits can be expected along with new material like “Don’t Forget About Us” and “Say Somethin.’”

Carey said, I’m the type of person who really hates disappointing people. Some people just won’t be happy if they don’t hear specific songs.

So we can all expect we will hear “Dreamlover,” “Fantasy,” and maybe even a medley of obscure numbers mixed in with her past hits. Carey also loves to have company, so we can also expect to see a slew of surprise guests showing up in select cities, although probably Madonna won’t be one.

“The Adventures of Mimi: The Voice, the Hits, the Tour” starts in Miami, Florida on August 5.

Mariah Carey, over a year after she issued “The Emancipation of Mimi,” the album that revived her career, is finally rolling out plans for launching an ambitious arena tour of the US.

The tour is set to launch in Miami on August 5, with a route mapped out that will see Carey in 30 different cities by the middle of October. Sean Paul, the dance hall and Reggae star, will be the opener for select dates.

General public on-sale ticket information is not available yet, but official Carey fan club members will be given pre-sales access to tickets starting this week. The singer’s website has more available information.

The upcoming road tour for Carey, called “The Adventures of Mimi: The Voice, the Hits, the Tour,” will be featuring songs from throughout Carey’s 15 year career. According to the press release the tour will also include many songs being performed for the very first time.

“The Emancipation of Mimi,” released last April, marks the return of Carey to pop diva stardom after her career arc had started to falter during the years that led up to the release of her set.

After a decade with Columbia Records where she racked up multiple platinum albums, including two Diamond awards for “Music Box” (1993) and “Daydream” (1995) signifying 10 million copies shipped in the US for each album, Carey split with Columbia after “Rainbow” in 1999 and signed with Virgin Records for a $80 million, four album deal. Her only album for Virgin was “Glitter” in 2001. It had been originally due to come out in the summer, but the release date was pushed to September 11, 2001 when in July Carey ended up checking herself into the hospital. She received treatment for a physical and emotional breakdown.

“Glitter,” which was a soundtrack to a movie that was poorly received starring Carey with the same name, was a commercial failure for her. Virgin cut ties with Carey after that and paid her $49 million.

In 2002 the first album of Carey’s for Island Records, “Charmbracelet,” was released. It didn’t fare too much better than her previous album. There had been a supporting arena tour scheduled, but it got scaled back to just a amphitheater and theater run.

All of that changed with the release of “The Emancipation of Mimi.” It debuted on Billboard 200 at number 1 and last year in the U.S. was the top selling album. The multi-platinum record was RIAA certified after shipping 6 million U.S. Copies and feature No. 1 hits “Don’t Forget About Us” and “We Belong Together.”

Carey received eight Grammy nominations for “The Emancipation of Mimi.” She received three trophies. For the song “We Belong Together” she received Best R&B Vocal Performance. She also received awards for Best R&B Song and Best Contemporary R&B Album. Her three awards were the first for her since she won Grammys in 1990 for Best Female Pop Vocal Performance and Best New Artist.

Every song appearing on the album was co-produced and written by Carey. Guest appearances featured include Twista, Nelly and Snoop Dogg. Help with production came from Jermaine Dupri, Kayne West and the Neptunes.