1st January

Neilsen Soundscan reports that Mississippi band 3 Doors Down had the most played song on American radio in 2003 with their single When I'm Gone notching up 393,679 plays.


Top Ten Most-played Singles in The USA for 2003

1. 3 Doors Down – When I’m Gone

2. 50 Cent – In Da Club

3. Evanescence – Bring Me To Life

4. Matchbox Twenty - Unwell

5. R. Kelly - Ignition

6. Sean Paul - Get Busy

7. Beyonce - Crazy In Love

8. Nelly, P. Diddy and Murphy Lee - Shake Ya Tailfeather

9. Trapt - Headstrong

10. Avril Lavigne - I'm With You

According to year-end figures published by Neilsen Soundscan, Universal Music was America’s biggest music company of 2003, with a market share of 28.08% of the world's biggest music market. The No1 album of the year was 50 Cent's Get Rich or Die Tryin – on Universal - which sold 6,535,809 units.

Eric Clapton and The Kinks’ leader Ray Davies are named in Queen Elizabeth's New Years honours list, with both musicians receiving the CBE (Commander of the British Empire) award.

RAM Squad rapper John ‘Tommy Hill’ Wilson, recently arrested on cocaine charges in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA, is refused a lower bail. Prosecutors state that Wilson had maintained several aliases and addresses and also posed a flight risk. Bail remains set at $145,000.