Whoa—Robin Thicke’s “Blurred Lines,” which cleared the 300k plateau the previous week, comes within shouting distance of 400k on the latest sales chart, equating to an 18% jump. There’s also drama just below the pinnacle, as Imagine Dragons’ “Radioactive” (see Iovine item below), posting a +8%, jumping #5-2 to leapfrog Florida Georgia Line’s “Cruise” (-9%)…

Jimmy Iovine has masterfully utilized prime-time TV via the highly rated NBA Playoffs to exploit the symbiotic relationship between IGA and Beats, I.B. Bad notes in his latest column, posting Friday morning. The savvy marketing of Beats’ audio products in combination with exposure of the label group’s repertoire has reached critical mass during the postseason,…

Samsung reportedly paid $5 each for a 1 million copies of Jay-Z’s upcoming Magna Carta Holy Grail album. But, Hova won’t be able to write “new rules” regarding album sales and the charts. According to SoundScan,  the mogul won’t be able to claim instant platinum status on July 4. MTV News followed up with Nielsen…

Feat. Imagine Dragons “Radioactive” http://beats.is/RadioactiveDL As seen on Beats By Dre Powerbeats campaign starting LeBron James http://youtu.be/n6kyn-7MSFk 2013 KIDinaKORNER/Interscope Records

Continuing the celebration of their 50th anniversary as a band, the Rolling Stones have announced a new section of the iTunes Store dedicated exclusively to their music. There, fans will be able to purchase all of the Stones’ studio albums, live releases, and singles, from the band’s self-titled debut to such classics as “Beggars Banquet,”…

Almost 43 years after Black Sabbath debuted on the Billboard 200, the iconic rock band earns its first No. 1 album this week with the arrival of “13.” The set starts at No. 1 with 155,000 copies sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. “13” is the band’s 23rd chart entry, and first studio album with singer…

Yeah, it’s hard getting Elliott out that damn office. But anyway, Punch is back. And in the final clip, the TDE President speaks on Kendrick Lamar’s brief Def Jam signing, new artists, and the impact of Kendrick Lamar’s good kid, m.A.A.d city. Classic? Just maybe. Ha! [RapRadar]

Some time early Tuesday morning (6/18), Rihanna passed Justin Bieber as the most viewed artist on YouTube. The 77 videos on Rihanna’s official VEVO channel now have a combined 3.784 billion views in total, surpassing the total view counts of the 79 videos on Bieber’s official VEVO channel by roughly two million views. Rihanna surpassing…

Beyonce has wiggled out of a lawsuit brought by a video game company that sued the musician for allegedly backing away from a deal to create a motion-sensing dance game. Gate Five filed the lawsuit in New York court in April 2011, claiming that the superstar had acted on “a whim” the previous Christmas with…