Chris Brown top pop artist of 2006
From Keith Caulfield

LOS ANGELES—A little more than a year after his debut on the charts, Chris Brown finishes 2006 as Billboard’s top pop artist. Thanks to his self-titled top 10 album on Jive/Zomba — as well as multiple hit singles — the rookie R&B singer rose to the top, beating out formidable challenges from such established acts as rock band Nickelback, country combo Rascal Flatts and reggae star Sean Paul.
It’s no surprise then that best new artist Grammy nominee Brown is also this year’s No. 1 new pop artist. Other sexy new acts strutting their stuff on the Top New Artists chart this year include R&B singer/songwriter Ne-Yo at No. 2, Denver pop/rock act the Fray at No. 3, guitar-strumming U.K. singer James Blunt at No. 4, “American Idol” winner Carrie Underwood at No. 5 and “Idol”-enhanced Daniel Powter at No. 6.
In fact, Underwood does what no other “Idol” victor has done before — snare the honour of having the No. 1 entry on the year-end Top Billboard 200 Albums chart. The country singer’s “Some Hearts” has never left The Billboard 200, selling strongly through the year thanks to multiple hit singles on country radio.
The new country singer holds off a most surprising No. 2 album of the year — the Disney Channel TV soundtrack to “High School Musical.” The album is the first TV soundtrack to reach No. 1 on The Billboard 200 since “Miami Vice” in the ‘80s, naturally making it the year’s No. 1 soundtrack. On the year-end Hot 100 recap, artist of the year. Powter and his “Idol” anthem “Bad Day.” That single — which essentially became the show’s theme song in 2006 — is in fine company in the top five of the Hot 100 recap this year.