Billboard.com describes the list as “a ranking of where power and influence resides in the music business and the industries that intersect with it.”

The power couple of Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter and Beyonce Knowles is ranked collectively at No. 13 on the list. As artists, both have enjoyed remarkable successes: He holds the record for the most No. 1 albums on the Billboard 200, topping that chart with 12 albums and selling 28 million units in the U.S. along the way, according to Nielsen SoundScan, while she has racked up sales of more than 29 million units from sales of her solo albums and as part of Destiny’s Child. — Billboard

In total, 11 artists made the list, with Jay-Z and Beyonce ranked highest at number 13 collectively. The basis for the decision is not only their incredible albums sales and Billboard chart hits, but also the numerous business ventures that they have undertaken over the years.

Jay-Z has produced his own clothing line, wrote his own book, created his own label, RocNation, served as CEO of Def Jam Records, and has ownership in numerous 40/40 clubs and the New Jersey Nets.

Beyonce, on the other hand, has a sponsorship deal with L’Oreal, as well as her own fragrance and a clothing line, House of Dereon.

Reuters reports that rock band U2, Taylor Swift, Lady Gaga and Jon Bon Jovi all made the list.

Billboard reports that Irving Azoff, the chairman of Live Nation, which is ”the world’s largest promoter, ticketing company and artist management group,” came in at number one on the list.

Coran Capshaw, who is the manager of many popular acts such as The Dave Matthews Band and also is the founder of Red Light Management, came in at number two.

Rankings were determined by a combination of key factors including market share, exclusive Billboard chart data/boxscore information, and revenue.  A team of 15 top Billboard editors then analyzed the value of these metrics to produce the final results. The list is U.S. based. As well, the Power 100 puts a premium on the top decision makers at each company. So, for example, the strong position of Interscope’s Jimmy Iovine’s is an argument against a high position for the number-two at that company, Steve Berman, who still makes the list.

The list boasts six artists, each of whom cracked the business ranking for specific reasons. “We couldn’t weigh the power of an artist’s fanbase against the power an executive has, or this would have simply been an artist list,” says Bill Werde, Billboard’s editorial director. “Our Moneymakers list is our artist list. But certain artists were able to break through to the Power 100 based purely on their business success or innovations.”

Artists on the Power 100 include Jay-Z and Beyonce as a power couple, Taylor Swift, U2, Jon Bon Jovi and Lady Gaga.

The rapidly changing music business is represented by the diversity of the remaining slots on the Power 100. There are 10 executives in television or movies (who either book artists or curate music for their productions); nine radio-industry executives and seven music-publishing executives (eight, including David Israelite of the National Music Publishers Association).

The list also includes executives from six digital service providers, from webcasters like Pandora to digital download stores like iTunes; five companies that use music for branding purposes and provide tour and artist sponsorship opportunities like Coca Cola, Chevrolet and AMEX; and five trade groups, like the RIAA and A2IM. There are also four lawyers, and two venture capitalists who invest in music-related companies.

BILLBOARD’S 2012 POWER 100 INDEX:

1. Irving Azoff
2. Coran Capshaw
3. Lucian Grainge
4. Martin Bandier
5. Doug Morris
6. Michael Rapino
7.  Rob Light
8. Len Blavatnik
9. Tim Leiweke
10. Jimmy Iovine
11. Eddy Cue and Robert Kondrk
12. John Hogan
13. Shawn “Jay-Z” Carter & Beyonce Knowles
14. Lyor Cohen
15. Randy Phillips
16. Emmanuel Seuge
17. Frank Cooper
18. Barry Weiss
19. Rob Stringer and Steve Barnett
20.  Arthur Fogel
21. Marc Geiger
22.  Dan Mason
23. Bob Pittman
24.  Roger Faxon
25.  Ronald “Slim” Williams and Bryan “Birdman” Williams
26. Rio Caraeff
27. U2 and Paul McGuinness
28. Julie Greenwald and Craig Kallman
29. Daniel Ek
30.  Lukasz “Dr. Luke” Gottwald
31. Lewis W. Dickey, Jr
32. Peter Grosslight
33. Charles Attal, Charlie Jones and Charlie Walker
34. Robert Greenblatt
35. Van Toffler
36. Monte Lipman
37. Antonio “L.A.” Reid
38. Joel Katz
39. Mark Campana and Bob Roux
40. Tim Westergren
41. Peter Edge and Tom Corson
42. Tom Poleman
43. Chip Hooper
44. Hartwig Masuch
45. Rob Cavallo and Todd Moscowitz
46. Cliff Burnstein and Peter Mensch
47. Nathan Hubbard
48. Jay Brown
49. Evan Lamberg
50. Jon Bon Jovi
51. Lia Vollack
52. Jan Jeffries
53. Steve Bartels
54. Scott Borchetta
55. Blaise D’Sylva
56. Neil Portnow
57. Dennis Arfa
58. Cameron Strang
59. Cortez Bryant/Gee Roberson
60. Sean Parker
61. Steve Moore
62. Paul Rosenberg
63. Tifanie Van Laar
64. Ryan Seacrest
65. Robert Kyncl
66. Lorne Michaels
67. John Butcher
68. Clint Higham
69. Randy Spendlove
70. Rich Lehrfeld
71. Peter Luukko
72. John Branca
73. Melissa Lonner
74. Raul Alarcon, Jr.
75. John Frankenheimer
76. Cary Sherman
77. Larry Marcus
78. Taylor Swift
79. Kevin Mayer
80. PJ Bloom
81.  James L. Dolan
82. Jesus Lopez
83. Martin Karl “Max Martin” Sandberg
84. Lady Gaga
85. Mike Dungan
86. Fred Wilson
87. Jon Platt
88. Willard Ahdritz
89. John Ivey and Alex Tear
90. Jody Gerson
91. Chris Tsakalakis
92. Nigel Lythgoe
93. Richard Busch
94. Debra Lee
95. David Israelite
96. Steve Berman
97. Rich Bengloff
98. Gary Overton
99. Daniel Glass
100. Simon Cowell

This re-opening of the 40/40 Club is open to the public, and plenty of celebrities are expected to attend. Get more info about the 40/40 Club here.
UPDATE: Only Jay-Z arrived for the club re-opening.

The Manhattan clubs new $10 million renovation includes four gargantuan, state-of-the-art 165-inch video screens and golden bats lining the walls of banquettes.

“I wanted to retain the feel of a clubhouse, a relaxed place to interact with friends,” Jay-Z told The News.

Hova’s new hideaway is open to the public, but VIPs can pay for $1,000 memberships with preferred access to private rooms.

In a Daily News exclusive, Jay-Z scoffed at a recent report he wrote a poem to his newborn daughter vowing to drop the word “b—-” from his vocabulary.

“That poem and story are fake,” Jay-Z, whose real name is Shawn Carter, revealed.

Meanwhile, local clothing designer Joseph Mbeh is trying to make a pile of green off baby Blue.

Mbeh, 35, has filed a trademark application for the name “Blue Ivy Carter NYC” for a line of childrens clothes, a U.S. Patent and Trademark application shows.

“We have a line of clothing which is an elite brand,” Mbeh told The News when pressed about the application outside his Manhattan office Tuesday.

He skirted questions about his apparent lack of connection to Jay-Z’s family, rushing back inside his office with a stern, No comment.

Mbeh’s $325 application, first reported by TheSmokingGun.com, has yet to be approved.

“I would not make money off a baby like that. Its going a bit overboard,” Cassie Paylor, 75, one of Mbeh’s Jersey City neighbors, told The News. “Its up to the little girl to use her name when she grows up.”

“LOVE ON TOP” DOWNLOAD DAY – JANUARY 16th

“Love On The Top” has been announced the next single in Noth America. The single was already released in Australia and Europe. After very positive feedback it’s time for american soil. The song is already Top 5 at the Urban AC and crossing to multi-formats. It has been already shipped to radios across the country in a “video edit” version.

Beyonce World is joining some fans on Twitter who want to support this song today in a special “Download Day”. Just purchase this song on your iTunes to join us!

Watch the latest L’Oreal commercial featuring Beyonce.

Beyonce is one of more than 20 designers creating everything from tanktops to clutches for Obama supporters to splurge on.

Some of the other famous faces who are part of the “Runway to Win” project, which New York magazine reports was organized by Vogue editor and Obama supporter Anna Wintour, include: Russell Simmons, Sean “Diddy” Combs, Tory Burch, Vera Wang, and Diane von Fursternberg.

Many of the same set of celebs participated in a similar fundraising effort in 2008 called “Runway to Change.” Proceeds from sales of the high-fashion items go to the Obama Victory Fund.

Beyonce, along with mom Tina Knowles designed a t-shirt emblazoned with phrases the commander-in-chief made famous, such as “Yes we can,” and, “I’m in!” The crew neck sells for $45 and, along with the other fashions, is only available for pre-order right now. The pro-Obama wardrobe items go on sale online Feb. 7.

Hello Hello Baby Blue!

We are happy to announce the arrival of our beautiful daughter, Blue Ivy Carter, born on Saturday, January 7, 2012.

Her birth was emotional and extremely peaceful, we are in heaven. She was delivered naturally at a healthy 7 lbs and it was the best experience of both of our lives.

We are thankful to everyone for all your prayers, well wishes, love and support.

- Beyoncé & JAY Z

Once again, Congratulations!!

On Saturday, the 8 p.m. anniversary special will sample four decades of performances. (It cost a “considerable amount of money” for the rights to replay some songs, Mr. Shapiro said.) Then the regular “Rockin’ Eve” — which starts at 10, pauses for the 11 o’clock news and resumes at 11:35 — will feature Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, Justin Bieber, Carlos Santana, Pitbull and Hot Chelle Rae, among others.

“Rockin’ Eve” is typically more popular than the competing countdown shows on NBC, Fox, MTV and other channels. Last year almost 19 million were watching ABC around midnight, according to Nielsen, though that figure surely understates the total audience because it does not count the groups of people who were watching at bars, restaurants and other parties.

So, how else to sum up the year than with MTV’s picks for the 25 Best Songs of 2011. Beyonce’s “Love on Top” lands in the Top 10! Check put the full countdown after the cut.

09. Beyoncé, “Love on Top”: You wanted a throwback jam, you’ve got a throwback jam. Big, bold, brassy and blissed-out, it represents everything B was going for on her 4 album, recalling roiling old R&B classics and the supreme diva-tude of the all-time greats. Sure, I could’ve gone for something like “Run the World (Girls)” or even “Countdown,” but “Love on Top” is where it all clicks, sublimely so. Joy for days, which, given our dire times, made this one an absolute lifesaver. Oh, and as is the case with all of her best tunes, Beyoncé belts here. And really, what else do you need?

25. Nicola Roberts, “Beat of My Drum”: Supremely saccharine single from erstwhile Girls Aloud member mashes together every notable pop moment in recent history, yet somehow manages to be better that the sum of its parts. That’s thanks mostly to the supercharged, sing-a-long chorus, where the whole thing comes together in a head-spinning rush. She should go solo more often.

24. Against Me!, “Russian Spies”: Searing, surging punk from Gainesville lifers proves their time on Sire Records didn’t soften them one bit. It only made them more resolute. And, strangely, sadder too.

23. Kreayshawn, “Gucci Gucci”: Either the smartest song of 2011 or the dumbest, the beauty of “Gucci Gucci” — and Kreayshawn, for that matter — is that the answer is probably both. The goofy, horror-movie synth squiggle, the dollops of low-end whomp, the part where Kreay claims to have swag coming out her ovaries … it’s all good. Even if it’s not.

22. Gospel Music, “This Town Doesn’t Have Enough Bars for Both Of Us”: Peppy, poppy, pocket-rock that laments the lack of quality drinking establishments in Owen Holmes’ hometown of Jacksonville, Florida, and dares to ponder one of life’s great post-breakup quandaries: When does our place become just my place? He’s not smart enough to know the answer; instead, he spends his genius on barroom bon mots like, “I’m not drinking anymore/ But I’m not drinking any less.” Works for me.

21. Demi Lovato, “Skyscraper”: For about a week, this was the biggest song in the world (or the Internet), a fact that had nothing to do with irony, our nascent sense of superiority or kittens, and everything to do with the startling connection Lovato makes with the track itself. Oh, and the fact that she sings the absolute beejezus out of it. Given everything that’s happened in Lovato’s life, that connection makes sense, but it’s the maturity she shows on the song — and that final, chill-inducing chorus — that opened eyes, and served notice. Welcome to the club, Demi.

20. Lykke Li, “Get Some”: Overlooked, otherworldly single off Li’s equally overlooked (and otherworldly) Wounded Rhymes album, this one is very much about sex. Thumping, bumping, panting … and then Li pushes it all over the top with her smoldering, sumptuous vocals. The kind of song that requires a cigarette and a cold shower after repeat listens.

19. The Black Keys, “Lonely Boy”: After spending portions of their breakout Brothers album getting slightly contemplative, the Keys roar back with “Lonely Boy,” a song that only contemplates how best to make a guitar rev like a V-8 engine. A hard-charging, and even harder-chugging treat (with an equally hard-partying music video), it’s the kind of classic claptrap you always knew they were capable of making.

18. Chris Brown, “Beautiful People”: Folks can talk about Brown’s hip-hop turn on “Look at Me Now,” but this single represents his biggest reinvention to date. A slippery, shiny club track helmed by Benny Benassi, like most of Breezy’s work it is undeniably sexy, but it’s also subtly smart too. And that’s where he made his biggest strides. Also, unlike “Look at Me Now,” he doesn’t even mention Mr. Miyagi once.

17. YACHT, “Dystopia (The Earth Is on Fire)”: Every day the sky gets lower (lowerlowerlower!) And every day the flames get higher (higherhigherhigher!) So, with apologies to Rock Master Scott and the Dynamic Three, this disco duo just decide to let the motherf—er burn.

16. Washed Out, “Eyes be Closed”: Massively ebbing and echoing bed-tronica (or, you know, “chillwave”) from some dude in Perry, Georgia. Bonus: Sounds nothing like Perry, Georgia.

15. Lil Wayne, “6 Foot 7 Foot”: Weezy and producer Bangladesh may still hate each other (or maybe they’ve made up, I can’t remember), but there’s no denying that both men are better off together. “6 Foot” starts with Harry Belafonte’s “The Banana Boat Song,” then twists it into something else entirely. Knotty and slightly seizure-inducing, it’s like “A Milli” times, well, a million.

14. Nicki Minaj, “Super Bass”: The unlikely champion of the Summer Jam Sweepstakes, it started life almost as an afterthought (a bonus track on the Pink Friday deluxe edition) and ended up being Nicki’s breakthrough hit. Sometimes things just work out that way. Here’s to the guys with the booming systems.

13. LMFAO, “Party Rock Anthem”: It’s either the stoopidest song in recent memory, or perhaps LMFAO’s magnum opus (or maybe both), but why ponder points like that when the end result is this good. From its ebola-catchy hook to party-hearty machinations, this one is just begging to be blasted … and shuffled to.

12. Foster The People, “Pumped Up Kicks”: The year’s catchiest rock tune was actually last year’s catchiest too — it just took folks a while to realize it. Hazy, loping and scratchy like a mohair sweater, it recalls a headier era when bands wrote ultra-hooky singles about ultra-dark things (Eels’ “Novocaine for the Soul,” the Smashing Pumpkins’ “Today,” etc.) and earned repeated spins on radio as a result. Also known as the 1990s.

11. Rihanna, “We Found Love”: A few weeks ago, someone told me that this would ultimately end up being Rihanna’s signature hit and, at the time, I sort of laughed him off. I mean, did he remember “Umbrella”? But, the more I think about it, he may be right. Or at least on the right track. From the icy synth strains to Calvin Harris’ hard-charging pre-chorus, it most certainly is the song that best represents pop, circa 2011, and given RiRi’s standing in the field, perhaps in time, it will become her set-closing number too. For now, at least, I’m content to bask in “Love’s” masterful mix of the carnal and, well, the club.

10. Britney Spears, “Till the World Ends”: I have been accused (many times) of being a Brit basher and, sure, that’s probably true, but not even I could deny this song. Super-charged star-burst synthesizers, robo-vocals and, of course, that iconic “Woah-Oh-Oh” chantalong, it’s the party jam for the post-apocalyptic future. And because of all that, it’s also an important song; not only a reminder that Britney is still capable of making truly terrific pop music, but that, really, she never stopped. And coming from one of her most ardent critics, that’s high praise indeed.

09. Beyoncé, “Love on Top”: You wanted a throwback jam, you’ve got a throwback jam. Big, bold, brassy and blissed-out, it represents everything B was going for on her 4 album, recalling roiling old R&B classics and the supreme diva-tude of the all-time greats. Sure, I could’ve gone for something like “Run the World (Girls)” or even “Countdown,” but “Love on Top” is where it all clicks, sublimely so. Joy for days, which, given our dire times, made this one an absolute lifesaver. Oh, and as is the case with all of her best tunes, Beyoncé belts here. And really, what else do you need?

08. Nickelback, “Bottoms Up”: Take away my cred card, but I am unapologetically in awe of this song. I wrote an entire column about its boozy brilliance earlier this year, but suffice to say, it is without a doubt the greatest thing Nickelback will ever do, in that they are first and foremost a party band, and this is their ultimate party jam: a song about getting supremely sh–faced, about drinking everything from Jim Beam to “straight gasoline,” complete with a crushing, ALL-CAPS chorus and appropriately chugging riffs. Oh, and at one point, Chad Kroeger rhymes “bar” with “fire,” mostly because he can. Hammer down, now and forever.

07. Bright Eyes, “The Ladder Song”: For as much noise as Conor Oberst is capable of making, it’s often the quieter moments where his rickety, ramshackle genius shines brightest. And “Ladder Song” — a heartbreakingly raw tribute to a friend who committed suicide — is not only his quietest, it’s one of his best. Backed by little more than a piano and a handful of otherworldly room tones, Oberst plumbs the depths of despair, his voice reedy and wavering, and, when he reaches bottom, discovers there are small beauties that make life worth living. It’s too bad, he ultimately laments, that his friend didn’t discover them too. The year’s most achingly beautiful song, by a hair-raising mile.

06. Drake, “Take Care”: There are no shortage of memorable, mystifying moments on Drake’s Take Care, but for me, none were quite as memorable (or mystifying) as the title track, which combines Jamie XX’s sparse reworking of Gil Scot-Heron’s “I’ll Take Care Of U” with Rihanna’s aching vocals and Drizzy’s bleary-eyed boasts. The end result is a song that’s so dark it’s practically nocturnal, echoing and empty. Perhaps 2011′s best example of a prime-time artist taking a major risk, it not only paid off in spades, it proved that Drake’s more than just a pretty face. He’s got brains, too … even if most of the time he’s too fried to realize it.

05. Florence and the Machine, “Shake It Out”: Part regret-filled lament, part old-fashioned revival, “Shake It Out” is a prime example of just what makes Florence Welch so great. It’s a heartrending song with an absolutely uplifting chorus, a mixture of somber metaphors and messages that ultimately decides to be an anthem for the downtrodden. It’s ethereal, otherworldly and, yet, decidedly visceral, too. And when combined with Welch’s hurricane vocals, it packs a punch few other songs could match. Be blown away.

04. Lady Gaga, “Heavy Metal Lover”: Buried toward the back of Born This Way, “Lover” was just about the only song Gaga didn’t release as a single this year, which is odd, considering it’s far and away the best track on the album. A masterful mix of “Transformers”-size techno pump and supple, slipstream synthesizers, it pulses and twitches, expands and contracts, and is probably the best example of what we all hoped BTW would be. As an added bonus, “I want your whiskey mouth/ All over my blond south” was unquestionably the pick-up line of the year.

03. Jay-Z and Kanye West, “N—as in Paris”: NO ONE KNOWS WHAT IT MEANS, BUT IT’S PROVOCATIVE. IT GETS THE PEOPLE GOING.

02. Girls, “Vomit”: A haunting, haunted song that follows frontman Chris Owens as he drifts through deserted city streets, ghostlike, searching for his long-lost love, “Vomit” most certainly is not an uplifting thing. But it never tries to be anything of the sort. Instead, over the course of six-and-a-half minutes, it is content to work itself up to a frothy, gospel-tinged peak — recalling Pink Floyd and Spiritualized — and as Owens begs “Come into my heart,” you sort of realize that sometimes it’s OK to go it alone. Or at least that’s what you try to keep telling yourself.

01. Adele, “Rolling in the Deep”: Not only the song of the year, it’s also quite possibly the song of our time, which is an odd thing to say, considering “Deep” is about as artfully anachronistic as popular music gets: a crackling, breathy thing that roils along on little more than a stubby guitar and some primal pounding, it positively roars to life the second the chorus hits, powered entirely by Adele’s prodigious pipes. No Auto-Tune, no mention of partying or material excess (and not even a single Will Ferrell sample), “Deep” is a throwback in every conceivable way to a time when artists actually sang (and sang about real, genuine emotions like sadness and anger), when a single could push an album for months and months at a time and, most of all, when people still bought music. And despite all that, it was still the crossover smash to end all crossover smashes, the song that not only dominated 2011, but defined it, too. Sort of gives you hope … or makes you realize we truly are living in the strangest of times.