HITS HIGH FIVE: PARANOIAC ON LINE 1

After reading the transcript of Anthony Scarramucci’s phone call to The New Yorker this week, we reminisced about the days when the HITS switchboard lit up daily with people ready to make Mooch-like rants to our intrepid reporters. Now they just use email.

And from those emails we give you the top stories of the week.

The new White House spokesman wasn’t the only person boiling over. The Bible is apparently counting free Tidal streams of Meek Mill's Wins & Losses in the album’s chart total, a longtime no-no on the chart. The Bible then defended its methodology in a way that underscores the cluelessness of its leadership.

Four of the Top 5 songs at iTunes are currently priced at 69 cents, a strategy that can reinforce radio programmers' sense of a record's potential pre-research and goose airplay.

A brass band in the stands at a bullfight in Tijuana led to the creation of a huge hit in the 1960s. Herb Alpert tells the story in History of the Music Business 2.

The Michael Jackson Estate believes the jury in Quincy Jones’ lawsuit was unqualified to rule on contractual matters.

UMG U.K. labels Virgin EMI and Fiction and indie Young Turks have two entries each in the shortlist of 12 albums nominated for the Hyundai Mercury Prize this year. Some guy named Ed Sheeran is nominated, too.