Pop Sweep: July 13, 2013...





It's time to kick off today's "chart sweeps" sampling the songs reaching the various radio and singles charts in Billboard magazine, and as always I'll begin with the pop side of the house and the big chart, the Hot 100.

On Billboard's Hot 100, which combines data from sales, airplay, and internet streaming, Robin Thicke closes in on a fourth week at #1 with "Blurred Lines"....

Now the top debut of the week is by country group the Eli Young Band, with "Drunk Last Night" at #79. However just as a couple weeks ago when it entered the country chart, there is no YouTube or other video presence for this track yet, which is insane in these times, even for an established back. So rather than posting a crappy phonecam-ed concert clip, I'm just gonna skip it. F-em. You've had time, throw a damn audio clip up there! For the record two of their singles, "Crazy Girl" and "Even If It Breaks Your Heart", went to the top-30 on this chart....

Next down at #81 is Swedish DJ/producer Avicii, who returns with "Wake Me Up". The man born Tim Bergling sold over a million copies of his Etta James-sampling "Levels" in the US, though it never got any higher on the Hot 100 than #60. This new track features vocals by fave of mine Aloe Blacc, who went to #2 in the UK in 2010 with the excellent "I Need A Dollar". This does remind me more than a little of Emeli Sande's "Next To Me"...


(Click below to see the rest of the post)


Chris Brown comes in at #87 by exhuming the late R&B singer Aaliyah for a "collab" record "Don't Think They Know". Her vocals are ripped from a 2001 duet with rapper Digital Black, and the video includes images from other videos of hers. Really. It's the second official single from Brown's upcoming X album, which is being released on the 16th of July. This is Aaliyah's first time on the big chart since 2003's "Come Over" went to #32...



Country singer/songwriter Lee Brice is back at #93 with his "Parking Lot Party". It's the fourth single from his Hard 2 Love album. The other three went to #1 on the country chart, and two of those ("A Woman Like You" and "Hard To Love") reached the top-40 on this one...



Crossover country stars Lady Antebellum see the second single from their latest Golden set, "Goodbye Town", reach the big chart at #98. It follows "Downtown", one of seven of their songs to make the top-40 on the chart, with two going top-10 ("Need You Now" and "Just A Kiss")...


 The last entry on the big chart at #100 is rapper Big Sean with "Beware" featuring Lil' Wayne and Jhane Aiko. It's the second single to make the chart from his upcoming sophomore solo set Hall of Fame. His first album sent three songs to the top-40, with "Dance (A$$)" reaching #10 in 2011...(NSFW)




...and now on to the pop radio format charts...

 On the Mainstream Top-40 pop radio panel, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis hold on to #1 for a fourth week with "Can't Hold Us"...

The top entry at #37 is French EDM guru David Guetta with "Play Hard" featuring R&B singers Ne-Yo and Akon....


The other song to enter is one that originally was on the rock charts back in 2011..."Sail"  by AWOLnation comes in at #39...


Meanwhile, over on the older-skewing Adult Top-40 chart, Pink and fun.'s Nate Ruess remain on top for a tenth week with "Just Give Me A Reason"...

The high debut at #34 is indie-pop duo Capital Cities with their breakthrough hit "Safe And Sound". It's already a #1 song on Modern Rock radio. Like "Sail", it's another "slow-burner" that was originally released back in 2011...


The other entry at #39 is singer/songwriter and Dancing With The Stars alum Gavin Degraw with "Best I Ever Had". Four of his songs have gone top-10 in this format, with 2011's "Not Over You" reaching the #1 spot. This is my "Pop Pick Of The Week" this week, though this does smart of "Train-ness"....


 Lastly, on the Adult Contemporary, or "easy-listening" format, Bruno Mars climbs back to #1 for a second non-consecutive week with "When I Was Your Man"...

 Reaching the AC chart at #23 are neo-country duo Florida Georgia Line with rapper Nelly with the revamped version of "Cruise"...


Actress/singer Anna Kendrick takes her redone take on "Cups (When I'm Gone)" from Pitch Perfect to the chart at #25..


"Brave", the Sara Bareilles self-empowerment anthem that was a "Pop Pick" a few weeks back, is in on AC at #26....Still guaranteed to be among my top 5 personal faves of the year, if not my absolute...


The last debut on this format is by the #1 holder, Bruno Mars, with his disco-fied followup, "Treasure"...


That does it for this week's pop crop...I'll return in 90 minutes with the newest on rock radio...



Comments