Twostepcublog

Duran Duran - " Union Of The Snake " from the album Seven & The Ragged Tiger (1983) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #3 (three weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 12 Today's Song of the Day is by the quintessential British new wave/pop band Duran Duran , who after having an immensely successful album in American with Rio , reissued their self-titled debut as a stopgap along with a new track, " Is There Something I Should Know? " which became their second top-10 single in the States.  Moving to France to record their next album (and also avoid taxes), they enlisted Ian Little to produce their next set, Seven & The Ragged Tiger . With a difficult recording history that took them to the island of Montserrat and adding another producer with Alex Sadkin, the record was finally released at the end of 1983. The first single, "Union Of The Snake", written by the band, turned heads as it premiered on MTV before being available on the radio.. "Union O

The Pointer Sisters - " I Need You " from the album Break Out (1983) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #48 This week's "robbed hit" is by the funky sibling group the Pointer Sisters , who had evolved by 1983 into a competent though moderately successful lite-R&B trio. Their ninth album, I'm So Excited , produced another top-20 hit with the rather tame " American Music ", and followed it up with the future re-release party jam of the title track . Taking a full year to release another record, although they returned to producer Richard Perry, their next album would take them into a more adult, sensual sound hinted at with their "Slow Hand" smash from the early 80s. The first single released from the new album, Break Out , was the R&B mid-tempo jam "I Need You", written by Nan O'Byrne, Richard Feldman, and John Black, and established them back on R&B radio. I love the vocal interplay between the sisters here...

It's time to roll out part two of this week's "album sweep" sampling the records spending their first week on the Top 200 Albums chart in Billboard magazine. As with yesterday's post, I've included links to buy anything you see... Shooting in at #32 is Texas country artist Casey Donahew with his latest set, Standoff , which matches the rank of his last, Double-Wide Dream ... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Michael Stanley Band - " My Town " from the album You Can't Fight Fashion (1983) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #39 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 1 Today's Song of the Day is by Cleveland's pride Michael Stanley , who started out in a band called Silk in the late 60s before a brief unsuccessful solo stint in the early 70s. Regrouping with what would become the Michael Stanley Band, they would release their first album together in 1975. However radio success would come five years and a bunch of member changes later, when in 1980 their single " He Can't Love You " from their fourth studio album Heartland became their first and biggest pop hit, reaching #33 on the Hot 100. A few more albums and minor hit singles later, Stanley and the band emerged with You Can't Fight Fashion , produced by big-sound producer Bob Clearmountain and with a first single that was tailored for radio play across the nation with specialized version with the town inser

Hey gang, part one of this week's "album sweep" is up, sampling the records making their first appearance on Billboard magazine's Top 200 Albums sales chart this week. As always I've included links to buy anything you see... The top selling album of the week is alt-rock heroes Fall Out Boy, who grab their second #1 CD (after 2007's Infinity On High ) with the ambitious Save Rock And Roll which sold over 150 thousand in its first week...(NSFW on that third one ) (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Olivia Newton-John - " Twist Of Fate " from the album Two Of A Kind (Original Soundtrack) (1983) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #5 (two weeks) Weeks in the Top-4 0: 14 Today's Song of the Day is by British-born Australian singer Olivia Newton-John , who had issued her second greatest hits set at the end of 1982 that gave her another Top-10 single with " Heart Attack " as well as a Top-40 followup with " Tied Up ". During a break from recording she filmed another movie with Grease co-star John Travolta. The result, Two Of A Kind , was an train wreck of a comedy about "divine intervention" that made Xanadu look like Citizen Kane . However, the soundtrack was pretty good, with efforts from Journey, Boz Scaggs, Chicago, and Olivia herself, and the first single released from the set, "Twist Of Fate" was written by Peter Beckett, formerly the lead singer of the soft-rock band Player of "Baby Come Back" fame, as well as writ

It's time to close shop on today's "chart sweeps" of the newest songs making their way on to the weekly music charts in Billboard magazine, and now I've got the latest dance jams on the radio and i the clubs. On the DJ-polled " Hot Dance Club Play " chart, lesbian twins Tegan & Sara rule for the first time with their poptastic " Closer "... The top entry at #32 is Kelly Clarkson with the remixes of her new single, "People Like Us"... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Part four of this week's five-part "chart sweeps" is up now, with the latest country songs making the charts in Billboard magazine. On the Hot Country Airplay chart , Lady Antebellum hang on for a second week at #1 with "Downtown"... There are only two new records on the chart this week, and the first at #59 is American Idol winner Scotty McCreery with "See You Tonight". It's the first single from his upcoming second album - his debut produced two top-20 hits with "I Love You This Big" and "The Trouble With Girls"... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Now for the "hump" of this week's "chart sweeps" of the new songs reaching the weekly singles charts in Billboard magazine, and now it's the latest on R&B radio... On the main R&B/HipHop airplay chart , "Pour It Up" is #1 for an eighth non-consecutive week for Rihanna... The top debut at #37 is Palestinian-American DJ Khaled with his latest, "No New Friends" with rappers Drake, Rick Ross, and Lil' Wayne in tow. His "I'm On One" topped the R&B tracks chart for 11 weeks in 2011...(NSFW) (Click below to see the rest of the post)

We're up to part two of this week's "chart sweeps", where I bring you the newest songs making the weekly music charts in Billboard magazine, and now it's time for the latest on rock radio. On the aggregate Rock Airplay chart , Imagine Dragons spend an eighth week at #1 with " Radioactive ".... The top entry at #38 is the first song by Black Sabbath with Ozzy Osbourne since the Reunion album 15 years ago, and "Selling My Soul" reached #17. "God Is Dead" is from the band's forthcoming 13 , and includes original members Tommy Iommi and Geezer Butler (who wrote the track) along with Ozzy... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Hey gang, it's time to kick off this week's "chart sweeps" sampling the new songs making their way on to the singles charts in Billboard magazine. As always I'll start on the pop side of the house... On the big chart, Billboard 's Hot 100 , Pink spends a second week at #1 with " Just Give Me A Reason " featuring Nate Ruess of fun, who co-wrote the song with her and producer Jeff Bhasker. The top debut at #19 is the return of French neo-house legends Daft Punk, who after only putting their new single "Get Lucky" on sale last Friday (April 19th) have enough sales to come in at #19 on the chart. Previously they reached only #61 with both "Around The World" in 1997 and "One More Time" in 2000... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Rick Springfield - " Souls " from the album Living In Oz (1983) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #23 (three weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 6 Today's Song of the Day is by Australian-born singer and soap opera star Rick Springfield , who was enjoyed a double bonus career as both Dr. Noah Drake on the hugely successful General Hospital , as well as a renewed rock star, with his third hit album in a row already scoring two hits with the top-10 smash " Affair Of The Heart " and the top-20 followup " Human Touch ". He got his third big single from the album with his self-penned pop confection "Souls".... "Souls" became Rick's tenth top-40 pop hit in the US, the only place it was a hit... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Hey gang, it's Friday, so time for my top-100 tunes from the week. This time out Imagine Dragons stay on top for a third week, while Pink and fun's Nate Ruess (pictured above) leap into the top-5. Former big hits by the Black Keys and Gary Allan drop off my list, while songs by Darius Rucker, Michael Buble, and Brantley Gilbert make the biggest jumps (moves of 10+ places highlighted in red ). Thunder only happens when it's raining! This Week              Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Radioactive - Imagine Dragons (1) 2. Carry On - fun (3) 3. Next To Me - Emeli Sande (7) 4. Just Give Me A Reason - Pink f/Nate Ruess (8) 5. When I Was Your Man - Bruno Mars (6) 6. Thrift Shop - Macklemore & Ryan Lewis f/Wanz (2) 7. Lover Of The Light - Mumford & Sons (5) 8. Mountain Sound - Of Monsters And Men (4) 9. Daylight - Maroon 5 (9) 10. Clarity - Ze

Asia - " The Smile Has Left Your Eyes " from the album Alpha (1983) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #34 (two weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 5 Today's Song of the Day is by the progressive-rock supergroup Asia , who started out the fall of 1983 with a sophomore record and another top-10 single with " Don't Cry ". For its followup, the band released a powerballad highlighted by John Wetton's soaring vocals on "The Smile Has Left Your Eyes", the one song completely written by the singer. "The Smile...." became the band's fourth and final top-40 hit in America, while also reaching #25 on the rock radio chart as well. After a third album netted another top-10 rock single that almost made the pop top-40 (" Go "), the men took a break for a couple of years. In 1989, Wetton reformed the group without guitarist Steve Howe, and keyboardist Geoff Downes unavailable due to prior commitments, so just John and drummer Carl Palmer

The 80s are back, and it's time to take a trip back to 1984, the year Linda Hunt won an Oscar for best actress for playing a male character in The Year Of Living Dangerously (a first)...This week's crop is a whole heaping portion of soul. O'Bryan - " Lovelite " from the album Be My Lover (1984) Billboard peak: #101 Songwriters: O'Bryan Burnett, Don Cornelius The singer's chart-topping R&B hit from his third album was co-written by the Soul Train guru who mentored the artist. (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Hey gang, it's time for another round of 70s goodness, and this week I'm back to 1974, the year an "Super Outbreak" of tornadoes kills over 300 in the Midwest. And it's all about hte "baby" today... George McCrae - " Rock Your Baby " from the album Rock Your Baby (1974) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1 Songwriters: Harry Casey, Richard Finch One of the first big moments in disco, with a song written by the future heads of KC & The Sunshine band. (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Peter Schilling - "Major Tom (Coming Home)" from the album Error In The System (1983) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #14 (three weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 10 Today's Song of the Day is by the German singer/musician Peter Schilling , who are from the southern city of Stuttgart, and released his debut album in 1982 in Germany, containing a native-language rework of the David Bowie "Space Oddity" song as "Major Tom", which topped the charts in Austria, Switzerland, and his homeland. After a translation to English, the single got a new life and success in America as "Major Tom (Coming Home)"... "Major Tom" reached the top-20 on the American pop chart in the winter of 1983. While going to #1 in Canada, the song stalled right under the top-40 in England (odd, considering it's "new-wave" vibe). Schilling himself wouldn't see another top-40 hit, though in 1988 he had a minor hit (that I loved even more) called &

G'day, mates, it's time again for this week's sampling of the songs making their debut on the official sales chart in Australia this week, as British singer/songwriter Passenger racks up week number four with " Let Her Go "... The top entry this week at #15 is Korean viral video wonder PSY, who topped the charts here last year with "Gangnam Style", and is back with "Gentleman".... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

We're up to this week's flashback to rock & roll's golden era, and this week I've got a half-dozen more nuggets from 1964, the year the Beatles occupied the entire Top 5 of Billboard 's pop chart for a week in April....It's time to break out the Kleenex.... Bobby Vinton - " Mr. Lonely " from the album Mr. Lonely (1964) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1 Songwriters: Bobby Vinton & Gene Allan The third-best blue-eyed falsetto of the early 60s behind Valli and Orbison, Vinton's last #1 hit showed a depth that was only hinted at his start. (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Big Country - " In A Big Country " from the album The Crossing (1983) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #17 (three weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 9 Today's Song of the Day is by the Scottish rock group Big Country , who were led by singer/guitarist Stuart Adamson of the art-punk band the Skids, and with fellow axe-man Bruce Watson had the knack for being able to process their guitar sound to make it sound like bagpipes. They released their first single, " Harvest Home ", in 1982, which became a minor hit for the quartet. The followup, " Fields Of Fire ", was their breakthrough, reaching #10 on the British charts in the beginning of 1983, an exposing them to a much wider audience. For their third release, and the one that would be their American pinnacle, they recorded a "namesake" song, "In A Big Country", written by the band and produced by "big-sound" genius Steve Lillywhite. Big Country-In A Big Country by adiis &

Welcome back as I cross the border to Germany for this week's recap of the new songs debuting on the sales chart in that country, as British folksinger Passenger enjoys a fifth week on top with " Let Her Go "... The top debut at #18 is Maxim with "Meine Soldaten" ("My Soldiers"). (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Hey gang, it's time again to cross the Atlantic to check out the songs making their first appearance on the top-100 singles in France this week, as rapper Maitre Gims hangs on for a fourth week with " J'me Tire "... The big debut on the chart at #32 is K-Pop sensation PSY, whose "Gentleman" has racked up over 200 million views on YouTube (probably sending Bill Werde into premature ejack).... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Rufus & Chaka Khan - " Ain't Nobody "  from the album Stompin' At The Savoy - Live (1983) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #22 (three weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 8 Today's Song of the Day is by the Chicago R&B outfit Rufus, with its breakout lead singer Chaka Khan , who originated from the remnants of the 60s psychedelic band American Breed, whose " Bend Me, Shape Me " reached the top-10 in 1967. After adding Chaka to the lineup, the band moved to California, and after being signed, released their self-titled debut album in 1973, and from it came their first R&B Top-40 hit, " Whoever's Thrilling You (Is Killing Me) ". Their sophomore set, Rags To Rufus , was their pop breakthrough, with help from powerhouses like Stevie Wonder, who wrote the first single, " Tell Me Something Good ", which went to #3 on both the pop and R&B charts, and Ray Parker Jr., who wrote the followup, " You Got The Love ", which to

Klique - " Stop Doggin' Me Around " from the album Try It Out (1983) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #50 This week's "robbed hit" is by the lite-funk trio Klique, who were led by Californian Howard Huntsberry, and released their debut album in 1981, which produced their first R&B top-40 hit, " Love's Dance " (#24). Two years later, on their third album, the group got their biggest hit, a remake of a Jackie Wilson hit from 1960, "Doggin' Around". The original made it to #15 on the pop chart and topped the R&B list... Howard recreated the soaring vocals quite nicely, enough to eventually get him cast as the singer in the movie La Bamba in 1987... Klique's cover, retitled as "Stop Doggin' Me Around", went all the way to #2 on the soul chart, but stalled at #50 on the Hot 100. With the British New Wave in full swing, I'm sure this would've been a much bigger pop hit had it been released in

Hey folks, it's time to roll out part two of this week's "album sweep", sampling the records making their first appearance on Billboard magazine's Top 200 Albums chart. You can check out part one by clicking here , and as before I've included links to buy anything if possible. Coming in at #70 is country singer Chuck Wicks, whose five-song EP Rough is his first release since his debut full-length album Starting Now went to #24 in 2008. Chuck was originally seen on the reality show Nashville (not to be confused with the current hit musidrama)... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Manhattan Transfer - " Spice Of Life " from the album Bodies And Souls (1983) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #40 (two weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 2 Today's Song of the Day is by the jazz-pop vocal quartet Manhattan Transfer , whose popularity can be seen as a precursor to the whole "Glee" and Sing-off craze over the last few years. The group started in New York (natch) as a five piece, releasing their debut album Jukin' in 1971. But not long after that, the band shed all its members save original Tim Hauser, while recruiting local singer Alan Paul, Laurel Masse', and Janis Siegel. Releasing a self-titled second album in 1975, they hit the charts with their first American top-40 hit, " Operator ", along with a summer-season variety show on television. The follow-up, the swing standard "Tuxedo Junction", put them on the top-40 in Britain for the first time. With their next album, Coming Out , their overseas exposure grew, as they

The weekend is almost over, and it's time to check out the new records making on the official sales charts in the UK released today. This time out the top three sellers are brand spanking new... The big winner of the trio is drum and bass act Rudimental, who get their second #1 hit with "Waiting All Night" featuring Ella Eyre. They had reached the top last year with " Feel The Love "... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Hey gang, it's time to kick off part one of this week's "album sweep", sampling the records popping in on Billboard magazine's Top 200 Albums chart for the first time. As always, I've included links to buy anything you see. This week's big winner is the fourth studio album and first chart-topping album from emo-rock group Paramore, who went through radical lineup changes and emerge with a self-titled set that sold over 100,000 last week. Their last one, Brand New Eyes , came close, reaching #2 in 2009... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

JoBoxers - " Just Got Lucky " from the album Like Gangbusters (1983) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #36 (two weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 4 Today's Song of the Day is by the British/American pop group JoBoxers , who capitalized on the success of ska-pop and working class bands like Madness and The Jam. With sole Yankee Dig Wayne on lead vocals, they reached #3 on the British charts with their debut single, " Boxerbeat ". Their followup, written by Wayne with bassist Chris Bostock, became their crossover hit as "Just Got Lucky" hit on American shores... "Just Got Lucky" became their second (and final) British top-10 single, reaching #7, while spending a month in the US Top 40 in the fall of 1983. The band would follow it up with one more UK top-40 hit, " Johnny Friendly ", but after a second unsuccessful album, the band split up, with Dig eventually returning to the States after attempting a solo career in England. I admit I w

Welcome back to the last part of today's five-part "chart sweeps" of the new songs reaching the singles charts in Billboard magazine , and now it's the latest dance songs in the clubs and on the radio. On the DJ-polled Hot Dance Club Play chart, 80-year-old Yoko Ono remarkably scores her tenth #1 hit with " Hold Me " featuring DJ/producer Dave Aude'. The top entry at #34 is the third club hit for Australian sister act Nervo with "Hold On". (Click below to see the rest of the post)

I'm down to part four of this week's "chart sweeps" with the newest songs reaching the weekly music charts in Billboard magazine , and now it's the latest on country radio. On the Hot Country Airplay chart , Lady Antebellum claim their lucky seventh #1 hit with " Downtown "... There are two songs rocketing on the chart in the top-30, and the highest at #24 with "I Want Crazy". It's from his expanded "Encore" edition of his self-titled debut, and it's my "Country Pick of the Week"... (Click below to see the rest of the post)