Pop Sweep: August 30, 2014...


Hey gang, it's time to kick off the first of today's five "chart sweeps", checking out the songs making the various radio and club charts in Billboard magazine this week. As usual, I'll start with the pop side of things, then move on to the latest in rock, R&B, country, and dance music later in the day.

On the "big" chart, Billboard's Hot 100, which combines tallies from radio airplay, sales, and internet streaming (like YouTube or Spotify), Canadian lite-reggae band Magic! hold at #1 for a sixth week with "Rude". It looks like they might challenge "Fancy" for the song of the summer title...

The top debut of the week at #49 comes from singer Ariana Grande, who is having a pretty good week, with three of the songs in the top-ten with her as the lead artist - "Break Free" leaps up to #4, "Problem" dropping a notch to #7, and her collab with Nicki Minaj and Jessie J, "Bang Bang", slipping to #10. Her new hit "Best Mistake" features rapper Big Sean, who the singer has been rumored to be seeing romantically as well as professionally...


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Rapper Juicy J teams up with Wiz Khalifa and Ty Dolla $ign for the single at #84, "Shell Shocked", featuring dubstep group Kill The Noise and Madsonik. This one is pulled from the soundtrack to the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles reboot. Juicy made the top-40 back in 2012 with "Bandz A Make Her Dance"...


Tyga blows in at #94 with "Hookah" featuring fellow rapper Young Thug. It's the second single from his upcoming Gold Album: The 18th Dynasty album. The first, "Wait For A Minute" with Justin Bieber (?!?!) went to #68...


Irish singer/songwriter Hozier (aka Andrew Hozier-Byrne), scores his first pop hit as "Take Me To Church" moves in at #96. The single has already topped the Triple-A rock radio chart a couple weeks back. It won my "Rock Pick of the Week" awhile back, and now it's my "Pop Pick of the Week" as well...


The last new entry on the Hot 100 at #100 is former Voice finalists The Swon Brothers with their top-20 country hit "Later On". Three of their performances from the show made the Hot 100, with the duo's cover of Kenny Loggins' "Danny's Song" making it to #66...


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

On the Mainstream Top-40 radio panel,  Sam Smith conquers another format as "Stay With Me" climbs to #1...

Pitbull jumps back on the list at #32 with "Fireball" featuring Patrick Ryan singing the chorus...


Nicki Minaj slithers in at #33 with her Sir-Mix-A-Lot-sampling "Anaconda"....


Meanwhile, on the older-skewing Adult Top-40 format, Magic!'s "Rude" rules for a fifth week....

The sole entry at #40 is Enrique Iglesias with "Bailando" featuring Descemer Bueno and Gente De Zoma. The song is already at #12 on Mainstream top-40, where it peaked last week on the Hot 100 (so far)...


Finally, on the Adult Contemporary (or "easy-listening") radio chart,  Sam Smith's "Stay With Me" remains on top for a second week, and there are no songs making their debut this week...

That's it for the start of today's musical journey....I'll return in 90 minutes with the latest on rock radio...







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