Pop Sweep: November 29, 2014...


It's time to kick off the first of today's five "chart sweeps", sampling the songs making the various singles charts in Billboard magazine this week. As usual, I'll start out with the latest on the pop charts, then move on later in the day to the newest on rock, R&B, country, and dance radio (and clubs). And away we go..

On the "big" chart, Billboard's Hot 100, which combines tallies of sales, internet streaming (like YouTube and Spotify), and radio airplay of all formats, Taylor Swift manages to be the first woman to succeed herself at #1 as "Blank Space" leaps from #13 to the top replacing her "Shake It Off" after four non-consecutive weeks (it falls to #3)...

The top entry of the week at #65 is the first American hit for British producer Mark Ronson, whose work with Amy Winehouse and Bruno Mars has already been big hits here. He brings Bruno along for the ride for "Uptown Funk", my "pop pick of the week". (Mark's had four top-ten hits in the UK...)


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Two tracks from British boy-band One Direction's Four album arrive on the chart a week before the album does, as "18" is in at #87 and "Where Do Broken Hearts Go" is at #88. Neither of them have an official clip available. The official radio single "Steal My Girl" is at #33...


Country singer Thomas Rhett lands his fourth single from his debut album on the Hot 100 as "Make Me Wanna" arrives at #99. His #1 country hit "It Goes Like This" went to #25 on the chart last year...


R&B singer/songwriter Ne-Yo previews his upcoming sixth album Non-Fiction as "She Knows" featuring rapper Juicy J comes in at #100. His first hit on the Hot 100, "So Sick", went all the way to #1 in 2006, and he returned as a featured artist on Pitbull's "Give Me Everything" in 2011...


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

On the Mainstream Top-40 radio panel, Maroon 5 climb to #1 with "Animals", while the aforementioned Mark Ronson track debuts at #28...

Selena Gomez drops in at #29 with a new track from her upcoming greatest hits album, "The Heart Wants What It Wants". She went to #2 on this list with "Come & Get It"...


Singer Eden XO takes her club hit and former "dance pick of the week", "Too Cool To Dance", to the pop radio chart at #38...


Lastly, another crossover, the former #1 rock hit "Stolen Dance" from German indie-folk duo Milky Chance, lands at #40...


Meanwhile, on the older-skewing Adult Top-40 format, "Shake It Off" is still on top for an eighth week...

Ed Sheeran's recent UK #1 hit and third single from his x album, "Thinking Out Loud", enters at #38. The second, "Don't", moves down a notch to #4...


As Meghan Trainor also moves down a notch from her peak to #3 with "All About That Bass", her follow-up, "Lips Are Movin'", cilmbs in at #39...


Finally, on the Adult Contemporary, or "easy listening" radio chart, Taylor Swift leads for a second week with "Shake It Off"...

The first holiday song of the season appears on the chart as Idina Menzel and Michael Buble' cover the classic "Baby It's Cold Outside" at #25...


And the current Hot 100 leader, Taylor Swift's "Blank Space", sneaks in at #28...


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

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