Pop Sweep: February 28, 2015...


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

On the "big" chart, Billboard's Hot 100, which combines sales (from places like iTunes and Amazonmp3), internet streaming (like Spotify or YouTube), and radio airplay from all formats, Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars are at #1 for a seventh week with "Uptown Funk!", making it Bruno's longest stay in the top spot with a song...

As Canadian-born rap/hip hop artist Drake tops the album chart this week with his "stealth" release If You're Reading This It's Too Late, five of its tracks sell/stream enough on their own to make the Hot 100, including the top debut of the week, "Energy" at #49. Most recently his single "0 To 100/The Catch Up", from his upcoming regular album due later in the year, peaked at #35 on the Hot 100...


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One of two country artists to appear on the Grammy broadcast last week, Miranda Lambert rides in at #76 with "Little Red Wagon". the third single from her Platinum album. It follows "Somethin' Bad" with Carrie Underwood, which went to #19...


The fifth single from Ariana Grande's My Everything album, "One Last Time", pops in at #80. The other four (including "Bang Bang" from the expanded version of the set) made the top-10...


Two more Drake cuts are back to back as "Preach" and "Legend" are at #85 and #86 (there's no audio clip for either)...

The other two debuts from If You're Reading This It's Too Late, "10 Bands" and "Used To" (the latter featuring Lil' Wayne) come in at #88 and #91 respectively...

While alt-hip-hop artist the Weeknd's radio single from the 50 Shades Of Grey soundtrack, "Earned It", leaps 17 notches to #12 this week, his second contribution to the film, "Where You Belong", enters at #95...


Singer/songwriter Andy Grammer's "Honey, I'm Good." and it's irresistible video lands at #96. It's his third Hot 100 hit and first from second album Magazines or Novels, and it's my "Pop Pick of the Week". He previously climbed to #53 with "Keep Your Head Up"...


The clear winner of the Grammy live performances last Sunday was Annie Lennox, whose utterly possessed take on "I Put A Spell On You" blew everybody (even co-performer Hozier) away. As a result, the track from her nominated album makes the chart at #97, her first since 2008's "Many Rivers To Cross"...


The cast of the hit musical drama Empire finally reaches the Hot 100 as "Keep Your Money" featuring Jussie Smollett arrives at #99....


Florence + The Machine claim the #100 spot with "What Kind Of Man", from their upcoming third album. Their breakthrough hit "Dog Days Are Over" went to #21 in 2010, while leader Florence Welch was the vocalist on Calvin Harris' top-10 pop hit "Sweet Nothing".


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

On the Mainstream Top-40 radio panel, "Uptown Funk!" also remains on top for a fourth week, while the aforementioned Ariana Grande track is the highest debut at #28...

Singer and YouTube fave Tori Kelly comes in at #33 with "Nobody Love", her first hit single...


Four-time Grammy winner Sam Smith lands at #36 with "Lay Me Down", from the album that should have won Album of the Year, In The Lonely Hour. It follows "I'm Not The Only One", which still hangs on in the top-10 at #10...


Modern rock band Echosmith arrives at #39 with "Bright", their second single from their debut album. The first, "Cool Kids", went to #9 on this format...


Meanwhile, on the older-skewing Adult Top-40 format, Ed Sheeran spends a second week at #1 with "Thinking Out Loud", while Sam Smith's "Lay Me Down" is the top new entry at #31..

Kid Rock drives in at #38 with "First Kiss". In 2008 he went all the way to #2 with "All Summer Long"...


Red Bank, New Jersey-bred alt-rock band Young Rising Sons enjoy their first radio hit as "High" ascends to #40...


Lastly, on the Adult Contemporary (or "easy-listening") radio chart, Taylor Swift is on top for a second week with "Blank Space"...

While Taylor's new single, "Style", already shows up at #25 (surprising, since it's not even close to its pinnacle on the pop chart yet)...


British singer Ellie Goulding's single from the 50 Shades Of Grey soundtrack, "Love Me Like You Do", is the other newbie at #30. It's her third hit on this format; she previously took "Burn" to #14 on this format...


That's all 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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