Pop Sweep: November 14, 2015...






Hey guys, after a one-week vacay, it's time to roll out the first of my "music sweeps" for the week, checking out the songs making their way on to the various singles charts in Billboard magazine. As usual, I'll start out on the pop side of things, then later in the day move on to the newest in rock, R&B, country, and dance music. And away we gooooo...

On the "big" chart, Billboard's Hot 100, which combines tallies of internet streaming (like Spotify and YouTube), radio airplay from all genres, and sales (like Amazon MP3 and iTunes), there was a battle for the top spot between two huge acts, both foreigners in their twenties but one decidedly more 'mature' than the other. And maturity wins the day, as Adele's "Hello" debuts in the #1 spot, becoming her fourth to make the summit on the American pop chart after "Rolling In The Deep", "Someone Like You", and "Set Fire To The Rain". It's my "Pop Pick of the Week"...


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Justin "settles" for the runner-up spot with "Sorry", the second single from his upcoming Purpose album. The first, the former #1 "What Do You Mean", is still up at #5...


The top new entry from last week was British boy-band kings One Direction, whose "Perfect" landed at #10 and now drops to #29. It follows "Drag Me Down", which topped out at #3 and this week holds at #24...


Modern rock band Panic! At The Disco drop in at #68 with "Emperor's New Clothes", from their upcoming Death Of A Bachelor album. The lead single "Hallelujah" peaked at #40 on the Hot 100, their second top-40 hit...


Last week remixing team the Chainsmokers came in at #95 with "Roses" featuring ROZES, and now jump to #71. Last year their novelty hit "#SELFIE" shot to #16...


Canadian singer/rapper Tory Lanez made his debut last week at #90 with "Say It". This week he's up to #72...


Another track from One Direction's upcoming Made In The AM record, "Home", snuck in at #97 last week, and now moves to #74...


Country newcomer Zane Brown, whose Facebook viral video success led to his own crowdfunded EP, sees his original song "Used To Love You Sober" debut at #82...


Joe Jonas' new band DNCE made their arrival on to the Hot 100 last week with "Cake By The Ocean" at #79. This frame it drops to #83...


Gwen Stefani returns at #84 with "Used To Love You" (not to be confused with the Zane Brown track). Apart from her music with band No Doubt, Gwen's hit the top ten on this chart five times previously, with "Hollaback Girl" topping the chart in 2005...


Following up Kelsea Ballerini's #1 country hit "Love Me Like You Mean It", which peaked at #45 on the Hot 100, is "Dibs", which enters at #93 this week. It's at #18 on the Country Airplay chart...


Another new country act, LoCash, cash in at #97 with "I Love This Life", which stands at #15 on the country chart...


As Kentuckian R&B singer/songwriter Bryson Tiller jumps to #54 with "Don't", another single of his, "Exchange", drives in at #98...


Last week Pentatonix popped in at #99 with "Can't Sleep Love" then dropped out this week. I wouldn't count out them coming back in again...


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

On the Mainstream top-40 radio panel, Taylor Swift's "Wildest Dreams" moved to #1 last week, and holds on this frame, while the aforementioned "Hello" leaps from #35 to #19 and "Sorry" from #29 to #20...

Ariana Grande, who is currently starring in the TV show Scream Queens, is back at #30 with her new single "Focus"...


One Direction's "Perfect" moves up from #36 to #32...

Reggae-pop artist Shaggy dances in at #39 with "Only Love" featuring Pitbull and Gene Noble. Earlier this year his single "I Need Your Love" climbed to #20 on this chart...


Stefani's "Used To Love You" finds a place here at #40...

Meanwhile, on the older-skewing Adult Top-40 format, "Wildest Dreams" is on top for a third week, while Adele rockets from #25 to #8 with "Hello", and Gwen Stefani's "Used To Love You" lands at #28...

Demi Lovato came in last week at #39 with "Confident", which runs up to #33 this week. It's the follow-up to "Cool For The Summer", which peaked at #10 on this format and drops to #35 this week...


As Fall Out Boy's "Uma Thurman" drops out of the chart, their new single "Irresistible" arrives at #34. A new version featuring Lovato just came out...


 Michael Franti and Spearhead moved in at #37 a week ago with "Once A Day" featuring Sonna Rele; now they slip to #38 (though gaining in airplay)...


New artist Alessia Cara is in at #39 with her introvert anthem "Here"...


And at #40 is the former #1 Hot 100 hit "The Hills" from the Weeknd, whose "Can't Feel My Face" is still up at #9...


(Last week Sia popped in for a week with "Alive" at #38...)


Lastly, on the Adult Contemporary (or "easy listening") radio chart, Rachel Platten's "Fight Song" spends an eighth week at #1, while Adele's "Hello" leaps from #20 to #9 in its second week...

Shawn Mendes moves from #26 to #21 with "Stitches"...


Justin Bieber makes the "old fogey" chart at #23 with his Hot 100 #1 single "What Do You Mean?". It's only his second time on the chart; the other time was with his holiday single "Mistletoe" which peaked at #2...


Rachel Platten's follow-up to "Fight Song", "Stand By You", crosses over to this chart, moving from #30 to #25...


New York duo A Great Big World find themselves at #30 with "Hold Each Other" featuring FUTURISTIC. Their breakthrough single "Say Something" reached #3 on this format...


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



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