Twostepcublog

twostepcub's music chart for February 10, 2012...

2012-02-10T20:25:00.007-05:00

Hey everyone, it's time for my weekly rundown of my top 100 tunes of the past week. This week, Adele again takes over the top spot with her third consecutive single, while the Foo Fighters (pictured above) take their third-running single to the top-10. There are some big moves on this weeks chart, including the biggest by Jessie J, Gotye, and Rihanna, while former big hits by Anjulie, Jason Aldean, Seether, and Charlie Wilson drop out. Link-O-Rama is still in effect, so you can click on any of the highlighted artist names to go to their website. Honey Badger don't care!

This Week Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses)
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1. Set Fire To The Rain - Adele (3)
2. Not Over You - Gavin DeGraw (2)
3. We Found Love - Rihanna f/Calvin Harris (1)
4. Levels - Avicii (5)
5. Lonely Boy - The Black Keys (7)
6. Paradise - Coldplay (4)
7. The One That Got Away - Katy Perry (5)
8. All Your Life - The Band Perry (8)
9. Good Feeling - Flo Rida (10)
10. These Days - Foo Fighters (14)
11. Love You Like A Love Song - Selena Gomez & The Scene (15)
12. Cough Syrup -Young The Giant (12)
13. It Will Rain - Bruno Mars (13)
14. Sexy & I Know It - LMFAO (9)
15. You - Chris Young (16)
16. Without You - David Guetta f/Usher (11)
17. Shake It Out - Florence + The Machine (21)
18. Hangover - Taio Cruz f/Flo Rida (22)
19. Domino - Jessie J (63)
20. Somebody That I Used To Know - Gotye f/Kimbra (44)
21. Mr. Know It All - Kelly Clarkson (17)
22. Heartbeat - The Fray (24)
23. Brighter Than The Sun - Colbie Caillat (19)
24. Fool For You - Cee-Lo Green f/Melanie Fiona or Philip Bailey (20)
25. I Don't Want This Night To End - Luke Bryan (29)
26. Drink In My Hand - Eric Church (26)
27. Marry The Night - Lady GaGa (31)
28. Crawling Back To You - Daughtry (28)
29. Hotel Nacional - Gloria Estefan (37)
30. Lights - Ellie Goulding (34)
31. Face To The Floor - Chevelle (35)
32. Reality - Kenny Chesney (32)
33. Stay - Tyrese (33)
34. Dance With Me Tonight - Olly Murs (36)
35. Keep Me In Mind - The Zac Brown Band (18)
36. Called Out In The Dark - Snow Patrol (40)
37. Red Solo Cup - Toby Keith (42)
38. Turn Me On - David Guetta f/Nicki Minaj (52)
39. Titanium - David Guetta f/Sia (51)
40. The Sound Of Winter - Bush (30)
41. Too Much In Love - Chris Willis (27)
42. I'm Gonna Love You Through It - Martina McBride (43)
43. Someone Like You - Adele (23)
44. Storm Warning - Hunter Hayes (46)
45. Walk - Foo Fighters (45)
46. A Thousand Years - Christina Perri (48)
47. Let It Rain - David Nail f/Sarah Buxton (25)
48. When We Stand Together - Nickelback (38)
49. Monarchy Of Roses - Red Hot Chili Peppers (53)
50. If It Wasn't For Love - Deborah Cox (57)
51. Video Games - Lana Del Rey (56)
52. You Gonna Fly - Keith Urban (54)
53. Buy My Love - Wynter Gordon (39)
54. Love After War - Robin Thicke (60)
55. My Heart Can't Tell You No - Sara Evans (55)
56. Antidote - Swedish House Mafia vs. Knife Party (66)
57. Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) - Kelly Clarkson (67)
58. Wish You Were Here - Avril Lavigne (50)
59. Last Drag - Traci Lords (49)
60. Love On Top - Beyonce (64)
61. Stereo Hearts - Gym Class Heroes f/Adam Levine (41)
62. Camouflage - Brad Paisley (62)
63. Party People (Ignite The Night) - Erika Jayne (46)
64. Moves Like Jagger - Maroon5 f/Christina Aguilera (58)
65. You Da One - Rihanna (83)
66. I Won't Give Up - Jason Mraz (72)
67. Home - Dierks Bentley (69)
68. Dedication To My Ex (Miss That) - Lloyd f/Andre3000 & Lil Wayne (68)
69. Amen - Edens Edge (70)
70. I Like It Like That - Hot Chelle Rae f/New Boyz (71)
71. Love's Gonna Make It Alright - George Strait (73)
72. Let Me Be Myself - Rosabel f/Tamara Wallace (74)
73. Pass At Me - Timbaland f/Pitbull (75)
74. Fine By Me - Andy Grammer (78)
75. Aberdeen - Cage The Elephant (80)
76. Alone With You - Jake Owen (81)
77. Naughty Naughty - Porcelain Black (82)
78. Dance On - Blush (86)
79. Just A Kiss - Lady Antebellum (59)
80. Drive By - Train (90)
81. Ours - Taylor Swift (87)
82. Be With You - Erasure (92)
83. Big In Japan - Martin Solveig f/Dragonette (91)
84. Ai Se Eu Te Pego - Michel Telo (88)
85. Je L'aime A Mourir - Shakira (85)
86. The Walk - Mayer Hawthorne (95)
87. Mama Do The Hump - Rizzle Kicks (89)
88. Don't Stop (Color On The Walls) - Foster The People (DEBUT)
89. Waiting On You - Ultra Nate & Michelle Williams (DEBUT)
90. Dancing Away With My Heart - Lady Antebellum (DEBUT)
91. Drifting - Plumb f/Dan Haseltine (DEBUT)
92. Bait A Hook - Justin Moore (94)
93. After Midnight - Blink-182 (93)
94. Crazy Crazy - Guinevere (DEBUT)
95. Feel So Close - Calvin Harris (RE-ENTRY)
96. Where I Come From - Montgomery Gentry (98)
97. Make Me Proud - Drake f/Nicki Minaj (DEBUT)
98. Heart On Fire - Scars On 45 (100)
99. My Heart Is Broken - Evanescence (99)
100. International Love - Pitbull f/Chris Brown (DEBUT)

There are seven new songs on my list this week, and here they are, along with a little about the artists, with links to their previous hits in orange.

The highest entry comes from California-based alt-rock trio Foster The People, who behind singer/songwriter Mark Foster carried an internet giveaway track to be the biggest viral modern rock hit of last year, "Pumped Up Kicks". That was followed by another top-10 rock hit "Helena Beat". For their third chart hit, which also is getting play at adult-pop radio, the trio filmed a 3D video starring Precious Oscar nominee Gabourey Sidibe, who is apparently having the worst driving lesson ever on "Don't Stop (Color On The Walls)"...

The next song pairs two dance/R&B powerhouses as club legend Ultra Nate, who can boast seven #1 dance hits like "Found A Cure" and "Give It All You Got", with Michelle Williams, who as part of Destiny's Child had two #1 pop hits as well as a solo dance #1 with "The Greatest". The two pair up for the top-20 dance hit "Waiting For You"....

Country crossover trio Lady Antebellum are still cruising down my list with the hit "Just A Kiss", which just missed my top-10 year-end chart in 2011, while the second followup to that smash is debuting this week. It was initially released as a leadin to their Own The Night CD, and now has climbed into the country top-20. Here's "Dancin' Away With My Heart"...

Tiffany Arbuckle, who records under the moniker Plumb, has successfully straddled the fence between Christian rock and dance music, and her non-overbearing work has garnered her three top-5 dance hits, including the charttopper "Hang On" and top-3 "In My Arms". For her third, she recruits Jars Of Flood lead singer Dan Haseltine, who already has a top-40 hit of his own with his band's "Flood" from 1996, on the club jam "Drifting"...

Toronto singer Guinivere places her first song on the US dance charts with the seductive "Crazy Crazy"...

Another Toronto native, Drake has had five top-10 singles as a lead artist (the biggest being the #2 debut "Best I Ever Had" in 2009), his biggest hit so far has been his supporting role in ex-girlfriend Rihanna's #1 "What's My Name" last year. "Make Me Proud", his second big hit with rapper Nicki Minaj (after "Moment 4 Life"), is his 2nd #1 R&B hit (after "Best")...

The last debut is the ever-present Pitbull, whose been riding a streak of big dance singles, including "Give Me Everything", his #1 hit that's still on the Billboard top 50 chart almost a year after its debut. This time he's with Chris Brown, for a track that sports the most cheesiest low-rent video from a superstar I've seen in quite a while. Like "Friday" bad. Oh well, they have to pay for plane fare I guess for their "International Love"...

twostepcub's music chart for February 3, 2012...

2012-02-08T19:25:00.009-05:00

Hey guys, sorry I've been away a week, but I'm back with my top-100 tunes from the last week. This week Rihanna spends a fourth week at the top, while Flo Rida (pictured above), puts Etta James' sample in the top 10 concurrently with a second tune (along with Avicii). Former big hits by Beyonce, The Script, and Rascal Flatts drop off my list, while tracks by The Swedish House Mafia, Blush, and Beyonce make the biggest jumps (moves of 10+ places highlighted in red). Link-O-Rama is still in effect, so you can click on any of the highlighted artist names to go to their website. Congrats, Giants!

This Week Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. We Found Love - Rihanna f/Calvin Harris (1)
2. Not Over You - Gavin DeGraw (3)
3. Set Fire To The Rain - Adele (5)
4. Paradise - Coldplay (2)
5. Levels - Avicii (9)
6. The One That Got Away - Katy Perry (4)
7. Lonely Boy - The Black Keys (7)
8. All Your Life - The Band Perry (8)
9. Sexy & I Know It - LMFAO (6)
10. Good Feeling - Flo Rida (11)
11. Without You - David Guetta f/Usher (10)
12. Cough Syrup - Young The Giant (14)
13. It Will Rain - Bruno Mars (13)
14. These Days - Foo Fighters (22)
15. Love You Like A Love Song - Selena Gomez & The Scene (16)
16. You - Chris Young (21)
17. Mr. Know It All - Kelly Clarkson (15)
18. Keep Me In Mind - The Zac Brown Band (12)
19. Brighter Than The Sun - Colbie Caillat (17)
20. Fool For You - Cee-Lo Green f/Melanie Fiona or Philip Bailey (20)
21. Shake It Out - Florence + The Machine (28)
22. Hangover - Taio Cruz f/Flo Rida (26)
23. Someone Like You - Adele (18)
24. Heartbeat - The Fray (25)
25. Let It Rain - David Nail f/Sarah Buxton (19)
26. Drink In My Hand - Eric Church (30)
27. Too Much In Love - Chris Willis (27)
28. Crawling Back To You - Daughtry (23)
29. I Don't Want This Night To End - Luke Bryan (31)
30. The Sound Of Winter - Bush (24)
31. Marry The Night - Lady GaGa (36)
32. Reality - Kenny Chesney (34)
33. Stay - Tyrese (35)
34. Lights - Ellie Goulding (38)
35. Face To The Floor - Chevelle (39)
36. Dance With Me Tonight - Olly Murs (40)
37. Hotel Nacional - Gloria Estefan (42)
38. When We Stand Together - Nickelback (32)
39. Buy My Love - Wynter Gordon (29)
40. Called Out In The Dark - Snow Patrol (44)
41. Stereo Hearts - Gym Class Heroes f/Adam Levine (33)
42. Red Solo Cup - Toby Keith (46)
43. I'm Gonna Love You Through It - Martina McBride (45)
44. Somebody That I Used To Know - Gotye f/Kimbra (54)
45. Walk - Foo Fighters (43)
46. Storm Warning - Hunter Hayes (50)
47. Party People (Ignite The Night) - Erika Jayne (37)
48. A Thousand Years - Christina Perri (52)
49. Last Drag - Traci Lords (49)
50. Wish You Were Here - Avril Lavigne (51)
51. Titanium - David Guetta f/Sia (61)
52. Turn Me On - David Guetta f/Nicki Minaj (62)
53. Monarchy Of Roses - Red Hot Chili Peppers (55)
54. You Gonna Fly - Keith Urban (58)
55. My Heart Can't Tell You No - Sara Evans (59)
56. Video Games - Lana Del Rey (60)
57. If It Wasn't For Love - Deborah Cox (64)
58. Moves Like Jagger - Maroon5 f/Christina Aguilera (48)
59. Just A Kiss - Lady Antebellum (56)
60. Love After War - Robin Thicke (68)
61. Brand New Bitch - Anjulie (47)
62. Camouflage - Brad Paisley (66)
63. Domino - Jessie J (DEBUT)
64. Love On Top - Beyonce (76)
65. 1,000 Ships - Rachel Platten (65)
66. Antidote - Swedish House Mafia vs. Knife Party (82)
67. Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) - Kelly Clarkson (DEBUT)
68. Dedication To My Ex (Miss That) - Lloyd f/Andre3000 & Lil Wayne (74)
69. Home - Dierks Bentley (71)
70. Amen - Edens Edge (70)
71. I Like It Like That - Hot Chelle Rae f/Hot Boyz (73)
72. I Won't Give Up - Jason Mraz (72)
73. Love's Gonna Make It Alright - George Strait (75)
74. Let Me Be Myself - Rosabel f/Tamara Wallace (80)
75. Pass At Me - Timbaland f/Pitbull (81)
76. Tattoos On This Town - Jason Aldean (53)
77. Tonight - Seether (67)
78. Fine By Me - Andy Grammer (88)
79. Life Of The Party - Charlie Wilson (78)
80. Aberdeen - Cage The Elephant (84)
81. Alone With You - Jake Owen (91)
82. Naughty Naughty - Porcelain Black (87)
83. You Da One - Rihanna (DEBUT)
84. Lotus Flower Bomb - Wale f/Miguel (86)
85. Je L'aime A Mourir - Shakira (89)
86. Dance On - Blush (100)
87. Ours - Taylor Swift (DEBUT)
88. Ai Se Eu Te Pego - Michel Telo (92)
89. Mama Do The Hump - Rizzle Kicks (99)
90. Drive By - Train (DEBUT)
91. Big In Japan - Martin Solveig f/Dragonette (95)
92. Be With You - Erasure (DEBUT)
93. After Midnight - Blink-182 (93)
94. Bait A Hook - Justin Moore (94)
95. The Walk - Mayer Hawthorne (DEBUT)
96. Everybody Dance - Gravitonas vs. Roma Kenga (96)
97. Dark Horses - Switchfoot (83)
98. Where I Come From - Montgomery Gentry (98)
99. My Heart Is Broken - Evanescence (DEBUT)
100. Heart On Fire - Scars On 45 (DEBUT)

There are nine new songs on my list this week, and here they are, along with a little about the artist, with links to their previous hits on video in orange...

The highest entry goes to English singer Jessie J, who crossed over big in the states with her former UK #1 hit "Price Tag". She scores her second British charttopper with a fun Katy-Perry-esque number that has become her first US Top 10 hit, "Domino"....

Next up is the singer who performed the National Anthem at last Sunday's Super Bowl, Kelly Clarkson, who this week claims her third US #1 Billboard Hot 100 hit (after debut "A Moment Like This" and 2009's "My Life Would Suck Without You") with the title song from her latest CD Stronger. Subtitled "What Doesn't Kill You", she's really trying to work my nerves, between her naively ignorant disregard for her large gay following with her support of Ron Paul, to more importantly the endless shilling of this song with whatever carmaker she's doing the commercial for with this song, making it more of an ad than music at times. Still, dammit, dammit dammit, it's Kelly Clarkson! Hence, debuting at a lofty #67...

Speaking of women who get on my nerves, the more I hear in the gossip, the more I'm convinced Rihanna's "We Found Love" is just a whackadoo love ode to Chris Brown. Complete with graphic video including a bleached-hair black guy (only this one being Irish), coupled with last year's #1 "S&M", makes it feel like we're all being toyed with, no? Anyways her latest is a reggae-thump toss-off with another video (like "S&M") that is being accused of plagiarizing another fashion photographer (this time Norwegian Solve Sundsbo) on "You Da One"...

Taylor Swift made history a little while ago when all seventeen of the songs on her latest CD Speak Now (including the 3 on the "Deluxe Version") have sold enough individually to each chart on the Billboard Hot 100. Out of those seventeen, nine have made the top 40, seven of those made the top-20, and 4 of those reached the top-10 ("Mine", "Back To December", the title track, and "If This Were A Movie", the latter from the Deluxe). Another of the "Deluxe" tracks, "Ours" has now found a home on country radio, moving up into the top-20 there. Here's her "9 to 5" take (making her "Judy"?)...

Next up is the first single from the upcoming followup to California rock band Train's comeback hit Save Me, San Francisco, which produced the megahit "Hey Soul Sister". Since they's been so successful on "Adult top 40" radio, I was surprised to find they only made the all-genre top-20 three other times, with top-5 "Drops Of Jupiter" as well as first hit "Meet Virginia" (#15) and "Calling All Angels" (#19). Here's the mature rock of "Drive By"...

One Of My favorite bands of all time, Erasure has plugged on for over 25 years now, racking up 16 UK top-10 hits, as well as 15 US dance top-10s with two charttoppers (1987's "Victim Of Love" and 2005's "Breathe"). Their second single from their latest is climbing the top-20 dance list here, and it's "Be With You"...

Now for one of my unknown faves of the moment, American blue-eyed soul singer Mayer Hawthorne, who has got the retro yet edgy vibe down pat. Here he is going full-on Brangelina in his top-3 AAA single "The Walk"....

Back from a five-year hiatus and another reshuffle of band members, Amy Lee and Evanescence return with a third CD that at least made #1 on the album charts. They'll have to live with the three pop top-10 they've accrued ("Bring Me To Life", "My Immortal", and "Call Me When You're Sober"). Their latest is meandering in the adult top-40 chart, which is a shame, cause it's as good as her best, and it's "My Heart Is Broken"...

The final debut this week comes from a song that's received exposure on the TV show Grey's Anatomy. Last year it was a sleeper hit on AAA (adult album alternative) radio, and now it's crossed to adult pop thanks to McDreamy, McSteamy, and McWhatever. Performed by British rockers Scars On 45 (nice pun), here's "Hearts On Fire"...

Until this weekend, stay warm!

twostepcub's music chart for January 20, 2012...

2012-01-20T21:50:00.004-05:00

Hey folks, it's time for my weekly roundup of my top 100 tunes for the week. Rihanna and Calvin Harris stay on top for a second week, while Adele (pictured above) finally gets her third hit from the awesome CD 21 into the top-10. The biggest jumps are made by tracks by Gloria Estefan, Lady GaGa, and Gotye (moves of 10+ places highlighted in red). Link-o-Rama is still in effect, so you can click on the highlighted name of any of the artists to go to their website...

This Week Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. We Found Love - Rihanna f/Calvin Harris (1)
2. Sexy & I Know It - LMFAO (2)
3. The One That Got Away - Katy Perry (3)
4. Paradise - Coldplay (4)
5. Not Over You - Gavin DeGraw (7)
6. Without You - David Guetta f/Usher (5)
7. Lonely Boy - The Black Keys (9)
8. All Your Life - The Band Perry (8)
9. Set Fire To The Rain - Adele (11)
10. It Will Rain - Bruno Mars (10)
11. Levels - Avicii (15)
12. Keep Me In Mind - The Zac Brown Band (13)
13. Good Feeling - Flo Rida (14)
14. Someone Like You - Adele (12)
15.Mr. Know It All - Kelly Clarkson (6)
16. Crawling Back To You - Daughtry (16)
17. Brighter Than The Sun - Colbie Caillat (17)
18. Cough Syrup - Young The Giant (19)
19. Let It Rain - David Nail f/Sarah Buxton (21)
20. Love You Like A Love Song - Selena Gomez & The Scene (20)
21. Fool For You - Cee-Lo Green f/Melanie Fiona or Philip Bailey (24)
22. The Sound Of Winter - Bush (18)
23. You - Chris Young (25)
24. These Days - Foo Fighters (30)
25. Heartbeat - The Fray (26)
26. Countdown - Beyonce (22)
27. Too Much In Love - Chris Willis (27)
28. When We Stand Together - Nickelback (23)
29. Buy My Love - Wynter Gordon (29)
30. Hangover - Taio Cruz f/Flo Rida (31)
31. Stereo Hearts - Gym Class Heroes f/Adam Levine (28)
32. Drink In My Hand - Eric Church (36)
33. Brand New Bitch - Anjulie (34)
34. Shake It Out - Florence + The Machine (48)
35. I Don't Want This Night To End - Luke Bryan (37)
36. Reality - Kenny Chesney (40)
37. Stay - Tyrese (38)
38. Party People (Ignite The Night) - Erika Jayne (42)
39. Easy - Rascal Flatts f/Natasha Bedingfield (32)
40. Lights - Ellie Goulding (44)
41. Walk - Foo Fighters (39)
42. Face To The Floor - Chevelle (47)
43. Tattoos On This Town - Jason Aldean (33)
44. Just A Kiss - Lady Antebellum (43)
45. I'm Gonna Love You Through It - Martina McBride (45)
46. Dance With Me Tonight - Olly Murs (51)
47. Moves Like Jagger - Maroon5 f/Christina Aguilera (46)
48. Called Out In The Dark - Snow Patrol (54)
49. Last Drag - Erika Jayne (53)
50. Storm Warning - Hunter Hayes (50)
51. Marry The Night - Lady GaGa (68)
52. A Thousand Years - Christina Perri (52)
53. Wish You Were Here - Avril Lavigne (57)
54. Red Solo Cup - Toby Keith (58)
55. Give - LeAnn Rimes (55)
56. Hotel Nacional - Gloria Estefan (78)
57. I Like How It Feels - Enrique Iglesias f/Pitbull (35)
58. Lego House - Ed Sheeran (60)
59. Nothing - The Script (49)
60. My Heart Can't Tell You No - Sara Evans (62)
61. Tonight - Seether (56)
62. Monarchy Of Roses - Red Hot Chili Peppers (66)
63. You Gonna Fly - Keith Urban (69)
64. Video Games - Lana Del Rey (64)
65. We Owned The Night - Lady Antebellum (41)
66. Somebody That I Used To Know - Gotye f/Kimbra (82)
67. 1,000 Ships - Rachel Platten (67)
68. Camouflage - Brad Paisley (74)
69. Stay Together - Ledisi f/Jaheim (71)
70. Amen - Edens Edge (70)
71. You & I - Lady GaGa (61)
72. Love After War - Robin Thicke (73)
73. Home - Dierks Bentley (75)
74. Party - Beyonce f/Andre3000 (76)
75. Dedication To My Ex (Miss That) - Lloyd f/Andre3000 & Lil Wayne (77)
76. Titanium - David Guetta f/Sia (83)
77. You Make Me Feel... - Cobra Starship f/Sabi (65)
78. Life Of The Party - Charlie Wilson (72)
79. Love's Gonna Make It Alright - George Strait (79)
80. She Doesn't Mind - Sean Paul (80)
81. I Like It Like That - Hot Chelle Rae f/New Boyz (81)
82. If It Wasn't For Love - Deborah Cox (86)
83. Dark Horses - Switchfoot (63)
84. Love On Top - Beyonce (84)
85. Kiss Me Slowly - Parachute (85)
86. Turn Me On - David Guetta f/Nicki Minaj (DEBUT)
87. Lotus Flower Bomb - Wale f/Miguel (87)
88. Ni**as In Paris - Jay-Z & Kanye West (88)
89. Aberdeen - Cage The Elephant (93)
90. Care - Kid Rock f/Martina McBride & T.I. (90)
91. Wherever You Are - Military Wives (91)
92. Let Me Be Myself - Rosabel f/Tamara Wallace (97)
93. Je L'aime A Mourir - Shakira (95)
94. Fine By Me - Andy Grammer (94)
95. After Midnight - Blink-182 (DEBUT)
96. Bait A Hook - Justin Moore (96)
97. Lucky Now - Ryan Adams (DEBUT)
98. Where I Come From - Montgomery Gentry (100)
99. Fade Into Me - David Cook (99)
100. Ai Se Eu Te Pego - Michel Telo (DEBUT)

There are just four new songs on my list this week (highlighted in yellow), and here they are, along with a little about the artists, with links to their previous hits on video in orange.

The highest entry is by French superDJ David Guetta, who now has three songs on my list, including his former 2sc #1 "Without You" with Usher and the climbing international hit "Titanium" with Australian singer Sia. The third is supported by rapper-singer-fashion icon Nicki Minaj, with a track that sounds not much like her usual squeak. Here's "Turn Me On"...

California rockers Blink-182 follow up their comeback hit "Up All Night" with another late-time ode, "After Midnight". It follows the former track into the modern rock top-10, where they've scored two #1's, with "All The Small Things" from 1999 and "I Miss You" from 2004.

Alt-country rock bad boy Ryan Adams has graced adult pop radio in the US with just his first single, "New York, New York", before dangling on the fringe of rock culture, though he has had a couple more top-40 hits in England, including his Grammy-nominated cover of Oasis' "Wonderwall". His latest is from his top-10 album Ashes & Fire, and it had made the top-3 on Triple-A (adult album alternative rock) radio. Here's the poignant "Lucky Now"...

And 180 degrees from that comes the next big European soccer anthem, this time courtesy of Brazilian singer Michel Telo. Telo's live number "Ai Se Eu Te Pego" (Portuguese for "Oh, if I catch You") got major exposure after soccer superstar Christiano Ronaldo danced to it with another player to celebrate a goal, and the track's popularity spread like wildfire to #1 status in Spain, Holland, Italy, and Belgium, and #2 and climbing fast in Germany, and it quite reminds me of the "Lambada" of the 80's....

That's it, now get to bed!

twostepcub's music chart for January 13, 2012...

2012-01-13T21:35:00.009-05:00

Hey folks, it's time for my top-100 tunes for the week. This week Rihanna takes over from the politically ignorant Kelly Clarkson, while the Black Keys (pictured above) move into the top-10. Tracks by Lady GaGa, Hot Chelle Rae, and Deborah Cox make the biggest jumps (moves of 10+ places highlighted in red), while former big hits by Dev and The Red Hot Chili Peppers drop out. Link-O-Rama is still in effect, so you can click on any of the highlighting artists to go to their website. Yay! The internet tubes are fixed!

This Week Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses)
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
1. We Found Love - Rihanna f/Calvin Harris (2)
2. Sexy & I Know It - LMFAO (4)
3. The One That Got Away - Katy Perry (5)
4. Paradise - Coldplay (6)
5. Without You - David Guetta f/Usher (3)
6. Mr. Know It All - Kelly Clarkson (1)
7. Not Over You - Gavin DeGraw (7)
8. All Your Life - The Band Perry (8)
9. Lonely Boy - The Black Keys (12)
10. It Will Rain - Bruno Mars (11)
11. Set Fire To The Rain - Adele (15)
12. Someone Like You - Adele (10)
13. Keep Me In Mind - The Zac Brown Band (13)
14. Good Feeling - Flo Rida (16)
15. Levels - Avicii (19)
16. Crawling Back To You - Daughtry (9)
17. Brighter Than The Sun - Colbie Caillat (17)
18. The Sound Of Winter - Bush (14)
19. Cough Syrup - Young The Giant (20)
20. Love You Like A Love Song - Selena Gomez & The Scene (21)
21. Let It Rain - David Nail (23)
22. Countdown - Beyonce (22)
23. When We Stand Together - Nickelback (18)
24. Fool For You - Cee-Lo Green f/Melanie Fiona or Philip Bailey (24)
25. You - Chris Young (27)
26. Heartbeat - The Fray (26)
27. Too Much In Love - Chris Willis (28)
28. Stereo Hearts - Gym Class Heroes f/Adam Levine (25)
29. Buy My Love - Wynter Gordon (31)
30. These Days - Foo Fighters (37)
31. Hangover - Taio Cruz f/Flo Rida (39)
32. Easy - Rascal Flatts f/Natasha Bedingfield (32)
33. Tattoos On This Town - Jason Aldean (33)
34. Brand New Bitch - Anjulie (36)
35. I Like How It Feels - Enrique Iglesias f/Pitbull (35)
36. Drink In My Hand - Eric Church (41)
37. I Don't Want This Night To End - Luke Bryan (38)
38. Stay - Tyrese (40)
39. Walk - Foo Fighters (30)
40. Reality - Kenny Chesney (42)
41. We Owned The Night - Lady Antebellum (29)
42. Party People (Ignite The World) - Erika Jayne (49)
43. Just A Kiss - Lady Antebellum (43)
44. Lights - Ellie Goulding (48)
45. I'm Gonna Love You Through It - Martina McBride (47)
46. Moves Like Jagger - Maroon5 f/Christina Aguilera (44)
47. Face To The Floor - Chevelle (51)
48. Shake It Out - Florence + The Machine (56)
49. Nothing - The Script (34)
50. Storm Warning - Hunter Hayes (52)
51. Dance With Me Tonight - Olly Murs (55)
52. A Thousand Years - Christina Perri (54)
53. Last Drag - Traci Lords (61)
54. Called Out In The Dark - Snow Patrol (58)
55. Give - LeAnn Rimes (57)
56. Tonight - Seether (46)
57. Wish You Were Here - Avril Lavigne (59)
58. Red Solo Cup - Toby Keith (63)
59. We're All No One - Nervo f/Afrojack & Steve Aoki (50)
60. Lego House - Ed Sheeran (60)
61. You & I - Lady GaGa (53)
62. My Heart Can't Tell You No - Sara Evans (66)
63. Dark Horses - Switchfoot (64)
64. Video Games - Lana Del Ray (68)
65. You Make Me Feel... - Cobra Starship f/Sabi (45)
66. Monarchy Of Roses - Red Hot Chili Peppers (72)
67. 1,000 Ships - Rachel Platten (67)
68. Marry The Night - Lady GaGa (78)
69. You Gonna Fly - Keith Urban (70)
70. Amen - Edens Edge (71)
71. Stay Together - Ledisi f/Jaheim (73)
72. Life Of The Party - Charlie Wilson (65)
73. Love After War - Robin Thicke (74)
74. Camouflage - Brad Paisley (76)
75. Home - Dierks Bentley (77)
76. Party - Beyonce f/Andre3000 (80)
77. Dedication To My Ex (Miss That) - Lloyd f/Andre3000 & Lil' Wayne (85)
78. Hotel Nacional - Gloria Estefan (DEBUT)
79. Love's Gonna Make It Alright - George Strait (81)
80. She Doesn't Mind - Sean Paul (84)
81. I Like It Like That - Hot Chelle Rae f/New Boyz (91)
82. Somebody That I Used To Know - Gotye f/Kimbra (DEBUT)
83. Titanium - David Guetta f/Sia (89)
84. Love On Top - Beyonce (88)
85. Kiss Me Slowly - Parachute (62)
86. If It Wasn't For Love - Deborah Cox (96)
87. Lotus Flower Bomb - Wale f/Miguel (97)
88. Ni**as In Paris - Jay-Z & Kanye West (94)
89. Arrow Through My Heart - Eddie Amador & Kimberly Cole (90)
90. Care - Kid Rock f/Martina McBride & T.I. (95)
91. Wherever You Are - Military Wives (DEBUT)
92. Cannonball - Little Mix (92)
93. Aberdeen - Cage The Elephant (93)
94. Fine By Me - Andy Grammer (DEBUT)
95. Je L'aime A Mourir - Shakira (99)
96. Bait A Hook - Justin Moore (98)
97. Let Me Be Myself - Rosabel f/Tamara Wallace (DEBUT)
98. Forever Yours - Alex Day (DEBUT)
99. Fade Into Me - David Cook (DEBUT)
100. Where I Come From - Montgomery Gentry (100)

This week there are a lucky seven new songs on my list (highlighted in yellow), and here they are, along with a little about the artists, with links to their previous hits in orange.

The highest entry is by Gloria Estefan, who roars on my list with the second single from her Little Miss Havana CD, and the first song by a female performer to debut at #1 on Billboard's Latin Songs chart. She's had a dozen song top that list, including and pop charttopper "Don't Wanna Lose You" and personal fave "Oye". Here's "Hotel Nacional"...

Next up is the first international hit by Belgian-born Australian singer-songwriter Gotye (real name Wally de Backer - Gotye is a bastardized spelling of the French version of his first name). Before this hit, he's only had minor success in Australia, but featuring New Zealander Kimbra, "Someone That I Used To Know" has became this year's first viral worldwide hit, ascending to #1 not only in the Antipodean lands, but also in Belgium, Germany, and Austria. It's just starting to get play here in the States, just debuting on Billboard's Hot 100, but on YouTube this song is a phenom, even spawning a viral cover by Canadian band Walk Off The Earth that's just as awesome. But I'm still in love with the original, and feel it could be this year's "Someone Like You" given the chance...

The coveted #1 UK Christmas single last year went to a choir formed by conductor Gareth Malone for a BBC television show last fall. The group consists of wives and girlfriends of British soldiers deployed to Afghanistan, and made for compelling television. With lyrics compiled from letters from the women to their mates, "Wherever You Are" was first performed live on Remembrance Day in Royal Albert Hall in London. They went on to sell a staggering 555,000+ singles in the first full week, and what better of a tribute than that.

Angelino Andy Grammer follows up his top-5 adult-pop hit "Keep Your Head Up" with "Fine By Me", with a clip featuring YouTube star Keenan Cahill...

Rosabel is the moniker for the collaboration between US DJs Ralphi Rosario and Miami's Abel Aguilera. Rosario was one of the leaders of house music in the 80s and 90s, with Xaviera Gold's "You Used To Hold Me" one of the all-time classics of that genre. Together as a duo, they have scored five #1 US dance hits between 2000 and 2006, including "Don't You Want My Love" with Debbie Jacobs and "Cha Cha Heels" with Jeanie Tracy. They return with a track featuring singer Tamara Wallace, with whom they had a #2 hit with "C'mon Get Funky" a year ago. Here's "Let Me Be Myself"...

Along with the Military Wives' single, a few other records had active campaigns to be the British #1 Christmas record, including Nirvana's "Smells Like Teen Spirit", the holiday novelty record "Dominic The Donkey", and this tune, sung by YouTube personality Alex Day, with most of the proceeds going to charity World Vision. It managed to make #4, which ain't bad for an unsigned artist at all. Here's "Forever Yours"....

The final debut is by seventh-season American Idol winner David Cook, who after winning sent three songs into the adult-pop top-10, including "winner's song" "Time Of My Life", and followup "Light On". Admittedly his sophomore effort is struggling, with the two singles hanging around in the bottom half of the adult-pop top-40. Here's the second, "Fade Into Me"...

Till next week!

Let them eat pie....

2012-01-09T21:08:00.002-05:00

Dear Governor Christie, using a pie reference, especially with an "infinite" quality, only highlights your gluttony, dillweed.

And talking to the public like an asshole doesn't make you a "straight-talker", but pretty much of a douchebag.

Now go away.
Toodles,
twostepcub

twostepcub's music chart for January 6, 2012....

2012-01-06T21:21:00.005-05:00

Hey folks, it's time for my first music list of the new year, and thanks for hanging around (or droppin' in). This week Kelly Clarkson takes over the top spot, while the Band Perry (pictured above) moves up in the top-10. Former big hits by Miranda Lambert, Nicole Scherzinger, and Foster The People drop out, while songs by Florence + The Machine, George Strait, and LeAnn Rimes make the biggest jumps (moves of 10+ places highlighted in red). Link-O-Rama is still in effect, so you can click on any of the highlighted artist names to go to their official website (rightclick, with you can use a different tab or window and keep this up). Happy Birthday, Heather Rose!

This Week Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Mr. Know It All - Kelly Clarkson (2)
2. We Found Love - Rihanna f/Calvin Harris (3)
3. Without You - David Guetta f/Usher (1)
4. Sexy & I Know It - LMFAO (4)
5. The One That Got Away - Katy Perry (6)
6. Paradise - Coldplay (7)
7. Not Over You - Gavin DeGraw (9)
8. All Your Life - The Band Perry (10)
9. Crawling Back To You - Daughtry (5)
10. Someone Like You - Adele (8)
11. It Will Rain - Bruno Mars (15)
12. Lonely Boy - Black Keys (16)
13. Keep Me In Mind - Zac Brown Band (14)
14. The Sound Of Winter - Bush (12)
15. Set Fire To The Rain - Adele (19)
16. Good Feeling - Flo Rida (18)
17. Brighter Than The Sun - Colbie Caillat (11)
18. When We Stand Together - Nickelback (13)
19. Levels - Avicii (29)
20. Cough Syrup - Young The Giant (21)
21. Love You Like A Love Song - Selena Gomez & The Scene (26)
22. Countdown - Beyonce (24)
23. Let It Rain - David Nail (25)
24. Fool For You - Cee-Lo Green f/Melanie Fiona or Philip Bailey (28)
25. Stereo Hearts - Gym Class Heroes f/Adam Levine (23)
26. Heartbeat - The Fray (30)
27. You - Chris Young (31)
28. Too Much In Love - Chris Willis (38)
29. We Owned The Night - Lady Antebellum (17)
30. Walk - Foo Fighters (20)
31. Buy My Love - Wynter Gordon (41)
32. Easy - Rascal Flatts f/Natasha Bedingfield (34)
33. Tattoos On This Town - Jason Aldean (35)
34. Nothing - The Script (22)
35. I Like How It Feels - Enrique Iglesias f/Pitbull (37)
36. Brand New Bitch - Anjulie (40)
37. These Days - Foo Fighters (46)
38. I Don't Want This Night To End - Luke Bryan (43)
39. Hangover - Taio Cruz f/Flo Rida (49)
40. Stay - Tyrese (42)
41. Drink In My Hand - Eric Church (45)
42. Reality - Kenny Chesney (44)
43. Just A Kiss - Lady Antebellum (39)
44. Moves Like Jagger - Maroon5 f/Chrisina Aguilera (36)
45. You Make Me Feel...Cobra Starship f/Sabi (33)
46. Tonight - Seether (32)
47. I'm Gonna Love You Through It - Martina McBride (51)
48. Lights - Ellie Goulding (54)
49. Party People - Erika Jayne (61)
50. We're All No One - Nervo f/Afrojack & Steve Aoki (50)
51. Face To The Floor - Chevelle (60)
52. Storm Warning - Hunter Hayes (56)
53. You & I - Lady GaGa (47)
54. A Thousand Years - Christina Perri (58)
55. Dance With Me Tonight - Olly Murs (66)
56. Shake It Out - Florence + The Machine (76)
57. Give - LeAnn Rimes (71)
58. Called Out In The Dark - Snow Patrol (62)
59. Wish You Were Here - Avril Lavigne (67)
60. Lego House - Ed Sheeran (65)
61. Last Drag - Traci Lords (72)
62. Kiss Me Slowly - Parachute (52)
63. Red Solo Cup - Toby Keith (77)
64. Dark Horses - Switchfoot (64)
65. Life Of The Party - Charlie Wilson (57)
66. My Heart Can't Tell You No - Sara Evans (70)
67. 1,000 Ships - Rachel Platten (69)
68. Video Games - Lana Del Ray (78)
69. In The Dark - Dev (59)
70. You Gonna Fly - Keith Urban (75)
71. Amen - Edens Edge (73)
72. Monarchy Of Roses - Red Hot Chili Peppers (86)
73. Stay Together - Ledisi f/Jaheim (74)
74. Love After War - Robin Thicke (87)
75. Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie - Red Hot Chili Peppers (55)
76. Camouflage - Brad Paisley (80)
77. Home - Dierks Bentley (81)
78. Marry The Night - Lady GaGa (DEBUT)
79. Didn't I - James Wesley (79)
80. Party - Beyonce (83)
81. Love's Gonna Make It Alright - George Strait (96)
82. Our Day Will Come - Amy Winehouse (82)
83. Geronimo - Aura Dione (85)
84. She Doesn't Mind - Sean Paul (92)
85. Dedication To My Ex (Miss That) - Lloyd f/Lil' Wayne & Andre3000 (89)
86. 5 O'Clock - T-Pain f/Wiz Khalifa & Lily Allen (91)
87. Bad - The Cab (88)
88. Love On Top - Beyonce (90)
89. Titanium - David Guetta f/Sia (RE-ENTRY)
90. Arrow Through My Heart - Eddie Amador & Kimberly Cole (DEBUT)
91. I Like It Like That - Hot Chelle Rae f/New Boyz (DEBUT)
92. Cannonball - Little Mix (DEBUT)
93. Aberdeen - Cage The Elephant (99)
94. Ni**as In Paris - Jay-Z & Kanye West (94)
95. Care - Kid Rock f/Martina McBride & T.I. (95)
96. If It Wasn't For Love - Deborah Cox (DEBUT)
97. Lotus Flower Bomb - Wale f/Miguel (DEBUT)
98. Bait A Hook - Justin Moore (100)
99. Je L'aime A Mourir - Shakira (DEBUT)
100. Where I Come From - Montgomery Gentry (DEBUT)

There are eight new songs to bring on the new year, and here they are, along with a little about the artists, with links to their previous hits on YouTube in orange....

The highest debut belongs to Lady GaGa, who brought in the New Year inexplicably making kissy face with Mayor Bloomberg wearing a rhinestone faceplate. Her latest single, the fifth official single from Born This Way, carries a video that's one-third Flashdance, one-third Robocop, and one-third Trainspotting. I still have no idea what her emerging from a burning car has to do with a dancer's auditioning struggle, but no mind. Here's the epic "Marry The Night" in its 14 minute splendor...

American DJ/producer Eddie Amador has his first hit on my chart, though he's placed a top-30 hit on the US dance chart with "Save Me" in 2006, and a UK top-20 hit with "Rise" in 2000. He's back with some help from Kimberly Cole, who a couple years back had a top-5 dance hit of her own with "Smack You". They collaborate together on the US top-20 dance hit "Arrow Through My Heart"...

US group Hot Chelle Rae follow up their debut top-10 hit "Tonight Tonight" with a song featuring rap duo New Boyz, who had a top-40 hit of their own last year with "Backseat". Here's the similarly simple-titled "I Like It Like That"...

The winners of the UK version of the X Factor beat out the British "Christmas #1" battle by going on sale a week earlier, with a cover of the Damien Rice alt-rock hit "Cannonball". It's the first group to win the series, and the young girls can claim a charttopper without the rush..

The next entry is by singer Deborah Cox, who for a time held the record for the longest stay at #1 on the R&B charts with her 14 week stay with "Nobody Supposed To Be Here" in 1998. She's also racked up ten #1 dance hits from 1996's "Who Do U Love" to 2008's "Beautiful U R". Her latest effort has reached the top-10 so far, "If It Wasn't For Love"...

Washington, DC rapper Wale has his first US top-40 hit and his first R&B charttopper with a song featuring a singer that had Billboard's #1 R&B hit of 2011, Miguel ("Sure Thing"). Wale himself collaborated with Lady GaGa a couple years back with his UK top-20 hit "Chillin".. his latest R&B winner is the seductive "Lotus Flower Bomb"...

The next entry is a song by Colombian siren Shakira, but unlike her previous Latin-ized hits like her #1 "Hips Don't Lie" and "Whenever Wherever", this one is in French, taken from her Paris Concert video, and the #1 song in that country for the last 3 weeks. It's the somber "Je L'Aime A Mourir" ("I'd Love to Die")...here's her half-Spanish half French version ("Frannish"?)

The final new song is by country-rock duo Montgomery Gentry, who after six albums on the Columbia label, and five #1 country hits including "Roll With Me" and "If You Ever Stop Loving Me", released their first studio CD on indie Average Joe's and are back in the top-20 with the jingoistic "Where I Come From"...

and finally, as a bonus, one song re-enter's my top-100, the excellent collab between French DJ David Guetta and Aussie alt-pop singer Sia, and "Titanium", now complete with cool video....

And let 2012 be 10X better than last year!

Story of the day....a ray of light from the northwest....

2012-01-04T21:59:00.002-05:00

A sign that all that's just isn't just from the ocean-bordered parts of America, the Supreme Court of Montana issued a ruling upholding a ban on state and local election spending by corporations, something the half-corrupt US Supreme Court didnt in Citizens United. That this happened in a place that could be swung by the power of the big mining and forestry companies, gives hope that given the chance and the right group, could reassess the federal ruling. And that, my friends, is ten times more important that the race between Mr. "Man On Dog" and Mr. "Dog On Car" for who's going to lose this November.

Surfing the wave of Santorum from the bottom...

2012-01-03T21:11:00.004-05:00

I couldn't resist. As we begin the arduous task ahead on choosing who is going to lose the presidency this year, the reality show called the Republican primary made its "Rock Of No Love" tour stop in Iowa today, in a caucus attended by less people than a normal Bon Jovi concert and just as meaningful. I know we should all hold in great awe the power of a state with less people than Brooklyn and Queens, but after seeing week upon week of media and stumpers falling over themselves to see exactly what combination of rascism, homophobia, and jingoism will win over votes of people who consider Applebee's a "haute cuisine dining experience", I'm pretty much over the whole process.

And face it, the Republican party has become nothing but a bunch of grown-up bullies, bent on judging and persecuting others not like them (or in many cases, like them). It does surprise me at times how the gay-marriage card can be thrown still (though not for much longer). There is not one sane person who doesn't know that the whole issue will be moot in less than 20 years, and even these candidates know it. However, the mental picture of two dudes kissing is a lot easier to grasp than the complexities of the speculative market. If you talk to any person no matter what affiliation or morals, and try to get an answer on how that issue would effect them in the least, and beyond the "it's wrong in the Bible" mantra, there's no substance. The only person I can imagine with a horse in this race is Michele Bachmann, and her ex-gay-maker snakecharmer of a husband who eerily brings to mind the picture of Family Feud's Richard Dawson's fat gay cousin.

Even more odd is Rick Santorum's endless crusade against all the gay. I'm telling you, he must've been cornholed pretty bad as an altar boy to have this must of a hard-on over the impact of affording equality to same-sex partners. The whole "well, then we can have man-on-dog marriage" is either a perverse fantasy of his or a smokescreen, since its completely apples and oranges. I mean, you cannot discriminate on hiring a man or a woman, and his logic would that allow that you can hire a cat? And this isn't even addressing the Leviticus argument which should also close down all the Red Lobsters in Des Moines, causing an uproar seen like no other.

My opinion is going back and forth on whether this clown car of revolving frontrunners is either the press gluttonously chewing through new characters like their version of the Bachelor, or whether all these goons are just fodder to direct fire away from Willard himself, the seemingly anointed one. As in, it's his turn let him have a go to shut him the hell up. I'm torn. Of course, the idea of voting for one of the "voodoo" faiths which Mormonism falls into (sorry, but behind your back, they're all laughing at your special underwear) would not settle in the heart of thse old grannies that no one but the megachurch they give their welfare ahem Social Security to that allows them to sit judgement on others to make them feel a skosh more better. If Newt "drop the cancer-wife for a newer model" Gingrich can attract these people by just prasing Jeebus every 3 sentences, then you know it's all about you, Mitt.

And that's alright. Romney's a greasy moneypasser that earned the only money not passed down from Daddy by laying off people, and spent the most part of his political career heading up a state that won't vote for him because he basically enacted the same middle-of-the-road shit that Obama hasn't even been able to come to (i.e. universal health care, gay marriage). The fact that he's just changing whatever position he has to fit whatever audience he is in front of proves he's even more of a pushover than Obama is (and that's kind of saying a lot).

In the end, Iowa will prove nothing. The 24-hour news monster will demand the slapfight go on for at least a few more weeks, until they'll be tripping over themselves to be the first to anoint the winner. Then the "who will they pick for VP game" will carry them through to the summer, where the "I'm a better 'Murkin than you" soiree will begin.

Meanwhile the economy's going down the toilet faster than a 2am burrito from Taco Bell, and 75% of what we buy is shipped to us care of some overworked 12 year old Chinese girl. Progress.

twostepcub's music chart for December 30, 2011...

2011-12-30T21:22:00.007-05:00

Hey guys, it's time for the final weekly music chart for 2011. This week David Guetta and Usher spend a fourth week at the top, while Coldplay (pictured above) hang around in the top-10. Brad Paisley, Keith Urban, and Adele has the songs with the biggest jumps (moves of 10+ places highlighted in red), while former big hits by Thompson Square, Jason Derulo, Blake Shelton, and Jessica Sutta drop out. Happy New Year!

This Week Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses)
---------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Without You - David Guetta f/Usher (1)
2. Mr. Know It All - Kelly Clarkson (2)
3. We Found Love - Rihanna f/Calvin Harris (3)
4. Sexy & I Know It - LMFAO (4)
5. Crawling Back To You - Daughtry (5)
6. The One That Got Away - Katy Perry (6)
7. Paradise - Coldplay (7)
8. Someone Like You - Adele (8)
9. Not Over You - Gavin DeGraw (11)
10. All Your Life - The Band Perry (14)
11. Brighter Than The Sun - Colbie Caillat (12)
12. The Sound Of Winter - Bush (10)
13. When We Stand Together - Nickelback (15)
14. Keep Me In Mind - The Zac Brown Band (18)
15. It Will Rain - Bruno Mars (19)
16. Lonely Boy - The Black Keys (20)
17. We Owned The Night - Lady Antebellum (9)
18. Good Feeling - Flo Rida (22)
19. Set Fire To The Rain - Adele (33)
20. Walk - Foo Fighters (17)
21. Cough Syrup - Young The Giant (26)
22. Nothing - The Script (16)
23. Stereo Hearts - Gym Class Heroes f/Adam Levine (21)
24. Countdown - Beyonce (28)
25. Let It Rain - David Nail (29)
26. Love You Like A Love Song - Selena Gomez & The Scene (27)
27. Baggage Claim - Miranda Lambert (13)
28. Fool For You - Cee-Lo Green f/Melanie Fiona or Philip Bailey (30)
29. Levels - Avicii (40)
30. Heartbeat - The Fray (32)
31. You - Chris Young (41)
32. Tonight - Seether (25)
33. You Make Me Feel... - Cobra Starship f/Sabi (23)
34. Easy - Rascal Flatts f/Natasha Bedingfield (38)
35. Tattoos On This Town - Jason Aldean (37)
36. Moves Like Jagger - Maroon5 f/Christina Aguilera (31)
37. I Like How It Feels - Enrique Iglesias f/Pitbull (39)
38. Too Much In Love - Chris Willis (48)
39. Just A Kiss - Lady Antebellum (34)
40. Brand New Bitch - Anjulie (46)
41. Buy My Love - Wynter Gordon (50)
42. Stay - Tyrese (42)
43. I Don't Want This Night To End - Luke Bryan (44)
44. Reality - Kenny Chesney (45)
45. Drink In My Hand - Eric Church (47)
46. These Days - Foo Fighters (51)
47. You & I - Lady GaGa (35)
48. Don't Hold Your Breath - Nicole Scherzinger (43)
49. Hangover - Taio Cruz f/Flo Rida (61)
50. We're All No One - Nervo f/Afrojack & Steve Aoki (54)
51. I'm Gonna Love You Through It - Martina McBride (56)
52. Kiss Me Slowly - Parachute (52)
53. Rain - C+C Music Factory (53)
54. Lights - Ellie Goulding (58)
55. Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie - Red Hot Chili Peppers (36)
56. Storm Warning - Hunter Hayes (64)
57. Life Of The Party - Charlie Wilson (57)
58. A Thousand Years - Christina Perri (66)
59. In The Dark - Dev (49)
60. Face To The Floor - Chevelle (65)
61. Party People - Erika Jayne (71)
62. Called Out In The Dark - Snow Patrol (74)
63. Pumped Up Kicks - Foster The People (55)
64. Dark Horses - Switchfoot (72)
65. Lego House - Ed Sheeran (69)
66. Dance With Me Tonight - Olly Murs (76)
67. Wish You Were Here - Avril Lavigne (77)
68. Gonna Get Over You - Sara Bareilles (68)
69. 1,000 Ships - Rachel Platten (70)
70. My Heart Can't Tell You No - Sara Evans (78)
71. Give - LeAnn Rimes (84)
72. Last Drag - Traci Lords (82)
73. Amen - Edens Edge (81)
74. Stay Together - Ledisi f/Jaheim (79)
75. You Gonna Fly - Keith Urban (90)
76. Shake It Out - Florence + The Machine (DEBUT)
77. Red Solo Cup - Toby Keith (DEBUT)
78. Video Games - Lana Del Ray (88)
79. Didn't I - James Wesley (89)
80. Camouflage - Brad Paisley (100)
81. Home - Dierks Bentley (91)
82. Our Day Will Come - Amy Winehouse (86)
83. Party - Beyonce (87)
84. Bottoms Up - Nickelback (92)
85. Geronimo - Aura Dione (85)
86. Monarchy Of Roses - Red Hot Chili Peppers (DEBUT)
87. Love After War - Robin Thicke (DEBUT)
88. Bad - The Cab (96)
89. Dedication To My Ex (Miss That) - Lloyd f/Lil' Wayne & Andre3000 (DEBUT)
90. Love On Top - Beyonce (95)
91. 5 O'Clock - T'Pain f/Wiz Khalifa & Lily Allen (DEBUT)
92. She Doesn't Mind - Sean Paul (98)
93. Wishing On A Star - X Factor Finalists 2011 f/JLS & One Direction (93)
94. Ni**as In Paris - Jay-Z & Kanye West (DEBUT)
95. Care - Kid Rock f/Martina McBride & T.I. (97)
96. Love's Gonna Make It Alright - George Strait (DEBUT)
97. We Are Young - Glee Cast (DEBUT)
98. Mayhem - Julissa Veloz (99)
99. Aberdeen - Cage The Elephant (DEBUT)
100. Bait A Hook - Justin Moore (DEBUT)

There are eleven new songs on my list this week (highlighted in yellow), and here they are, along with a little about the artists with links to their previous hits on video in orange.

The highest entry is by British group Florence + The Machine, who had their US breakthrough last year with the hit "Dog Days Are Over", which made the top-40 in the US and #1 on my list. In Britain their biggest hit was the live performance with rapper Dizzee Rascal from the Brits Awards show of "You Got The Dirtee Love" that made the runner-up spot in 2010. She's back with a new excellent CD, Ceremonials, and a new single with "Shake It Out"...

Right under Florence is renegade Toby Keith, who captured his 20th #1 country hit last year with "Made In America". My 3 favorites of his are "How Do You Like Me Now", "Does That Blue Moon Ever Shine On You", and "A Little Less Talk, and A Lot More Action". His latest has already been featured on Glee, and it proclaims the virtues of the "Red Solo Cup"...

The Red Hot Chili Peppers follow up their huge comeback "Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie" with their album-opening "Monarchy Of Roses". My three fave RCHP hits? "Scar Tissue", "Dani California" and "Soul To Squeeze" (from the classic Coneheads movie)...

Smooth blue-eyed soulman Robin Thicke (son of Growing Pains' Alan Thicke and Days Of Our Lives actress/singer Gloria Loring) returns with his fifth CD, after making the top of the R&B charts twice with "Lost Without U" in 2006 and "Sex Therapy" from his last CD in 2009. Also, his underground sleeper "When I Get You Alone" (my favorite song of his), was covered on Glee by Blaine and the Warblers. The heir apparent slash competition to Justin Timberlake is back with "Love After War"...

Now taking a sharp turn from that smoothness is the newest hit by R&B/hip-hop singer Lloyd. Lloyd is best known for his one top-10 pop/#1 R&B hit "You" with Lil' Wayne in 2006. Five years later, he's still gettin' support from Weezy on a song that channels the rudeness into a retro jam a la Cee-Lo's "Fuck You" on "Dedication To My Ex (Miss You)", with a clip featuring Wayne Brady and actor Talon Reid...

Autotune god T-Pain racked up five top-10 pop lead-artist singles in the mid-naughties as well 8 supporting roles on other's top-tenners, including all told three charttoppers - Chris Brown's "Kiss Kiss", Flo Rida's "Low", and his own "Buy U A Drank (Shawty Snappin')". He was last seen prominently on Pitbull's "Hey Baby (Drop It To The Floor)" last year, and he's back with his own single with rap backup from Wiz "Black & Yellow" Khalifa and crediting the generous sample from Lily Allen's UK top-40 hit "Who'd Have Known", hereby giving Allen her first top-10 song. Interestingly, "Who'd Have Known" itself samples the UK vocal group Take That's 2007 hit "Shine", therefore giving Gary Barlow a top-ten writing credit. Cheers!

The next debut is the first single that I can recall that made it to the Billboard Hot 100 top-5 while being censored for something other than a curse world. Leave it to rap powermoguls Jay-Z and Kayne West to co-0p the "N" word for the swank "Ni**gas in Paris"....

Next up completely on the other side of the spectrum is the totally white-bread George Strait with his latest single, hoping to continue his record where he's sent 83 singles into the country top 10. His latest is aiming there as well, and "Love's Gonna Make It Alright" either way...My faves of his are "I Cross My Heart", "I've Come To Expect It From You", and "You Can't Make A Heart Love Somebody"...

The next entry is the latest to hit my list from the cast of Glee, this time covering an obscure alt-rock track by the group fun with Janelle Monae (go check out the original). Here's "We Are Young"..

Rock group Cage The Elephant so far have notched three modern rock #1 hits, including "Shake Me Down" which made my year-end list for this yearm and are back with another top-10 effort with another wackadoo video, "Aberdeen"...

The final debut on my list is country newcomer Justin Moore, who's managed a #1 hit from each of his albums ("Small Town USA" and "If Heaven Wasn't So Far Away"). He follows up the latter with "Bait A Hook"...

That's it for this year...I hope everyone has a safe and festive New Years! I love holidays that everyone can celebrate!

the best of twostepcubchart, part 10, the final 10....

2011-12-30T17:26:00.003-05:00

Hey everyone, it's time for the top 10 in my recap of the biggest songs of the year on my weekly list. I've got the biggest country crossover of the year, the sunniest mass murder ditty ever, and the person who spent fifteen weeks at #1 on my chart.

10. Foo Fighters - Walk (from the CD Wasting Light)

twostepcubchart peak: #1 (one week)
US Hot 100 peak: #83
US Rock Songs peak: #1 (8 weeks)
US Modern Rock peak: #1 (8 weeks)

My favorite rock album of the year's best track, "Walk" was a perfect blend of rock edge and pop sensibility that gave the band a 2nd #1 rock hit in 2011, giving them a total of 28 weeks on top. The video is a perfect knockoff of Falling Down as well...

9. Jason Aldean featuring Kelly Clarkson - Don't You Wanna Stay (from the CD My Kinda Party)

twostepcubchart peak: #8 (2 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #31
US Country Singles peak: #1 (3 weeks)
US Adult Pop peak: #9
US Adult Contemporary peak: #3

This song was the country crossover story of this year, combining the hottest male singer of the year with the first American Idol herself, Kelly Clarkson. The powerballad was born for pop out of the box, with only Aldean's gritty voice binding it to country. After reigning on country radio for 3 weeks, the song made the top-10 on adult pop radio, and made Aldean the A-lister he deserves.

8. OneRepublic - Good Life (from the CD Waking Up)

twostepcubchart peak: #5 (2 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #8
US Adult Pop peak: #1 (4 weeks)
US Adult Contemporary peak: #4
German Singles peak: #18

The Colorado Springs group's third single from their sophomore effort became their biggest hit since their debut single with Timbaland, "Apologize", also achieving a rare feat of a pure pop-rock song reaching the Hot 100 top-10.

7. Pink - Fuckin' Perfect (from the CD Greatest Hits...So Far!)

twostepcubchart peak: #1 (2 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #2
US Adult Pop peak: #1 (7 weeks)
US Adult Contemporary peak: #2
US Dance Airplay peak: #14
UK Singles peak: #10
German Singles peak: #7

Pink added two classic songs of empowerment to her Greatest Hits set, and "Perfect" was my favorite. She gave a voice for the bullied and marginalized, and this song would be a fitting anthem for the "It Gets Better" movement.

6. Bruno Mars - Grenade (from the CD Doo Wops and Hooligans)

twostepcubchart peak: #1 (5 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #1 (4 weeks)
US Adult Pop peak: #3
US Adult Contemporary peak: #11
US Dance Airplay peak: #9
UK Singles peak: #1 (2 weeks)
French Singles peak: #7
German Singles peak: #1 (6 weeks)
Global Dance Tracks peak: #28

Mars' second lead-artist #1 hit was a classic heartbreaker that if written in the 60s (which it sounds like it could) would've been a smash for the Four Tops or the Temptations. Timeless.

5. The Script - For The First Time (from the CD Science & Faith)

twostepcubchart peak: #2 (2 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #23
US Adult Pop peak: #4
US Adult Contemporary peak: #5
UK Singles peak: #4

The Irish band's lead single from their sophomore effort, the conversational piece was a winner with its singalong chorus and heartfelt lyrics to their longtime love. By the way the girl in the video is Bono's daughter Eve...

4. Foster The People - Pumped Up Kicks (from the CD Torches)

twostepcubchart peak: #3 (5 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #3
US Rock Songs peak: #3
US Modern Rock peak: #1 (5 weeks)
US Triple A Rock peak: #2
US Dance Club Play peak: #39
US Dance Airplay peak: #1 (one week)
UK Singles peak: #18
French Singles peak: #14
German Singles peak: #9
Global Dance Tracks peak: #22

This year's modern rock breakthrough group is the trio lead by Mark Foster, with a song that I loved from the start, but never thought would get a wide audience given its dark subject matter. Nevertheless, the melodic production made everyone overlook its Columbine leanings to made it the slacker earworm of 2011...

3. LMFAO featuring Lauren Bennett and GoonRock - Party Rock Anthem (from the CD Sorry For Party Rocking)

twostepcubchart peak: #1 (6 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #1 (6 weeks)
US Dance Club Play peak: #2
US Dance Airplay peak: #1 (5 weeks)
US Adult Pop peak: #15
US R&B Singles peak: #79
UK Singles peak: #1 (4 weeks)
French Singles peak: #1 (9 weeks)
German Singles peak: #1 (2 weeks)
Global Dance Tracks peak: #1

The uncle-nephew duo provided the world with the undisputed song of the summer with a jam that 100% lived up to its title. The synth hook was inescapable, and the 28 Days Later-inspired video made me feel like I wanted to get whatever these dancing zombies got.

2. Adele - Rolling In The Deep (from the CD 21)

twostepcubchart peak: #1 (6 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #1 (7 weeks)
US Adult Pop peak: #1 (13 weeks)
US Adult Contemporary peak: #1 (19 weeks)
US Rock Songs peak: #15
US Modern Rock peak: #21
US R&B Singles peak: #61
US Triple A Rock peak: #1
US Dance Club Play peak: #14
US Dance Airplay peak: #2
UK Singles peak: #2
French Singles peak: #3
German Singles peak: #1 (2 weeks)
Global Dance Tracks peak: #13

This first single from unquestionable album of the year was the running year-to-date #1 single on my chart until the very last week. The bluesy belter proved that class can prevail in the commercial mainstream, and the song with ubiquitous on pop, R&B, dance and AC radio. And only one person can top this effort...

1. Adele - Someone Like You (from the CD 21)

twostepcubchart peak: #1 (9 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #1 (4 weeks)
US Adult Pop peak: #1 (9 weeks)
US Adult Contemporary peak: #1 (one week)
US Dance Club Play peak: #24
US Rock Songs peak: #24
US Triple-A Rock peak: #2
US Dance Airplay peak: #5
UK Singles peak: #1 (5 weeks)
French Singles peak: #1 (4 weeks)
German Singles peak: #4

..and that would be herself. Adele's "Someone Like You" outdid even the aspirations of "Rolling", baring her pain with just a piano and her voice. Even Saturday Night Live created a skit on its universal theme of heartbreak and coming to terms with emotions everyone has experienced. I know there's been a couple times in my life where this song would've sent me over a bridge, but even now it brings tears to my eyes. If Adele did nothing beyond this song, she would still be placed in the pantheon of greatest women singers ever.

And that's it for my recap, thanks to anyone coming across and reading this through the interwebs, and I'm looking forward to revamping the site next year. Until then, I'll be posting my weekly top-100 list either tomorrow, Sunday, or Monday, but I hope everyone has a great Happy New Year.

the best of twostepcubchart 2011, part 9....

2011-12-29T20:25:00.003-05:00

Hey folks, I'm ready for the next installment of my recap of the biggest songs on my weekly list last year. This go-round we come to the redemption of Adam Levine, the discovery of Jessie J, and a Grammy winning flip of the bird. As before I've included the peaks on my chart as well as from Billboard and other worldwide lists.

20. Jill Scott featuring Anthony Hamilton - So In Love (from the CD The Light Of The Sun)

twostepcubchart peak: #13 (5 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #97
US R&B Singles peak: #10
US Adult R&B peak: #1

The highest "soul" song on my list, "So In Love" marked the return of neo-soul diva Scott, who brought class to the R&B charts. It was also the biggest song in the adult R&B genre this year, spending the most time at #1 of any of the songs on that list. This is smooth as syrup.

19. Pitbull featuring Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer - Give Me Everything (from the CD Planet Pit)

twostepcubchart peak: #4 (3 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #1 (one week)
US Adult Pop peak: #19
US Dance Club Play peak: #15
US Dance Airplay peak: #2
US R&B Singles peak: #98
UK Singles Chart peak: #1 (3 weeks)
French Singles peak: #2
German Singles peak: #2
Global Dance Tracks peak: #7

Welcome to one of the five songs that were played to an inch of their lives this year. Pitbull graduated from a supporting player to a superstar with this song featuring Ne-Yo on vocals and Dutch DJ Afrojack producing and co-writing (I'm really not sure Nayer brings much besides a breathy backvocal). Pitbull growls through this number with a passion that woos all the ladies (and maybe some more)...but is it me, or does this sound awfully like the Black Eyed Peas "I Gotta Feeling" in some parts?

18. Maroon 5 featuring Christina Aguilera - Moves Like Jagger (from the CD Hands All Over)

twostepcubchart peak: #5 (one week)
US Hot 100 peak: #1 (4 weeks)
US Adult Pop peak: #1 (2 weeks)
US Adult Contemporary peak: #12
US Dance Club Play peak: #9
US Dance Airplay peak: #5
UK Singles peak: #2 (7 weeks)
French Singles peak: #3
German Singles peak: #2
Global Dance Tracks peak: #5

Another of those "overplayed to oblivion" songs, I originally took "Moves" for a one-off stunt single to promote The Voice, the singing competition that Aguilera and Maroon 5's Adam Levine were mentors/judges on. However, this song grew to a power way beyond the show, not only rescuing Maroon5 from their adult-pop rut, but also reincarnating XTina, giving her her first #1 hit in a decade. Nobody can claim this song is a classic work of art, but it gets it's pop job done, and proves you can be funky and still rule the chart.

17. Cee-Lo Green - Fuck You/Forget You (from the CD The Lady-Killer)

twostepcubchart peak: #1 (one week)
US Hot 100 peak: #
US Rock Songs peak: #40
US Modern Rock peak: #33
US Dance Airplay peak: #17
US R&B Singles peak: #57
UK Singles peak: #1 (2 weeks)
German Singles peak: #11

What started as a lyric video on YouTube that went "viral", Cee-Lo's retro-Motown kiss-off was the little train that could, impossibly conquering pop radio in its "clean" version, as well as getting covered on Glee by Gwyneth Paltrow, but nothing compares to the original it its total profane abandon. This is one of those songs that'll be remembered decades from now, and still be relevant.

16. My Chemical Romance - Sing (from the CD Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys)

twostepcubchart peak: #14 (one week)
US Hot 100 peak: #58
US Adult Pop peak: #10
US Rock Songs peak: #4
US Modern Rock peak: #2

The highest ranking by a song that didn't make my top-10 in any week, "Sing" was another song covered effectively on Glee, and the epic highpoint of MCR's originally unintended concept album.

15. Foo Fighters - Rope (from the CD Wasting Light)

twostepubchart peak: #6 (one week)
US Hot 100 peak: #68
US Rock Songs peak: #1 (20 weeks)
US Modern Rock peak: #1 (13 weeks)
UK Singles peak: #22

America's biggest rock song of the year, "Rope" debuted right at #1 on the rock chart, and stayed there for twenty weeks, before being deposed by their followup (coming up later). Dave Grohl know his way around a hook, and this song was a great lead-in to their outstanding Wasting Light CD.

14. Jessie J featuring B.o.B - Price Tag (from the CD Who You Are)

twostepcubchart peak: #3 (4 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #23
US Adult Pop peak: #19
US Dance Club Play peak: #9
UK Singles peak: #1 (2 weeks)
French Singles peak: #1 (one week)
German Singles peak: #3

I got to say, I simply detested Jessie J's British debut single, "Do It Like A Dude". I could not understand the hype whatsoever. Until I heard this retro throwback that borrows from early 70's soul-pop and injects a sing-a-long chorus that was universal.

13. Katy Perry - Firework (from the CD Teenage Dream)

twostepcubchart peak: #1 (3 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #1 (4 weeks)
US Adult Pop peak: #1 (5 weeks)
US Adult Contemporary peak: #1 (one week)
US Dance Club Play peak: #1 (one week)
US Dance Airplay peak: #1 (2 weeks)
UK Singles peak: #3
French Singles peak: #7
German Singles peak: #4
Global Dance Tracks peak: #11

Arguably Perry's best song (it would've ranked much higher here but was spread across 2010 and 2011), "Firework" was the best moment in Perry's Teenage Dream, and its theme of self-worth was driven home by its diversity-training video, with earnest portrayals of young people struggling with weight, sexuality, abuse, and health issues. Simply flawless.

12. Katy Perry - Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) (from the CD Teenage Dream)

twostepcubchart peak: #1 (5 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #1 (2 weeks)
US Adult Pop peak: #1 (3 weeks)
US Adult Contemporary peak: #17
US Dance Club Play peak: #1 (one week)
US Dance Airplay peak: #4
UK Singles Peak: #9
German Singles peak: #16
Global Dance Tracks peak: #23

This is the exact opposite of Perry's sincere "Firework", a completely comic track that sports a retro video including Glee's Darren Criss and Kevin McHale, as well as 80's throwbacks Debbie Gibson, Corey Feldman, and Kenny G, Hanson as the house band, and extending her 15 minutes, Rebecca "Friday" Black as Perry's makeover mentor.

11. Lady Antebellum - Just A Kiss (from the CD Own The Night)

twostepcubchart peak: #10 (one week)
US Hot 100 peak: #7
US Adult Pop Peak: #4
US Country Singles Peak: #1 (2 weeks)
US Adult Contemporary peak: #10

Lady Antebellum pull off another multiformat crossover hit though not on the same scale as they did with "Need You Now" from a couple years ago. The trio is now finally in the top-10 at adult pop radio, and a stint on Saturday Night Live propelled their CD back into the top-10.

Tomorrow, I'll bring you the ten biggest songs from last year on my list for the year, including the biggest country crossover hit of the year, the happiest song about mass murder that I can recall, and a couple of tracks from the biggest name of this year. Peace.

The Best of twostepcubchart 2011, part 8...

2011-12-28T19:58:00.005-05:00

Hey folks, it's time for my eighth installment of my recap of the biggest songs on my weekly list from 2011. This time we'll see a Romanian diva, a Swedish Mafia, and a "Country Song" that never made the country chart.

30. Alexandra Stan - Mr. Saxobeat (from the CD Saxobeats)

twostepcubchart peak: #6 (2 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #21
US Dance Club Play peak: #37
US Dance Airplay peak: #1 (7 weeks)
UK Singles peak: #3
French Singles peak: #6
German Singles peak: #1 (7 weeks)
Global Dance Tracks peak: #1

Stan (pictured above) was the biggest beneficiary of the "Romanian Wave" from 2010 to 2011, hanging around forever with this electro-disco number that helped bring the saxophone back to dance music (see also, Dev).

29. Lady GaGa - Born This Way (from the CD Born This Way)

twostepcubchart peak: #1 (2 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #1 (6 weeks)
US Adult Pop peak: #7
US Adult Contemporary peak: #22
US Dance Club Play peak: #1 (one week)
US Dance Airplay peak: #1 (one week)
UK Singles peak: #3
French Singles peak: #2
German Singles peak: #1 (2 weeks)
Global Dance Tracks peak: #4

Billboard's 1000th Hot 100 #1 single, Mother Monster sure built enough hype over the release of the song, which paid off with two of the highest selling weeks for a single for 2011, selling almost a million copies in less than 2 weeks. I am totally overjoyed over the success of this song, the first truly GLBT-positive mainstream hit and it hit big. Critics may deride it for sounding like Madonna's "Express Yourself" (heck every house/dance music song in the late 80s sounded like that), but GaGa had the balls that Madonna never did in releasing a record like this.

28. Lady Gaga - Edge Of Glory (from the CD Born This Way)

twostepcubchart peak: #1 (one week)
US Hot 100 peak: #3
US Dance Club Play peak: #1 (one week)
US Dance Airplay peak: #14
US Adult Pop peak: #2
US Adult Contemporary peak: #7
UK Singles peak: #6
French Singles peak: #7
German Singles peak: #3
Global Dance Tracks peak: #11

Gaga's third hit from Born This Way (the second, "Judas" sits below my recap at #134), "The Edge Of Glory" serves as the reqiuem for E Street saxophonist Clarence Clemmons, with his last record as well as video performance. Epic, as it should be.

27. Swedish House Mafia - Save The World (from the upcoming CD One Night Stand)

twostepcubchart peak: #2 (one week)
US Dance Club Play peak: #1 (one week)
US Dance Airplay peak: #1 (5 weeks)
UK Singles peak: #10
Global Dance Tracks peak: #1

Steve Angello, Axwell, and Sebastian Ingrosso had their third consecutive top-10 hit in Britain and their second #1 US dance hit with this epic song that sports a clip that is a dog-lovers' favorite.

26. Cage The Elephant - Shake Me Down (from the CD Thank You, Happy Birthday)

twostepcubchart peak: #8 (2 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #78
US Rock Songs peak: #1 (2 weeks)
US Modern Rock peak: #1 (6 weeks)

The Kentucky-based roots-rock band scored a hat-trick with this #1 modern rock track heralding their sophomore release. The song is pretty bipolar if you listen to the lyrics. Creepy video, though.

25. The Script - Nothing (from the CD Science & Faith)

twostepcubchart peak: #2 (3 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #32
US Adult Pop peak: #3
US Adult Contemporary peak: #15

The Irish group surprisingly has a hit about getting drunk at a pub. Again. This time over a lost love, which drives lead Danny O'Donoghue to take a little swim.

24. Rise Against - Help Is On The Way (from the CD Endgame)

twostepcubchart peak: #3 (5 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #89
US Rock Songs peak: #2
US Modern Rock peak: #2

Rise Against has carried the flag this year for politically thoughtful rock music with this song inspired by the tragedy in New Orleans from Hurricane Katrina. Powerful and provocative.

23. Tonight, Tonight - Hot Chelle Rae (from the CD Whatever)

twostepcubchart peak: #2 (2 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #7
US Adult Pop peak: #1 (one week)
US Adult Contemporary peak: #19

This is my niece's favorite song of this year. She's 7. Of course the perfect audience for this simple repetetive earworm, but it stuck on my mind, as well as a lot of adults as well. And sometimes that is a good thing. The video featured Glee's Chord Overstreet, brother of the band's guitarist, and in my mind I imagined him not getting the star billing and leaving the show because Ryan Murphy was jealous of him promoting something on his own. But who am I to know?

22. Red Hot Chili Peppers - The Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie (from the CD I'm With You)

twostepcubchart peak: #3 (4 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #38
US Rock Songs peak: #1 (8 weeks)
US Modern Rock peak: #1 (4 weeks)
US Adult Pop peak: #18
German Singles peak: #20

After a five year break, RCHP are back with this back-to-form funk rock of a number with a Let It Be/Where The Streets Have No Name rooftop concert clip to match.

21. Seether - Country Song (from the CD Holding On To Strings Better Left To Fray)

twostepcubchart peak: #4 (3 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #72
US Rock Songs peak: #2
US Modern Rock peak: #8

The South African hard rock trio roared back with this pop-grunge winner from their fifth major-label effort. According to lead Shaun Morgan, the song was named for its groove and being recorded in Nashville. It sounds like Nirvana covering a Creedence Clearwater Revival song.

Next week we're into the top-20, with Adam Levine's comeback, Jessie J's conquest, and and Grammy-winning flip of the bird. Peace.

the Best of twostepcubchart 2011, Part 7...

2011-12-27T21:50:00.002-05:00

Hey folks, I'm back with my recap of the biggest songs on my weekly music list this year, and we've hit the top-40, the cream of the crop. From women who used to dye their hair pink to those who dyed theirs Bozo-red. Plus a lot of fornication going on here...

40. Rihanna - S&M (from the CD Loud)

twostepcubchart peak: #1 (one week)
US Hot 100 peak: #1 (one week)
US Dance Club Play peak: #1 (one week)
US Dance Airplay peak: #1 (one week)
US R&B Singles peak: #59
US Adult-Pop peak: #24
UK Singles peak: #3
German Singles peak: #2
French Singles peak: #3
Global Dance Tracks peak: #2

This song is a total anomaly: an ode to sadomasochism sung by a victim of domestic abuse becoming a pop smash. It only could happen with the everpresent Rihanna. I have no idea when the inevitable Rihanna backlash will happen, but until then she's providing us some of the most provocative pop music in the "mainstream", and pulls no punches (no pun intended) with this video that pulls out all the fetish bells and whistles, along with Perez Hilton gagged on a leash.

39. Katy Perry featuring Kanye West - E.T. (from the CD Teenage Dream)

twostepcubchart peak: #7 (one week)
US Hot 100 peak: #1 (5 weeks)
US Adult Pop peak: #2
US Adult Contemporary peak: #18
US R&B Singles peak: #83
US Dance Club Play peak: #1 (one week)
US Dance Airplay peak: #1 (2 weeks)
UK Singles peak: #3
French Singles peak: #10
German Singles peak: #9
Global Dance Tracks peak: #11

Another surprising success with a two-letter title, Katy Perry's futuristic track became her fourth #1 pop hit from Teenage Dream despite its disjointed skittish beat and robotic early-80's vocals. And that's a compliment. The best thing about this is that it sounded like nothing else on her CD, let alone nothing on pop radio.

38. Gavin DeGraw - Not Over You (from the CD Sweeter)

twostepcubchart peak: #7 (2 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #22
US Adult-Pop peak: #6
US Adult Contemporary peak: #28

Degraw had a really good and really bad year in 2011, having the biggest hit since his debut single with "Not Over You", but being severely beaten in an attack in New York City this past summer. Gladfully doing better, DeGraw's brand of adult pop is welcome amongst all the male braggadocios going around, and the song is a poignant yet real confession of heartbreak.

37. 30 Seconds To Mars - Closer To The Edge (from the CD This Is War)

twostepcubchart peak: #20 (2 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #99
US Adult Pop peak: #17
US Rock Songs peak: #21
US Modern Rock peak: #7

This song was the band's pop breakthrough, and rightfully so, with Jared Leto channeling all his angst into this earnest anthem.

36. Linkin Park - Waiting For The End (from the CD A Thousand Suns)

twostepcubchart peak: #3 (3 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #42
US Rock Songs peak: #2
US Modern Rock peak: #1 (4 weeks)
US Adult Pop peak: #11

The California rock-rap group have matured more than any that came on the scene in their time, and their latest is an almost lilting reggae-fied rocker that more thoughtful than abrasive.

35. Pink - Raise Your Glass (from the CD Greatest Hits...So Far!)

twostepcubchart peak: #1 (one week in 2011)
US Hot 100 peak: #1 (one week)
US Adult Pop peak: #1 (7 weeks)
US Adult Contemporary peak: #9
US Dance Club Play peak: #17
US Dance Airplay peak: #1 (2 weeks)
UK Singles peak: #13
German Singles peak: #5
Global Dance Tracks peak: #15

This was the last #1 song of 2010, and the first #1 of this year. Pink put two of her best songs on her hits set and made both of them her biggest ever. There's so much to admire her as a person, and this video is a great "f*** you" of empowerment to the marginalized.

34. Mumford & Sons - The Cave (from the CD Sigh No More)

twostepcubchart peak: #2 (2 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #27
US Adult Pop peak: #40
US Rock Songs peak: #2
US Modern Rock peak: #3
US Triple-A rock peak: #2
UK Singles peak: #31

The British folk-rock band had their first top-40 hit capitalizing on their Grammy performance buzz with this very English ditty that sounds like it could have been sung by sailors for decades.

33. Maroon 5 - Never Gonna Leave This Bed (from the CD Hands All Over)

twostepcubchart peak: #10 (one week)
US Hot 100 peak: #55
US Adult Pop peak: #4
US Adult Contemporary peak: #17

Maroon 5's third single and last before their resurgence with "Moves Like Jagger" (coming up later) that found the group in Matchbox Twenty territory with this melodic rocker aimed at the ladies...

32. Enrique Iglesias featuring Ludacris - Tonight (I'm Fucking You) (from the CD Euphoria)

twostepcubchart peak: #4 (2 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #4
US Dance Club Play peak: #1 (one week)
US Dance Airplay peak: #2
US Adult Pop peak: #11
UK Singles peak: #3
German Singles peak: #12
Global Dance Tracks peak: #9

Enrique ended up going whole-Jersey shore in 2011, turning up the heat and releasing this track with no question what his intentions are (though most of radio-land and YouTube got the neutered "Tonight (I'm Lovin' You)" version).

31. The Band Perry - If I Die Young (from the CD The Band Perry)

twostepcubchart peak: #1 (2 weeks)
US Country Singles peak: #1 (one week in 2010)
US Hot 100 peak: #14
US Adult Pop peak: #4
US Adult Contemporary peak: #1 (3 weeks in 2011)

The trio's classic ballad of premature passing got a second life after pop and AC radio embraced the song almost a year after their conquest of the country chart. This song is nominated for a country song Grammy, but far deserves a song of the year nom as well.

Next up I'll bring you a Romanian dance sensation, a Swedish Mafia, and a Country Song that never made the country charts. Peace.

the best of twostepcubchart 2011, part 6...

2011-12-26T17:48:00.005-05:00

Hey folks, we've reached the halfway point of my recap of the biggest songs on my weekly list for 2011, and this week we have a British dynamo that went to #1 on my chart, a judge from my favorite TV singing competition that still is not J-Lo, and a couple of Blacks...

50. Uncharted - Sara Bareilles (from the CD Kaleidoscope Heart)

twostepcubchart peak: #5 (one week)
US Adult Pop peak: #13
US Triple-A peak: #17

Bareilles continued her stint as judge on the Sing-Off, a singing competition featuring all acappella groups that far surpassed the quality of any of the other drivel on the tube, and although at times she appeared as the ditzy, Paula Abdul-esque member of the trio of judges, she has extensive background with choral singing, being a part of UCLA's Awaken A Cappella. "Uncharted", a highlight from her excellent CD, sports a video with cameos from co-worker Ben Folds, Sugarland's, Jennifer Nettles, Maroon 5, and Josh Groban.

49. Just Can't Get Enough - Black Eyed Peas (from the CD The Beginning)

twostepcubchart peak: #20 (2 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #3
US Adult Pop peak: #11
UK Singles peak: #3
French Singles peak: #1 (4 weeks)
German Singles peak: #9
Global Dance Tracks peak: #16

The Peas announced their hiatus this year, which would be their second following a four-year gap between 2005 to 2009. Their latest CD, The Beginning, didn't produce the duo of megahits like their last, but did manage two top-5 songs between their Dirty Dancing hijacking "The Time (Dirty Bit)" and this more subdued number, which is as close to a ballad as BEP is gonna get. The video was shot in Japan a week before the horrible tsunami that struck there, and included a plea to donate to the Red Cross.

48. Hello - Martin Solveig featuring Dragonette (from the CD Smash)

twostepcubchart peak: #8 (2 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #46
US Dance Club Play peak: #1 (one week)
US Dance Airplay peak: #1 (2 weeks)
US Adult-Pop peak: #30
UK Singles peak: #13
French Singles peak: #5
German Singles peak: #5
Global Dance Tracks peak: #1

Parisian DJ Martin Solveig (nee' Picadet) had his biggest hit ever with this simplistic yet inescapable earworm that featured Canadian duo Dragonette. Besides being exposed to AT&T commercials, the song hit #1 in four European countries (Austria, Holland, Belgium, and the Czech Republic), and was the biggest non-Guetta true "DJ dance" song this year.

47. Train - Marry Me (from the CD Save Me, San Francisco)

twostepcubchart peak: #9 (one week)
US Hot 100 peak: #34
US Adult Pop peak: #4
US Adult Contemporary peak: #3
US Triple-A rock peak: #8

San Franciscans Train went full-wedding-anthem mode on this tender ballad, which took a mature group like them to avoid total smarm.

46. The Black Keys - Tighten Up (from the CD Brothers)

twostepcubchart peak: #4 (2 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #87
US Rock Songs peak: #1 (10 weeks)
US Modern Rock peak: #1 (9 weeks)
US Triple-A rock: #12

Ohio-born rock duo of Dan Auerbach and Patrick Carney were the lil' band that could in 2010, with this song that hung around to 2011. "Tighten Up" won the Grammy for best rock duo/band record, and rightfully so, with their 'bigger than two' sound and hipster casualness that wasn't forced.

45. The Band Perry - You Lie (from the CD The Band Perry)

twostepcubchart peak: #5 (4 weeks)
US Country Singles peak: #2
US Hot 100 peak: #42

"You Lie" was the family trio's followup to their multiformat success "If I Die Young" (coming up later in the list) and became their second top-5 country hit.

44. Marsha Ambrosius - Far Away (from the CD Late Nights & Early Mornings)

twostepcubchart peak: #2 (2 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #74
US R&B Singles peak: #3
US Adult R&B peak: #1

British soul singer Ambrosius had her first hit outside of R&B duo Floetry with this powerful and emotional song inspired by a friend who took his life. The video was also one of the best of the year, approaching the topic of being gay in the African-American community, something totally hushed in the mainstream, and she conveyed it flawlessly.

43. Florence + The Machine - Dog Days Are Over (from the CD Lungs)

twostepcubchart peak: #1 (one week)
US Hot 100 peak: #21
US Adult Pop peak: #11
US Rock Songs peak: #9
US Modern Rock peak: #8
US Triple-A Rock peak: #1
US Dance Club Play peak: #4
UK Singles peak: #23
Global Dance Tracks peak: #39

Another British critics' darling, Florence Welch broke through in America this year with a Grammy nomination for new artist, and her performance of "Dog Days Are Over" as well as its exposure on Glee propelled it into the US top 40. It also sported one of the most surreal videos of the year.

42 Colbie Caillat - Brighter Than The Sun (from the CD All Of You)

twostepcubchart peak: #8 (2 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #60
US Adult Pop peak: #4
US Adult Contemporary peak: #13

Caillat's second entry on my year-end list is a Sheryl Crow clone of a tune, but a sunny respite from the angsty dance and frantic rock that was ruling this summer.

41. Coldplay - Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall (from the CD Mylo Xyloto)

twostepcubchart peak: #6 (one week)
US Hot 100 peak: #14
US Rock Songs peak: #5
US Modern Rock peak: #4
US Adult Pop peak: #8
US Adult Contemporary peak: #23
UK Singles peak: #6
French Singles peak: #20

Coldplay, arguably the biggest current rock band in the world (the Foos may be giving them a run for their money) released their fifth full-length studio effort this year, previewed by this epic track that curiously interpolates Peter Allen's "I Go To Rio".

Next post we'll enter the top 40 for the year, with the first sign of Katy Perry, Rihanna's big fetish, and Enrique getting really rude. Ciao!

The Best of twostepcubchart 2011, Part 5...

2011-12-25T16:19:00.006-05:00

Merry Christmas, everyone, and time for my next installment of the biggest hits on my weekly list for 2011. This time GaGa, Clarkson, and Bruno make their first appearance. And like before, I've included peaks on the major music charts in the US from Billboard magazine as well as official European charts.

60. Lady GaGa - You And I (from the CD Born This Way)

twostepcubchart peak: #5 (one week)
US Hot 100 peak: #6
US Adult Pop peak: #6
US Adult Contemporary peak: #24
US Dance Club Play peak: #1 (one week)
UK Singles peak: #23
Global Dance Tracks peak: #33

Mother Monster's first ballad single release and fourth single from Born This Way extended her record of having all her promoted singles make the pop Top 10 in America. Produced by Robert "Mutt" Lange, it does have more than a passing resemblance to a Shania Twain song, but as her most accessible track seemed to have the most mass appeal.

59. Kelly Clarkson - Mr. Know It All (from the CD Stronger)

twostepcubchart peak: #2 (four weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #10
US Adult Contemporary peak: #12
US Adult Pop peak: #1 (2 weeks)
UK Singles peak: #4
Germany Singles peak: #18

The first season American Idol heralds her fifth CD with this first single, a great kiss-off number in her grand "Since You Been Gone" style. The video clearly has her sights on some in the media and in her own record company. Hmmm.

58. Colbie Caillat - I Do (from the CD All Of You)

twostepcubchart peak: #15 (one week)
US Hot 100 peak: #23
US Adult Pop peak: #7
US Adult Contemporary peak: #26

Ingenue and Jennifer Aniston doppelganger Caillat delivered a sugary love song in time for Valentine's Day. This is a song as light as a feather, but not offensive, hence its longevity.

57. Chris Young - Tomorrow (from the CD Neon)

twostepcubchart peak: #19 (2 weeks)
US Country Singles peak: #1 (one week)
US Hot 100 peak: #36

Former Nashville Star winner Young earns his 4th consecutive #1 country hit with this heartbreaking ballad about a love gone wrong. It nicely set up his third CD, and further upped his Nashville clout.

56. Miranda Lambert - Baggage Claim (from the CD Four The Record)

twostepcubchart peak: #9 (one week)
US Country Singles peak: #3
US Hot 100 peak: #44

Lambert is another Nashville Star alum, and although she didn't win on her season (she placed third), she far surprassed the success of anyone else on that show. And she did it not through cliched pop-country mess expected from a reality show contestant, but the most daring and interesting female mainstream country from this year. It's like she's the anti-Blake Shelton. And "Baggage Claim", while straying into Sheryl Crow-ish territory, established her ability for a fun, sassy record amongst her more serious work. Marriage (to Blake) will do that to you.

55. Taylor Swift - Back To December (from the CD Speak Now)

twostepcubchart peak: #23 (one week)
US Country Singles peak: #3
US Hot 100 peak: #6
US Adult Pop peak: #11
US Adult Contemporary peak: #14

Taylor's third and highest single on my year-end list, her "Taylor Lautner song" was a much more adult and restrained effort from the singer, and pushed her into a much more widespread audience.

54. Train - Save Me, San Francisco (from the CD Save Me, San Francisco)

twostepcubchart peak: #12 (3 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #75
US Adult Pop peak: #7
US Adult Contemporary peak: #15
US Triple-A peak: #23

Pat Monahan and the boys send their fourth single from their album, an ode to their hometown, to the top-10 of the adult-pop chart, and a video that gives a nod to California's marriage conundrum.

53.Bruno Mars - The Lazy Song (from the CD Doo Wops and Hooligans)

twostepcubchart peak: #12 (2 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #4
US Adult Pop peak: #2
US Adult Contemporary peak: #13
UK Singles peak: #1 (one week)
France Singles peak: #11
Germany Singles peak: #9

Bruno's third single from his debut album, "The Lazy Song" was noted not just for its simple but entertainingly fun beat, but for its kooky video, featuring a videocam clip of Mars and a bunch of monkeyheaded backup dancing loafers, became viral on the YouTube.

52. Bush - The Sound of Winter (from the CD The Sea Of Memories)

twostepcubchart peak: #4 (one week)
US Hot 100 peak: #104
US Rock Songs peak: #1 (5 weeks)
US Alternative Rock peak: #1 (6 weeks)

Gavin Rossdale comes back after seemingly an eternity of being just Mr. Gwen Stefani by reassembling Bush and returning to the top of the alt-rock chart for the first time in a dozen years.

51. Andy Grammer - Keep Your Head Up (from the CD Andy Grammer)

twostepcubchart peak: #19 (2 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #53
US Adult Pop peak: #5
US Adult Contemporary peak: #11

LA-based singer-songwriter Grammer has his first hit with this ultra-positive ode that hung around the charts forever because no one had the heart to say no. He skated perilously into smarmyville, but this song is a winner solely because it comes from a guy coming up from the ground, not preaching from the heights. And the lil kids love it.

Well, that's it for the bottom half of my year-end chart. Stay tuned next time for more from Train and Caillat, as well as a #1 hit for the biggest one-woman act, and a judge from my favorite singing competition show this year, and again no, NOT J-Lo.

Peace, out.

twostepcub's music chart for December 23, 2011...

2011-12-24T18:46:00.005-05:00

Hey folks, I'm working on a quiet Christmas Eve, so I'm gonna take a break from my year-end recap for my top-100 songs from last week. This week David Guetta and Usher spend a third week at the top, while Katy Perry (pictured above) leaps into the top 10. Former big hits by Taylor Swift, Sak Noel, Jennifer Lopez, and Hot Chelle Rae drop off my list, while singles by Taio Cruz, Foo Fighters, and Olly Murs make the biggest jumps (moves of 10+ places highlighted in red). Ho Ho Ho!

This Week Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Without You - David Guetta f/Usher (1)
2. Mr. Know It All - Kelly Clarkson (2)
3. We Found Love - Rihanna f/Calvin Harris (3)
4. Sexy & I Know It - LMFAO (4)
5. Crawling Back To You - Daughtry (5)
6. The One That Got Away - Katy Perry (11)
7. Paradise - Coldplay (7)
8. Someone Like You - Adele (6)
9. We Owned The Night - Lady Antebellum (10)
10. The Sound Of Winter - Bush (8)
11. Not Over You - Gavin DeGraw (13)
12. Brighter Than The Sun - Colbie Caillat (14)
13. Baggage Claim - Miranda Lambert (9)
14. All Your Life - The Band Perry (18)
15. When We Stand Together - Nickelback (17)
16. Nothing - The Script (12)
17. Walk - Foo Fighters (15)
18. Keep Me In Mind - Zac Brown Band (22)
19. It Will Rain - Bruno Mars (24)
20. Lonely Boy - The Black Keys (25)
21. Stereo Hearts - Gym Class Heroes f/Adam Levine (16)
22. Good Feeling - Flo Rida (32)
23. You Make Me Feel... - Cobra Starship f/Sabi (19)
24. I Got You - Thompson Square (20)
25. Tonight - Seether (26)
26. Cough Syrup - Young The Giant (28)
27. Love You Like A Love Song - Selena Gomez & The Scene (29)
28. Countdown - Beyonce (34)
29. Let It Rain - David Nail (33)
30. Fool For You - Cee-Lo Green f/Melanie Fiona & Philip Bailey (30)
31. Moves Like Jagger - Maroon5 f/Christina Aguilera (27)
32. Heartbeat - The Fray (36)
33. Set Fire To The Rain - Adele (41)
34. Just A Kiss - Lady Antebellum (31)
35. You & I - Lady GaGa (23)
36. Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie - Red Hot Chili Peppers (21)
37. Tattoos On This Town - Jason Aldean (39)
38. Easy - Rascal Flatts f/Natasha Bedingfield (38)
39. I Like How It Feels - Enrique Iglesias f/Pitbull (43)
40. Levels - Avicii (49)
41. You - Chris Young (45)
42. Stay - Tyrese (42)
43. Don't Hold Your Breath - Nicole Scherzinger (35)
44. I Don't Want This Night To End - Luke Bryan (44)
45. Reality - Kenny Chesney (46)
46. Brand New Bitch - Anjulie (50)
47. Drink In My Hand - Eric Church (48)
48. Too Much In Love - Chris Willis (59)
49. In The Dark - Dev (37)
50. Buy My Love - Wynter Gordon (58)
51. These Days - Foo Fighters (66)
52. Kiss Me Slowly - Parachute (56)
53. Rain - C+C Music Factory (57)
54. We're All No One - Nervo f/Afrojack & Steve Aoki (62)
55. Pumped Up Kicks - Foster The People (40)
56. I'm Gonna Love You Through It - Martina McBride (61)
57. Life Of The Party - Charlie Wilson (53)
58. Lights - Ellie Goulding (65)
59. It Girl - Jason Derulo (47)
60. Invisible - Skylar Gray (60)
61. Hangover - Taio Cruz f/Flo Rida (80)
62. Bring It Back - Global Deejays (54)
63. Country Must Be Countrywide - Brantley Gilbert (63)
64. Storm Warning - Hunter Hayes (72)
65. Face to The Floor - Chevelle (75)
66. A Thousand Years - Michelle Branch (70)
67. If It's Love - Kem f/Chrisette Michele (68)
68. Gonna Get Over You - Sara Bareilles (69)
69. Lego House - Ed Sheeran (73)
70. 1,000 Ships - Rachel Platten (71)
71. Party People - Erika Jayne (81)
72. Dark Horses - Switchfoot (76)
73. God Gave Me You - Blake Shelton (51)
74. Called Out In The Dark - Snow Patrol (78)
75. Show Me - Jessica Sutta (52)
76. Dance With Me Tonight - Olly Murs (88)
77. Wish You Were Here - Avril Lavigne (82)
78. My Heart Can't Tell You No - Sara Evans (90)
79. Stay Together - Ledisi f/Jaheim (89)
80. When I Start (To Break It Down) - Erasure (85)
81. Amen - Edens Edge (86)
82. Last Drag - Traci Lords (DEBUT)
83. Sail - AWOLnation (84)
84. Give - LeAnn Rimes (DEBUT)
85. Geronimo - Aura Dione (87)
86. Our Day Will Come - Amy Winehouse (DEBUT)
87. Party - Beyonce f/Andre3000 or J. Cole (97)
88. Video Games - Lana Del Ray (96)
89. Didn't I - James Wesley (93)
90. You Gonna Fly - Keith Urban (DEBUT)
91. Home - Dierks Bentley (99)
92. Bottoms Up - Nickelback (RE-ENTRY)
93. Wishing On A Star - X Factor Finalists 2011 f/JLS & One Direction (DEBUT)
94. Un Deux Trois - Laura Larue (94)
95. Love On Top - Beyonce (DEBUT)
96. Bad - The Cab (100)
97. Care - Kid Rock f/Martina McBride & T.I. (98)
98. She Doesn't Mind - Sean Paul (DEBUT)
99. Mayhem - Julissa Veloz (DEBUT)
100. Camouflage - Brad Paisley (DEBUT)

There are ten new songs on my list this week (highlighted in yellow), and here they are, with a little bit about the artists, with links to their previous hits on YouTube highlighted in orange...

The highest entry this week is by adult-movie star turned singer Traci Lords. After appearing in more than 100 porn movies (almost all illegally as a minor), Lords went "legit" by appearing in mainstream TV & movies like John Waters' Cry-Baby, and starting up a music career. She had a #2 dance club hit in 1994 with "Control", then followed up a year later with "Fallen Angel" which just missed the top-10 on that same chart. Now 43, Lords is back with another top-5 dance hit, "Last Drag"...

Next up is another dance hit, but this time by (normally) country singer LeAnn Rimes. Rimes released her debut single, the #10 country/top-40 pop hit "Blue" when she was only 13 years old in 1996. since then she's amassed ten top-10 country hits, though only one, "One Way Ticket (Because I Can)" also from her debut disc, made it to #1. She did though have one of the biggest pop hits of all time though with her version of "How Do I Live" which stayed on Billboard's pop chart for a then-record 69 weeks. She hasn't reached the country top-10 in five years, but she has hit #1 on the dance chart with "What I Cannot Change" in 2008. Mostly, though, she's been lately more in the news for her "homewrecker" drama and scary weight loss, but she had put a CD out, which second single "Crazy Women" only scraped the country top-40, but third single "Give" has been released in remix form, and it's heating up the clubs. However, the original version sports a powerful video spotlighting the plight of the homeless.

Amy Winehouse sadly never recovered from her various addictions, and remains either revered by her fans or trashed as a parody of her biggest hit, "Rehab". Her family released Lioness: Hidden Treasures last month, including covers of "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" and "The Girl From Ipanema", as well as a couple originals. The first radio single is her reggae-fied cover

Aussie twanger Keith Urban is teetering under the country top-10 with the fourth single from his latest CD Get Closer. Here's the grammatically improper "You Gonna Fly"...

As both the US and UK seasons of the X Factor (thankfully) come to an end, the annual charity single from the British contestants predictably makes it to #1, like covers of Mariah Carey's "Hero", Michael Jackson's "You Are Not Alone", and David Bowie's "Heroes" have done in the last three years. This years effort tackles the Rose Royce original (and US #1 Cover Girls remake) "Wishing On A Star", enlisting past X Factor faves JLS and One Direction to help along, and thankfully no Jedward or Wagner to fuck it up. Proceeds from this year's single go to UK Children's Hospice..

Beyonce is surely not settling down in her um, pregnancy, since she has three singles currently being promoted in the US and abroad. Mind, none of them are doing the business that her previous work has, but these three are the best of her latest CD, with "Countdown" ruling the clubs, "Party" atop R&B radio, and "Love On Top" on pop radio and in Europe. Here's "Love On Top" - now when was this filmed?

Jamaican reggae star Sean Paul scored two #1 hits in America with "Get Busy" in 2003 and "Temperature" in 2006. His profile has dimmed considerably in the States for the past five years, but this year had a top-10 song in at least ten European countries with "Got 2 Luv U" with Alexis Jordan (including #1 in Switzerland), and follows that with "She Doesn't Mind", which is already a top-3 hit in France as well as another Swiss #1. Now for America to follow...

"Tiara Girl" Julissa Veloz from American Idol's eighth season follows her top 10 US club hit "Take Control" with the equally dominant "Predator"...

The final debut is the fourth single from Brad Paisley's This Is Country Music. He's back to his comic leanings with "Camouflage".

I'll be back with more recap of this year, but I hope everyone is enjoying safe and happy Hanukkah and Christmas season!

the best of Twostepcubchart 2011, Part 4....

2011-12-23T19:11:00.004-05:00

Hey folks, time for part 4 of my recap of the biggest songs on my weekly list from last year. This time we'll come by a Hootie, a Mumford, and the artist with the biggest-selling CD of this past year. Besides recapping the peak on my list, I've included the peaks on the major Billboard charts as well as the UK, French, and German charts if be.

70. Nicki Minaj - Super Bass (from the CD Pink Friday)

twostepcubchart peak: #12 (2 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #3
US Adult-Pop peak: #35
US R&B Singles peak: #6
US Dance Club Play: #23
US Dance Airplay peak: #18
UK Singles peak: #8
Global Dance Tracks peak: #35

Rapper/singer/wackadoo Nicki Minaj finally broke big with the seventh single from her debut CD, which was her most mainstream song yet even with the "somebody tell em who the 'F' I is" lyric. The fun bouncy track was booming all summer, and rightfully so, and the video made it all the better, like a left turn from "California Gurls"...

69. Thompson Square - I Got You (from the CD Thompson Square)

twostepcubchart peak: #20 (one week)
US Country Singles peak: #8
US Hot 100 peak: #68

Country husband/wife duo of Kiefer and Shawna Thompson followed up their #1 country hit "Are You Gonna Kiss Me Or Not" with this pop-rock nugget that sports a very cute Sonny and Cher homage video.

68. The Zac Brown Band - Colder Weather (from the CD You Get What You Give)

twostepcubchart peak: #1 (2 weeks)
US Country Singles peak: #1 (2 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #29

This song in my opinion is Brown's crowning achievement so far, a tearjerking mournful ballad about free spirit and the woman he loves. Flawless, and something I was very surprised to have reached the pinnacle on peppy-on-steroids country radio. But in a just world this should've been a lock for Grammy for song of the year.

67. Adele - Set Fire To The Rain (from the CD 21)

twostepcubchart peak: #19 (in 2011)
US Hot 100 peak: #13
US Adult Pop peak: #13
US Hot Dance Club Play: #18
US Rock Songs peak: #33
US Triple A Peak: #8
UK Singles peak: #11
French Singles peak: #9
German Singles peak: #6
Global Dance Tracks peak: #28

2011 was Adele's year. Her sophomore CD sold over five million copies this year, and she spent a dozen weeks at #1 on the US pop chart, and is likely to add to that next year with this third single, which tallied to runs up my list, first from when the dance mixes were released earlier in the year, as well as when it was her second released single in non-UK Europe, while the second run is now due to it catching fire now in Britain and the States. Funniest thing I read about this somewhere is someone describing this as the "Slovenian National Anthem". Expect this to be a big contender next year, it's just getting started.

66. Mumford & Sons - Little Lion Man (from the CD Sigh No More)

twostepcubchart peak: #28 (4 weeks in 2011)
US Hot 100 peak: #45
US Triple A peak: #2 (in 2010)
US Adult Pop peak: #16
US Alternative Rock peak: #1 (in 2010)
US Rock Songs peak: #3 (in 2010)
UK Singles peak: #24 (in 2009)

Mumford & Sons were this year's "little band that could", having their 2009 CD become the biggest-selling CD from a group in 2011. The first single didn't even make the British top-20 back in the day, but a slow word of mouth exposure and a sweet stint on the Grammy Awards proved that even losing can reap rewards. This record was in my year-end top-100 of last year, where it peaked in the top-15, but it managed to stick around for 17 more weeks this year.

65. Darius Rucker - This (from the CD Charleston, SC 1966)

twostepcucbchart peak: #10 (2 weeks)
US Country Singles peak: #1 (one week)
US Hot 100 peak: #51

Former Hootie & The Blowfish frontman proved he was no novelty act over the last three years by issuing two quality albums and amassing five #1 singles on the country chart, including this light, peppy, love song.

64. Bruno Mars - Just The Way You Are (from the CD Doo Wops and Hooligans)

twostepcubchart peak: #4 in 2011 (2 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #1 (3 weeks in 2010)
US Dance Airplay peak: #7 (in 2010)
US Adult Contemporary peak: #1 (20 weeks - 2011)
US Adult Pop peak: #1 (5 weeks in 2010)
UK Singles peak: #1 (2 weeks in 2010)
Germany Singles peak: #2

Mars' debut lead-artist single will be remembered as one of the classic songs of the era, as the biggies of Motown or the Beatles were in the day. This song was huge last year, but hung around long enough this year (thanks to its 20-week stint on top of the AC chart) to keep in on this years biggest.

63. The Eli Young Band - Crazy Girl (from the CD Life At Best)

twostepcubchart peak: #25 (3 weeks)
US Country Singles peak: #1 (one week)
US Hot 100 peak: #30

The band fronted by Mike Eli and James Young (yes, I too thought originally there was one "Eli Young") netted the #1 Country Single of 2011 with this song, which was even their first top-10 effort. It's nice to see some artist development, instead to pushing for the top and being dropped by your label the next.

62. Christina Perri - Jar Of Hearts (from the CD lovestrong)

twostepcubchart peak: #24 (4 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #17
US Adult Pop peak: #4
US Adult Contemporary peak: #11
UK Singles peak: #4
Germany Singles peak: #13

Philadelphia-area singer-songwriter hit it big with her female emo tale of woe in what I've dubbed the "cutters' national anthem". Months after its course in the States, the song found new life in being covered on Glee and over in Europe, becoming a top-10 hit in four countries by the end of the year. The makers of Twilight chose well in having Perri record the song from the latest movie in the series, since this song evokes the image of Kristen Stewart clutching her stomach in that constipated look that passes for emotion.

61. Blake Shelton - God Gave Me You (from the CD Red River Blue)

twostepcubchart peak: #10 (one week)
US Country Singles peak: #1 (3 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #22

Shelton have a good year for himself, marrying Miranda Lambert in March, winning top male country artist at both the CMAs and the American Music Awards, having a successful stint as judge on The Voice, and scoring his latest CD become his first #1 on the Billboard 200 all-genre chart. He also proved to be a little bit of a douche, igniting a Twitter furor over a stupid joke referencing Shania Twain's "Man, I Feel Like A Woman" in a homophobic way. He apologized, but I don't believe any LGBT person will completely trust him. However I will give props for this excellent song, a remake of Contemporary Christian Singer Dave Barnes done straightforward (no pun intended) and powerfully by Shelton.

That's it for this round, stay tuned next time for Blake's new Mrs., Ms. Clarkson if you're nasty, and the first appearance so far from Mother Monster. Thanks again for reading!

The Best of Twostepcubchart 2011, Part 3...

2011-12-22T13:18:00.005-05:00

Hey folks, it's round three of my recap of the biggest songs on my weekly music chart from the last year. This post sees the first of the seventeen songs that made #1 on my list in 2011, as well as a judge on a Fox singing competition, but not the one you're probably thinking of. I've included the peak positions on my chart as well as the major lists on Billboard magazine and worldwide charts. And away we go...

80. Avril Lavigne - What The Hell (from the CD Goodbye Lullaby)

twostepcubchart peak: #28 (3 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #11
US Hot Adult-Pop peak: #12
UK Singles peak: #16
France Singles peak: #18
Germany Singles peak: #20

Lavigne feted her recent amicable divorce from Sum-41 frontman Deryck Whibley with this frantic bad-cheerleader rant which sounded more teenybopper that a lot of the actual teen artists out there. Fun, throwaway, and harmless, she made saying "hell" almost Kids Bop-esque.

79. Jerrod Niemann - What Do You Want (from the CD Judge Jerrod & The Hung Jury)

twostepcubchart peak: #25 (2 weeks)
US Country Singles peak: #4
US Hot 100 peak: #52

Niemann followed last year's #1 debut single "Lover, Lover" with a quiet, burning ballad about a broken relationship echoed by backing vocals from co-writer Rachel Bradshaw, daughter of football legend Terry.

78. OneRepublic - Secrets (from the CD Waking Up)

twostepcubchart peak: #5 (1 week)
US Hot 100 peak: #21
US Adult-Pop peak: #3
US Adult Contemporary peak: #8
US Dance Club Play peak: #28
German Singles peak: #3

Hot songwriter Ryan Tedder's group escaped the sophomore slump with a solid album that included this track, which seems directed at his critics, as well as possibly one Kelly Clarkson, who complained how his composition for her "Already Gone" and Beyonce's "Halo". I guess you can crib from yourself, eh? Either way, this was a mature and welcome addition to pop radio, keeping it in the US top 40's lower half for a good chunk of the end of 2010 through the beginning of 2011.

77. Charlie Wilson - You Are (from the CD Just Charlie)

twostepcubchart peak: #25 (2 weeks)
US R&B Singles peak: #13
US Adult R&B peak: #1 (11 weeks in 2011)

Wilson, the former lead singer for 80's dance-funk powerhouses the Gap Band (of "You Dropped A Bomb On Me" fame) has spent the last ten years solo as a quiet storm balladeer, and "You Are" is the perfect "wedding-style" song for those too-sweet moments. I do admit though I hanker for just a sliver of good old bass groove from him.

76. Luke Bryan - Country Girl (Shake It For Me) (from the CD Tailgates & Tanlines)

twostepcubchart peak: #22 (2 weeks)
US Country Singles peak: #4
US Hot 100 peak: #22

Bryan jumped up to at least B+ list if not A- with the first single from his first country #1 CD, and even though it surprisingly didn't top the country radio singles list, it sold like hotcakes, even more than songs higher on the chart. It's teetering on corny, but Bryan puts enough growl in it to sell it.

75. Nicole Scherzinger - Don't Hold Your Breath (from the upcoming CD Killer Love)

twostepcubchart peak: #20 (2 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #86
US Dance Club Play peak: #2
UK Singles peak: #1 (one week)
Global Dance Tracks peak: #27

Former Eden's Crush/Pussycat Doll Scherzinger has astonishingly had trouble establishing a solo career, even though she has both the looks and the pipes for it. Her debut CD is still getting tweaked before being released in the states after one top-40 hit with "Right There", but this worldwide smash deserved a better fate in the States. After a #1 run in Britain in the spring of 2011, it took until the fall to make it to the US. It did linger for 16 weeks on the dance chart, which is quite ancient for that list. I guess we just need to wait for her X Factor US judge position to pay off like J-Lo....oh wait, nobody watches that show. And the most publicized moment of that unwatched show is Nicole basically kicking a crying preteen off the show because she couldn't make a decision. Not good.

74. Matt Nathanson - Faster (from the CD Modern Love)

twostepcubchart peak: #22 (one week)
US Hot 100 peak: #74
US Adult-Pop peak: #11
US Adult Contemporary peak: #24
US Triple-A peak: #4
US Rock Songs peak: #44

Nathanson saw his latest album make it into the US top-20, spearheaded by this fun, horn-speckled love song that bears more than a little resemblance to George Michael's "Faith" mixed with Redbone's "Come and Get Your Love"...

73. Kenny Chesney featuring Grace Potter - You & Tequila (from the CD Hemmingway's Whiskey)

twostepcucbchart peak: #20 (one week)
US Country Singles peak: #3
US Hot 100 peak: #33

Chesney toned town the beach antics on this highlight from his latest CD, and as the fourth single from that work it's refreshingly restrained, with help from alt-rock gem Grace Potter.

72. David Guetta featuring Usher - Without You (from the CD Nothing But The Beat)

twostepcubchart peak: #1 (4 weeks in 2011)
US Hot 100 peak: #4
US Adult Pop peak: #15
US Dance Club Play peak: #3
US Dance Airplay peak: #1
UK Singles peak: #6
French Singles peak: #6
German Singles peak: #7
Global Dance Tracks peak: #1

The reigning #1 on my current chart, David Guetta had his biggest chart success with a decidedly mainstream cut with superstar Usher as the highlight of Guetta's quite enjoyable album. It's funny how such lyrics of heartbreak can't propel such a happy-ass groove. The video's totally corny, though.

71. Sick Puppies - Maybe (from the CD Tri-Polar)

twostepcubchart peak: #2 (one week)
US Hot 100 peak: #56
US Adult-Pop peak: #8
US Alternative Rock peak: #6
US Rock Songs peak: #15
US Adult Contemporary peak: #27

Aussie rock outfit has their biggest hit two years after the release of their excellent album with this power-ballad, breaking even into old-people-genres (AC). It's nice to see good ol' post-grunge pop back like 15 years after the fact.

That's it for this set of ten, stay tuned for another singing competition judge that's not J-Lo, the rock band with the biggest-selling album by a group this year, and not just any bass.

The Best of Twostepcubchart 2011, Part 2...

2011-12-21T22:44:00.007-05:00

It's time for round 2 of my year-end recap of the biggest music hits of my weekly chart in 2011. This week its numbers 90 through 81, including a couple of the biggest names in pop, as well as a whole heaping helping of country. I've included how they did on my weekly list, as well as on some of Billboard's charts and worldwide official charts.

90. Lady Antebellum - We Owned The Night (from the CD Own The Night)

twostepcubchart peak: #9 (one week)
US Country Singles peak: #1 (2 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #31

Lady A bookends their #91 yearend hit "Hello World" with this, their followup to their multiformat hit "Just A Kiss". It's got a jangly pop sense that may have it crossover as well once the former hit runs its course. Even though at times trite, they pulled off a great version on their stint on Saturday Night Live.

89. Taylor Swift - Mean (from the CD Speak Now)

twostepcubchart peak: #9 (one week)
US Country Singles peak: #2
US Hot 100 peak: #11

Swift says that she writes autobiographically, and this song more than her others addresses her professional life, with snark over her critics as well as any others that like to tear people down. Well, that's all well and good, but you know, she is an awesome songwriter and makes great records, but at that time at least she really couldn't sing live on anywhere near the level of her recordings. It did make me question how much "production tricks" went into her records. However of course the song is absolutely charming, and the video, including a bullying vignette, has its merits.

88. Sara Evans - A Little Bit Stronger (from the CD Stronger)

twostepcubchart peak: #13 (2 weeks)
US Country Singles peak: #1 (2 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #34

Recently-divorced Sara Evans had her first country charttopper in five years with this theme of empowerment co-written by Lady Antebellum's Hilary Scott. Evans definitely connected with the material, and the video even delivers her newly single female angst. Admitted I did experience a tidbit of schadenfraude over her messy parting with her rightwing loon of a husband, as I always am when people who love to restrict others' rights have their own business fly back at them. I hope Sara wisens up, since she's got such a winning voice and personality.

87. Keith Urban - Without You (from the CD Get Closer)

twostepcubchart peak: #16 (1 week)
US Country Singles: #1 (1 week)
US Hot 100: #52

The country singer from down under had his #1 collection reach an even dozen with this tender ballad apparently directed towards his wife, Nicole Kidman.

86. Rihanna featuring Drake - What's My Name (from the CD Loud)

twostepcubchart peak: #14 (2 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #1 (one week)
US R&B Singles peak: #2
US Dance Club Play peak: #6
US Dance Airplay peak: #3
US Adult Pop peak: #30
UK Singles Chart: #1 (one week)
Global Dance Tracks peak: #30

Rihanna scored chart first when this second single from Loud made it to #1 on the Hot 100 before the first single "Only Girl (In The World)" did. A brooding reggae beat drives Ri-Ri's whiny delivery - she's in full "goat" mode here, but it fits the gritty track as well as Drake's off-key sing-rap does.

85. Dierks Bentley - Am I The Only One (from the upcoming CD Home)

twostepcubchart peak: #21 (one week)
US Country Singles peak: #1 (one week)
US Hot 100 peak: #39

Dierks followed his critically lauded but chart-wise overlooked bluegrass album Up On The Ridge with a return to good-ole-boy country, with this simple party request song that put him back at #1 after two years.

84. Kylie Minogue - Put Your Hands Up (If You Feel Love) (from the CD Aphrodite)

twostepcubchart peak: #5 (3 weeks)
US Dance Club Play peak: #1 (one week)
Global Dance Tracks peak: #31

Kylie had her fourth consecutive #1 dance hit with the closing number from her awesome Aphrodite world tour (really, go get the DVD already!) and arguably the most joyous, pop-oriented track on the album that in a fair world would've gotten her airplay here and a smash in England, where sadly it barely scraped the top-100. So much for taste. And even made better by the retro-80's remix by old PWL coworker Pete Hammond, and you have disco boy bliss.

83. Beyonce - Best Thing I Never Had (from the CD 4)

twostepcubchart peak: #10 (2 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #16
US R&B Singles peak: #4
US Adult R&B peak: #18
US Dance Club Play peak: #1 (one week)
US Dance Airplay peak: #20
UK Singles Chart peak: #3
Global Dance Tracks peak: #30

Speaking of high-profile female singers that got not enough love this year, Beyonce takes the cake. After the success of her last CD, I Am...Sasha Fierce, which gave her four top-40 singles including the #1 classic "Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It)", it seems her followup CD would be a no brainer. That was until the calamitous clunker of "Run The World (Girls)" was released and the public declared they kind of want a melody with their Bey-Bey crunk. Trying to recover, the record company proceeded to spew out single after supposed official single each great in their own right but unfortunately sputtering out (especially the denied second single "1+1"), but this kissoff ballad did the best, which is not surprising, considering it mines the same territory as her "Irreplaceable" from awhile back. What is surprising is that this only made the pop top-10, because as rehashes go, this was done well. But maybe the video skewed it off - if he's the "Best Thing (She) Never Had", why is the whole theme this happy wedding? If she's marrying the guy, how can she "never have" him? Or was it just to wear an outrageously showy Vera Wang gown? Oh yeah, right.

82. Parachute - Something To Believe In (from the CD The Way It Was)

twostepcubchart peak: #18 (3 weeks)
US Adult Pop peak: #14

Virginia rock outfit Parachute had one of the best melodious-rock number of the year with this plea for faith without being too preachy, and managed to outdo their first album with it. With gospel singing background to boot.

81. Keith Urban - Long Hot Summer (from the CD Get Closer)

twostepcubchart peak: #10 (one week)
US Country Singles peak: #1 (one week)
US Hot 100 peak: #45

Urban's second country charttopper of this year was this summer anthem that didn't peak until October. He wrote the song with 80's pop star Richard Marx, and basically follows the blueprint of a handful of his other uptempo hits, to enjoyable if not muted effect.

Next post we'll encounter the new king of pop DJs, a former 80's funk frontman, and a judge from one of those them there singing competitions on Fox. Not the one you think.

The Best of Twostepcubchart 2011, Part 1....

2011-12-21T01:09:00.005-05:00

Hey folks, the new year is only 11 days away, and I'm kicking off the next year with a recap of the 100 biggest songs from my weekly music chart from the last year. Hopefully you might hear something you haven't before, like a country song or a dance song you don't hear on the radio, or maybe something that was so worn out but in retrospect is a pretty damn good song. I guess I've always used the "chart" method to put order in a pretty unordered hobby slash obsession, and thanks to anybody out there reading my blog for hanging in there. Now I've got big plans for next year, getting back to my roots expanding the music part of the blog back to my daily political and cultural rants, but until then, here we go... (I've included the chart peaks both from my blog and my "Bible", Billboard Magazine - by all means visit their website for lots of the best music news and reviews.

100. Billy Currington - Let Me Down Easy (from the CD Enjoy Yourself)

twostepcubchart peak: #28 (2 weeks)
US Country Singles peak: #1 (1 week)
US Hot 100 peak: #46

Ahhh, Billy. Those damn eyes. The country singer/one-time Playgirl model (not full monty, sorry to disappoint y'all) scored his fourth #1 country single in a row with this breezy ballad that was much more pop than twang, though the country shuffle still gives this track its charm. Here's Billy doing the song acoustically (there was no official album cut video), and being sweet as all hell talking about "butt signing requests".

99. Dev - In The Dark (from the upcoming CD The Night The Sun Came Up)

twostepcubchart peak: #20 (3 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #11
UK Singles peak: #37
US Dance Club peak: #1 (1 week)
US Dance Airplay peak: #2
Global Dance Tracks peak: #13

Californian Devin Tailes, under the nickname Dev, created quite a buzz supporting the hook for the Asian-American dance-rap collective Far East Movement's #1 hit from last year, "Like A G6". She followed that up with a couple of singles with the producer-rap duo the Cataracs (who also were featured on "Like A G6"). The first, "Bass Down Low" was an underground sleeper hit that actually broke her first in Britain, becoming her first lead-artist top-10 hit. She followed that with "In The Dark", which would not have sounded out of place back in the late 80's early 90's heyday of house music, and between this and Alexandra Stan's "Mr. Saxobeat" (which will be coming up much later) brought the saxophone back to dance music in a big and cool way. The video is totally ambiguously sexual retro 90s style as well...

98. Kylie Minogue - Better Than Today (from the CD Aphrodite)

twostepcubchart peak: #13 (3 weeks)
US Dance Club Play peak: #1 (1 week)
UK Singles peak: #32
Global Dance Tracks peak: #30

I had the great pleasure to hear this, the third single off of Kylie's stellar Aphrodite CD, back last year when she did a mini-tour including New York City (where I caught all three shows). It was a lifelong dream to see her live, and I always imagined that involved schlepping myself to Europe to pay an astronomical price for a arena-style binocular-wearing seat. But as a true gift, she brought her show to the relatively cozy Hammerstein Ballroom, where I was right in front (after waiting for hours to get into the standing-room orchestra). Amongst her greatest tour hits, she previewed this song, written by British ingenue Nerina Pallot, and I immediately fell for it then. She used this and Pallot's title-track song on the CD, and "Better Than Today" became the third of four singles from Aphrodite to hit the top of the US dance club chart (the fourth will be coming up later). Now by all means if you can get yourself to Amazon or the like and buy the DVD or Blu-ray for the tour - it's totally worth it. Two words: Bellagio fountains!

97. Rihanna - California King Bed (from the CD Loud)

twostepcubchart peak: #23 (4 weeks)
US Hot 100 peak: #37
US Dance Club Play peak: #1 (1 week)
UK Singles peak: #8
Global Dance Tracks peak: #23

Rihanna was everywhere this year. She was the most oversaturated artist on the radio, with twelve singles (both under her lead or supporting acts like Nicki Minaj, David Guetta, Kanye West, and Drake). Every time I feel there's gonna be a firehouse-red-hair backlash, her next hit outdoes the last. She has three songs on my top-100, as well as three that just missed (including her current 2sc top-3 "We Found Love", and last year's former #1 "Only Girl (In The World)"). Surprisingly, the Loud power-ballad "California King Bed" didn't find the mass appeal that I figured, given her exposure and her success with songs like that ("Take A Bow"), but the timing as well as two concurrent single promos (along with the darker, tropical "Man Down") hurt the track, however she did manage to extend her #1 dance tally with this song. And her voice doesn't sound better than this on the whole album - she proved she can belt like the best of them.

96. Bleed Red - Ronnie Dunn (from the CD Ronnie Dunn)

twostepcubchart peak: #29 (4 weeks)
US Country Singles peak: #10
US Hot 100 peak: #62

After spending 20 years as the "Hall" of country's "Hall & Oates", Ronnie Dunn parted professional ways with Kix Brooks (who is currently enjoying a stint as country radio's Casey Kasem) to release his first solo album, along with this very Brooks & Dunn-ish ballad that foretold his very Brooks & Dunn-ish CD. Since Kix didn't have a single-release solo in ages, it was only a natural progression.

95. The Zac Brown Band featuring Jimmy Buffett - Knee Deep (from the CD You Get What You Give)

twostepcubchart peak: #14 (2 weeks)
US Country Singles peak: #1 (1 week)
US Hot 100 peak: #18

The rise of the Zac Brown Band defies the logic or corporately-controlled country radio, and is the most positive bellweather for the health of that genre. More a "jam band reigned in" than a true country group, Zac and the boys would've probably found Hootie-like success in the mid-90s, but having their lucky seventh #1 country hit ain't bad either. Even though it mines the same territory as their last-album hit "Toes" (as well as, like, Kenny Chesney's everything right now), it still was a simple, fun respite from the overproduced forced-hick country-rock that Nashville was been churning out lately. Jimmy Buffett is pretty much here for the ride, but it's Zac's voice that carries this.

94. Taylor Swift - Sparks Fly (from the CD Speak Now)

twostepcubchart peak: #20 (1 week)
US Country Singles peak: #1 (1 week)
US Hot 100 peak: #17

As much as Rihanna dominated the radio, Taylor Swift dominated the virtual and real record stores over the last 18 months. Her latest studio work sold over a million copies in its first week, and every one of its tracks (including the originally Target-only exclusives) sold enough to make either the Billboard Hot 100 or Bubbling under chart (which consists of the 25 biggest songs below that haven't hit the Hot 100 yet). Six of those songs were on my chart this year, and three made the year end, including this track which became her first country charttopper since the juggernaut of "You Belong To Me" in 2009.

93. Jennifer Hudson - Where You At (from the CD I Remember Me)

twostepcubchart peak: #10 (1 week)
US R&B Singles peak: #10
US Adult R&B peak: #1 (1 week)
US Hot 100 peak: #64
US Dance Club Play peak: #3
Global Dance Tracks peak: #35

Hudson followed her debut album with a more R&B-flavored sophomore effort, but the lead single still allowed her to push all the diva buttons in both the ballad and remixed versions. The rest of the CD doesn't dish the bombast that this kiss-off track does, and it seemed her weight loss story got more play than her CD release did, but I guess too much may not be a good thing (or could it?)...

92. David Nail - Let It Rain (from the CD The Sound Of A Million Dreams)

twostepcubchart peak: #25 (1 week) (still climbing)
US Country Singles peak: #5 (so far)
US Hot 100 peak: #54 (so far)

One of the couple of songs still climbing up my chart (in its 21st week on mine, 45 on the country chart), singer and quite the handsome Nail scores his biggest hit with this heartbreaker of a cheating man that would've been overblown had it not been for his powerful yet reverently soulful delivery.

91. Lady Antebellum - Hello World (from the CD Need You Now)

twostepcubchart peak: #22 (2 weeks)
US Country Singles peak: #6
US Hot 100 peak: #58

The fourth and final single from LA's Grammy-winning CD, which nabbed them Country Album, as well as all-around Record and Single of the year, "Hello World" showcased the group's sensibilities to its California-style adult-pop most.

That's it for the first bottom ten, next up will see more from four of the artists in this post, as well as a couple hits from a country star from another country. Thanks again for reading, listen and give your thoughts about the artists and songs if you can, it'd be really cool. Ciao!

twostepcub's music chart for December 16, 2011...

2011-12-19T21:31:00.008-05:00

Hey everyone, sorry for being a little tardy but with the holidays coming I've been on overdrive, but it's time for my top-100 tunes from last week. David Guetta and Usher spend a second week at the top, while LMFAO (pictured above) have their second top-5 hit. Singles by Wynter Gordon, Avicii, and Adele make the biggest jumps (moves of 10+ places highlighted in red), while former big hits by the Eli Young Band. Morgan Page, and Taylor Dayne drop out. Link-O-Rama is still in effect, so you can click on any of the highlighted artist links to go to their official website for more info on them (rightclick, and you can use a different tab or window and keep this one up). I'm up to my eyes in peanut butter!

This Week Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Without You - David Guetta f/Usher (1)
2. Mr. Know It All - Kelly Clarkson (2)
3. We Found Love - Rihanna f/Calvin Harris (3)
4. Sexy & I Know It - LMFAO (7)
5. Crawling Back To You - Daughtry (6)
6. Someone Like You - Adele (5)
7. Paradise - Coldplay (7)
8. The Sound Of Winter - Bush (4)
9. Baggage Claim - Miranda Lambert (10)
10. We Owned The Night - Lady Antebellum (12)
11. The One That Got Away - Katy Perry (21)
12. Nothing - The Script (8)
13. Not Over You - Gavin DeGraw (15)
14. Brighter Than The Sun - Colbie Caillat (14)
15. Walk - Foo Fighters (13)
16. Stereo Hearts - Gym Class Heroes f/Adam Levine (16)
17. When We Stand Together - Nickelback (19)
18. All Your Life - The Band Perry (24)
19. You Make Me Feel... - Cobra Starship f/Sabi (17)
20. I Got You - Thompson Square (22)
21. Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie - Red Hot Chili Peppers (11)
22. Keep Me In Mind - Zac Brown Band (26)
23. You & I - Lady GaGa (18)
24. It Will Rain - Bruno Mars (32)
25. Lonely Boy - Black Keys (33)
26. Tonight - Seether (28)
27. Moves Like Jagger - Maroon5 f/Christina Aguilera (23)
28. Cough Syrup - Young The Giant (30)
29. Love You Like A Love Song - Selena Gomez & The Scene (31)
30. Fool For You - Cee-Lo Green f/Melanie Fiona or Philip Bailey (34)
31. Just A Kiss - Lady Antebellum (29)
32. Good Feeling - Flo Rida (36)
33. Let It Rain - David Nail (35)
34. Countdown - Beyonce (42)
35. Don't Hold Your Breath - Nicole Scherzinger (20)
36. Heartbeat - The Fray (38)
37. In The Dark - Dev (27)
38. Easy - Rascal Flatts f/Natasha Bedingfield (40)
39. Tattoos On This Town - Jason Aldean (43)
40. Pumped Up Kicks - Foster The People (25)
41. Set Fire To The Rain - Adele (58)
42. Stay - Tyrese (46)
43. I Like How It Feels - Enrique Iglesias f/Pitbull (59)
44. I Don't Want This Night To End - Luke Bryan (48)
45. You - Chris Young (55)
46. Reality - Kenny Chesney (52)
47. It Girl - Jason Derulo (37)
48. Drink In My Hand - Eric Church (56)
49. Levels - Avicii (67)
50. Brand New Bitch - Anjulie (65)
51. God Gave Me You - Blake Shelton (41)
52. Show Me - Jessica Sutta (44)
53. Life Of The Party - Charlie Wilson (53)
54. Bring It Back - Global Deejays (54)
55. One More Drinking Song - Jerrod Niemann (45)
56. Kiss Me Slowly - Parachute (60)
57. Rain - C+C Music Factory (61)
58. Buy My Love - Wynter Gordon (82)
59. Too Much In Love - Chris Willis (DEBUT)
60. Invisible - Skylar Grey (62)
61. I'm Gonna Love You Through It - Martina McBride (66)
62. We're All No One - Nervo f/Afrojack & Steve Aoki (72)
63. Country Must Be Countrywide - Brantley Gilbert (63)
64. Sparks Fly - Taylor Swift (39)
65. Lights - Ellie Goulding (69)
66. These Days - Foo Fighters (DEBUT)
67. Loca People - Sak Noel (57)
68. If It's Love - Kem f/Chrisette Michele (68)
69. Gonna Get Over You - Sara Bareilles (71)
70. A Thousand Years - Christina Perri (77)
71. 1,000 Ships - Rachel Platten (73)
72. Storm Warning - Hunter Hayes (76)
73. Lego House - Ed Sheeran (74)
74. I Got Nothin' - Darius Rucker (78)
75. Face To The Floor - Chevelle (80)
76. Dark Horses - Switchfoot (83)
77. Read All About it - Professor Green f/Emeli Sande (79)
78. Called Out in The Dark - Snow Patrol (84)
79. Papi - Jennifer Lopez (49)
80. Hangover - Taio Cruz f/Flo Rida (92)
81. Party People - Erika Jayne (DEBUT)
82. Wish You Were Here - Avril Lavigne (89)
83. Tonight Tonight - Hot Chelle Rae (81)
84. Sail - AWOLnation (86)
85. When I Start (To Break It Down) - Erasure (87)
86. Amen - Edens Edge (90)
87. Geronimo - Aura Dione (91)
88. Dance With Me Tonight - Olly Murs (DEBUT)
89. Stay Together - Ledisi f/Jaheim (99)
90. My Heart Can't Tell You No - Sara Evans (94)
91. Earthquake - Labrinth f/Tinie Tempah (95)
92. Lightning - The Wanted (88)
93. Didin't I - James Wesley (93)
94. Un Deux Trois - Laura Larue (DEBUT)
95. Take A Chance On Me - JLS (97)
96. Video Games - Lana Del Ray (DEBUT)
97. Party - Beyonce (DEBUT)
98. Care - Kid Rock f/Martina McBride & T.I. (98)
99. Home - Dierks Bentley (DEBUT)
100. Bad - The Cab (DEBUT)

There are nine new songs on my list this week (highlighted in yellow), and here they are, along with a little about the artists, with links to their previous hits on YouTube in orange.

The highest entry this week is by gospel-turned-dance male diva Chris Willis. Under the mentorship of current #1 artist David Guetta, Willis placed two #1 US dance hits with "Love Is Gone" (radio) and "Gettin' Over You" (club play), as well as a collaboration #1 with Ultra Nate, "Give It All You Got". After striking out on his own, Willis scored a #1 lead-artist hit with "Louder (Put Your Hands Up)" at the beginning of this year. He's back with the next single from his Premium: Songs From The Love Ship EP which was released digitally last month, and it's worth checking out. He's got one of the best and most soulful male voices in dance music right now, in the tradition of Byron Stingily. Here's the Kravitz-sampling "Too Much In Love"...

Next up is the third single from the Foo Fighters' latest CD Wasting Light which gave the group six Grammy nominations this year, including Album of the Year. Of course, it is Adele's year to lose, but Grohl and the boys put out the best rock album by far this year. The public caught on as well, giving them their first #1 album as well as the record-setting 20-week reign of "Rope" atop the Rock Songs chart followed by the first consecutive pair of #1's with "Walk", which is still in my top-15. Their newest is "These Days"...

Dance-pop singer Erika Jayne is trying to extend her streak of five (as in, all of her singles) songs to hit the #1 spot on the US dance club chart, including my faves "Stars" and "Give You Everything". Her latest is already in the top-10, so it's looking good with "Party People (Ignite The World)"..

The original British version of the X Factor concluded this week, with the triumph of the first group in its eight seasons, Little Mix. In the meantime, the sixth-season runner-up Olly Murs has carved out a much bigger career than his counterpart Joe McElderry, celebrating his third #1 UK hits (after "Please Don't Let Me Go" and "Heart Skips A Beat") with a song he performed on the show (a given, given his host status of spinoff show the XTRA Factor) with the Muppets, "Dance With Me Tonight"...

Laura Larue follows up her debut top-20 single "San Francisco Is My Disco" with her second, "Un Deux Trois"...

Trust-fund 1%er Elizabeth Grant (her dad is internet entrepreneur Robert Grant), aka Lana Del Rey, channels her inner Fiona Apple for her first indie hit, which has gone to #1 in Germany of all places, as well as becoming a top-10 hit in the UK. Here's the haunting "Video Games"...

Beyonce's 4 hasn't given her a top-10 pop hit so far, but it's much better than it's been received. Between the bombast of "Best Thing I Never Had" and the frantic sass of latest dance hit "Countdown", there are a lot of high points on the record, but I believe her ship was sunk with the mess that was "Run The World (Girls)". However she joins "Countdown" which is still top-40 with a song that's been holding at the #2 spot on the R&B chart, and the video features sister Solange "Basement Baby" Knowles as well as former Destiny's Child-mate Kelly Rowland (who's "Motivation" outdid anything of Bey's this year) and rap-singer J. Cole (replacing album-version Andre 3000 of Outkast). And the clip? It's a "Party"...

Arizona native Dierks Bentley went to high school at a private school right down the road from where I did (The Lawrenceville School, alma mater of Huey Lewis), but he's made his name on the country music scene, with eight number ones to his credit, including my favorites "Settle For A Slowdown and "Free And Easy (Down The Road I Go)". His last single, "Am I The Only One", also made the top spot, and this latest, the second from his upcoming CD Home, is the title track...

The final entry is by Las Vegas-based rock outfit the Cab, whose only other chart appearance was minor pop airplay in 2009 for single "Bounce". They are back with a track getting play on Adult pop radio, here's "Bad"...

Starting in a couple days I will be starting my countdown recap of the 100 biggest songs of 2011 on my chart. Relive the best of what I thought was the best, including the song that didn't claim the year-end top spot until the very last week. Stay tuned....

Swagu???? Really????

twostepcub's music chart for December 9, 2011...

2011-12-10T19:43:00.000-05:00

Hey folks, it's winding down to Christmas, and I'm working late shifts, and it's time for my top-100 tunes for the week. This week Adele finally relinquishes the top spot after eight weeks to the team of David Guetta and Usher, while Daughtry (pictured above) climbs to the #6 spot. Former big hits by Mika, Jill Scott, OneRepublic, and LMFAO drop off my list, while the biggest jumps are made by tracks by Enrique Iglesias, Flo Rida, and Nervo (moves of 10+ places highlighted in red). Link-O-Rama is still in full effect, so you can click on any of the highlighted links to go to the artist's official website (rightclick, and used a different tab or window and keep this up).... Trees, beware!

This Week Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses)
--------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Without You - David Guetta f/Usher (2)
2. Mr. Know It All - Kelly Clarkson (3)
3. We Found Love - Rihanna f/Calvin Harris (5)
4. The Sound Of Winter - Bush (6)
5. Someone Like You - Adele (1)
6. Crawling Back To You - Daughtry (8)
7. Sexy And I Know It - LMFAO (9)
8. Nothing - The Script (4)
9. Paradise - Coldplay (12)
10. Baggage Claim - Miranda Lambert (10)
11. Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie - Red Hot Chili Peppers (7)
12. We Owned The Night - Lady Antebellum (13)
13. Walk - Foo Fighters (11)
14. Brighter Than The Sun - Colbie Caillat (16)
15. Not Over You - Gavin DeGraw (17)
16. Stereo Hearts - Gym Class Heroes f/Adam Levine (21)
17. You Make Me Feel... - Cobra Starship f/Sabi (19)
18. You & I - Lady GaGa (14)
19. When We Stand Together - Nickelback (25)
20. Don't Hold Your Breath - Nicole Scherzinger (20)
21. The One That Got Away - Katy Perry (31)
22. I Got You - Thompson Square (22)
23. Moves Like Jagger - Maroon5 f/Christina Aguilera (18)
24. All Your Life - The Band Perry (28)
25. Pumped Up Kicks - Foster The People (15)
26. Keep Me In Mind - The Zac Brown Band (32)
27. In The Dark - Dev (23)
28. Tonight - Seether (33)
29. Just A Kiss - Lady Antebellum (27)
30. Cough Syrup - Young The Giant (34)
31. Love You Like A Love Song - Selena Gomez & The Scene (41)
32. It Will Rain - Bruno Mars (44)
33. Lonely Boy - The Black Keys (43)
34. Fool For You - Cee-Lo Green f/Melanie Fiona or Philip Bailey (40)
35. Let It Rain - David Nail (36)
36. Good Feeling - Flo Rida (50)
37. It Girl - Jason Derulo (30)
38. Heartbeat - The Fray (46)
39. Sparks Fly - Taylor Swift (24)
40. Easy - Rascal Flatts f/Natasha Bedingfield (42)
41. God Gave Me You - Blake Shelton (26)
42. Countdown - Beyonce (52)
43. Tattoos On This Town - Jason Aldean (49)
44. Show Me - Jessica Sutta (38)
45. One More Drinkin' Song - Jerrod Niemann (45)
46. Stay - Tyrese (53)
47. Crazy Girl - The Eli Young Band (37)
48. I Don't Want This Night To End - Luke Bryan (54)
49. Papi - Jennifer Lopez (29)
50. In The Air - Morgan Page f/Sultan & Ned Shepard, BT, & Angela McCluskey (35)
51. Floor On Fire - Taylor Dayne (39)
52. Reality - Kenny Chesney (56)
53. Life Of The Party - Charlie Wilson (48)
54. Bring It Back - Global Deejays (55)
55. You - Chris Young (61)
56. Drink In My Hand - Eric Church (58)
57. Loca People - Sak Noel (47)
58. Set Fire To The Rain - Adele (RE-ENTRY)
59. I Like How It Feels - Enrique Iglesias f/Pitbull (77)
60. Kiss Me Slowly - Parachute (64)
61. Rain - C+C Music Factory (66)
62. Invisible - Skylar Gray (62)
63. Country Must Be Countrywide - Brantley Gilbert (65)
64. Love Slayer - Joe Jonas (60)
65. Brand New Bitch - Anjulie (DEBUT)
66. I'm Gonna Love You Through It - Martina McBride (70)
67. Levels - Avicii (DEBUT)
68. If It's Love - Kem f/Chrisette Michele (72)
69. Lights - Ellie Goulding (74)
70. Tonight - D'Manti (71)
71. Gonna Get Over You - Sara Bareilles (73)
72. We're All No One - Nervo f/Afrojack & Steve Aoki (86)
73. 1,000 Ships - Rachel Platten (83)
74. Lego House - Ed Sheeran (75)
75. Helena Beat - Foster The People (76)
76. Storm Warning - Hunter Hayes (82)
77. A Thousand Years - Christina Perri (DEBUT)
78. I Got Nothin' - Darius Rucker (80)
79. Read All About It - Professor Green f/Emeli Sande (81)
80. Face To The Floor - Chevelle (84)
81. Tonight Tonight - Hot Chelle Rae (67)
82. Buy My Love - Wynter Gordon (DEBUT)
83. Dark Horses - Switchfoot (93)
84. Called Out In The Dark - Snow Patrol (DEBUT)
85. Out Of My Head - Theory Of A Deadman (85)
86. Sail - AWOLnation (91)
87. When I Start (To Break It Down) - Erasure (89)
88. Lightning - The Wanted (88)
89. Wish You Were Here - Avril Lavigne (DEBUT)
90. Amen - Edens Edge (94)
91. Geronimo - Aura Dione (95)
92. Hangover - Taio Cruz f/Flo Rida (98)
93. Didn't I - James Wesley (97)
94. My Heart Can't Tell You No - Sara Evans (DEBUT)
95. Earthquake - Labrinth f/Tinie Tempah (96)
96. Rumour Has It/Someone Like You - Glee Cast (DEBUT)
97. Take A Chance On Me - JLS (99)
98. Care - Kid Rock f/Martina McBride & T.I. (DEBUT)
99. Stay Together - Ledisi f/Jaheim (DEBUT)
100. Gotta Be You - One Direction (DEBUT)

There are eleven new songs on my list (highlighted in yellow), and here they are, along with a little background on the artists, along with links to YouTube clips of their previous hits in orange. And here we go...

The highest "debut" is by Canadian singer Anjulie (Persaud), who's from the suburbs of Toronto. Her self-titled debut CD produced three top-10 songs on the US dance club charts, including the #1 hit "Boom" and #3 "Rain". She also co-wrote another #1 US dance hit for fellow Canuck Kreesha Turner with "Don't Call Me Baby". Anjulie is back with the sassy new track "Brand New Bitch"...

The next song is notable in the fact that it's already been heard on my list courtesy of being used as a generous sample for Flo Rida's "Good Feeling". Swedish DJ Tim Bergling, under the alias Tim/Berg, had a worldwide dance hit last year with the sample-house cut "Seek Bromance". Again this year under the moniker Avicii he released the track "Fade Into Darkness" which was transformed into Leona Lewis' "Collide". That song sampled a Penguin Cafe track, and now Tim does it with the Etta James classic "Something's Gotta Hold On Me" from 1962. I'm excited that this is getting just as much buzz as the Flo Rida track, since it's much stronger in its original form. Here's "Levels" with its crazy-ass video...

Next up is Philadelphia-area singer-songwriter Christina Perri, who scored an out-of-the-box international hit with the somber "Jar Of Hearts" which even got to be covered on the excellent prom episode of Glee, and hit the top 20 in the US and top-5 in Britain. She followed that up with "Arms" which was a top-20 adult-pop hit. For her hat trick Perri's scored the coup of landing a single on the Twilight: Breaking Dawn Part 1 soundtrack (along with Bruno Mars' "It Will Rain" also on my list) with "A Thousand Years"....

We follow this with another singer-songwriter, this time from Queens, New York - Wynter Gordon first hit big as co-writer and backup on Flo Rida's "Sugar" in 2009. Her first solo hit, "Dirty Talk", was a #1 US Dance hit, as well as a charttopper in Australia and a top-40 British hit. She released her debut US EP this year which contained the top-3 club followup "Til Death", as well as this next debut, "Buy My Love", further expanding her quirky yet accessible approach to dance music, which is a refreshing break from the same old thump...

Northern Irish rock group Snow Patrol had their first big success in the UK with the excellent top-5 single "Run" in 2004. The band scored 4 more top-10 singles there since, including their biggest British ranking, the #4 hit from Spiderman 3 "Signal Fire", and the US top 10 triple platinum (3million+ in sales) classic "Chasing Cars". They are back with a song that's climbing the adult-pop chart after just missing the top-10 in Britain, with "Called Out In The Dark"...

Like Anjulie, another Ontario Canada native comes in at #89. Avril Lavigne has released four CDs in the last ten years, with three of them hitting the top of the US album charts. She's also had a slew of hits, including her three biggest: the number-one hit "Girlfriend", her debut #2 song "Complicated", and the top-5 followup "I'm With You". The third single from her latest release is "Wish You Were Here" - watch how she gets all pyro with florals...

Missouri-born country singer Sara Evans has seen five of her songs go to #1 including "No Place That Far" (also her first top-40 country hit), and "Born To Fly", and she seemed to be carrying out the strong-woman belter tradition in the Martina McBride vein. However after a high-profile messy divorce and an abbreviated stint on Dancing With The Stars, Evans struggled to stay atop the scene, but scored a welcome #1 last year with "A Little Bit Stronger". Her followup to that song is a remake of a top-5 pop hit for Rod Stewart from 1988, "My Heart Can't Tell You No"...

The next track is the first single from the third season of Glee to make my chart. In fact, only three other Glee songs have made my chart this year: the original songs "Loser Like Me" and "Get It Right", and the mashup from the Super Bowl episode "Thriller/Heads Will Roll". It's only fitting to bookend their next success with another excellent mashup, this time two songs from the biggest album of this year, Adele's 21. Santana, Mercedes, and the "Troubletones" tear into their version of "Rumour Has It/Someone Like You". I may have big problems with this season, but this version does rock (95% because of the abilities of Amber Jones and Naya Rivera)...

Next up is stoner-conservative hick Kid Rock. Even though he's sold a truckload of albums, he's only had three top-40 hits, the top-5 ballad "Picture", the top-20 "Only God Knows Why", and 2008's sample-crazy "All Summer Long". I know the guy's got mad talent, but what's with the letting Mitt Romney use his "Born Free" as his campaign song? Does anyone think either of them knows let alone likes the other? (BTW love the troll comments on that YouTube vid). Here's his latest, featuring country singer Martina McBride (also on my list with "I'm Gonna Love You Through It") on the album version and recently incarcerated rapper T.I. Well, that sounds pretty Republican to me. Here's the adult-pop top-30 hit "Care" substituting McBride with singer Angaleena Pressley..

Next is New Orleans' neo-soul songstress Ledisi, who follows her "Pieces Of Me" with a duet featuring Jaheim, who also had his biggest hit supporting rapper Nelly on the top-5 "My Place". Their new collaboration, a top-5 adult-R&B hit, is "Stay Together"...

The final new entry is by British boyband One Direction, who have translated their X Factor UK exposure (albeit loss) to two big hits: the #1 "What Makes You Beautiful" from this summer, and this top-3 single, "Gotta Be You"...

and as a bonus, one song comes back in a big way...after making the top-20 of my list because its remix maded the club chart. Now that its the official third single following the megasmashes "Rolling In The Deep" and "Someone Like You", it's back, and it's "Set Fire To The Rain"...

Best comment ever I saw on another site - this sounds like the Slovenian National Anthem.....

Ciao!

twostepcub's music chart for December 2, 2011...

2011-12-02T19:38:00.006-05:00

Hey folks, I'm finally done my midnight shift, and it's time for my top-100 tunes for the week. This week Adele spends an eighth week in the top spot, while Rihanna and Calvin Harris (pictured above) jump into the top-5. The biggest leaps go to Beyonce, the Black Keys, and Flo Rida (moves of 10+ places highlighed in red), while a former big hit by Gloria Estefan drops out. Link-o-Rama is still in effect, so you can click on any of the highlighted artist's names to go to their official website (rightclick, and you can keep this page up and use a different tab or window). Booyah!

This Week Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses)
---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Someone Like You - Adele (1)
2. Without You - David Guetta f/Usher (2)
3. Mr. Know It All - Kelly Clarkson (4)
4. Nothing - The Script (3)
5. We Found Love - Rihanna f/Calvin Harris (7)
6. The Sound Of Winter - Bush (6)
7. Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie - Red Hot Chili Peppers (5)
8. Crawling Back To You - Daughtry (12)
9. Sexy And I Know It - LMFAO (13)
10. Baggage Claim - Miranda Lambert (10)
11. Walk - Foo Fighters (8)
12. Paradise - Coldplay (19)
13. We Owned The Night - Lady Antebellum (14)
14. You & I - Lady GaGa (9)
15. Pumped Up Kicks - Foster The People (11)
16. Brighter Than The Sun - Colbie Caillat (16)
17. Not Over You - Gavin DeGraw (17)
18. Moves Like Jagger - Maroon5 f/Christina Aguilera (15)
19. You Make Me Feel... - Cobra Starship f/Sabi (21)
20. Don't Hold Your Breath - Nicole Scherzinger (24)
21. Stereo Hearts - Gym Class Heroes f/Adam Levine (28)
22. I Got You - Thompson Square (22)
23. In The Dark - Dev (23)
24. Sparks Fly - Taylor Swift (20)
25. When We Stand Together - Nickelback (33)
26. God Gave Me You - Blake Shelton (18)
27. Just A Kiss - Lady Antebellum (26)
28. All Your Life - The Band Perry (36)
29. Papi - Jennifer Lopez (29)
30. It Girl - Jason Derulo (31)
31. The One That Got Away - Katy Perry (43)
32. Keep Me In Mind - The Zac Brown Band (34)
33. Tonight - Seether (37)
34. Cough Syrup - Young The Giant (42)
35. In The Air - Morgan Page f/Sultan & Ned Shepard, BT and Angela McCluskey (30)
36. Let It Rain - David Nail (38)
37. Crazy Girl - The Eli Young Band (25)
38. Show Me - Jessica Sutta (32)
39. Floor On Fire - Taylor Dayne (39)
40. Fool For You - Cee-Lo Green f/Melanie Fiona or Philip Bailey (44)
41. Love You Like A Love Song - Selena Gomez & The Scene (49)
42. Easy - Rascal Flatts f/Natasha Bedingfield (46)
43. Lonely Boy - The Black Keys (57)
44. It Will Rain - Bruno Mars (52)
45. One More Drinkin' Song - Jerrod Niemann (45)
46. Heartbeat - The Fray (54)
47. Loca People - Sak Noel (27)
48. Life Of The Party - Charlie Wilson (40)
49. Tattoos On This Town - Jason Aldean (51)
50. Good Feeling - Flo Rida (63)
51. Jet Lag - Simple Plan f/Natasha Bedingfield (53)
52. Countdown - Beyonce (67)
53. Stay - Tyrese (59)
54. I Don't Want This Night To End - Luke Bryan (58)
55. Bring It Back - Global Deejays (56)
56. Reality - Kenny Chesney (61)
57. Elle Me Dit - Mika (50)
58. Drink In My Hand - Eric Church (62)
59. So In Love - Jill Scott f/Anthony Hamilton (35)
60. Love Slayer - Joe Jonas (60)
61. You - Chris Young (70)
62. Invisible - Skylar Grey (66)
63. Good Life - OneRepublic (55)
64. Kiss Me Slowly - Parachute (64)
65. Country Must Be Countrywide - Brantley Gilbert (65)
66. Rain - C&C Music Factory (71)
67. Tonight Tonight - Hot Chelle Rae (41)
68. Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO (48)
69. Heaven - O.A.R. (69)
70. I'm Gonna Love You Through It - Martina McBride (74)
71. Tonight - D'Manti (73)
72. If It's Love - Kem f/Chrisette Michele (72)
73. Gonna Get Over You - Sara Bareilles (77)
74. Lights - Ellie Goulding (78)
75. Lego House - Ed Sheeran (76)
76. Helena Beat - Foster The People (80)
77. I Like How It Feels - Enrique Iglesias f/Pitbull (DEBUT)
78. All About Tonight - Pixie Lott (68)
79. Cost Of Livin' - Ronnie Dunn (79)
80. I Got Nothin' - Darius Rucker (82)
81. Read All About It - Professor Green f/Emeli Sande (81)
82. Storm Warning - Hunter Hayes (84)
83. 1,000 Ships - Rachel Platten (85)
84. Face To The Floor - Chevelle (88)
85. Out Of My Head - Theory Of A Deadman (86)
86. We're All No One - Nervo f/Afrojack & Steve Aoki (94)
87. Rain Over Me - Pitbull f/Marc Anthony (87)
88. Lightning - The Wanted (90)
89. When I Start (To Break It Down) - Erasure (89)
90. Bottoms Up - Nickelback (92)
91. Sail - AWOLnation (91)
92. New Age - Marlon Roudette (75)
93. Dark Horses - Switchfoot (93)
94. Amen - Edens Edge (96)
95. Geronimo - Aura Dione (99)
96. Earthquake - Labrinth f/Tinie Tempah (98)
97. Didn't I - James Wesley (DEBUT)
98. Hangover - Taio Cruz f/Flo Rida (100)
99. Take A Chance On Me - JLS (DEBUT)
100. If This Were A Movie - Taylor Swift (DEBUT)

After last week's debut motherload, this week is rather skimpy with four new songs (highlighted in yellow), and here they are, along with a little about the artists with links to their previous hits in orange.

The highest entry (and by far the biggest hit coming in) is the latest by Enrique Iglesias, who has been enjoying quite a resurgence with his "Jersey Shorified" makeover with big hits like "I Like It" and "Tonight I'm Lovin' You". He's back with a song that's pretty much the same as those two, even employing rapper Pitbull in the mix with "I Like How It Feels". The tune's doing well in the clubs, but how many times can he go to that well? We'll see...

Kansas-born singer James Wesley (Prosser) follows up his first hit "Real" with another slow-burn single that also has been hanging around the country radio chart for over 30 weeks. Here's "Didn't I"...

English boyband and X Factor UK runners-up JLS almost doubled the amount of #1 hits they have over winner Alexandra Burke (they have 5, including "Beat Again" and their US club crossover "She Makes Me Wanna") with this song that made the UK singles chart runner-up position, "Take A Chance On Me"...

The final debut is from young country superstar Taylor Swift, who achieves the rare feat of having all tracks from her latest CD Speak Now Deluxe Edition chart (that's 17 of them) including four that made the all-genre top 10 on Billboard's Hot 100 chart - radio singles "Mine" and "Back To December", as well as the title track. The latest rockets into the top10 courtesy to the song becoming generally available after being only on a target exclusive. Here's "If This Was A Movie"...

Niters!

twostepcub's music chart for November 25, 2011...

2011-11-25T12:55:00.008-05:00

Hey folks, it's after-Thanksgiving pre-Christmas limbo, and time for my top-100 tunes for the week. This week Adele remains on top for an eighth week, while Kelly Clarkson (pictured above) makes it into the top-5. Singles by Katy Perry, Selena Gomez & The Scene, and Tyrese make the biggest jumps (moves of 10+ places highlighted in red), while former big hits by the Swedish House Mafia, Katy Perry, David Guetta, Blink-182, Leona Lewis, George Strait, and Rodney Atkins drop out. Link-O-Rama is still in effect, so you can click on any of the highlighted artist names to go to their official website. Pass the leftovers!

This Week Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses)
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Someone Like You - Adele (1)
2. Without You - David Guetta f/Usher (4)
3. Nothing - The Script (2)
4. Mr. Know It All - Kelly Clarkson (6)
5. Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie - Red Hot Chili Peppers (3)
6. The Sound Of Winter - Bush (8)
7. We Found Love - Rihanna f/Calvin Harris (11)
8. Walk - Foo Fighters (7)
9. You & I - Lady GaGa (5)
10. Baggage Claim - Miranda Lambert (12)
11. Pumped Up Kicks - Foster The People (8)
12. Crawling Back To You - Daughtry (14)
13. Sexy & I Know It - LMFAO (17)
14. We Owned The Night - Lady Antebellum (18)
15. Moves Like Jagger - Maroon5 f/Christina Aguilera (15)
16. Brighter Than The Sun - Colbie Caillat (16)
17. Not Over You - Gavin DeGraw (13)
18. God Gave Me You - Blake Shelton (10)
19. Paradise - Coldplay (29)
20. Sparks Fly - Taylor Swift (22)
21. You Make Me Feel... - Cobra Starship f/Sabi (27)
22. I Got You - Thompson Square (24)
23. In The Dark - Dev (20)
24. Don't Hold Your Breath - Nicole Scherzinger (28)
25. Crazy Girl - The Eli Young Band (25)
26. Just A Kiss - Lady Antebellum (21)
27. Loca People - Sak Noel (19)
28. Stereo Hearts - Gym Class Heroes f/Adam Levine (32)
29. Papi - Jennifer Lopez (30)
30. In The Air - Morgan Page f/Sultan & Ned Shepard, BT, & Angela McCluskey (31)
31. It Girl - Jason Derulo (35)
32. Show Me - Jessica Sutta (36)
33. When We Stand Together - Nickelback (37)
34. Keep Me In Mind - The Zac Brown Band (44)
35. So In Love - Jill Scott f/Anthony Hamilton (23)
36. All Your Life - The Band Perry (50)
37. Tonight - Seether (45)
38. Let It Rain - David Nail (40)
39. Floor On Fire - Taylor Dayne (43)
40. Life Of The Party - Charlie Wilson (34)
41. Tonight Tonight - Hot Chelle Rae (26)
42. Cough Syrup - Young The Giant (52)
43. The One That Got Away - Katy Perry (77)
44. Fool For You - Cee-Lo Green f/Melanie Fiona or Philip Bailey (54)
45. One More Drinkin' Song - Jerrod Niemann (47)
46. Easy - Rascal Flatts f/Natasha Bedingfield (48)
47. Wepa - Gloria Estefan (33)
48. Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO (38)
49. Love You Like A Love Song - Selena Gomez & The Scene (79)
50. Elle Me Dit - Mika (46)
51. Tattoos On This Town - Jason Aldean (55)
52. It Will Rain - Bruno Mars (62)
53. Jet Lag - Simple Plan f/Natasha Bedingfield (57)
54. Heartbeat - The Fray (65)
55. Good Life - OneRepublic (51)
56. Bring It Back - Global Deejays (66)
57. Lonely Boy - The Black Keys (DEBUT)
58. I Don't Want This Night To End - Luke Bryan (78)
59. Stay - Tyrese (87)
60. Love Slayer - Joe Jonas (64)
61. Reality - Kenny Chesney (82)
62. Drink In My Hand - Eric Church (74)
63. Good Feeling - Flo Rida (DEBUT)
64. Kiss Me Slowly - Parachute (69)
65. Country Must Be Countrywide - Brantley Gilbert (71)
66. Invisible - Skylar Grey (81)
67. Countdown - Beyonce (DEBUT)
68. All About Tonight - Pixie Lott (68)
69. Heaven - O.A.R. (73)
70. You - Chris Young (DEBUT)
71. Rain - C+C Music Factory (83)
72. If It's Love - Kem f/Chrisette Michele (72)
73. Tonight - D'Manti (DEBUT)
74. I'm Gonna Love You Through It - Martina McBride (DEBUT)
75. New Age - Marlon Roudette (75)
76. Lego House - Ed Sheeran (DEBUT)
77. Gonna Get Over You - Sara Bareilles (DEBUT)
78. Lights - Ellie Goulding (96)
79. Cost Of Livin' - Ronnie Dunn (80)
80. Helena Beat - Foster The People (85)
81. Read All About It - Professor Green f/Emeli Sande (91)
82. I Got Nothin' - Darius Rucker (86)
83. Skyscraper - Demi Lovato (84)
84. Storm Warning - Hunter Hayes (89)
85. 1,000 Ships - Rachel Platten (95)
86. Out Of My Head - Theory Of A Deadman (99)
87. Rain Over Me - Pitbull f/Marc Anthony (88)
88. Face To The Floor - Chevelle (94)
89. When I Start (To Break It Down) - Erasure (DEBUT)
90. Lightning - The Wanted (90)
91. Sail - AWOLnation (RE-ENTRY)
92. Bottoms Up - Nickelback (92)
93. Dark Horses - Switchfoot (DEBUT)
94. We're All No One - Nervo f/Afrojack & Steve Aoki (DEBUT)
95. Eyes - Kaskade f/Mindy Glenhill (DEBUT)
96. Amen - Edens Edge (100)
97. With Ur Love - Cher Lloyd f/Mike Posner (DEBUT)
98. Earthquake - Labrinth f/Tinie Tempah (98)
99. Geronimo - Aura Dione (DEBUT)
100. Hangover - Taio Cruz (DEBUT)

There are fifteen new songs on my list this week (highlighted in yellow), and here they are, with a little about the artists as well as links to their previous hits in orange...

The highest debut comes from Akron, Ohio rock duo the Black Keys, who had their breakthrough hit at the end of last year with "Tighten Up" which topped the rock charts, followed by the top-3 "Howling For You". They preview their upcoming CD with the track "Lonely Boy"...

The next track is a "double sample". South Florida-based rapper Flo Rida claims two of the biggest-selling digital singles with the #1 hits "Low" and "Right Round". This time he's back with a song that is based on Swedish dance artist Avicii's "Levels" which itself is cribbed from R&B legend Etta James' "Something's Gotta Hold On Me" from 1962. Here's "Good Feeling"....

Beyonce's 4 has put five singles on Billboard's Hot 100 chart, though none have gone higher than the #16 placing of "Best Thing I Never Had". That's a far cry from the previous three albums which produced five #1 hits between them, including "Baby Boy" and "Irreplaceable". Her latest featured her "baby bump", and is destined to be another #1 dance hit, "Countdown"...

Nashville Star winner Chris Young hit his stride on his sophomore album, and now is working on a string a four consecutive #1 country singles, including "Voices" (which took over a year to get to the top) and "The Man I Want To Be". His latest is in the top-20 so far, and it's "You"...

Las Vegas newcomer D'Manti has her first hit with the club track "Tonight", which makes it the fourth "Tonight" single in the last couple weeks, with songs by Seether, Nicola Fasano, and Hot Chelle Rae (doubly so)...

In her 20 year career, Martina McBride has climbed to the top of Billboard's Country chart five times, from 1995's "Wild Angels" to 2001's "Blessed". Though she has somewhat "cooled" in the last ten years, she's consistently stayed on the radio where others of her era have fallen completely off (Deana Carter, ahem). She's back with the inspirational "I'm Gonna Love You Through It"....

Next up is English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran, who claims his third straight top-5 hit in Britain - His debut, "A-Team" made #3, the followup "You Need Me, I Don't Need You" hit #4, and yes, so far the third "Lego House" is at #5. Here's the clip featuring Ron Weasley himself, Rupert Grint, playing Sheehan's doppelganger obsessed fan on 'Lego House'...

After having a pop smash in 2007 with "Love Song", and having one of my favorite tracks from last year, "King Of Anything", Sara Bareilles has settled in as the middle (read "Paula Abdul") judge on the Sing-Off, in my opinion the best singing competition on television. The final is Monday, and Sara is set to perform, possibly this, her latest hit, "Gonna Get Over You"...

I'm so happy to see synth-pop pioneers Erasure back with a new CD. Vince Clarke and Andy Bell had 14 top-10 singles in the UK, including the #2 "Sometimes" and #1 with the EP "Abba-esque" which included their take on "Take A Chance On Me". Their last single to make it that far was 2005's "Breathe", but they are back with an excellent new song, "When I Start (To Break It Down)"...

San Diego-based rock band Switchfoot's 2003 release The Beautiful Letdown gave them both their top-20 pop hits with "Meant To Live" and "Dare You To Move". They're back with the rockin' "Dark Horses"....

Australian twin sister act Nervo are songwriters who penned some great tunes in the past couple years, like David Guetta's "When Love Takes Over" and Kylie Minogue's "Put Your Hands Up (If You Feel Love)". They have their first hit in their own right with the dance track "We're All No One", featuring Dutch DJ Afrojack (of "Take Over Control" and "Give Me Everything" fame) and Los Angeles' Steve Aoki (who had a UK top-40 with "I'm In The House")...

Chicago-born DJ Ryan Raddon, or Kaskade, has amassed a number of dance radio #1 hits, including "Move For Me" and "I Remember", as well as a single #1 club hit, "Everything". He's back with folk-singer Mindy Glenhill providing vocals on "Eyes"...

UK X Factor contestant Cher Lloyd had her first British #1 a few weeks back with "Swagger Jagger", and is back with her top-5 followup, featuring American singer Mike Posner of "Cooler Than Me" fame, on "With Ur Love"...

Danish singer Aura Dione had a European hit a couple years back with "I Will Love You Monday (365)", and she's back with another song that hit #1 in Germany (her biggest audience) with "Geronimo"...

The final new track is by British R&B star Taio Cruz, who thanks to megahits "Break Your Heart" and "Dynamite" is back with a song that hasn't caught on yet in the States, but is already a top-3 hit in Germany. Here's "Hangover"...

Now time for sleep!

twostepcub's music chart for November 18, 2011...

2011-11-19T12:54:00.009-05:00

Hey everyone, I'm busy workin' the nightshift, and it's time for my top-100 tunes for the week. This week Adele spends an amazing seventh week at #1 with "Someone Like You", surpassing the six-week reign of "Rolling In The Deep", while David Guetta and Usher (pictured above) make it into the top-5 in its fourth week on my list. Former big hits by Keith Urban, Matt Nathanson, and Coldplay drop off my list, while singles by the Fray, Luke Bryan, and Bruno Mars make the biggest leaps (moves of 10+ places highlighted in red). Link-O-Rama is still in full effect, so you can click on any of the highlighted artist names to go to their official website for more info about them. Boy Boy, Crazy Boy...

This Week Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses)
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Someone Like You - Adele (1)
2. Nothing - The Script (2)
3. Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie - Red Hot Chili Peppers (3)
4. Without You - David Guetta f/Usher (8)
5. You & I - Lady GaGa (6)
6. Mr. Know It All - Kelly Clarkson (10)
7. Walk - Foo Fighters (5)
8. The Sound Of Winter - Bush (9)
9. Pumped Up Kicks - Foster The People (4)
10. God Gave Me You - Blake Shelton (12)
11. We Found Love - Rihanna f/Calvin Harris (21)
12. Baggage Claim - Miranda Lambert (15)
13. Not Over You - Gavin DeGraw (7)
14. Crawling Back To You - Daughtry (18)
15. Moves Like Jagger - Maroon5 f/Christina Aguilera (13)
16. Brighter Than The Sun - Colbie Caillat (11)
17. Sexy And I Know It - LMFAO (29)
18. We Owned The Night - Lady Antebellum (24)
19. Loca People - Sak Noel (19)
20. In The Dark - Dev (20)
21. Just A Kiss - Lady Antebellum (16)
22. Sparks Fly - Taylor Swift (22)
23. So In Love - Jill Scott f/Anthony Hamilton (17)
24. I Got You - Thompson Square (26)
25. Crazy Girl - The Eli Young Band (25)
26. Tonight Tonight - Hot Chelle Rae (14)
27. You Make Me Feel... - Cobra Starship f/Sabi (30)
28. Don't Hold Your Breath - Nicole Scherzinger (33)
29. Paradise - Coldplay (43)
30. Papi - Jennifer Lopez (35)
31. In The Air - Morgan Page f/Sultan & Ned Shepard, BT, & Angela McCluskey (37)
32. Stereo Hearts - Gym Class Heroes f/Adam Levine (39)
33. Wepa - Gloria Estefan (23)
34. Life Of The Party - Charlie Wilson (34)
35. It Girl - Jason Derulo (45)
36. Show Me - Jessica Sutta (40)
37. When We Stand Together - Nickelback (49)
38. Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO (31)
39. Save The World - Swedish House Mafia (32)
40. Let It Rain - David Nail (41)
41. Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) - Katy Perry (27)
42. Little Bad Girl - David Guetta f/Taio Cruz & Ludacris (28)
43. Floor On Fire - Taylor Dayne (51)
44. Keep Me In Mind - The Zac Brown Band (58)
45. Tonight - Seether (55)
46. Elle Me Dit - Mika (38)
47. One More Drinking Song - Jerrod Niemann (48)
48. Easy - Rascal Flatts f/Natasha Bedingfield (54)
49. Make It Stop (September's Children) - Rise Against (50)
50. All Your Life - The Band Perry (62)
51. Good Life - OneRepublic (46)
52. Cough Syrup - Young The Giant (64)
53. If I Die Young - The Band Perry (47)
54. Fool For You - Cee-Lo Green f/Melanie Fiona or Philip Bailey (66)
55. Tattoos On This Town - Jason Aldean (65)
56. Cinema - Benny Benassi f/Gary Go (56)
57. Jet Lag - Simple Plan f/Natasha Bedingfield (61)
58. Up All Night - Blink-182 (36)
59. Collide - Leona Lewis f/Avicii (44)
60. Heart Skips A Beat - Olly Murs f/Rizzle Kicks (60)
61. Here For A Good Time - George Strait (57)
62. It Will Rain - Bruno Mars (79)
63. Give Me Everything - Pitbull f/Ne-Yo, Afrojack & Nayer (59)
64. Love Slayer - Joe Jonas (72)
65. Heartbeat - The Fray (85)
66. Bring It Back - Global Deejays (81)
67. Not Again - Staind (68)
68. All About Tonight - Pixie Lott (70)
69. Kiss Me Slowly - Parachute (77)
70. Mediate - INXS f/Tricky (71)
71. Country Must Be Countrywide - Brantley Gilbert (76)
72. If It's Love - Kem f/Chrisette Michele (73)
73. Heaven - O.A.R. (74)
74. Drink In My Hand - Eric Church (84)
75. New Age - Marlon Roudette (75)
76. Pressure - Nadia Ali f/Starkillers & Alex Kenji (78)
77. The One That Got Away - Katy Perry (DEBUT)
78. I Don't Want This Night To End - Luke Bryan (98)
79. Love You Like A Love Song - Selena Gomez & The Scene (DEBUT)
80. Cost Of Livin' - Ronnie Dunn (80)
81. Invisible - Skylar Grey (DEBUT)
82. Reality - Kenny Chesney (DEBUT)
83. Rain - C&C Music Factory (DEBUT)
84. Skyscraper - Demi Lovato (88)
85. Helena Beat - Foster The People (86)
86. I Got Nothin' - Darius Rucker (90)
87. Stay - Tyrese (95)
88. Rain Over Me - Pitbull f/Marc Anthony (89)
89. Storm Warning - Hunter Hayes (91)
90. Lightning - The Wanted (97)
91. Read All About It - Professor Green f/Emeli Sande (DEBUT)
92. Bottoms Up - Nickelback (100)
93. Got 2 Luv U - Sean Paul f/Alexis Jordan (94)
94. Face On The Floor - Chevelle (DEBUT)
95. 1,000 Ships - Rachel Platten (99)
96. Lights - Ellie Goulding (DEBUT)
97. Take A Back Road - Rodney Atkins (93)
98. Earthquake - Labrinth f/Tinie Tempah (DEBUT)
99. Out Of My Head - Theory Of A Deadman (DEBUT)
100. Amen - Edens Edge (DEBUT)

There are eleven new songs on my list (highlighted in yellow), and here they are, along with a little about the artists with links to clips of their earlier hits in orange.

The highest entry this week is the seventh "single" from Katy Perry's blockbuster Teenage Dream. All five of those promoted to radio became #1 hits (the "sixth", "Peacock" was really only promoted in the dance clubs, and became a charttopper in its own right there. In fact, the lead single "California Gurls" was released a year and a half ago! Four also made the top on my chart (CG, "Teenage Dream", "Firework", and the still-charting "Last Friday Night"). If her latest makes #1, she'll pass Michael Jackson's Bad to have the most #1's from a single album. SHe ups the ante with an epic video for "The One That Got Away"...

Selena Gomez & the Scene follow up their #1 dance/top 40 pop hit "Who Says" with the 80's-nostalgic "Love You Like A Love Song"...

Holly Brook Hafermann started her career recording under her first and middle names, even scoring a US top-5 pop hit with "Where'd You Go" supporting Linkin Park side-project Fort Minor. After changing her stage name to Skylar Grey, her stock catapulted after co-writing Eminem and Rihanna's "Love The Way You Lie" as well as co-writing and singing on Diddy-Dirty Money's "Coming Home" and Dr. Dre's "I Need A Doctor". Her first successful solo single is charting the highest in the dance clubs courtesy of a remix, and it's "Invisible" (here in the original version)...

Every one of Kenny Chesney's non-Christmas CDs since the new millennium have reach the pinnacle of the Country Album chart, and his latest, Hemingway's Whiskey, brings out its fifth single with "Reality", hoping to add to his #1 single count which includes faves "How Forever Feels" and "There Goes My Life"...

Possibly the best dance record made in the early 90's, C&C Music Factory's "Gonna Make You Sweat" is one of those songs that defies the current rule of "all fast, all the time" dance music, which could explain its timelessness. Also a giant pop hit, Robert Clivilles and David Cole followed that up with two more top-5 pop hits, "Here We Go (Let's Rock & Roll)" and "Things That Makes You Go Hmmm...". After rapper Freedom Williams didn't return for their second CD, the collective grazed the top-40 only one more time with "Do You Wanna Get Funky" before founding member (and "C") David Cole passed on from AIDS-related spinal meningitis in 1995. Musical partner Rob Clivilles continued remixing and releasing records, and in the last year revived the "C&C" brand with French DJ Eric Kupper and have a dance hit again with vocals by Scarlett Santana on "Rain"...

British rap artist Professor Green had two big hit singles in the UK with remakes of INXS' "I Need You Tonight" and the SOS Band's "Just Be Good To Green (Me)" with the awesome Lily Allen. He's back going the full Eminem "Love The Way You Lie" with a track featuring Scottish singer Emeli Sande, who placed on my list (and the UK #2 position) with "Heaven". Here they are together on "Read All About It"...

Alt-metal group Chevelle hail from the northern suburbs of Chicago, and they can boast two #1 mainstream rock hits with "Send The Pain Below" and "Vitamin R". The group is back with "Face To The Floor"...

The winner of last year's BRIT awards "Critics' Choice", Ellie Goulding has put out six singles from her debut album, Lights, including two top-5 hits with "Starry Eyed" and her remake of Elton John's "Your Song" which made my list as well. Her latest is getting a push on American adult pop radio, and it's the title track from a very highly recommended CD. Here's "Lights"...

English singer-songwriter Labrinth (nee' Timothy McKenzie) made his name backing up rapper Tinie Tempah on that artist's for two massive singles "Pass Out" and "Frisky". His first lead-artist hit, "Let The Sun Shine", made the top-3, as did his newest, featuring Tempah, "Earthquake"...

Canadian jockrockers Theory Of A Deadman follow their rockin' track "Lowlife" with the more subdued "Out Of My Head"...

The final debut of by new country trio Edens Edge from Arkansas, with their debut single which has slowburned up the sountry singles chart for the past 30+ weeks with "Amen"...

Happy Thanksgiving, everybody!

twostepcub's music chart for November 11, 2011...

2011-11-13T23:01:00.003-05:00

Hey folks, I'm pulling an all-nighter in preparation for my three weeks of the third shift, and figured good time for my top-100 tunes for the week. This week Adele spends a sixth week at the top, while Lady GaGa (pictured above) makes the biggest leap in the top-10. The biggest jumps are made by songs by Cee-Lo Green, The Band Perry, and Taylor Dayne (moves of 10+ places highlighted in red), while former big hits by Mat Kearney and Rihanna drop off my list. Link-O-Rama is still in effect, so you can click on any of the highlighted artist names to go to their official website (right-click and use a different tab or window). Do I have to start drinking coffee?

This Week Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses)
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Someone Like You - Adele (1)
2. Nothing - The Script (2)
3. Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie - Red Hot Chili Peppers (3)
4. Pumped Up Kicks - Foster The People (4)
5. Walk - Foo Fighters (5)
6. You & I - Lady GaGa (10)
7. Not Over You - Gavin DeGraw (7)
8. Without You - David Guetta f/Usher (18)
9. The Sound Of Winter - Bush (11)
10. Mr. Know It All - Kelly Clarkson (15)
11. Brighter Than The Sun - Colbie Caillat (8)
12. God Gave Me You - Blake Shelton (12)
13. Moves Like Jagger - Maroon5 f/Christina Aguilera (9)
14. Tonight Tonight - Hot Chelle Rae (6)
15. Baggage Claim - Miranda Lambert (16)
16. Just A Kiss - Lady Antebellum (14)
17. So In Love - Jill Scott f/Anthony Hamilton (13)
18. Crawling Back To You - Daughtry (22)
19. Loca People - Sak Noel (19)
20. In The Dark - Dev (20)
21. We Found Love - Rihanna f/Calvin Harris (33)
22. Sparks Fly - Taylor Swift (25)
23. Wepa - Gloria Estefan (24)
24. We Owned The Night - Lady Antebellum (31)
25. Crazy Girl - The Eli Young Band (30)
26. I Got You - Thompson Square (29)
27. Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) - Katy Perry (23)
28. Little Bad Girl - David Guetta f/Taio Cruz & Ludacris (17)
29. Sexy & I Know It - LMFAO (44)
30. You Make Me Feel - Cobra Starship f/Sabi (35)
31. Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO (27)
32. Save The World - Swedish House Mafia (28)
33. Don't Hold Your Breath - Nicole Scherzinger (41)
34. Life Of The Party - Charlie Wilson (34)
35. Papi - Jennifer Lopez (43)
36. Up All Night - Blink-182 (21)
37. In The Air - Morgan Page f/Sultan & Ned Shepard, BT, & Angela McCluskey (48)
38. Elle Me Dit - Mika (38)
39. Stereo Hearts - Gym Class Heroes f/Adam Levine (46)
40. Show Me - Jessica Sutta (47)
41. Let It Rain - David Nail (45)
42. Long Hot Summer - Keith Urban (26)
43. Paradise - Coldplay (61)
44. Collide - Leona Lewis f/Avicii (32)
45. It Girl - Jason Derulo (60)
46. Good Life - OneRepublic (36)
47. If I Die Young - The Band Perry (39)
48. One More Drinking Song - Jerrod Niemann (50)
49. When We Stand Together - Nickelback (56)
50. Make It Stop (September's Children) - Rise Against (51)
51. Floor On Fire - Taylor Dayne (71)
52. Faster - Matt Nathanson (40)
53. I'm Still Hot - Luciana f/Betty White (53)
54. Easy - Rascal Flatts f/Natasha Bedingfield (58)
55. Tonight - Seether (63)
56. Cinema - Benny Benassi f/Gary Go (52)
57. Here For A Good Time - George Strait (42)
58. Keep Me In Mind - The Zac Brown Band (66)
59. Give Me Everything - Pitbull f/Ne-Yo, Afrojack, & Nayer (57)
60. Heart Skips A Beat - Olly Murs f/Rizzle Kicks (62)
61. Jet Lag - Simple Plan f/Natasha Bedingfield (67)
62. All Your Life - The Band Perry (86)
63. Tonite - Nicola Fasano f/Kat Deluna (64)
64. Cough Syrup - Young The Giant (84)
65. Tattoos On This Town - Jason Aldean (77)
66. Fool For You - Cee-Lo Green f/Melanie Fiona or Philip Bailey (92)
67. I Won't Let You Go - James Morrison (70)
68. Not Again - Staind (68)
69. Marry You - Bruno Mars (69)
70. All About Tonight - Pixie Lott (72)
71. Mediate - INXS f/Tricky (73)
72. Love Slayer - Joe Jonas (79)
73. If It's Love - Kem f/Chrisette Michele (74)
74. Heaven - O.A.R. (78)
75. New Age - Marlon Roudette (75)
76. Country Must Be Countrywide - Brantley Gilbert (76)
77. Kiss Me Slowly - Parachute (80)
78. Pressure - Nadia Ali f/Starkillers & Alex Kenji (82)
79. It Will Rain - Bruno Mars (94)
80. Cost Of Livin' - Ronnie Dunn (81)
81. Bring It Back - Global Deejays (DEBUT)
82. Champagne Showers - LMFAO f/Natalia Kills (54)
83. I Wanna Go - Britney Spears (65)
84. Drink In My Hand - Eric Church (88)
85. Heartbeat - The Fray (DEBUT)
86. Helena Beat - Foster The People (90)
87. What Makes You Beautiful - One Direction (87)
88. Skyscraper - Demi Lovato (91)
89. Rain Over Me - Pitbull f/Marc Anthony (89)
90. I Got Nothin' - Darius Rucker (95)
91. Storm Warning - Hunter Hayes (93)
92. Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall - Coldplay (55)
93. Take A Back Road - Rodney Atkins (59)
94. Got 2 Luv U - Sean Paul f/Alexis Jordan (96)
95. Stay - Tyrese (97)
96. Wherever You Will Go - Charlene Soraia (DEBUT)
97. Lightning - The Wanted (99)
98. I Don't Want This Night To End - Luke Bryan (DEBUT)
99. 1,000 Ships - Rachel Platten (DEBUT)
100. Bottoms Up - Nickelback (DEBUT)

There are six new songs on my chart this week (highlighted in yellow), and here they are along with a little about the artists and links to past hits on YouTube in orange.

The highest debut belongs to the Austrian dance collective Global Deejays. Consisting of DJs Taylor, Mikkel, and FLOw, the group had two top-5 dance hits in the US in the mid-00's with remade versions of "The Sound Of San Francisco" (with cribbed Scott Mackenzie's "San Francisco") and "Flashdance" (What A Feeling)". They are back with a song I'm not sure if it's sampling anything, but it sounds original to me. Here's "Bring It Back"...

Denver-based rock group the Fray hope to repeat the success of their previous two albums, which produced a #1 adult-pop hit on each with "How To Save A Life" and "You Found Me". Their latest is "Heartbeat"...

British singer-songwriter Charlene Soraia is enjoying a left-field hit courtesy of an ad campaign by Twinings tea. It's a cover of the Calling's top-5 hit from 2001, "Wherever You Will Go"...

Country singer Luke Bryan follows up his top-5 hit "Country Girl (Shake It For Me)" with another song that made the all-genre top-40. Here's the country-rock of "I Don't Want This Night To End"...

Newcomer Rachel Platten has her first hit with the 90's-00's retro girl-rock of "1,000 Ships"...

The last entry is the "B-side" of Nickelback's current hit "When We Stand Together" (since they were released together, I reserve the "B-side" status). It's the more decidedly frat-rock "Bottoms Up"...

OK, 6 more hours to go, now what?

twostepcub's music chart for November 4, 2011...

2011-11-07T19:38:00.004-05:00

Hey folks, it's time for my top-100 tunes for the past week. This week Adele spends a fifth week on top, while Gavin DeGraw (pictured above) moves up in the top-10. Former big hits by Depeche Mode, Lady GaGa, and Jake Owen drop off my list, while singles by Coldplay, the Zac Brown Band, and Rihanna makes the biggest jumps (moves of 10+ places highlighted in red). Link-O-Rama is still in effect, so you can click on any of the highlighted artist names to go to their official website (right-click to use another tab or window). And away we go!

This Week Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses)
-------------------------------------------------------------------
1. Someone Like You - Adele (1)
2. Nothing - The Script (2)
3. Adventures Of Rain Dance Maggie - Red Hot Chili Peppers (3)
4. Pumped Up Kicks - Foster The People (6)
5. Walk - Foo Fighters (5)
6. Tonight Tonight - Hot Chelle Rae (4)
7. Not Over You - Gavin DeGraw (9)
8. Brighter Than The Sun - Colbie Caillat (8)
9. Moves Like Jagger - Maroon5 f/Christina Aguilera (7)
10. You & I - Lady GaGa (11)
11. The Sound Of Winter - Bush (15)
12. God Gave Me You - Blake Shelton (14)
13. So In Love -Jill Scott f/Anthony Hamilton (13)
14. Just A Kiss - Lady Antebellum (10)
15. Mr. Know It All - Kelly Clarkson (20)
16. Baggage Claim - Miranda Lambert (18)
17. Little Bad Girl - David Guetta f/Taio Cruz & Ludacris (12)
18. Without You - David Guetta f/Usher (40)
19. Loca People - Sak Noel (22)
20. In The Dark - Dev (27)
21. Up All Night - Blink-182 (17)
22. Crawling Back To You - Daughtry (32)
23. Last Friday Night (T.G.I.F.) - Katy Perry (21)
24. Wepa - Gloria Estefan (26)
25. Sparks Fly - Taylor Swift (25)
26. Long Hot Summer - Keith Urban (16)
27. Party Rock Anthem - LMFAO (19)
28. Save The World - Swedish House Mafia (23)
29. I Got You - Thompson Square (33)
30. Crazy Girl - Eli Young Band (34)
31. We Owned The Night - Lady Antebellum (35)
32. Collide - Leona Lewis f/Avicii (24)
33. We Found Love - Rihanna f/Calvin Harris (58)
34. Life Of The Party - Charlie Wilson (36)
35. You Make Me Feel... - Cobra Starship f/Sabi (45)
36. Good Life - OneRepublic (28)
37. Hey Mama - Mat Kearney (37)
38. Elle Me Dit - Mika (42)
39. If I Die Young - The Band Perry (29)
40. Faster - Matt Nathanson (30)
41. Don't Hold Your Breath - Nicole Scherzinger (53)
42. Here For A Good Time - George Strait (38)
43. Papi - Jennifer Lopez (51)
44. Sexy & I Know It - LMFAO (64)
45. Let It Rain - David Nail (48)
46. Stereo Hearts - Gym Class Heroes f/Adam Levine (45)
47. Show Me - Jessica Sutta (57)
48. In The Air - Morgan Page f/Sultan, Ned Shepard, BT, & Angela McCluskey (56)
49. California King Bed - Rihanna (31)
50. One More Drinking Song - Jerrod Niemann (50)
51. Make It Stop (September's Children) - Rise Against (54)
52. Cinema - Benny Benassi f/Gary Go (52)
53. I'm Still Hot - Luciana f/Betty White (55)
54. Champagne Showers - LMFAO f/Natalia Kills (44)
55. Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall - Coldplay (43)
56. When We Stand Together - Nickelback (62)
57. Give Me Everything - Pitbull f/Ne-Yo, Afrojack, & Nayer (47)
58. Easy - Rascal Flatts f/Natasha Bedingfield (65)
59. Take A Back Seat - Rodney Atkins (39)
60. It Girl - Jason Derulo (84)
61. Paradise - Coldplay (93)
62. Heart Skips A Beat - Olly Murs f/Rizzle Kicks (63)
63. Tonight - Seether (67)
64. Tonite - Nicola Fasano f/Kat Deluna (66)
65. I Wanna Go - Britney Spears (61)
66. Keep Me In Mind - Zac Brown Band (98)
67. Jet Lag - Simple Plan f/Natasha Bedingfield (71)
68. Not Again - Staind (68)
69. Marry You - Bruno Mars (69)
70. I Won't Let You Go - James Morrison (74)
71. Floor On Fire - Taylor Dayne (DEBUT)
72. All About Tonight - Pixie Lott (76)
73. Mediate - INXS f/Tricky (77)
74. If It's Love - Kem f/Chrisette Michele (75)
75. New Age - Marlon Roudette (79)
76. Country Must Be Countrywide - Brantley Gilbert (81)
77. Tattoos On This Town - Jason Aldean (91)
78. Heaven - O.A.R. (78)
79. Love Slayer - Joe Jonas (DEBUT)
80. Kiss Me Slowly - Parachute (82)
81. Cost Of Livin' - Ronnie Dunn (86)
82. Pressure - Nadia Ali f/Starkillers & Alex Kenji (88)
83. Loud Music - Michelle Branch (59)
84. Cough Syrup - Young The Giant (94)
85. Made In America - Toby Keith (85)
86. All Your Life - The Band Perry (DEBUT)
87. What Makes You Beautiful - One Direction (87)
88. Drink In My Hand - Eric Church (96)
89. Rain Over Me - Pitbull f/Marc Anthony (89)
90. Helena Beat - Foster The People (DEBUT)
91. Skyscraper - Demi Lovato (95)
92. Fool For You - Cee-Lo Green f/Melanie Fiona or Philip Bailey (99)
93. Storm Warning - Hunter Hayes (DEBUT)
94. It Will Rain - Bruno Mars (DEBUT)
95. I Got Nothin' - Darius Rucker (RE-ENTRY)
96. Got 2 Luv U - Sean Paul f/Alexis Jordan (RE-ENTRY)
97. Stay - Tyrese (DEBUT)
98. Run For Your Life - Matt Cardle (DEBUT)
99. Lightning - The Wanted (DEBUT)
100. Give Yourself Up - Kathy Sledge f/Adam Barta (DEBUT)

There are ten new songs on this week's list (highlighted in yellow), and here they are, along with a little about the artists, with links to their previous hits in orange. And off we go...

The highest entry this week sees the return of a dance powerhouse of the 80's Taylor Dayne. Dayne's debut single "Tell It To My Heart" made the top-10, and she followed that with six more consecutive top-10 songs, including the US pop charttopper "Love Will Lead You Back". Although she hasn't returned to that level since, her core audience remains true, sending eleven more songs into the dance top-10, and the eleventh debuts here, which will be included in here upcoming greatest hits set. Here's "Floor On Fire"...

Middle-child Joe Jonas has so far scored two top-40 pop singles without his brothers, and both are due to his role in the tween movie Camp Rock - "Gotta Find You" and "This Is Me" with Demi Lovato (who is concurrently on my list with "Skyscraper"). He just released his solo CD, and the song being promoted in the clubs has become a top-10 dance hit, "Love Slayer"..

Family country trio the Band Perry place their fourth hit from their self-titled debut CD (which includes the #1 hit "If I Die Young" which is still hanging around my list) with "All Your Life"...

Another trio with a long-running hit, in this case alt-rock group Foster The People, follow up their "Pumped Up Kicks" with "Helena Beat". The video sure makes up for the lack of creepiness from their last...

Country newcomer Hunter Hayes does the rare feat of not only co-producing his major-label debut, but playing all the instruments on the album (incredible in a town where a few hired hands have a chokehold on production). All while being 20 (and being a dead ringer for Rascal Flatt's Gary LeVox's voice). Here's "Storm Warning"...

Bruno Mars moves on from his debut which scored two #1s with "Just The Way You Are" and "Grenade" to provide the first single from the upcoming Twilight - Breaking Dawn Part 1 soundtrack, "It Will Rain"...

Along with his acting stint in movie franchises like Transformers and Fast and Furious, male model Tyrese has released four albums, and had two big hits, the top-10 pop hit "How You Gonna Act Like That" in 2003 and "Sweet Lady" in 1999. He also guested on rapper Chingy's top-10 pop/#1 R&B hit "Pullin' Me Back" in 2006. He's back with a just-released fifth effort with new single "Stay"...

Simon Cowell's X Factor is in full-steam in the States, and so far no where near the ratings that American Idol was, and proper karma for giving Cheryl Cole the boot. Meanwhile, the winner of last year's British version, Matt Cardle, is back with the followup to his "winner's" single, "When We Collide". It's written by Take That's Gary Barlow, and it's "Run For Your Life"...

Also from the UK, boyband the Wanted have their fifth top-3 single out of six tries in their homeland, including the #1 hits "All Time Low" and "Glad You Came", both of which also crossed over to American dance clubs. Their new single is "Lightning"...

The final debut is by "Sister" Kathy Sledge, who along with her siblings and help from Nile Rodgers of Chic, had two of the best disco singles ever with "We Are Family" and "He's The Greatest Dancer", as well as one of my personal favorite songs of all time, "Thinking Of You". In 1992 as a solo act she had a #1 dance club play single with "Take Me Back To Love Again". This time she's back supported by singer Adam Barta and a promo clip chock-full of reality-stars with "Give Yourself Up". Witness the train wreck that includes Kim Granatell (Real Housewives NJ), Jack Mackenroth (Project Runway), Tony Albanese (Cake Boss), Robin Krassner (Millionaire Matchmaker), and Miguel Allure (Jerseylicious), along with sister Kristin. It's also filmed and the big club in Asbury Park, New Jersey, DJ Shep Pettibone's Paradise...

And off for Glee! Hope you all in America voted today!