twostepcub's music chart for May 25, 2012...

Hey folks, it's finally Friday, and time to list my top-100 tunes for the week. This week Jason Mraz spends a second week at the #1 spot, while Flo Rida and Sia (pictured above) move up in the top-10. It's a bloodbath this week, as former big hits by Madonna, Outasight, Blake Shelton, Pitbull, the Black Keys, Rihanna, and Selena Gomez drop out, while singles by Soundgarden, Alex Clare, and Linkin Park make the biggest moves (jumps of 10+ places highlighted in red). Link-O-Rama is still in effect, so you can click on any of the highlighted artists' names to go to their official website. Happy Towel Day, and Don't Panic!

This Week               Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses)
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1. I Won't Give Up - Jason Mraz (1)
2. Rumour Has It - Adele (2)
3. Somebody That I Used To Know - Gotye f/Kimbra (3)
4. We Are Young - fun. f/Jonelle Monae (4)
5. Feel So Close - Calvin Harris (6)
6. What Makes You Beautiful - One Direction (8)
7. Wild Ones - Flo Rida f/Sia (9)
8. Payphone - Maroon5 f/Wiz Khalifa (12)
9. Glad You Came - The Wanted (5)
10. Drive By - Train (10)
11. Part Of Me - Katy Perry (7)
12. Over You - Miranda Lambert (13)
13. Call Me Maybe - Carly Rae Jepsen (28)
14. Good Girl - Carrie Underwood (18)
15. Starships - Nicki Minaj (16)
16. Turn Me On - David Guetta f/Nicki Minaj (11)
17. Run - Matt Nathanson f/Sugarland (19)
18. Girl Gone Wild - Madonna (24)
19. Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) - Kelly Clarkson (15)
20. Titanium - David Guetta f/Sia (22)
21. Gold On The Ceiling - Black Keys (27)
22. Eyes Open - Taylor Swift (32)
23. Set Fire To The Rain - Adele (17)
24. Bully - Shinedown (14)
25. Fine By Me - Andy Grammer (29)
26. Brokenhearted - Karmin (38)
27. No Hurry - Zac Brown Band (37)
28. Wild One Two - Jack Back f/David Guetta, Nicky Romero & Sia (36)
29. Domino - Jessie J (21)
30. Burn It Down - Linkin Park (46)
31. Tongue Tied - Grouplove (41)
32. Midnight City - M83 (44)
33. Levels - Avicii (33)
34. Everybody Talks - Neon Trees (49)
35. Next To Me - Emeli Sande (35)
36. Banjo - Rascal Flatts (30)
37. Dancing Away With My Heart - Lady Antebellum (23)
38. Better Than I Used To Be - Tim McGraw (42)
39. A Woman Like You - Lee Brice (26)
40. Thank You - Estelle (40)
41. Little Talks - Of Monsters And Men (53)
42. Naked - Dev & Enrique Iglesias (34)
43. Shadow Days - John Mayer (47)
44. Never Forget - Dave Aude f/Lena Katina (45)
45. Fly Over States - Jason Aldean (50)
46. If You Ever Come Back - The Script (54)
47. Even If It Breaks Your Heart - Eli Young Band (51)
48. Drunk On You - Luke Bryan (56)
49. Greyhound - Swedish House Mafia (63)
50. Live To Rise - Soundgarden (74)
51. Love On Top - Beyonce (39)
52. Lullaby - Nickelback (52)
53. Beers Ago - Toby Keith (69)
54. Springsteen - Eric Church (58)
55. Simple Song - The Shins (55)
56. Time Is Love - Josh Turner (66)
57. These Days - Foo Fighters (57)
58. You Don't Know Her Like I Do - Brantley Gilbert (62)
59. Never Give Up - Phil B f/Debby Holiday (59)
60. Watching You Watch Him - Eric Hutchinson (64)
61. Too Close - Alex Clare (83)
62. Favorite Song - Colbie Caillat f/Common (71)
63. Got My Country On - Chris Cagle (68)
64. Famous - Audio Playground (65)
65. Ai Se Eu Te Pego - Michel Telo (61)
66. Sweeter - Gavin DeGraw (72)
67. Boyfriend - Justin Bieber (67)
68. Rock The Boat - Bob Sinclar f/Pitbull (70)
69. Ships In The Night - Mat Kearney (73)
70. Climax - Usher (75)
71. Dance Again - Jennifer Lopez f/Pitbull (81)
72. Share My Love - R. Kelly (76)
73. Feel Like A Rock Star - Kenny Chesney & Tim McGraw (79)
74. Let's Go - Calvin Harris f/Ne-Yo (88)
75. Boom Boom - Rye Rye (82)
76. Somethin' 'Bout A Truck - Kip Moore (80)
77. This Ole Boy - Craig Morgan (77)
78. Trust Me - Matt Zarley (DEBUT)
79. Kiss Me - Noelia f/Baby Boy (DEBUT)
80. A Thousand Years - Christina Perri (60)
81. Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings) - Silversun Pickups (DEBUT)
82. Give Your Heart A Break - Demi Lovato (86)
83. You're On My Mind - Kem (87)
84. (Kissed You) Good Night - Gloriana (84)
85. Can't Stop Me - Afrojack f/Shermanology (RE-ENTRY)
86. Free - Graffiti6 (92)
87. Heat Of The Night - Paulina Rubio (DEBUT)
88. Postcard From Paris - The Band Perry (DEBUT)
89. Hold On - Alabama Shakes (94)
90. Respect - Melanie Amaro (48)
91. Where Have You Been - Rihanna (DEBUT)
92. It's Time - Imagine Dragons (DEBUT)
93. Blessed - Jill Scott (DEBUT)
94. Tage Wie Diese - Die Toten Hosen (98)
95. Can't Say No - Conor Maynard (95)
96. Beekeeper's Daughter - All-American Rejects (100)
97. Avant Qu'elle Parte - Sexion D'Assaut (RE-ENTRY)
98. Home Sweet Home - The FARM (DEBUT)
99. Young - Tulisa (DEBUT)
100. Sparks - Cover Drive (DEBUT)

 There are eleven new songs (highlighted in green) and two re-entries on this week's list, and here they are, along with a little about the artists, with links to their earlier hits on video in orange.

The highest entry this week comes from singer Matt Zarley, who went from starring on Broadway in Joseph & The Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat and Tommy to singing backup to superstars like Reba McEntire and Gladys Knight. In the past few years Matt's had success as a solo artist on the US club charts, first with an excellent cover of Steve Winwood's "While You See A Chance", and most recently a year ago with the heartbreak anthem "WTF". His latest dance hit has a high-concept politically relevant video clip to go with it that pushes all the right buttons. And #1) Matt's a positive force in the LGBT community (he's doing a fundraiser at Fire Island this weekend, and started a video contest for his next clip "Change Begins With Me"), and #2) he's a damn fine singer, shuffle your butt over to ITunes, Amazonmp3, or his website and give him a little support and treat yourself to some good music. Here's "Trust Me", and if this isn't a good ad then I don't know...

Right under Zarley is Puerto Rican singer Noelia, whose can boast 2 top-5 Latin Tracks songs to her name ("Tu" and "Clavame Tu Amor"). This year she is putting out her first English-language record, with production work by Timbaland, and the first single previewing it has become a top-20 club hit. Here's "Kiss Me" with Baby Boy...

I give LA rock band Silversun Pickups props for staying with their independent label, Dangerbird Records, after having two top-5 rock hits on their last full-length CD, including the #1 "Panic Switch". Their loyalty paid off, with their highest-charting album yet, and their latest top-10 rock hit "Bloody Mary (Nerve Endings)"...

Paulina Rubio is another bilingual success like Noelia, but this time it's Mexico Rubio calls home. She has had five #1s on Billboard's Latin Songs chart, the latest of which, "Me Gustas Tanto", comes from her tenth studio album and second bilingual one, Brava, that also contains her new song that's climbing the top-20 of the US dance chart, "Heat Of The Night"...

Sibling trio The Band Perry now have the fifth top-20 country hit from their self-titled debut CD (including the #1 crossover hit "If I Die Young") with the cosmopolitan sweetness of "Postcards From Paris"....

Singer and crotch-fanner Rihanna may have dropped off my list this week with her megasmash collab with Calvin Harris, "We Found Love", but she quickly replaces it with her latest, another club-styled hit called "Where Have You Been"...

Las Vegas-based rock outfit Imagine Dragons come onto my list with a song that's their first rock hit, "It's Time"...

Grammy-winning neo-soul singer Jill Scott's latest CD, The Light Of The Sun, produced her latest of two R&B top-ten singles, "So In Love".  The second followup to that track is already a top-5 hit on the Adult R&B list, "Blessed"...

Not to be confused with the British group from the 90s, the FARM is an American country trio made up of various studio and tour musicians from around Nashville, and their first radio hit is "Home Sweet Home"...

London-born Tulisa was one-third of recording trio N-Dubz and currently a judge on the British version of the X Factor (her mentored act, Little Mix, was the first group to win the show). Her cousin and former bandmate Dappy has already had a couple of #1 solo hits, and now she can boast one of her own with "Young"...

The final new entry is by Barbadian foursome Cover Drive, who have their third consecutive British top-ten hit with the followup to their #1 "Twilight", and it's called "Sparks"...

Two songs come back onto my list this week..the first is the top-10 global dance hit by Dutchmen Afrojack and Shermanology, "Can't Stop Me"..

The other is by Parisian rap act Sexion D'Assaut, who have their biggest hit in their homeland with the French top-3 single "Avant Qu'elle Parte" ("Before She Leaves")...

That's it...Have a great weekend, everyone, in America, have a safe and hearty Memorial Day.