Twostepcublog

Hey gang, it's the close of the weekend, so it's time to run through the new songs making their way onto the British sales chart, from their official chart . The top-selling song this week in the UK is by Korean phenomenon PSY, with " Gangnam Style " for the first time. The top debut this week is by drum and bass producer DJ Fresh, who had two consecutive #1 hits with " Louder " and " Hot Right Now ". He's back at #13 with the fourth single from his latest album Nextlevelism , which also contains those two #1 hits, "The Feeling", featuring rapper RaVaughn... (Click below to read the rest of the post)

Hey gang, it's time for the first half of this weeks "album sweep", where I sample the records making their debut on this week's Top 200 Albums chart in Billboard magazine. This week is chock full of new music, as 38 new albums entered the big list, and I've included links to buy anything on Amazonmp3 if you see anything you like (just doin' it for the love)... The top-selling album in the US this week is the first #1 album by singer Pink, who sells over 280,000 copies of her set The Truth About Love (the third highest tally this year for a new album). Her last album, Funhouse , started out at #2, so it was only a matter of time, and so far she's got two hits from the CD, the top-5 "Blow Me (One Last Kiss)" and "Try".. (Click below to read the rest of the post)

Today, September 30th, marks amazing vocalist Johnny Mathis' 77th birthday... (Click below to read the rest of the post)

The Little River Band - " The Other Guy " from the album Greatest Hits (1982) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #11 (three weeks) Weeks in the top-40: 13 Today's Song of the Day is by the Australian rock group Little River Band , with the first single released after ditching lead singer Glenn Shorrock for John Farnham. The LRB was formed in the mid-70s from members of other Aussie bands, and their first single, " Curiosity Killed The Cat ", made the top-20 Down Under, while another cut from their debut, the epic " It's A Long Way There ", scored them a top-40 hit in America. In another couple of years, they managed to top the Australian chart and make the US top-20 with " Help Is On The Way ". They finally got their huge American top-10 hit the next year with " Reminiscing ", their biggest to date. By 1982, the band had released their sixth studio album, Time Exposure , which scored them three top-20 hits, including lead...

Hey guys, thanks for hanging in there with my delayed schedule, and I'm closing this night's "chart sweeps" of the Billboard charts with the latest dance hits on the radio and in the clubs. On the DJ-polled Hot Dance Club Play chart, swag-pop duo Karmin snag their second #1 hit with " Hello "... The top new song this week is by R&B/pop singer/songwriter Ne-Yo, with his latest, "Let Me Love You (Until You Learn To Love Yourself)" at #33. He's topped the club chart twice before, with " Closer " in 2008 and " Beautiful Monster " in 2010, and since 1) he's due for his 2-year pattern and 2) this song has the positive anthemic quality that the dancefloor needs right now, it's looking good for him to make it a hat trick... (Click below to read the rest of the post)

I'm back with part four of this week's "chart sweeps" of the new songs on this week's music charts on Billboard magazine. This time out it's the latest on country radio. On the Hot Country Songs chart , Jason Aldean jumps into the #1 spot with " Take A Little Ride ". The big debut this week is by Brad Paisley, who leaps onto the chart at #25 with "Southern Comfort Zone". He's racked up an impressive 18 number one songs from 1999's " He Didn't Have To Be " to last year's " Remind Me ". Besides it's relatively progressive slant for a popular country hit, this is by far Paisley's most rock and least "pure country" single to date... (Click below to read the rest of the post)

Hey guys, I'm back with part three of today's "chart sweeps" of the latest songs to make the weekly music charts at Billboard magazine. This time we check out the latest jams on R&B radio. On the main R&B/HipHop chart , Latin soul singer Miguel racks up a third week at #1 with " Adorn ". The top debut this week is by Philly rapper Meek Mill, who is at #72 with "Young And Gettin' It", from his upcoming full-length debut Dreams & Nightmares . His track " Amen " recently made it to #5 on this chart. It features Kirko Bangz, who was also at #5 this year with " Drank In My Cup ". This track is nothin' new in the brag/swagger track, except for the AutoTune on 11... (Click below to read the rest of the post)

Hey folks, I'm finally back from my vacation jaunt, so thanks for coming back, it's time for part two of this today's "chart sweeps" of the latest songs making their way on to the week's music charts in Billboard magazine. This time out it's the newest on rock radio. On the Rock Songs chart , the Lumineers spend a second week at #1 with the Bing-ad hit " Ho Hey "... The big debut on the Rock Songs list is by Green Day, who apparently took the title of their newest single to heart at the iHeartRadio shindig in Las Vegas, resulting in Billie Joe Armstrong going to rehab. They've scored two #1s since this composite charts has been around in 2009, " Know Your Enemy " and their recent " Oh Love ". "Let Yourself Go" debuts at #36, and it's from their CD that just came out last Tuesday, Uno! , and it's a welcome return to their more punk roots. It's also the top debut on the Alternative/Modern R...

Hey gang, it's time for the first part of today's five-part "chart sweeps" of the new songs making their way on to the weekly music charts in Billboard magazine. This time out it's the latest on the pop side of the house. On the big chart, the Hot 100 , Maroon 5 stay on top for a second week with " One More Night ". The big debut this week is by singer and The Voice coach Christina Aguilera, who's riding on the success of her #1 hit from last year with Maroon 5, " Moves Like Jagger ". "Your Body" comes in at #34, and while the original version is a disjointed hot mess, the remix cleans things up a bit into a campy club jam...  while here is the official video... (Click below to read the rest of the post)

Today, September 29th, marks the 77th birthday of Rock & Roll legend Jerry Lee Lewis... (Click below to read the rest of the post)

Patti Austin w/James Ingram - " Baby Come To Me " from the album Every Home Should Have One (1981) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1 (two weeks) Weeks in the top-40: 18 Today's Song of the Day is by jazz-soul singer Patti Austin and go-to session vocalist James Ingram . Austin, a native New Yorker from Harlem, got her start back in the 60s, and had her first minor R&B hit " The Family Tree " in 1969, though her first full-length album wouldn't come until 1976. In 1981, she guested on godfather Quincy Jones' The Dude album, and had a top-20 R&B hit with " Razzmatazz ". That same year, her album Every Home Should Have One was released on Quincy's record label, Qwest. The first single from the set, " Do You Love Me? " and " The Genie ", became a double-sided #1 hit on the Billboard Dance Club Play chart. The followup single, " Every Home Should Have One ", was Patti's first pop Hot 100 chart h...

Hey gang, it's time for my top-100 tunes for the week. This week fun stays at #1 for a third week, while folk-indies the Lumineers (pictured above) climb up the top-10. A former big hit by the Black Keys drops out, while songs by Karmin, Anita Baker, and Andy Grammer make the biggest jumps (moves of 10+ places highlighted in red ). Happy Birthday, Mike! This Week              Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Some Nights - fun (1) 2. She's So Mean - Matchbox Twenty (3) 3. Oh Love - Green Day (5) 4. Everybody Talks - Neon Talks (2) 5. Too Close - Alex Clare (6) 6. Lights - Ellie Goulding (4) 7. Blow Me (One Last Kiss) - Pink (7) 8. Ho Hey - The Lumineers (10) 9. 50 Ways To Say Goodbye - Train (12) 10. Wide Awake - Katy Perry (8) 11. We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together - Taylor Swift (21) 12. Pontoo...

Today, September 28th, marks R&B legend Ben E. King's 74th birthday... (click below to read the rest of the post)

Phil Collins - " You Can't Hurry Love " from the album Hello, I Must Be Going! (1982) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #10 (three weeks) Weeks in the top-40: 16 Today's Song of the Day is a classic Motown jam redone by prog-rock drummer/singer from Genesis Phil Collins . "You Can't Hurry Love" was the 7th #1 hit for the Supremes, from their first #1 album Supremes A Go-Go , the first be an all-female group to do so. Phil Collins released his first solo album apart from Genesis in 1981, and the personal and emotional tone of Face Value was a needed outlet for Collins stemming from his divorce from his first wife, and two songs from the set, " In The Air Tonight " and " I Missed Again ", made the top-20 on the American pop chart. For his second album, Hello, I Must Be Going! , Collins still had more bad feelings to mine about that failed relationship, and the album was even better than the first; in fact, it's one of my t...

Hey folks, it's time for another trip in the wayback machine to the land of the Brady Bunch and bell bottoms. This time out it's seven nuggets from 1979, the year the compact disc was demonstrated for the first time. M - " Pop Muzik " from the album New York-London-Paris-Munich (1979) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1 One of the glorious one-hit wonders that ever was - no one it gets revived every ten years or so. There is absolutely nothing missing from this pop confection. (Click below to read the rest of the post)

Today, September 27th, marks the 65th birthday of Marvin Lee Aday, aka Meat Loaf... (click below to read the rest of the post)

Billy Squier - " Everybody Wants You " from the album Emotions In Motion (1982) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #32 (three weeks) Weeks in the top-40: 6 Today's Song of the Day is by Boston-area rocker Billy Squier , who was the first big male rock star of the early 80s. His first album, Don't Say No , was released in 1981, and it produced four rock hits including the top-20 pop single " The Stroke ". He was a constant presence on both rock radio and MTV at the time, and in 1982 his sophomore record, Emotions In Motion was released. The first single, the title track , was a middle-charting rock hit, but it was the irresistible hook of the second, "Everybody Wants You", written by Billy and produced by him and Reinhold Mack (who helmed hits for Queen and ELO) that really scored for Squier... The single spent six weeks on top of the rock radio chart, and his album jumped into the top-5. (Click below to read the rest of the post)

Hey gang, it's time for this week's trip down under to see what new songs are selling over in Australia according to their official music chart . This week Guy Sebastian and Lupe Fiasco cling to #1 for a sixth week with " Battle Scars ". This week's big debut is by American singer/songwriter Pink, who has been to #1 six times in this country, from 2000 with " Most Girls " to this year's " Blow Me (One Last Kiss) ". The followup to the latter song, "Try" comes in all the way up at #8 this week... (click below to read the rest of the post)

Hey gang, time for this week's wayback machine to trip us back to the 60's, and this time out it's a half-dozen nuggets from 1969, the year the Beatles gave their last public performance. Included are links to buy the songs on Amazon. Tommy James & The Shondells - " Crystal Blue Persuasion " from the album Crimson & Clover (1968) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #2 One of the loveliest examples of psychedelic rock, either about acid or the Book of Revelations, depending on who you ask. (Click below to read the rest of the post)

Today, September 26th, marks Roxy Music's Bryan Ferry's 67th birthday... (Click below to read the rest of the post)

Moving Pictures - "What About Me" from the album Days Of Innocence (1982) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #29 (two weeks) Weeks in the top-40: 13 Today's Song of the Day is one of my favorite songs of the 80's, and definitely my favorite "two-time" hit. Moving Pictures were a band from Sydney, Australia, that broke through in American slowly but surely with a song written by guitarist Gerry Frost along with Frances Swan that got inspiration from Frost working with autistic children and a memory of an ignored boy, and was produced by Charles Fisher, who would go on to produce Savage Garden. It was an epic yet personal song that climbed rung by rung up the top-40, spending a dozen weeks to get to #29... "What About Me" was huge in their native country, spending six weeks at #1, as well as spending half a year (26 weeks) on the American pop chart. And that's just the first time. In 1989, two years after the band had already split, and the...

Good afternoon, gang, it's time to take a look at the new songs debuting over in Germany, according to their official charts. This week Israeli singer Asaf Avidan & The Mojos hang on for a sixth week at #1 with " One Day/Reckoning Song ". Well, this week the highest debuts in France and Germany are the same, as DJ/producer David Guetta with Akon and Ne-Yo jump in all the way at #9 with "Play Hard". Guetta and Akon previous went to #1 in Germany with " Sexy Bitch " in 2009. The new song samples the 1999 hit "Better Off Alone" by Alice Deejay... (Click below to read the rest of the post)

Bonjour, gang, it's time for a sample of the new songs selling in France last week, according to their official music chart . This week Carly Rae Jepsen defies odds and spends an eleventh week at #1 with " Call Me Maybe ". The highest debut this week at #32 is by French DJ/producer David Guetta, with the thirteenth song from either version of his Nothing But The Beat (original and 2.0 version) album. It features singers Akon and Ne-Yo, and it samples the 90's Alice Deejay dance hit "Better Off Alone"... (Click below to read the rest of the post)

Today, September 25th, marks the 44th birthday of the freshest of the princes, Will Smith.. (Click below to read the rest of the post)

John Cougar (Mellencamp) - " Hand To Hold On To " from the album American Fool (1982) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #19 (two weeks) Weeks in the top-40: 11 Today's Song of the Day is by Indiana native son John Cougar (Mellencamp), with the third single from his breakthrough album, American Fool . The first, " Hurts So Good ", peaked at #2 and stayed in the top-10 on the pop chart for four months (16 weeks), longer than any other single that year, while the followup, " Jack and Diane ", went to #1 for four weeks (his sole chart-topping hit). The third single, "Hand To Hold On To", was written by Mellencamp and produced by him and Don Gehman, who had previous worked with Loggins and Messina and Crosby, Stills, & Nash. It would be the last single under the "John Cougar" name alone... The single made the pop top-20 (his fourth so far to do so), and it was a minor hit in England and Australia. ..and yes, I thought he...

Chilliwack - " Whatcha Gonna Do? " from the album Opus X (1982) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #41 (three weeks) This week's "robbed hit" is by the Canadian rock band Chilliwack , who evolved from the psychedelic rock act the Collectors at the start of the 1970's. With guitarist Bill Henderson taking over lead vocalist duties, they've been consistent hitmakers in their home country since then. Their first top-10 single there, " Lonesome Mary ", became their first minor hit in the US in 1973. But it took until 1981, when their ultra-catchy pop single " My Girl (Gone, Gone, Gone) " made the top-40 on both the American pop and rock charts as well as going to #1 in Canada. The followup single, " I Believe ", also made the US top 40. The band released their next album, Opus X , the next year, and the first single, "Whatcha Gonna Do (When I'm Gone)" had the same pop harmony goodness as their last album, and was...

Hey gang, it's time for the second half of this week's "album sweep", sampling the latest records making the Billboard Top 200 Albums chart . You can check out part one by clicking here , and like before I've included links to buy anything you see on Amazon.mp3. Debuting at #60 is R&B group Mint Condition, who had a top-10 pop hit in 1992 with " Breaking My Heart (Pretty Brown Eyes) ", but whose two highest-ranked album was their last one in 2001, 7 . Their new set Music @ The Speed Of Life includes the new single "Believe In Us" which is in the top-20 of the adult R&B radio chart... (click below to read the rest of the post)

Today, September 24th, marks the 88th birthday of Broadway singer/actress and Alice Kramden from The Honeymooners Sheila MacRae... (click below to read the rest of the post)

Men At Work - " Down Under " from the album Business As Usual (1982) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1 (four weeks) Weeks in the top-40: 19 Today's Song of the Day is the Australian rock group Men At Work 's ode to their homeland, "Down Under". The band's debut single, " Who Can It Be Now ", became their first #1 hit back in the fall of 1982, and their followup proved to be even bigger. Written by singer Colin Hay and guitarist Peter Strykert, the sly local inferences ( chunder means "puke"), and the first and only positive reference to vegemite, which I've tried and tasted quite faithfully like seaweed stuck to your sandal for a week, defined the band as much as it celebrated its country... "Down Under" topped the American pop and rock charts in 1983, as well as made the top-20 on the adult-contemporary (soft-rock) radio chart. It also charted as a double A-side 12" single on the dance chart and peaked at ...

Good evening, gang, it's time to wrap the weekend up with the latest music selling in the UK, according to their official singles chart . This week the Script with will.i.am hang on to the #1 spot for a second week with " Hall Of Fame "... This week's highest debut is by singer/rapper/songwriter Example, who arrives at #2 with "Say Nothing". Born Eliot Gleave, he topped the British chart twice in a row last year, with " Changed The Way You Kiss Me " and " Stay Awake ". The new song, his third to peak (so far) at #2, is from his upcoming album The Evolution Of Man , due in November... (Click below to read the rest of the post)

Hey gang, thanks for coming by, it's Sunday, so time for the first half of this week's "album sweep" where I sample the different records selling in the US and making their way onto the Billboard Top 200 album chart . I've included links to buy any of the albums on MP3 on Amazon. The biggest-selling album in America last week is the new set by the Dave Matthews Band, who have topped the chart with their last six albums. The latest, Away From The World , features the top-5 triple-A hit "Mercy"... (Click below to read the rest of the post)

Today, September 23rd, marks Bruce Springsteen's 63rd birthday. My favorite Boss tracks... 1) Thunder Road 2) Badlands 3) Tenth Avenue Freeze-Out 4) Downbound Train 5) Glory Days 6) Jungleland 7) Brilliant Disguise 8) Human Touch 9) Born To Run 10) Tunnel Of Love (Click below to read the rest of the post)

Jeffrey Osborne - "On The Wings Of Love" from the album Jeffrey Osborne (1982) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #29 (three weeks) Weeks in the top-40: 7 Today's Song of the Day is by R&B singer Jeffrey Osborne. After leaving L.T.D. at the beginning of the 80's, Osborne's first foray into a solo career, " I Really Don't Need No Light ", scored him a top-40 pop hit.  That song fit into his wheelhouse of smooth funk, but his followup, "On The Wings Of Love", proved he can handle an epic pop ballad with the scope of his female competition. The wedding song staple was written by Osborne with tunesmith Peter Schless, and produced by jazz/soul fave George Duke. "On The Wings Of Love" did better than his first single on the pop chart, making the top-30, though it just made #13 on the R&B chart. It was his first solo adult-contemporary (soft-rock) hit, going to #7, as well as his first hit in Britain, peaking at #11. It also ...

Hey gang, thanks for dropping in, it's time to close this five-part "chart sweeps" of the latest singles making the Billboard charts this week. This time out it's the latest jams in the dance clubs and on the radio around the world. On the DJ-polled Hot Dance Club Play chart, Florence + The Machine's " Spectrum (Say My Name) " takes over the top spot. The big debut this week belongs to the late Michael Jackson, whose Bad album just got the re-release treatment for its 25th anniversary, and the title track gets remixed by Dutch DJ Afrojack with a rap cameo by Pitbull (see, you can't escape him in death , either). Jackson last topped the dance chart in 2011 with " Hollywood Tonight "... (Click below to read the rest of the post)

Welcome back, it's time now for the fourth installment of today's five-part "chart sweeps" of the new music making its way onto the weekly singles charts at Billboard magazine. This time out it's the latest at country radio. On the Country Songs chart, Hunter Hayes gets his first #1 hit with " Wanted "... The top debut is by Kenny Chesney, who just spent 2 weeks at #1 with " Come Over ". He's back at #32 with "El Cerrito Place"... (Click below to check out the rest of the post)

Part three of this week's "chart sweeps" of the newest songs making their way onto the weekly music charts at Billboard magazine gets to the soul of the charts, with the latest on R&B radio. On the R&B/HipHop radio-monitored list, Miguel's " Adorn " spends a second week at #1. The top debut is by Houston-based rapper Slim Thug, who's biggest credit so far was a featured part on Beyonce's #3 R&B hit " Check On It " in 2005. That same year he also had a top-40 R&B hit as a lead with " I Ain't Heard Of That ". He's back with the top new song at #74 with "Summertime", sharing credit with another Houston-area rapper, Z-Ro, whose top hit so far is the #62 " Top Notch " from 2008... (Click below to read the rest of the post)

It's time now for part two of this week's "chart sweeps", where I bring you the newest songs making their way on to the weekly music charts at Billboard magazine. This time out it's the latest on rock radio... On the congregate Rock Songs chart, the Lumineers take over the #1 spot for the first time with " Ho Hey ". The top debut is by alt-rock god Jack White, who has had quite a career, with stints in the White Stripes, the Raconteurs, and the Dead Weather. He gets his third single from his debut solo set Blunderbuss in at #42, "Freedom At 21". It incorporates a frenetic backbeat that's probably inspired from dubstep, and it's cool and modern enough to possibly surpass the success of his first solo hit, " Love Interruption "... (Click below to read the rest of the post)