Rock Sweep: October 20, 2012...

Hey folks, now that I have my rant out of my system (click here to check it out), it's time for part two of this week's "chart sweeps" of the latest songs to make the weekly music charts at Billboard magazine. This time out it's the latest rock songs on the radio.

This week marks Billboard's change to a composite airplay/sales/streaming tally to come up with the Rock Songs chart. I'll be using the airplay charts for at least the short run, but just to recap, "Some Nights" by fun takes over the top spot under the new system for its first week on top here. It previously peaked at #3.


On the Rock Airplay chart, which combines all the rock stations' monitored airplay together, "I Will Wait" stays on top for a second week (Billboard is using last week's "Rock Songs" list as the "previous week" position)...

Debuting at #46 is the Los Angeles alt-rock group Silversun Pickups, who had a top-5 Rock Songs hit in 2009 with "Panic Switch". They're back with the second single from their latest album Neck Of The Woods called "The Pit", and it's appropriately mumbly and drama-tinged, and it reminds me a little of a more acoustic-based Elastica...

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Kid Rock returns with the first track from his upcoming album Rebel Soul, and for someone who is proclaiming his support for the Romney campaign, I don't know what "rebel" he means besides the one implied. Considering Romney wanted his hometown to "go bankrupt", it's pretty odd, but I figure he's pretty much a low-information team-player for them. Whatevs  As for the music, it's an implicit motivating rocker for the soldiers in the Middle East, and in that effect, it works, with it's seemingly cribbed guitar hooks (especially the background guitar fuzz lifted from R.E.M.'s "Orange Crush"), and at least it doesn't stray beyond the soldier's perspective to the policy itself. Here's "Let's Ride" at #49....

At #50 is metalcore outfit All That Remains, a group from western Massachusetts that last year peaked at #25 on this list with "The Last Time". That's the same rank their latest, "Stand Up", is on mainstream radio. It's the first single from their upcoming album, A War You Cannot Win, and it's a move towards a more accessible sound, and it's almost Evanescence-ish in its approach on this song.

Over on the Modern Rock/Alternative chart, Mumford & Sons score their second #1 with the aforementioned "I Will Wait"...

There is only one new entry here this week, and it's the followup to the top-10 single by Cincinnati indie rockers Walk The Moon, "Anna Sun". The second single, "Tightrope", sports this homemade video that is apparently a hotel party I want to be invited to, and perfectly matches the spirit of the song.

On the Mainstream Rock radio sublist, Three Days Grace's "Chalk Outline" spends its fifth week at the top.

Kid Rock's aforementioned "Let's Ride" is the high debut here at #36. His biggest hit here so far was actually not one of his crossover hits; "So Hott" went to #2 for Bob Ritchie in 2007...

The other new track is by System of A Down lead singer Serj Tankian, who arrives at #40 with "Harakiri". His high point as a solo artist so far was his debut single, "Empty Walls", in 2007. But Serj's approach is 180 degrees from Kid Rock's with its anarchistic flag flying high, which images of environmental and political dangers amongst Serj's actual tender, more restrained delivery...

At the Triple-A (album adult alternative, or "Hipster rock") chart, Mumford & Sons reign supreme for a seventh week with "I Will Wait"...

The Lumineers follow up their chart topping hit on this format "Ho Hey" with "Stubborn Love", and the group that started out in Ramsey, New Jersey but now based in Denver expand on their indie-folk sound to compliment the likes of Mumford, and it comes in at #23...

The other entry is another followup to a #1 Triple-A hit; this time its Icelandic band Of Monsters And Men, who succeed their awesome mutliformat hit "Little Talks" with "Mountain Sound" at #25, and co-leads Raggi and Nanna interplay quite nicely in this more acoustically styled number..

Meanwhile, over on the Active Rock list, "Chalk Outline" makes four weeks at the top for Three Days Grace.

Also, the aforementioned Kid Rock has the high entry at #33 with "Let's Ride". "Born Free" made the top-20 here two years ago...

Baltimore rockers Charm City Devils slink in at #35 with "Unstoppable". Their version of "Man Of Constant Sorrow" made #22 here in the summer, and their new one is being used for a wrestling pay-per-view event, and as such they've drifted more to Nickelback territory (take that as you will)...

Oklahoma post-grunge band Hinder made the Active Rock top-10 last year with "All American Nightmare", and they preview their fourth album Welcome To The Freakshow with "Save Me" at #39, and they have hardened themselves up from their previous pop-friendly fare, with "James Bond-ish undertones" and a break cribbed from Faith No More (no?)...

Hard-rocking Vegas boys Adelitas Way follow up their second #1 hit on this format, "Criticize", with "Alive" a much more accessible and uplifting effort from the group, and I wouldn't be surprised if this crosses over to pop radio...

Finally, on the Heritage Rock list,  Three Days Grace take over the #1 spot for the first time with "Chalk Outline"...

The sole new entry on this format is the classic rock band Heart, with the title track from their latest album, "Fanatic", and this finds the women as feisty as ever. Think about it: Ann is 62. And this is clearly not meant to be a pop product. Kudos. It enters at #24...

Well that covers the rock side of the house....check back in an hour and a half and I'll bring you the latest on R&B. Rock on!