Dance Sweep: January 12, 2013...

It's time to wrap things up with today's fifth and final "chart sweep" of the latest songs to make the Billboard singles charts. This time out it's the newest dance songs in the clubs and on the radio.

On the DJ-polled Hot Dance Club Play chart, British newcomer Neon Hitch scores her second #1 club hit with "Gold" featuring rapper Tyga. She took "Fuck U Betta" to the top last year...

The top entry this week is by alt-rock goddess Tori Amos, whose underrated Gold Dust album didn't get the love it deserved, with orchestral reworks of her older songs maybe a little too close for all but her most ardent fans to appreciate. But "Flavor", from her Abnormally Attracted To Sin album is simply astonishing in this more emotional form, and the original video is quite beauitful.  It's now been remixed by the likes of Club 69's Peter Rauhofer to bring epic dancefloor goodness, and while his "Big Room Mix" comes complete with his signature tribal backrhythms, Peter's "Club Mix" is a little bit of a better listen to the non-dancing listener, straying the track into EDM territory. Amos has topped the dance chart twice, with "Professional Widow" in 1996 and "Jackie's Strength" two years later. Grade: B

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The other debut is another flashback from the 90s, this time its Trinidadian-born German singer Haddaway, who cocked a million heads with his worldwide hit "What Is Love" in 1993. He returns at #50 with "Up & Up" featuring ragga act Mad Stuntman, who also hit a huge club hit that same year appearing  on Reel 2 Reel's "I Like To Move It". Haddaway is waaaaaay Auto-tuned here, and it's got the "what if Pitbull made a record in the early 90s" vibe, but I always give props for veterans still doing their thing. Grade: C

Meanwhile, over on the radio-monitored Hot Dance Airplay chart, Calvin Harris claims the #1 spot with "Sweet Nothing" featuring Florence Welch. Last year the Scottish DJ/producer spent 25 weeks at #1 on this list with three different songs...

The single entry on the radio list this week is by North Carolina DJ/producer Porter Robinson, whose first big hit, "Language", comes on at #25, after making the top-10 on the British pop chart last year. It's simply incredible, and I hope it draws a bigger audience, with its enrapturing buildup to those delicate vocals that work off the industrial backdrop quite nicely. Grade: B+

Finally, over on the Global Dance Tracks list, The Swedish House Mafia rules for a fourteenth non-consecutive week with "Don't You Worry Child"...

Jumping in at #25 is Atlanta rapper Ludacris with "Rest Of My Life" featuring (or more like focusing on) Usher and David Guetta, since the two surely dominate this song, and not in a bad way. In fact, if you forget that this is supposed to be a Ludacris record, it's a quite good Guetta track feautring Usher with Luda on a cameo. Grade: B

Guetta shows up again at #29 as a "featured artist" on Rihanna's "Right Now". Out of the two, I prefer the Ludacris track, though this record has its charms with Rihanna's (sometimes processed) vocals pretty strong throughout. Grade: B-

Debuting at #31 is English rapper Sway with "Charge" featuring Mr. Hudson. He is coming off his first British top-10 pop hit with "Level Up", and this point into the electronic direction is welcome, and typifies the rapid-fire delivery that makes me a big fan of British rap (or "grime") music. Grade: B+

Swedish dance act Nause went to #1 in their home country with "Hungry Hearts", and now its on the global dance chart at #35. It's not as thrilling as I'd hoped, but rather typical ESL dance-pop disguised as EDM. Grade: C

The winner of this week's "best title" award goes to Australian DJ/producer Tommy Trash, with his record at #38, "Truffle Pig". Now this is more like it. Even as a mid-set crowdpleaser, it works. And as a mostly instrumental track, it's not boring. Grade: B

Coming in under the "pig" at #39 is the current US club chart-topper, Neon Hitch's "Gold" featuring rapper Tyga. Ass much as I loathed her turn on "Ass Back Home", this bouncing pop-dance hybrid makes up for it. Both the Disco Fries and the club-ready Ralphi Rosario mix are aces. Grade: B-

The final new song of the chart is by Russian girl-group Serebro who enter at #50 with "Gun".I realize I'm totally not the market for this record (or especially the video), but at least it's ten times the fun factor of the other records combined. Grade: C+

Well that wraps it up for today's sweeps. Thanks so much to coming, and I'll return tomorrow with another Song of the Day, Candletime, this week's "Album Sweep", and my British recap later on. Cheers!