Pop Sweep: January 19, 2013...

Hey gang, it's time to kick off today's "chart sweeps" of the latest music to make the singles charts in Billboard magazine, and this time I'm starting with the newest on the pop side of things....

On the big chart, Billboard's Hot 100, Bruno Mars hangs on to #1 for a fifth week with "Locked Out Of Heaven"...

The top debut this week is Rihanna's third single from her Unapologetic album, "Pour It Up", at #90. It's a unimpressive "stripper track" that doesn't really make sense. Is this some lesbian fantasy she's shucking, or just an interpretation of the "Bandz A Make Her Dance" track this is based on? Either way, pretty much low-par. Grade: D

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Country hunk Lee Brice also charts the third single from his current album as the sentimental "I Drive Your Truck" enters at #91. The first two, "A Woman Like You" and "Hard To Love", both made the top-40 here last here, and this tale of a guy mourning his loved one (be it mother, lover, wife, whatever) has the good chance to do the same. As skeptical as I usually am about these type of songs, Lee, a successful songwriter for others as well as himself, does a good job of stirring emotion without being too sappy. Grade: B

The third track from the top-10 soundtrack to the glee cub comedy movie Pitch Perfect arrives at #93 under the act The Barden Bellas, The Treblemakers, and the BU Harmonics. "The Riff Off" mashes up a cappella renditions of 80's classics "Mickey", "Like A Virgin", and "Hit Me With Your Best Shot" with sexy songs by Rihanna, Salt N Pepa, Boyz II Men, Foreigner, and Blackstreet. Fun, not essential, but definitely more entertaining than anything Glee has had recently in their karoake-fest. Grade: C+ (the clip removes the dialogue so just wait a little)..

 
Another movie track from the just-announced Best Picture nominee Les Miserables comes in at #97. "On My Own", by newcomer Samantha Banks (who is really not that new, since she's been doing the song on stage for a bit), owns the song, and in my opinion is the absolute highlight of the musical numbers in the film, even eclipsing Anne Hathaway's "I Dreamed A Dream". She brings a realness to this epic tale of the ultimate "friend-zoning" ever that couldn't be captured in a stage production. Grade: A

The final debut could have very well made it into a modern update of Les Miz. New York alt-rockers fun get their third Hot 100 hit as "Carry On" chimes in at #100. The driving anthem to perserverance is laced with a touch of reality (and a dash of profanity). Grade: A-

Over on the Mainstream Pop radio format chart, "Locked Up In Heaven" locks up a fourth week on top.

The single debut is by Christian pop singer Britt Nicole, with her first pop hit "Gold" at #40. She has topped the Christian pop singles list three times prior, the last with "All This Time" from the same album as this, the title track. It's an extra-happy self-motivation piece, with a sparkly videos that apparently transports bullied kids to a magical land. With a possibly-GLBT young (the dancer) in the mix. So there's that. I wouldn't mind my niece watching or listening to this. Grade: B-

Meanwhile, on the Adult-Top 40 radio format list, The Lumineers light up a third week at #1 with "Ho Hey".

The top debut at #38 is the aforementioned "Carry On" by fun...

The other entry at #39 is the new single from one-man act Owl City, who follows up his top-10 collaboration with Carly Rae Jepsen, "Good Time", with "Shooting Star". This is really really close to Britt Nicole's record in intent, but substitute Disney-pop production with bubbly synth runs and Adam Young's helium-esque vocals that actually break out into a roar (for him, at least) on the chorus. Grade: C

Finally, over on the Adult Contemporary (soft-rock, or "easy") format, Gotye's "Somebody That I Used To Know" reigns for an 18th week, now making it tied for the sixth longest stay at #1.

The return from holiday programming here is in full swing, as the four debuts are all big mainstream pop hits, first with Pink's "Try" jumping in at #22. Grade: B+

...as the #1 hit in the land, Bruno Mars' "Locked Out Of Heaven", finally makes the chart here at #24...Grade: A-

The Lumineers' cross-genre folk smash "Ho Hey" is in at #26...Grade: A

...and finally the Icelandic rock of Of Monsters And Men's "Little Talks" arrives at #30...

That wraps it up for the first part on this musical trip, I'll return in 90 minutes with the latest on rock radio. Thanks for dropping by!