Pop Sweep: February 16, 2013...

Hey gang, it's a stormin' outside, so time to roll out the first of today's five-part "chart sweeps" sampling the newest songs making their way on to the weekly music charts in Billboard magazine. I'll start on the "pop side" of things...

On the big chart, the Billboard Hot 100, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis with Wanz cash in a third week at #1 with "Thrift Shop"..

The top debut this week is one of the three new songs on the #1 album in the US, Justin Bieber's Believe Acoustic, "Nothing Like Us" at #59. And while the song is pretty in its own right, his (and his ridiculous mother's) constant whining about how he wasn't nominated for a Grammy this year puts a bad taste in my mouth (and it ain't that). I'll say that this delicate and simple song is the highlight of the album, so there's that, but when your public life robs the meaning of a sincere emotion, you've got a problem. Grade: C

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Swedish electronica duo Icona Pop score their first hit single at #69 with "I Love It" featuring Charli XCX. The record is already a hit around the world (it's top-3 in Germany now), and getting exposure here from its inclusion on the HBO hit show Girls. They are giving me an "updated and crass Bananarama" vibe. Grade: B

To show for far Glee's musical fortunes have fallen, the cast finally get their third song from the fourth season on to the Hot 100 as Jacob Artist's take on Ne-Yo's "Let Me Love You (Until You Learn To Love Yourself)" comes in at #91. All three have entered and peaks in the bottom 10 of the list. Last season the Glee cast got their first three hits from the first episode. I guess when you cast cookie-cutter Tiger Beat material and steal other people's arrangements (like possibly, this), karma's got a way of shutting that thing down. Grade: C+

As Seattle alt-hip-hop kings Macklemore & Ryan Lewis stay on top, they also bring two more songs to the Hot 100 this week. First, their song "Can't Hold Us", featuring Ray Dalton, which was originally released in 2011, arrives at #97. Grade: A-

Justin Bieber's acoustic version of his recent top-10 single "As Long As You Love Me" enters at #98. Since it's an alternate version of the song, I think it's pretty cheesy that the magazine's staff lets this chart separately, since the melody is the same and there are no guest artists on it. Must have been doing someone a favor. And as opposed to the other song, the lyrics on this sound ridiculous attempted seriously.  Grade: D

The second track to debut this week from Macklemore & Ryan Lewis' excellent The Heist album is their marriage-equality ally missive, "Same Love" at #99. Featuring singer Mary Lambert, this song is current the top-selling single in Australia, and its signal of a shift in hip-hop's attitudes to GLBT issues is very heartwarming, and this song is by pick of the week. And you know what, I've watched this video almost a hundred times and I still tear up on how perfect it is. And while many in the GLBT community still fawn over the "diva of the moment" or the "freak of the weak", I wish they would understand how much of a risk a hip-hop act took to release something like this, even in these times.  Grade: A+

The last song to come on to the Hot 100 is the third song from Rihanna's Unapologetic album to make the chart. "Loveeeeee Song", at #100, features rapper Future autotuning his way to a duet with RiRi, with results a slight better than the flaccid "Pour It Up" which enters the top-40 this week. Grade: C (NSFW)

Meanwhile, over on the Mainstream Pop Radio chart, Taylor Swift sticks around at #1 for a third week with "I Knew You Were Trouble".

Up first on the pop list at #30 is the latest from One Direction, the Brit boy band that is here with "Kiss You". This bubbly almost self-mocking number is a highlight from their Take Me Home album. Grade: B

The other debut on this list at #34 is a different Rihanna track, this time the ballad "Stay", which is huge right now in Great Britain, where it is in the top-5 on both the sales and airplay charts. The sparsely produced song is the best of her latest album, but that's a low bar. Grade: B-

On the Adult-Top-40 Pop chart, The Lumineers reign for a seventh week with "Ho Hey".

The top entry on this format at #36 is the collaboration between Scottish DJ/producer Calvin Harris and English singer Florence Welch on "Sweet Nothing", which also climbs into the Hot 100's top-10 this week. Grade: A-

The former punkers-gone-soft the Goo Goo Dolls return at #37 with a track from their upcoming Magnetic album, "Rebel Beat". It's official, they have become Train, though without their sense of humor but adding extra cheese. Grade: C-

British singer Paloma Faith jumps in at #40 with a song that was one of my personal favorites of last year, "Picking Up The Pieces". Faith's Fall To Grace album, her second, is amazing and worth picking up. Any other week, this would've hands down been my pick of the litter, but it's a very worthy second-choice. Grade: A+

Lastly, on the Adult-Contemporary radio format, Phillip Phillips logs a third week at #1 with "Home".

Canadian singer Franklin McKay places his third single on the AC chart at #29 with "More Than A Memory". Very white-bread, but pleasant. Like Canada. Grade: C

Maroon 5 slide in at #30 on the AC chart with their top-20 pop hit, "Daylight". Grade: B-

That's it for the first part of today's journey...I'll return in 90 minutes with the latest on rock radio...