Pop Sweep: February 23, 2013...

Hey gang, it's time to kick off today's five-part "chart sweeps" of the newest songs making it on to the weekly music charts in Billboard magazine. I'll start things off with the latest on the pop side..

On the big chart, the Billboard Hot 100, which combined airplay from all radio genres, sales figures, and internet streaming data, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis with Wanz hang on to #1 for a fourth week with "Thrift Shop"...

The top entry of the week, rocketing in all the way at #26, is the return of alt-rock hitmakers Fall Out Boy, who score their lucky seventh top-40 hit on the chart with "My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark". Their biggest hit to date, 2007's "This Ain't A Scene, It's an Arms Race", reached #2...

(Click below to see the rest of the post)


Country crossover kings Lady Antebellum are back with the first single from their upcoming fourth album, "Downtown" at #45. Out of their six top-40 singles on this chart, the biggest so far is "Need You Now", which went to #2 in 2009..

Singer and punching bag Rihanna sees her fourth track from her Unapologetic album, "Stay" featuring Mikky Ekko, come in at #57. The song is already a huge hit overseas, reaching the top-10 in Britain, Ireland, and New Zealand...

Tim McGraw's first album for Big Machine records, Two Lanes Of Freedom, is the second biggest selling album this week, and an album track from the set, "Highway Don't Care" with Taylor Swift, debuts at #59, no doubt helped by Swift's crazy fans that bought only that song from the set. McGraw had sent 27 singles into the Hot 100's Top 40, with his featured credit on Nelly's "Over And Over" his highest rank at #3 in 2004...

Canadian actor-turned-rapper Drake just won his first Grammy, and he also can celebrate his return to the pop chart as "Started From The Bottom" is in at #63. Drake has accrued 13 top-40 singles on the main chart as a lead artist, with 14 more as a featured credit. Out of them, only his appearance on Rihanna's "What's My Name" reached #1 in 2010. (NSFW)

 Country A-lister Kenny Chesney raids the pop chart again as "Pirate Flag" jumps in at #68. He's close behind Tim, with 23 Top-40 hits so far, with his best showing being "Out Last Night" which went to #16 in 2009..

Rapper Young Jeezy enters at #69 with his newest, "R.I.P." featuring 2 Chainz. He's had five top-40 hits as a lead credit, and six more as a featured artist. One of the latter, Usher's "Love In This Club", brought him to #1 in 2008...(NSFW)

Country singer and Nashville Star winner Chris Young arrives at #97 with the fourth single from his Neon album, "I Can Take It From There". Three of Chris' songs have made the top-40, with the first, "Gettin' You Home (The Black Dress Song)" so far the highest peaking at #33 in 2009...

The last entry on the Hot 100 this week is "Bad" by rapper Wale featuring singer Tiara Thomas. The Washington DC-area native has made the top 40 once as a lead artist and once on another's, with his gig on Waka Flocka Flame's "No Hands" reaching #13 in 2010..

Meanwhile, on the Mainstream Pop radio format chart, Taylor Swift's "I Knew You Were Trouble" remains on top for a fourth week.

British modern rock stars Muse finally crack this format as their mega-huge rock hit "Madness" is the top entry at #37.

 Another crossover hit, this time from dance radio, is Chicago-based EDM outfit Krewella with their first hit single "Alive" at #39...

The third debut this week is Dutch DJ/producer Afrojack at #40 with "As Your Friend" featuring Chris Brown...

Over on the Adult Top-40 chart, The Lumineers reign for an eighth week with "Ho Hey"...

The top debut at #31 is OneRepublic, with the second single from their forthcoming album Native, "If I Lose Myself". The first, "Feel Again", reached the top-10...

British singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran had a prime spot on the Grammy broadcast with Elton John performing with him, and Ed now follows up his top-10 debut "The A Team" at #37 with "Lego House"...

...and coming in at #38 is Ed's fellow countryman Olly Murs with his American breakthrough, "Troublemaker" featuring Flo Rida....

Lastly, on the adult-contemporary chart, Phillip Phillips stays at #1 for week number four with "Home"...

The sole debut in this format this week is folk/pop singer Jewel with a track from her Greatest Hits album, "Two Hearts Breaking", at #27.

That covers the first part of this week's journey....I'll be back in 90 minutes with the latest on rock radio...