Pop Sweep: March 2, 2013...

....and here we are.

I admit I was seriously debating stopping my weekly "chart sweeps", due to my disgust at the stunts pulled over at Billboard magazine this week, but the music won out (for now), so here goes, part one of this week's recap of the new songs debuting, starting with the pop charts...

As of this week, Billboard started to tally up YouTube views as part of the formula to calculate the Hot 100, which to me is a great idea in theory, because while it provides little revenue, it does provide a playing experience to compare to the other "streaming" services. However, taking this theory to the extreme of allowing any fractionalized clip (that's "authorized") to contribute towards the chart.

So that's why Baauer's meme-inducing "Harlem Shake" is the #1 song per Billboard.

I've already ranted my piece about it, especially the logic in allowing 30 second clips to actually affect a song's performance, but they've made their bed. And what's stupidly sad it I get the meme. I actually bought the record. I think its entertaining. I was expecting the single to place on the chart this week from sales, which gauging from sales-heavy singles like those from The Voice and Glee, appear in the top-40, but this rigging the system to get press smacks of everything the magazine was against. And even on a record that while free (and still free in places), uses unauthorized samples and lyrics that translate to "with the terrorists". So Congrats, guys, you fulfilled your reality-show dream.

(Click below to see the rest of the post)


onwards...

Jumping in at #24 is the new promo track from Justin Timberlake's upcoming The 20/20 Experience, "Mirrors". It sound more like a new-styled N-Sync record that the disjointed "Suit & Tie", which remains in the top-10, though his recent live appearances have not been received too well..

British boyband phenomenon One Direction return with the first Red Nose Day charity record for Comic Relief in the UK to be put out in the States. "One Way Or Another" is a remake of the Blondie tune, and they even get the British prime minister in on the video...

Rapper Ace Hood enters at #77 with his fourth Hot 100 appearance with "Bugatti". In 2011 his top-10 R&B hit "Hustle Hard" reached #60 here...

Pink arrives at #84 with the third single from her excellent The Truth About Love album, "Just Give Me A Reason", featuring new New Artist Grammy winner Nate Ruess of fun...

Another Grammy winner, Miguel (for best R&B song "Adorn"), is featured on the latest by German-born army-brat J. Cole, "Power Trip". Cole's debut single, "Work Out" is his sole top-40 hit so far, reaching #13 in 2011...

Rapper Joe Budden also returns at #96 with "She Don't Put It Down", featuring Lil' Wayne and singer Tank. Budden also has one top-40 to his name, 2003's "Pump It Up" (#38)...(NSFW)

Chicago EDM trio take their top-5 dance airplay hit "Alive" to be their first Hot 100 single at #99...

The final entry on the big chart was last week's musical guest on Saturday Night Live. Alabama Shakes are in at #100 with their former top-10 triple-A rock hit "Hold On"...

...and now for the pop radio format charts....

On the Mainstream pop radio chart, Taylor Swift spends a fifth week at #1 with "I Knew You Were Trouble"...

The top entry at #34 is alt-rockers Fall Out Boy with their insanely cool new hit "My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light 'Em Up)"....

British X Factor import Cher Lloyd comes in at #36 with "With Ur Love", a song she went to #4 with in the UK in 2011...

Another former top-5 European hit, this time Swedish duo Icona Pop's "I Love It", is at #37. It reached the heights on the charts in Germany, Austria, and Sweden, as well as Australia...

R&B singer/songwriter Trey Songz debuts at #38 with his pop-leaning "Simply Amazing". The song reached the British top-10 last year...

...and Trey's peer, Ne-Yo, also jumps in at #40 with his latest, "Forever Now"...

Meanwhile, over on the Adult Top-40 chart, Pink moves up to #1 with "Try"....

The sole debut on the chart is American Idol champ Phillip Philliips' followup to "Home", which topped this list last year. "Gone, Gone, Gone" is at #35, as "Home" is still at #10...

And on the Adult Contemporary format, Phillip Phillips' "Home" is still #1 for a fifth week...

The top debut at #29 is the Grammy Album of the Year winners Mumford & Sons with "I Will Wait"...

....and right under them at #30 is Bruno Mars with "When I Was Your Man"...

That's it for part one...I'll be back in 90 minutes with the latest on rock radio...Peace.