Pop Sweep: June 22, 2013...

Hey gang, it's time to kick off today's five-part "chart sweeps" sampling the newest songs making the charts in Billboard magazine. As always, I'll start out on the pop scene...

On the "big chart", Billboard's Hot 100, Robin Thicke leaps from #6 to #1 with his first chart-topping record, "Blurred Lines", besting his mom Gloria Loring, who went to #2 in 1986 with "Friends and Lovers"...

The top entry of the week belongs to a grown-up Miley Cyrus, who completely sheds her Hannah Montana image at #11 with "We Can't Stop". Miley has placed five previous singles in the top-10, with "Party In The U.S.A." reaching #2 in 2009. To me, this sounds like a song made by a former child star taking a lot of cough syrup would sound like.

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 Chiming in at #37 is the winner of last season's The Voice, and the first to have a post-show top-40 hit. Cassadee Pope enjoys the Blake Shelton promo machine as her "Wasting All These Tears" is at #37. When she was competing, two of her performances, "Over You" and "Stupid Boy", made the top-40, with the former reaching #25. Well, they can fix her pitch problems in the studio, so this sort of bland midtempo number is inoffensive...

Selena Gomez hangs in on the top-10 with "Come & Get It", while entering at #70 with "Slow Down".Typical dance-pop fodder with requisite dubstep-lite break...

The sole Voice single of the week to make the big chart is by personal favorite (of who is left) Michelle Chamuel, who is the show's only hope to break through the Shelton-promoted drivel on the top-3, with her version of Taylor Swift's "I Knew You Were Trouble" at #85. Admitted this isn't my favorite of her, but if it got her through, more power to her, and her interpretation of the lyrics give more meaning than Swift's own reading...

The last debut on the big chart is the first for indie-rock band The Neighbourhood, from Ventura County, California, with their #1 alternative rock hit "Sweater Weather", which arrives at #98. It seems weird that this wintery/spring song is getting pop traction in the summer heat, but I'm glad it is...

And now for the pop radio format charts...

On the Mainstream Top-40 pop radio panel, Macklemore & Ryan Lewis move to #1 with "Can't Hold Us", while the duo also has the highest debut of the week at #35. It's with the pro-marriage-equality anthem "Same Love" featuring (out) singer Mary Lambert, and I can't be more thrilled about it getting radio play after reaching the Hot 100 on sales and the alternative rock chart. If you haven't heard this yet, you must, and right in time for "pride" month..

Rihanna returns at #37 with her dance-infused track "Right Now" featuring French DJ/producer David Guetta. It follows her "Stay", which is still at #10..

The third entry here is the aforementioned "We Can't Stop" by Miley Cyrus at #40...


Meanwhile, on the older-skewing "Adult Top 40" chart, Pink and Nate Ruess of fun hang on to #1 for a seventh week with "Just Give Me A Reason"...

Coming on the chart at #37 is Icelandic rockers Of Monsters And Men, who cross over to this format with their #2 alt-rock hit "Mountain Sound". Their previous single, "Little Talks", made it to #6 on this chart...

Pennsylvania rock group Paramore enters at #38 with "Still Into You" from their self-titled "lineup reboot" album. In 2010, they took "The Only Exception" to #9...

At #39 are the brother-pop goodness of Hanson with "Get The Girl Back", their first on this list since "Where's The Love" in 1997. It's my "Pop Pick of the Week"..

Rounding things out at #40 is British R&B musician/rapper/singer Labrinth with his first American hit, "Beneath Your Beautiful" featuring Emeli Sande (who herself is at #4 with "Next To Me"). He has had six top-10 hits in the UK, including this one which went to #1 last year...

Finally, on the Adult Contemporary, or "Easy Listening" radio format, The Lumineers shine on top for an eighth week with "Ho Hey"...

The two entries are top-10 hits from the Adult-top-40 list. Coming in at #26 is Kelly Clarkson with "People Like Us"....

...while at #29 is British singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran with "Lego House">..

That's it for the pop end of the music spectrum...I'll be back in 90 minutes with the newest on rock radio....