Pop Sweep: August 24, 2013...

Hey gang, it's time to kick off this week's "chart sweeps" where I sample the songs making the singles chart in Billboard magazine...as always I'll start out with the Hot 100 and the pop side of things...

On the rag's "big chart", the Billboard Hot 100, which combines airplay, sales, and internet streaming (like YouTube and Spotify), Robin Thicke hold steady for a tenth week at #1 with "Blurred Lines". I called it as the "song of the summer", whew....

The top entry on the chart at #21 is rapper/autotuned singer Drake with the second preview track from his upcoming Nothing Was The Same album, "Hold On We're Going Home". The moody sung track follows up the brag-rap track "Started From The Bottom", which reached #6 earlier this year. As a lead artist, he has placed six songs in the top-10, with his first charting hit, "Best I Ever Had", being the biggest at #2 in 2009. He also spent time at #1 in a featured credit on Rihanna's "What's My Name?" the year after. I'm digging this track, and expect it to be another big one for the Canadian...

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Coming in at #59, most likely due to its star-subbed video with Jasons Sudeikis and Bateman along with Will Forte and Ed Helms filling in for the band in the clip for "Hopeless Wanderer". It's now the eighth track from their #1 Babel album to reach the Hot 100, and the highest rank besides the #12 lead-off single "I Will Wait".

Former TV child actor Ariana Grande (Victorious, iCarly) scores a quick hat trick as the third song from her debut set Yours Truly which goes on sale on August 30th pops in at #84. "Right There", featuring rapper Big Sean, follows her top-10 debut "The Way", which still is in the chart at #20, and "Baby I", which came in at #21 a couple weeks ago. Man, these three sound so much like what Mariah should be doing, and it's my "Pop Pick of the Week"...

Right under that at #85 is a song that is in contention to be the #1 song next week, as radio play of Katy Perry's new song "Roar" scores it enough points to sneak on this week. She'll have stiff competition as Lady GaGa's "Applause" got a pushed up release, so they'll both be in the mix seven days from now. I'm not really a fan of this, with its crib of Sara Bareilles' "Brave" and kind of tepid musical backdrop. When will this sing-song shit fad end?

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

On the Mainstream Top-40 pop radio panel, "Blurred Lines" also reigns for a sixth week....

Dropping in at #33 is Swedish DJ/producer Avicii with his worldwide hit "Wake Me Up!", which I really love as long as I don't think about this Ralph Lauren ad of a music video...

The aforementioned Katy Perry track also enters up at #34. I expect a big jump next week...

And out of nowhere arriving at #40 is twin-lesbian-sister alt-pop duo Tegan & Sara with "Closer", which was a hit on adult-pop and rock radio in the beginning of the year, and topped the dance chart in May. Either way I'm psyched at its success here...

Meanwhile, on the older-skewing Adult Top-40 format, Robin Thicke claims another chart as "Blurred Lines" jumps to #1, and "Roar" by Katy Perry is the only new entry at #38...

Lastly, on the Adult Contemporary, or easy listening chart, Pink's "Just Give Me A Reason" stays on top for a seventh week,,,

Indie-pop duo Capital Cities take their crossover hit "Safe And Sound" on to the AC chart at #25 as the big debut...

Singer/songwriter Gavin DeGraw comes in at #28 with "Best I Ever Had". He took the first single from his last album, "Not Over You", into the top-10 on this format...

The final entry at #30 is iconic R&B/soul band Earth Wind & Fire with "My Promise". It's their first to make the chart since 2005's "Pure Gold"...This new one was a former "Soul Pick of the Week"...

That's it for the start of today's musical journey...I'll be back in 90 minutes with the newest on rock radio....