Pop Sweep: September 21, 2013...

Another week has passed, and it's time for the beginning of this week's "chart sweeps", sampling the songs making the singles charts in Billboard magazine this week, and as always, I'll begin with the pop side of the house...

On the "big" chart, Billboard's Hot 100, Katy Perry holds tight for a second week with "Roar"...

Well, here we go, another rant.

Last week I went on a tear regarding how the editors' changes in how Billboard compiles their "songs" charts for genres like R&B, country, and rock, which allow for all crossover play on whatever they deem a worthy song to add up, which made it so the entirety of the R&B top-10 was either white, half-white, or a non-R&B-radio-promoted single. This time the sad hilarity extends to the "big" chart, as the top "debut" on the Hot 100 is a song you cannot even buy in the United States. Its presence here is predicated by a novelty promo video from overseas that went "viral" around the world, by Norwegian TV sketch show duo Ylvis, who put "The Fox" out as an ad for their show, a parody of all the EDM (electronic dance music) that's currently dominating the pop charts. And they did it so well, with such an earnest craziness, that it wasn't hard to see why millions of people would watch it. But alas there's the rub with Billboard's inclusion of YouTube views to their formula - I still do not trust that they can completely isolate American viewers from the mix, as well as including a "song" that you cannot buy in any form in this country. Add to the fact that like the other meme they were trying to inject themselves into the story for, Baauer's "Harlem Shake", this too already has been plagued with copyright issues, causing it not to be offered for sale. Something tells me someone in the magazine's relationship with pop producing team Stargate had $omething to do with it.

 So here we have it, at #29, enjoy it for what it is, since it really in the core of it is a very clever parody of the genre. Color me a chart grinch. At least it will give a few people an idea for a Halloween costume this year.

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Arriving at #75 is the first single from the soundtrack to the second movie in the Hunger Games trilogy, Catching Fire. "Atlas" is by the British modern rock band Coldplay, who topped the Hot 100 five years ago with "Viva La Vida"...

Newcomer August Alsina debuts at #85 with "I Luv This Sh*t", featuring rapper Trinidad James, who had the first top-40 hit of his own last year with "All Gold Everything", and like that record, this one is generous with the "N" word...

British/Israeli singer Mika comes in at #87 with his "Popular Song", which interpolates the classic song from the Broadway show Wicked, and with former Nick star Ariana Grande in tow. This is his third single to make the Hot 100 - in 2007 he went as high as #57 with "Grace Kelly". This fun track is my "Pop Pick of the Week"...

Neo-soul cutie John Legend is back at #97 with his latest, "All Of Me", the first track to make the chart from his new album Love In The Future. He's had two top-40 hits, both reaching #24 - "Ordinary People" in 2005 and "Green Light" in 2008...

Another newbie, Migos, debuts at #99 with his first, "Versace", featuring Drake. It's to note that there are two rap songs on the chart named for gay fashion icons (along with Jay Z's "Tom Ford")...

The final entry on the Hot 100 at the bottom rung is rapper Yo Gotti with "Act Right" featuring Jeezy and YG. This is his third hit as a lead artist; in 2009 he went to #79 with "5 Star"...

...and now onward to the pop radio format charts...

On the Mainstream Top 40 pop radio panel, Robin Thicke still has command for a tenth week with "Blurred Lines", while there are surprisingly no new songs on the list...

Meanwhile, on the older-skewing Hot Adult Top-40 format, Robin Thicke also reigns for a fifth week...

The top entry at #37 is one-man pop/rock act Five For Fighting (John Ondrasik), with "What If". He topped this format in 2001 with "Superman (It's Not Easy)"...

Singer/songwriter Matt Nathanson is in at #38 with "Mission Bells", which already has reached the top-5 on the Triple-A rock format. In 2008 Matt reached #9 with "Come On Get Higher"...

The final entry here at #40 is another crossover hit, as Fitz & The Tantrums enter with their top-5 rock airplay hit "Out Of My League". It's their third hit here; both "Moneygrabber" and "Don't Gotta Work It Out" went to #34 in 2011..

Lastly, on the Adult Contemporary (or "easy-listening") chart, Phillip Phillips hangs in for a third week with "Gone, Gone, Gone"...

The big debut of the week here at #26 is by Celine Dion, who returns with her first AC hit in five years, "Love Me Back To Life". She has racked up an impressive eleven #1 hits on this chart, from 1992's "If You Asked Me To" to "A New Day Has Come" ten years later...

Rod Stewart comes in at #29 with his newest, "Can't Stop Me Now". His first hit on this format was "Tonight's The Night", which went to #2 in 1976. He's topped the AC list five times, the latest with his Christmas standard "Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!" last winter...

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