Pop Sweep: October 19, 2013...

...and here we go again.

It's Saturday, and time that I always start my five-part "chart sweeps" of the songs making the music charts in Billboard this week. And to be honest, I almost didn't.

You see, since ex-Rolling Stone hack Bill Werde came on as editor, shady changes have been afoot in the normally spot-on data to determine the biggest selling and most listened to music in America. First, there was the overhaul of the "Songs" charts for genres like country, R&B, dance, and rock, where as before radio play from that individual format drove the chart, albeit without any sales data (which would be in their "big chart", the Hot 100). However, since apparently they explain since they cannot find any way to reconcile overall sales data with one specific format airplay, Werde and his editing staff chose to just dump everything in one pot, with radio airplay all across the board contributing to a particular song's performance on the country, rock, etc. chart, which has completely skewed the charts to pop radio's whim. Examples: Florida Georgia Line's double digit camp at #1 because of a rap remix that country radio never played, as well as the overwhelmingly Caucasian R&B list. The latter brings me to the fact that the chart editors felt they can decide what is a "country" or an "R&B" or "rock" record, not based on if the radio format plays it, but if they deem it to be. So songs that did get for example country airplay, like Mumford & Sons' "I Will Wait", were blocked from the "Country Songs" chart, while acts like Cassadee Pope, who didn't have country airplay at the time but were "associated" with Blake Shelton, did.

Then the "Harlem Shake" stunt happened.

I'm not sure if it was to try to bolster 'buzz' for the magazine, or a payoff from somebody's manager, or just hipster kick, but conveniently right when the YouTube "Harlem Shake" meme played out, Billboard jerked its charts to include YouTube data; and not just views or official content from the record companies, but 30-second clips of people who uploaded their version of the meme. Thus a record that was co-opted for a non-musical premise got to be #1 on the country's "most respected chart" for five whole weeks. Despite their crowing, there was much pushback on this (especially given the true tangible success of Macklemore's "Thrift Shop" at that time) - since the mag was using completely non-representative versions of the song (30 seconds is NOT THE SONG), they gerryrigged the system. But at least with that, the devil's advocate position that at least the record was selling reasonably well (although the artist, Baauer, ended up being sued for using an unauthorized sample). Using this logic, the 20-30 seconds of music you hear in a commercial should count toward "chart placement" (think Alex Clare's "So Close" in those annoying Microsoft ads). More recently, Norwegian comedy duo Ylvis jumped on to the chart in the top-40 without the track even being available in the States (that since has been rectified).

Now we come to the latest in these shenanigans. And who better to involve is the tabloid magnet Kanye West. Though to be honest, I'm not sure he had a clue about it. Seems as if this hipster chick recorded a suspiciously professional-style "I quit" video in her supposed former employer's office (couldn't he sue for using company equipment?), and the YouTube clip, which only lasts less than two minutes, includes a portion of the six-minute track "Gone" from Kanye's Late Registration album. Because of this video going "viral" with 15 million views so far (though I'm doubtful how much of that is really American views), and solely because of this, "Gone" has been thrown on the Hot 100 as the top debut at #18. Mind you besides the near-zero airplay the song has on radio, the last time I checked iTunes, the track was the 161st biggest-selling track. BY KANYE WEST. Not 161st of everything. OF FUCKING KANYE WEST. So obvs, the only thing placing this all the way in the top-20 is by Billboard's chart editors goosing it up there.

Now you may say, what does it matter? It's fun! It's only a music chart. But dayum, not only is Billboard supposed to be above this kind of thing, but for real, since they are supposed to be a resource to aid the music industry, what benefit is this record's YouTube success on the music industry either as a business or an art form? Nobody is really "getting" the music experience from the song, as much as one would by testing the song out on iTunes or Amazon. And the pittance in "royalties" the song would make from YouTube is only valuable if the ad-view count runs in the highest of high millions. Is this the business model we want for the industry? Or is Billboard just trying to create another "bubble" which will eventually burst and probably bust the labels? By then, I'm sure Werde would cash in his golden parachute and move on to destroy something else (maybe already, with the asinine revamp of sister publication Variety underway). All this is making me rethink my subscription to the mag I've bought weekly since 1986. It's almost 300$ a year, an insane amount of money; it's been worth it before for their honest data (especially sales) and previously unskewed reporting. I'm definitely not sure. Sadly, they've even screwed with the physical edition where you can't even get the full charts if you by off the newsstand. Stay tuned.

(steps off soapbox)...

So here we are, with what the Hot 100 is saying the top debuting song in the country is, Kanye West's "Gone", at #18. Higher than any of the tracks from his current album Yeezus, which have sold way more. The last time he's been higher as a sole lead-artist was in 2011 with "All Of The Lights". And no, I ain't showing that girl's video. Sorry, you can find it on it's own. She isn't any Norma Rae.

(Click below to see the rest of the post)


Chiming in at #34 is Katy Perry with the third track so far from her upcoming Prism album, "Walking On Air". Meanwhile, "Roar" holds at #2 while "Dark Horse" moves up a notch to #38..

The collaboration between rappers YG, (Young Jeezy), and Rich Homie Quan drop in at #67 with "My Hitta/Nigga". The track matches YG's highest pop rank ("Toot It and Boot It"), while Jeezy claims five top-40 hits so far, and Rich Homie Quan gets his first....

New Zealand's Lorde remains at #1 for a second week with "Royals", while her latest, "Tennis Court", serves up #71....

Jason Derulo follows up his top-20 hit "The Other Side" with the nuptial bliss of "Marry Me" at #72...

Justin Bieber will be infecting the musical world with a new single every Monday for ten weeks, and the first of these, "Heartbreaker", is in at #77...

R&B singer Sevyn Streeter, who had been in girl-groups TG4 and RichGirl, scores her first Hot 100 hit in any act with "It Won't Stop" featuring Chris Brown...

The last entry on the big chart at #91 is country singer David Nail with "Whatever She's Got". It's his third to make the Hot 100 - he went to #51 with his chart-topping country hit "Let It Rain" in 2011...

..and onwards to the individual pop radio format charts...

On the Mainstream Top-40 radio panel, Katy Perry's "Roar" holds at #1 for a fourth week...

The top entry at #33 is (Katy's ex, by the way) Travie McCoy, from Gym Class Heroes, with "Rough Water" featuring Jason Mraz...

Swedish electro-pop duo Icona Pop follow-up their smash "I Love It" at #37 with "All Night"...

Macklemore & Ryan Lewis are also back at #39 with their fourth single from their debut The Heist, "White Walls", featuring cameos from rapper ScHoolboy Q and singer Hollis...

The final debut on this format at #40 is Sara Bareilles with her stellar inspirational track "Brave"...

Meanwhile, on the older-skewing Adult Top-40 format, Katy Perry also remains on top for a third week...

Leaping in at #29 is Daughtry with the first track from their upcoming fourth album Baptized, "Waiting For Superman"...

The Backstreet Boys are back (all, right!) at #34 with "In A World Like This"...

British singer John Newman is in at #39 with his former #1 single in his home country, "Love Me Again". It's my "Pop Pick of the Week"...

The final debut here at #40 is bluesy singer ZZ Ward with her top-5 Triple-A rock hit "365 Days"...

Lastly, on the Adult Contemporary (easy listening) chart, Anna Kendrick climbs to #1 with "Cups (When I'm Gone)"....

The sole entry at #28 is British folk-rock singer Passenger (Mike Rosenberg) with "Let Her Go"...

That's it (thank god) for the pop side of the house...I'll return with the latest rock songs on the radio...