Twostepcublog

We're down to the last "chart sweep" of the day, tracking the songs reaching Billboard magazine's singles chart, and we'll wrap things up with the latest dance jams on the radio and in the clubs. On the DJ-polled Hot Dance Club Play chart, Russo-German DJ and producer Zedd scores his third #1 hit out of three singles with " Stay The Night " with Paramore's Hayley Williams.. The big entry of the  week at #44 is Jade Starling, who in the 80s fronted the dance pop band Pretty Poison, with "Insomniak" featuring Lee Dagger.... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

I'm up to the fourth installment of today's "chart sweeps" of the latest songs to make the singles charts in Billboard magazine, and this time out it's the newest on country radio... On the Hot Country Airplay chart, Keith Urban and Miranda Lambert climb to #1 with " We Were Us ". It's Keith 16th trip to the top spot, and Miranda's fourth... The high entry of the week at #51 is "Young Love", the first single from Kip Moore's to-be-announced second album. He topped the chart in 2011 with "Somethin' 'Bout A Truck"... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

We're at the "hump" of today's "chart sweeps" sampling the songs reaching the singles charts in Billboard magazine, and now I'm serving up the latest R&B songs on the radio... On the main R&B/Hip Hop Airplay chart, Drake and Majid Jordan spend a seventh week at #1 with " Hold On, We're Coming Home "... The top entry of the week at #45 is singer and actress Jennifer Hudson with "I Can't Describe (The Way I Feel)" featuring rapper T.I.... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Part two of this week's "chart sweeps" is up, and this time out I've got the latest songs on the rock radio charts in Billboard magazine. On the main Rock Airplay chart, Cage The Elephant spend a third week at #1 with " Come A Little Closer "... The top entry at #40 is "Heavy Bells" by Tennessee-based rock band J Roddy Walston and the Business. The song already is at #26 on the Alternative chart... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Hey gang, it's time to kick the first of today's five "chart sweeps" checking out the songs reaching the singles charts in Billboard magazine this week, and as usual I'll start with the pop charts.... On the "big" chart, Billboard 's Hot 100 , Lorde holds on to #1 for a ninth week with " Royals "... British "boy-band" One Direction claim three debuts on the chart this week, with two of them in the top 20. First up at #11 is "Diana"... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Sam Harris - " Sugar Don't Bite " from the album Sam Harris (1984) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #36 (two weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 3 Today's song of the day is by singer/actor/stage star Sam Harris , who got his big break on the variety talent show Star Search back in 1983. A new concept at the time, where producers would tally weekly call-in votes for singers, comedians, and the ever-popular "spokesmodels" on the show, paving the way for the likes of American Idol and the like decades down the road. And the show did cultivate talent, and you'd be surprised at the people who have competed on the show: Alanis Morissette, Destiny's Child (under another name), Bill Engvall, even Sharon Stone (as a spokesmodel). Harris won 14 straight weeks, climaxed by his over-the-top rendition of " Over The Rainbow ",  and took home the $100,000 prize. After that he was signed by Motown Records, where he recorded his self-titled debut album. The fir...

Hey gang, the weekend is upon us, and time for my top 100 tunes of the week. Lorde reigns on my list for an eighth week, while Miley Cyrus (pictured above) swings into the top ten. A former big hit from Maroon5 drops off my chart, while songs by Empire Of The Sun, The Band Perry, and Katy Perry make the biggest jumps (moves of 10+ places highlighted in red ). Happy after-turkey day! This Week               Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Royals - Lorde (1) 2. Pompeii - Bastille (2) 3. Let Her Go - Passenger (5) 4. Counting Stars - OneRepublic (4) 5. Wake Me Up! - Avicii (3) 6. Wrecking Ball - Miley Cyrus (11) 7. Applause - Lady Gaga (7) 8. Hold On, We're Going Home - Drake f/Majid Jordan (12) 9. Aw Naw - Chris Young (9) 10. Roar - Katy Perry (10) 11. That's My Kind Of Night - Luke Brya...

Duran Duran - " The Wild Boys " from the album Arena (1984) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #2 (four weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 14 Today's Song of the Day is by the "Fab Five" of the second British Invasion, Duran Duran , who had three consecutive top-10 hit from their amazing album Seven And The Ragged Tiger with " Union Of The Snake ", " New Moon On Monday ", and the #1 pop hit " The Reflex ". After the release of the album, the band went on a very successful world tour, and from one of their stadium dates in Oakland, they recorded their mostly live album and accompanying movie Arena . There was one new studio track tacked on to the set, "Wild Boys", written by the band and co-produced by them with Chic leader Nile Rodgers. The elaborate big-budget video, directed by Russell Mulcahy, was meant to be a promo for his pitch to make a movie based on William S Burroughs' book The Wild Boys: A Book Of The Dead . That m...

Hey gang, throwback Thursday 80's style takes us back this week to 1980, the year the Caribbean islands of Antigua and Barbuda gained independence from the United Kingdom. (I've included links to buy anything on CD or MP3 when I could)... REO Speedwagon - " Keep On Loving You " from the album Hi Infidelity (1980) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1 Songwriter: Kevin Cronin The song that rocked in the new decade was the big break for the midwestern band that proves that perseverance pays, waiting till their ninth album to make it big.. (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Hey gang, it's 70s throwback time, and today I'm back to 1971, the year Led Zeppelin released their iconic fourth album with "Stairway To Heaven" in November...(as usual I've included links to buy anything on MP3 or CD)... The Raiders - " Indian Reservation (The Lament Of The Cherokee Reservation Indian) " from the album Indian Reservation (1971) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1 Songwriter: John D Loudermilk Three hundred and fifty years after the first Thanksgiving, relations between the Native Americans and the Europeans have been through quite a bit, which this recount of the "Trail Of Tears" that displaced millions of people from their homes in the South. (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Tommy Shaw - " Girls With Guns " from the album Girls With Guns (1984) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #33 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 3 Today's Song of the Day is by the former singer and guitarist from the arena rock group Styx, Tommy Shaw , who left the band after their Caught In The Act live album in 1984. He released his first solo set that same year, and like former bandmate Dennis DeYoung, he score a top 40 hit out of the box with the title track from his debut solo set, written by Shaw and produced by Mike Stone (Queen, Asia)... "Girls With Guns" became Shaw's first and only top-40 solo single in November of 1984, while scaling up to #6 on the rock radio format chart. Shaw would end up having a few more minor pop hits, stopping in 1987 with " Ever Since The World Began ", which peaked at #75. At the start of the next decade, he joined forces with Night Ranger's Jack Blades and guitar loon Ted Nugent in Damn Yankees, which ...

G'day mates, "hump" day is here, and time to look at the songs reaching the official sales chart in Australia this week, as Eminem and Rihanna spend a second week at #1 with " The Monster "... The top debut is by singer and X Factor Australia fourth-season winner Samantha Jade with "Soldier", my " Aussie Pick of the Week ".  It's her fourth top-40 hit here - she topped the chart last year with "What You've Done To Me"...  (Click below to see the rest of the post)

It's time for this week's 60s flashback, and I've got a half-dozen more nuggets from 1961, the year the musical Kean starring Alfred Drake, who would be nominated for a Tony for. (As usual, I've included links to buy anything on MP3 or CD if possible)... Bobby Vee - " Take Good Care Of My Baby " from the album Take Good Care of My Baby (1961) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1 Songwriters: Gerry Goffin, Carole King The only chart-topper from the teen idol from North Dakota was this song that the Beatles auditioned for Decca Records with. (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Pat Benatar - " We Belong " from the album Tropico (1984) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #5 (two weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 14 Today's song of the day is by rock singer Pat Benatar , who had a break through most of 1984 after her top-5 hit " Love Is A Battlefield " off of her mostly-concert Live From Earth album. She returned at the end of that year with a single that pointed into a more pop oriented direction with the sitar-inflected kumbayah-ness of "We Belong". The song was written by the team of Eric Lowen and Dan Navarro (the latter is Dave's cousin) and produced by Peter Coleman with Pat's husband and guitarist Neil Giraldo... "We Belong" edged out "Love Is A Battlefield" to become Pat's biggest pop hit in January of 1985 (they both spent 14 weeks in the top-40 and seven in the top-10, with "We" spending an extra week at #5). It also went to #3 on the rock radio format, and was her first adult-c...

Guten Tag, mein freunde, I'm ready to cross over to Germany to check out the songs making the official sales chart there, as Klingande enjoys a fourth non-consecutive week at #1 with " Jubel "... The highest debut of the week at #46 belongs to northern Italian rock band Frei.Wild with "Verdammte Welt" ("Fucking World").... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Bonjour, mes amis, I'm ready to cross the Atlantic to check out the songs making the official sales chart in France this week, as Eminem and Rihanna spend a third week at #1 with " The Monster "... The top entry of the week at #34 is rap duo Casseurs Flowters with "Dans La Place Pour Etre" ("In The Place To Be"). It's their first to reach the top-40... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Steve Perry - " Strung Out " from the album Street Talk (1984) Billboard Hot 100 peak:#40 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 1 Today's Song of the Day is the third single released from Journey's lead singer Steve Perry's debut solo album. After scoring a top-3 hit off the bat with " Oh Sherrie ", then following it with " She's Mine ", Perry released "Strung Out", written by the singer with guitarist Billy Steele and drummer Craig Krampf.... "Strung Out" became Steve's third top-40 pop hit in October of 1984, while doing a bit better on rock radio, topping out at #17 on that format. (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Scandal featuring Patty Smyth - " Hands Tied " from the album The Warrior (1984) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #41 This week's "robbed hit" is by the new wave band Scandal , who had their big break in 1984 with the top-10 pop hit " The Warrior ". The follow-up release was co-written by Holly Knight, who also did "The Warrior", and producer Mike Chapman. "Hands Tied" was a bit more straight-forward rock and roll and the video at least featured the rest of the band.... While "Hands Tied" became a moderate success at rock radio, reaching #21, it stopped one notch short of the top-40 at #41 in December of 1984. (Click below to see the rest of the post)

I'm back with the second batch of albums reaching this week's Top 200 Albums chart in Billboard magazine. You can check out part one by clicking here, and as before I've included links to buy anything when possible... Bucks County Pennsylvania's own Anthony Green comes in at #67 with his third album Young Legs . Last year the lead singer of Circa Survive put Beautiful Things on the chart at #27... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Huey Lewis & The News - " Walking On A Thin Line " from the album Sports (1983) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #18 (two weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 10 Today's Song of the Day is by Huey Lewis & The News , whose megasmash album Sports had already spun off four top ten pop singles with " Heart And Soul ", " I Want A New Drug ", " The Heart Of Rock & Roll ", and " If This Is It ". For their fifth and final single from the album, the News released the more serious "Walking On A Thin Line", which somehow touched on a Vietnam Vet whose either being ignored by society or the girl he wanted... "Walking On A Thin Line" became the fifth top-40 single off of Sports in November of 1984, while also going to #16 on the rock radio chart. (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Hey gang, the weekend is coming to a close, and it's time to check out the songs reaching the top 100 on the just-released official sales chart in the United Kingdom this week, as Lily Allen squeaks by to collect her third #1 hit with " Somewhere Only We Know ". Her other two #1s are " Smile " and " The Fear "... The song Lily beat out by less than 700 copies is the mashup of two 90s Eurodance classics by the British modern rock band Bastille. "Of The Night" combines Corona's " Rhythm Of The Night " (which went to #2 in the UK in 1993) and Snap!'s " Rhythm Is A Dancer " (which topped the chart here in 1992). It's Bastille's second top-10 hit, with " Pompeii " also reaching #2 earlier in the year... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Hey guys, I'm ready to bring out the first half of this week's "album sweep" sampling the records making their first appearance on Billboard magazine's Top 200 Albums chart this week. As usual I've included links to buy anything if possible, but if you can, make your way to an indie record store, you can find a bunch of holiday presents there! The top-selling album of the week belongs to Lady Gaga, whose third full-length studio album ARTPOP sold over a quarter-million copies to become her second #1 album after Born This Way ... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Sammy Hagar - " I Can't Drive 55 " from the album VOA (1984) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #26 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 6 Today's Song of the Day is by "red rocker" Sammy Hagar , who had already scored a top-40 hit with the first single from his VOA album, " Two Sides Of Love ". For his second single he released a song inspired from a speeding ticket he received in New York, "I Can't Drive 55". Written by the singer and produced by Van Halen knobspinner Ted Templeman, the song would end up becoming his most remembered solo track... "I Can't Drive 55" became Sammy's third top-40 pop hit in November of 1984, while revving up to #9 on the rock radio chart as well. When the feds raised the speed limit to 65, he had to reprise his song for the times.... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

We're down to the end of today's "chart sweeps" tracking the songs reaching the various singles charts in Billboard magazine, and this time out it's the newest dance jams in the clubs and on the radio... On the DJ-polled Hot Dance Club Play chart, British singer Foxes, who sung on Zedd's #1 "Clarity", scores her own chart-topper with " Youth "... The highest debut at #35 is by R&B/pop/dance singer Deborah Cox, who has been to #1 on the club chart 11 times, with her latest, "Higher" featuring Paige. (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Part four of today's "chart sweeps" is up, sampling the songs reaching the Billboard music charts, and now I've got the newest stuff on country radio... On the Hot Country Airplay chart, Blake Shelton spends a third week at #1 with " Mine Would Be You "... The first of the two debuts this week belongs to Thomas Rhett, who follows up his #1 hit "It Goes Like This" with "Get Me Some Of That" at #55. It's my " Country Pick of the Week "... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

We're at the "hump" of today's "chart sweeps" sampling the songs making the charts in Billboard magazine, and this time out I'm serving the latest R&B tracks on the radio... On the main R&B/Hip Hop Airplay chart, Drake spends a sixth week at #1 with " Hold On, We're Going Home "... The top debut at #41 belongs to rapper Kid Ink with "Show Me" featuring hot mess Chris Brown... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Round two of this week's "chart sweeps" is up, with the newest rock songs making the radio charts in Billboard magazine. On the main Rock Airplay list, Cage The Elephant spends a second week at #1 with " Come A Little Closer "... The sole debut this week at #49 are American Authors with their first hit "The Best Day Of My Life". It was a "Pop Pick" for me a few weeks back... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Hey gang, it's time to kick off today's five-part "chart sweeps" checking out the songs reaching the various singles charts in Billboard magazine, and as usual I'll start with the "big" chart and the pop side of things... On Billboard 's Hot 100 , which tallies airplay, internet streaming, and sales, Lorde rules for an eighth week at #1 with " Royals "... (and as a sidenote, yes, in one of their "stunts", they placed Bon Jovi's "Living On A Prayer" as a "re-entry" at #25 based on a "viral video" of a guy dancing at a basketball game that's only two minutes long. Really. Is this what we're coming to? I'm still waiting for advertisement songs to show up) The top "real" debut of the week at #40 belongs to THIS IS THE VOICE contestant Matthew Schuler with, yes, another cover of Leonard Cohen's "Hallelujah". It's a perfect example of why I stopped wat...

.38 Special - " Teacher Teacher " from the album Teachers (Original Soundtrack) (1984) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #25 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 5 Today's Song of the Day is by the southern rock group .38 Special , who scored a pair of top-20 pop hits in 1983 with " If I'd Been The One " and " Back Where You Belong ". The following year the band recorded the title theme to the movie Teachers , starring Nick Nolte and Jobeth Williams that was half school pranks and half serious issues in a weird convoluted plotline. Even though the film blew chunk, the soundtrack from it was top-notch, with two of its track reaching the top 40. The first, "Teacher Teacher", was written by Canadian Bryan Adams and his writing partner Jim Vallance... "Teacher Teacher" made the American top-40 in November of 1984,while also peaking at #4 on the rock radio chart. (Click below to see the rest of the post)

It's time for my weekly recap of my top 100 tunes from the week, as Lorde rules for a seventh week with "Royals" while English folk-rock singer Passenger (pictured above) moves into the top-5. Songs by the Eli Young Band, Katy Perry, and Darius Rucker make the biggest jumps (moves of 10+ places highlighted in red ), while former big hits by Kaskade, Tyler Farr, Gavin DeGraw, and Anna Kendrick drop out. Oh lord it's a fire! This Week              Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Royals - Lorde - (1) 2. Pompeii - Bastille (4) 3. Wake Me Up! - Avicii (3) 4. Counting Stars - OneRepublic (5) 5. Let Her Go - Passenger (7) 6. That's My Kind Of Night - Luke Bryan (2) 7. Applause - Lady Gaga (6) 8. Brave - Sara Bareilles (8) 9. Aw Naw - Chris Young (11) 10. Roar - Katy Perry (12) 11. Wrecking Ball - Mile...

New Edition - " Cool It Now " from the album New Edition (1984) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #4 (one week) Weeks in the top-40: 14 Today's Song of the Day is by the vocal soul group New Edition , who came together in the Orchard Park projects of Boston in the early 80s. After being discovered at a talent show by producer Maurice Starr, the quintet of Ralph Tresvant, Ricky Bell, Michael Bivins, Ronnie Devoe, and Bobby Brown released their first album under his label Streetwise, and scored a #1 hit on the American soul chart and British pop chart with " Candy Girl ". But after being swindled by Starr and having to sue to get themselves out of their contract, New Edition signed up with MCA records, and released their self-titled sophomore album in 1984. The first single from the set, "Cool It Now", was written and produced by the team of Vincent Brantley and Rick Timas, and the bubbly confection evolved the group from their Jackson Five-aping debut...

I'm ready for this week's 80's throwback, and this time I'm back to 1980, the year Ronald Reagan defeated Jimmy Carter and John Anderson in the presidential race. KC & The Sunshine Band - " Please Don't Go " from the album Do You Wanna Go Party (1979) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1 Songwriters: Harry Casey, Richard Finch The Florida disco kings survived the disco backlash for a short while with two massive ballads, including this one, which would be remade in the 90s by neo-disco outfit KWS. Kool & The Gang - " Too Hot " from the album Ladies Night (1979) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #5 Songwriter: George Brown This slick disco jam hid a lyric full of heartbreak. Jimmy Ruffin - " Hold On To My Love " from the album Sunrise (1980) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #10 Songwriters: Robin Gibb, Blue Weaver Brother of former Temptation David went 14 years between top-ten hits (from "What Becomes Of The Broken...