Pop Sweep: December 14, 2013...


Hey gang, it's time to kick off the first of today's five "chart sweeps" sampling the songs reaching the singles charts in Billboard magazine this week, and as always I'll start with the pop side of things...

On the "Big" chart, Billboard's Hot 100, Miley Cyrus' "Wrecking Ball" recaptures the #1 spot for a third non-consecutive week, thanks to their tweaking of the rules yet again to try to ride the meme train with a viral video's use of the song to count towards its points, even though it doesn't play all of the song (though it does more than the other "stunts" Billboard's been counting). Eminem would be pissed.

The eighth offering in Justin Bieber's "Music Mondays" is the highest entry of the week, though it didn't make the top 40, placing at #47...


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The animated movie Frozen was the top grosser of the weekend, and from its soundtrack two versions of the same song enter the chart this week. First up at #64 is Demi Lovato's take on "Let It Go"....


Crossover country duo Florida Georgia Line are in at #75 with the sub-title track from their expanded debut album, "This Is How We Roll", with fellow A-lister Luke Bryan...


This week's sole entry from a finalist from The Voice is from Will Champlin (son of Chicago's Bill) with his cover of the Etta James soul classic "At Last"...


The second version of "Let It Go" from Frozen to debut is from Broadway star Idina Menzel (Wicked) at #89, and it's my "Pop Pick of the Week"... She's had five other trips to the Hot 100, but this is the first without the cast of Glee as a cohort...


The fifth single from Jason Aldean's country album Night Train, "When She Says Baby", comes in at #93. The first, "Take A Little Ride", made it up to #12 on this list last year...


Enrique Iglesias is back at #95 with the third single from his upcoming 10th album, "Heart Attack". Last year he made the top-40 with "Finally Found You"..


The last entry in the Hot 100 is a song Fall Out Boy performed in the last Macy's Thanksgiving Parade. "Alone Together". It's their third charting single from their #1 album Save Rock & Roll - "My Songs Know What You Did In The Dark" went to #13 earlier this year...


And now on to the pop radio format charts...

On the Mainstream Top-40 radio panel,  Imagine Dragons leap three spots to #1 with "Demons"...

Jumping in at #31 is New Zealander Lorde with "Team", the follow-up single to her #1 hit "Royals"...


Rapper Lupe Fiasco lands at #38 with "Old School Love" featuring British singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran...


Chris Wallace, the former lead singer of the defunct band White Tie Affair, debuts at #40 with "Keep Me Crazy"...


Meanwhile, on the older-skewing Adult Top-40 format, Avicii spends a third week on top with "Wake Me Up!"...

Singer/songwriter Christina Perri returns at #33 with "Human", the first single from her upcoming sophomore album Head Or Heart. Her debut single "Jar Of Hearts" went to #4 on this format in 2010...


Russo-German Dj and producer Zedd follows up his top-20 single "Clarity" with "Stay The Night" at #37. It features vocals from Hayley Williams, the lead singer of the rock band Paramore...


British "boyband" One Direction make the "adult" list at #38 with the second single from their Midnight Memories album, "The Story Of My Life". It follows "Best Song Ever", which made it in here at #40 earlier this fall...


Rapper Pitbull falls in at #40 with trash-pop queen Ke$ha in tow for "Timber"...


Finally, on the Adult Contemporary (or "easy listening") radio chart, marking the season Kelly Clarkson's "Underneath The Tree" rockets from #16 to #1...

The onslaught of holiday songs continues in this format, as Mary J. Blige debuts with two more tracks from her Christmas album, with "My Favorite Things" dropping in at #16...


 Newcomer Elizabeth Chan carols in at #17 with "Fa La La"....


Susan Boyle also has two songs making their way on to the chart. First up at #21 is her take on "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas". Sadly, she appears in the Rick Santorum produced movie The Christmas Candle...


Classic rock group Heart team up with pop singer Richard Marx at #22 with the "B-side" of their Christmas single, "All Through The Night" (the Welsh folk song, not the Cyndi Lauper hit). There's no YouTube clip as yet, but you can check it out by clicking here...

The second Susan Boyle track to make the list at #23 is her take on Greg Lake's "I Believe In Father Christmas"...


Rounding things out at #26 is Mary J. Blige again with "The First Noel" with the Clark Sisters...



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









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