Pop Sweep: May 3, 2014...

It's time to kick off the first of today's five "chart sweeps", checking out the songs reaching the various radio and singles charts in Billboard magazine. As always, I'll start on the pop side, and then move on to rock, R&B, country and dance music...

On the "big" chart, Billboard's Hot 100, which combines tallies of radio airplay, internet streaming, and sales, Pharrell Williams hangs on to #1 for a ninth straight week with "Happy"...

The top debut of the week comes from alternative pop singer Lana Del Rey, who rockets in at #17 with her latest, "West Coast". It's the first single from her upcoming album Ultraviolence, and immediately becomes her second-highest charting single after her revamp of "Summertime Sadness" mixed by Cedric Gervais went to #6 last year. Sounds a bit like Tori Amos' more pop-music forays, no?

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One Direction return at #68 with the fourth single from their Midnight Memories album, "You & I". The first, "Best Song Ever", went to #2 last year. It's looking though, that their ballads (like "Story Of My Life") are their best prospects as tweens move on, so this is a smarter move...

The fourth American single for pop/rock band OneRepublic's Native album is "Love Runs Out", and it arrives at #81. I'm surprised that the worldwide success of  "Something I Need" would've seen that come out first, but I guess they wanted to go with a more rockish (read: Imagine Dragons) track...

The second song from Coldplay's Ghost Stories, due May 19th, is "Midnight", and it comes in at #84. The first, "Magic", went to #24. This track is also available remixed by disco legend Giorgio Moroder...

Country hunk Lee Brice is back at #89 with "I Don't Dance". He's had two top-40 hits on this chart, with "Hard To Love" going as high as #27...

Norwegian pop/soul duo Nico & Vinz debut at #91 with their first American hit "Am I Wrong". The single, which went top-5 in Germany, is making big moves at Adult Pop radio, where it sits at #27...

Rapper Wiz Khalifa enters at #92 with the first single from his upcoming fifth studio effort Blacc Hollywood, "We Dem Boyz". Wiz had been in the top ten four times, with "Black And Yellow" topping the chart back in 2010...

The last entry on the big list is from country single Dustin Lynch, who went to #40 with his debut single "Cowboys and Angels". He's in now with his second, "Where It's At", at #94...

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

On the Mainstream Top-40 radio panel, John Legend claims his first #1 with "All Of Me"...

The one single to make this chart is Katy Perry with "Birthday" at #33. I guess this is the "Last Friday Night" of this album, but dayum does she make a fun video...

Meanwhile, on the older-skewing Adult Top-40 format, Pharrell's "Happy" spends a fifth week on top...

New York indie-pop duo A Great Big World follow up their breakthrough hit "Say Something", which went to #1 on this format, with "Already Home" at #38. The tender ballad is my "Pop Pick of the Week", and the video features Darren Criss of Glee in an acting role...

The aforementioned "Birthday" from Katy Perry enters at #39...

The third of the newbies is "Break Your Plans" from pop/rock group the Fray with "Break Your Plans". It follows "Love Don't Die", which peaked at #7 here...

Lastly, on the Adult Contemporary, or "easy listening" radio chart,  Pharrell conquers yet another format with "Happy"...

The sole entry at #29 is Justin Timberlake with his top ten Hot 100 hit "Not A Bad Thing". They're pointing to delaying the single after "Mirrors" for its success, but I count the fact that it's a "hidden track" on the CD, forcing people to buy the "single" if they just want to hear the song alone, for it hitting this mark. I guess I'm a bitter soul, but I can't stand this fake-ass faux-hipster video.

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