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It's time to wrap up today's "chart sweeps" of this week's Billboard charts with the latest dance jams in the clubs and on the radio... On the DJ-polled Dance Club play chart, British neo-house artist Duke Dumont scores his second #1 hit with " I Got U " featuring Jax Jones. The first, " Need U (100%) ", was nominated for a Grammy this year as well... The highest debut of the week at #38 is from British modern rockers Coldplay with their "Sky Full Of Stars", which was produced by Swedish EDM king Avicii. They topped this chart before with " Talk "... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Part four of this week's "chart sweeps" has the latest songs on country radio as monitored by Billboard magazine. On their Country Airplay chart, accident-prone Luke Bryan spends a second week at #1 with " Play It Again "... Jumping in at #48 are the two most popular women in country music today, Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood,  with "Something Bad". It's from Miranda's upcoming Platinum album - the first single, " Automatic ", is still climbing at #4... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

We're at the "hump" of this week's "chart sweeps", checking out the songs making the charts in Billboard magazine, and this time out I'm serving up the latest songs on R&B radio... On the main R&B/Hip Hop Airplay chart, Chris Brown takes over the #1 spot with " Loyal " featuring Lil' Wayne, Tyga, Too Short, or French Montana (depending on which version you're airing)... Well it seems that Australian-born rapper Iggy Azalea is able to conquer this chart as "Fancy" featuring Charli XCX is the top debut at #36... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Round two of today's chart sweeps is up, sampling the songs making the radio charts in Billboard magazine, and this time out I've got the latest rock songs on the radio... On the main Rock Airplay chart, the Black Keys hold steady for a third week on top with " Fever "... The top entry at #34 is modern rock giants Coldplay with "A Sky Full Of Stars", my "Rock Pick of the Week". It's the follow-up to " Magic ", which still is in the top-10 here at #7... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Hey gang, it's time to kick off the first of today's "chart sweeps", checking out the songs making the various radio and singles charts in Billboard magazine. As always, I'll start on the pop side of things, then move on to rock, R&B, country, and dance music later in the day... On the "big" chart, Billboard 's Hot 100 , which combines tallies of radio airplay, sales, and internet "streaming", there's a new winner, as former children's show star Ariana Grande scores her first #1 hit with " Problem " featuring Australian rapper Iggy Azalea (also a first). With Iggy also at #2 with her own "Fancy", her record company is sure spending money to make her "happen", aren't they? Speaking of payola, I'm not going to delve into the re-appearance of a Michael Jackson track from 1982 at #14 except for saying that 500,000 worldwide views of a non-official clip only lasting two minutes doesn...

Sting - " Fortress Around Your Heart " from the album The Dream Of The Blue Turtles (1985) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #8 (two weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 11 Today's Song of the Day is by singer/songwriter/bassist/tantric expert Sting , who left The Police and released his first solo album in 1985, scoring a top-10 pop hit in America with " If You Love Somebody Set Them Free ". He followed that record up with "Fortress Around Your Heart", which sounded more like his old band, with a few jazz touches in the instrumentation by saxophonist Branford Marsalis. I could have seen this one on their last album Synchronicity . It was inspired by Sting's divorce from his first wife, actress Frances Tomelty... "Fortress Around Your Heart" became Sting's second top-10 solo hit in the U.S. in October of 1985, while topping the Mainstream Rock radio chart like its predecessor. However, in his native England, the single didn't even rea...

Hey gang, Friday is here, and it's time to run down my top 100 tunes from the week. This week Pharrell climbs back to #1 for a tenth week, while local girl gone good Christina Perri (pictured above) moves into the top-10. Former big hits by Phantogram, Randy Houser, Mary Lambert, and Blake Shelton drop off my chart, while songs by Gia, Ariana Grande, and Katy Perry make the biggest jumps (moves of 10+ places highlighted in red ). This Week             Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Happy - Pharrell Williams (2) 2. The Walker - Fitz & The Tantrums (1) 3. Come With Me Now - KONGOS (5) 4. All of Me - John Legend (4) 5. Fever - The Black Keys (6) 6. Sleeping With A Friend - Neon Trees (3) 7. Human - Christina Perri (11) 8. Girls Chase Boys - Ingrid Michaelson (13) 9. Do I Wanna Know? - Arcti...

Michael McDonald - " No Lookin' Back " from the album No Lookin' Back (1985) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #34 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 4 Today's Song of the Day comes from the soulful singer with the awesome hair and beard Michael McDonald , who left the Doobie Brothers in the early 80s to pursue a solo career, and scored a top-10 hit out of the box in 1982 with his cover of " I Keep Forgettin' ".  A year later he returned to the top-40 with his duet with James Ingram, " Yah Mo B There ". In 1985 Michael released his second solo album, which he co-produced and co-wrote all the songs. The first single from the project was a collaboration with fellow yacht-rock star Kenny Loggins, who also recorded a version of "No Lookin' Back" for his own Vox Humana album the year before. The pair wrote "No Lookin' Back with keyboardist Ed Sanford, who had a big hit of his own in the late 70s with "Smoke From A Dist...

80's throwback for this week has eight more nuggets from 1984, the year the Herreys' "Diggi-Loo, Diggi-Ley" won the Eurovision song contest for Sweden. Van Stephenson - "What The Big Girls Do" from the album Righteous Anger (1984) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #45 Songwriters: Jan Buckingham, Steve Buckingham, Van Stephenson Van would go on to be a third of one of the biggest country groups of the 90s, Blackhawk, after trying out the power-pop route in the 80s like on this MTV staple. (Click below to see the rest of the post)

It's throwback thursday time 70s style, and this week I'm back to 1974, the year the first all-female team climbed to the top of Mount Everest... Gordon Lightfoot - " Sundown " from the album Sundown (1974) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1  Songwriter: Gordon Lightfoot According to Gordon, the song was about former girlfriend Cathy Smith, who would go on to go to jail for assisting in the overdose of John Belushi in 1982. (Click below to see the rest of the post)

John Cafferty & The Beaver Brown Band - " C-I-T-Y " from the album Tough All Over (1985) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #18 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 8 Today's Song of the Day comes from the Rhode Island bar band John Cafferty and Beaver Brown , who followed up their success with the soundtrack to Eddie and the Cruisers with a straight ahead rock record Tough All Over , scoring a top-40 hit with the title track . The second release from the album, "C-I-T-Y", was another danceable rock number that so encapsulated the mid-80s... "C-I-T-Y" became the band's fourth and final top-40 pop hit in October of 1985, while scaling to #9 on Billboard magazine's Mainstream Rock radio chart. In neighboring Canada, it also made the top-40 at #30. Cafferty would put out a few more minor pop hits, including a contribution to the Rocky IV soundtrack, " Heart's On Fire ". His last time on the pop chart came in 1989 with a song ...

Time to head Down Under to check out the songs making the official sales chart in Australia this week, as the Justice Crew rule for a third week at #1 with " Que Sera "... The top debut of the week at #24 is from the Amity Affliction, a metalcore band from Queensland, with "Don't Lean On Me". It's their second consecutive top-40 hit in their home country... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Hey gang, it's 60s time again, and this week I'm back to 1964, the year hundreds of students marched in Times Square and San Francisco to protest the Vietnam War.... Mary Wells - " My Guy " from the album Mary Wells Sings My Guy (1964) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1 Songwriter: Smokey Robinson The biggest hit for Motown's first big star, the song has hit the chart for more acts than you can count on both hands, but it's Mary's perky original that retains its innocent sweetness the best. (Click below to see the rest of the post)

John Waite - " Every Step Of The Way " from the album Mask Of Smiles (1985) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #25 (two weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 6 Today's Song of the Day comes from British rock singer John Waite , who had left his power-pop band the Babys to score a #1 pop hit in America in 1984 with " Missing You " and a top-40 follow-up with " Tears ". The following year, John released his third solo album Mask Of Smiles , and the first single from the project, "Every Step Of The Way", co-written by the artist with Czech rock/punk songwriter Ivan Kral. Behold the wall of hair in the video... "Every Step Of The Way" became Waite's third and final solo top-40 pop hit in September of 1985. It was a much bigger hit on rock radio, climbing to #4 on Billboard magazine's Mainstream Rock radio chart. Internationally, while it popped in the top-40 at #39 in Canada, it failed to even make the singles chart in Waite's ...

I'm ready to cross the border into Germany to check out the songs making the official singles chart this week.... There's a new #1 on the list, and it's from rapper Cro from the southern city of Aalen with "Traum" ("Dream"). The man who dons an eerie panda mask has had one other #1 hit with "Whatever" from 2013... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

It's time to cross the Atlantic yet again to check out the song making the official sales chart in France this week, as Milky Chance holds at #1 for a second week with "Stolen Dance" The top debut of the week at #18 belongs to a duo that recently competed on France's version of The Voice . Frero Delavega (a moniker built on their two surnames) place their first single on the chart with "Sweet Darling"... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

John Cougar Mellencamp - " Lonely Ol' Night " from the album Scarecrow (1985) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #6 (two weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 13 Today's Song of the Day is from Midwestern rocker John Cougar Mellencamp , whose 1983 album Uh Huh pointed him more into an everyman artistic direction, and scored three top-20 pop hits with " Crumblin' Down ", " Pink Houses ", and " The Authority Song ". In 1985, John started writing and recording the music to what would end up his probably his most important piece of work, the Scarecrow album. Wanting to replicate the oldtime 60s rock and roll of his youth, he put together a top notch backing band who learned classic rock tunes before setting them loose on his originals. The resulting work was a classic that should rank over some more heralded albums, but Mellencamp had a lot to overcome for his "Cougar" days. The first single from the album was the rollicking "Lonely...

Loose Ends - " Hanging On A String (Contemplating) " from the album So Where Are You? (1984) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #43 This week's "robbed hit" comes from the British soul trio Loose Ends , who came together in the early 80s under musician Steve Nichol along with singers Jane Eugene and Carl McIntosh. They released their debut album A Little Spice in 1984 in England, where they had a few minor hits including one that almost made the top-40 there at #41, " Emergency (Dial 999) ". However it wasn't until their second UK set So Where Are You? that they had their big break with a slinky neo-soul number called "Hanging On A String". With a sophistication like acts like Sade along with a groove that Soul II Soul would capitalize on, the single became their first top-40 hit in the UK, and when their debut album was released in the US, it included this song, and it became their first taste of success on this side of the ocean... ...

It's time for part two of this week's "album sweep", sampling the records making their debut on this week's Top 200 Albums sales chart in Billboard magazine. You can check out part one by clicking here, and as before I've included highlighted links to buy the albums and some of the artists' other work... Coming in at #53 is the second full-length effort from indie-pop musician Kishi Bashi, with Lighght . (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Whitney Houston - " Saving All My Love For You " from the album Whitney Houston (1985) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 15 Today's Song of the Day is from Whitney Houston , who in 1985 was a fresh-faced up and coming newbie on the music scene whose classy soft R&B debut album had introduced her to pop and soul radio with " You Give Good Love ". For the second American single from the album, Whitney released the slinky "Saving All My Love For You", which hid a tale of infidelity underneath its cocktail party-ready sheen. The song, written by former Carole King collaborator Gerry Goffin and Michael Masser, was originally recorded by 2/5ths of the Fifth Dimension, Marilyn McCoo and Billy Davis Jr. in 1978.... Whitney's youth and vitality certainly gave more power to the theme of the song, and her range was custom-fit for the record... "Saving All My Love For You" became Whitney's first #1...

Hey gang, Sunday is here, and it's time to check out the songs making the just-released official sales chart in Britain this week.... The top-selling song in the country this week belongs to angelic-voiced singer Sam Smith, who nabs his third #1 hit with "Stay With Me". Previously he topped the chart as a featured artist on Naughty Boy's "La La La" and on his own "Money On My Mind".... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

I'm ready to kick off the first half of this week's "album sweep", sampling the records making their debut on the official Top 200 Albums sales chart in Billboard magazine. As usual, I've included links to buy the newbies as well as some of the artists' other work, but if you can, stop on by an independent record store. It'll do your soul some good... There were a race for the top spot this week, and the winner by about 7,000 copies is Turn Blue , the eighth album and third big-time release for the indie-rock duo the Black Keys. It's their first to hit the top of the chart... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

a-ha - " Take On Me " from the album Hunting High and Low (1985) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 15 Today's Song of the Day is by the Norwegian new wave trio a-ha , who came together in Oslo in the early 80s when leader singer Morten Hacket met keyboard player Magne Furuholmen and guitarist Paul Waaktaar. They released their debut album in 1985, and the first single from the set, "Take On Me", original sported a by-the-number performance video, but when MTV got a hold of their second visualization, which had the band and a lady immersed in an animated action clip directed by Steve Barron ("Billie Jean", "Money For Nothing") that was truly innovative and captivating, the channel made it their star attraction. Alan Tarney's vivid production added to the danceability of the track... "Take On Me" became the trio's first top-40 hit in America, climbing to #1 in October of 1985, while scal...

I've come to the end of today's "chart sweeps", checking out the songs making the singles charts in Billboard magazine, and I'll wrap things up with the latest dance jams in the clubs and on the radio. On the DJ-polled Dance Club Play chart, Australian DJ and singer Havana Brown lands her fourth #1 hit with " Warrior "... Rocketing in at #30 is the pop smash from Aussie rapper Iggy Azalea with "Fancy" featuring Charli XCX. Last year Iggy went to #5 on this chart with " Work "... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Part four of today's "chart sweeps" has the latest songs on country radio as monitored by Billboard magazine... On their Country Airplay chart, Luke Bryan claims his ninth #1 hit with " Play It Again "... The top debut of the week comes from Brantley Gilbert, who teams up with Justin Moore and Thomas Rhett for "Small Town Throwdown". It follows his #1 hit " Bottoms Up "... (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 up the latest R&B songs on the radio... On the main R&B/Hip Hop Airplay chart, Jhene Aiko holds tight at #1 for a third week with " The Worst "... The top debut of the week belongs to singer/songwriter Trey Songz, whose second single from his upcoming sixth album, "SmartPhones", comes in at #46. The first, " Na Na ", peaked at #9 a few weeks back and now is at #13 for the third straight week... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Round two of this week's "chart sweeps" brings you the latest rock songs making the radio charts in Billboard magazine.... On the main aggregate Rock Airplay chart, The Black Keys hold on to #1 for a second week with " Fever "... Leaping on to the chart at #34 as the top debut are the reggae-rock tones of the Dirty Heads with "My Sweet Summer", the first single from their upcoming third album Sound Of Change , and my " Rock Pick of the Week ". They previously topped this chart back in 2010 with " Lay Me Down "... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

I'm ready to kick off the first of today's five "chart sweeps", sampling the songs making their debut on the various singles charts in Billboard magazine. As always, I'll start with the pop side of things, then later on move on to rock, R&B, country, and dance music... On the "big" chart, Billboard 's Hot 100 , which combines tallies of radio airplay, sales, and internet streaming, John legend holds tight at #1 for a third week with " All Of Me "... The top debut of the week comes from the Australian "boy-band" 5 Seconds of Summer, with their second hit single in the US, "Don't Stop", at #47. Their first, " She Looks So Perfect ", moves up to a new high of #32 this week... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Ready For The World - " Oh Sheila " from the album Ready For The World (1985) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 13 Today's Song of the Day is by the R&B/funk group Ready for the World who came out of the former automotive giant of Flint, Michigan, where they were discovered on local radio before being signed by MCA Records in the mid-80s. They released their self-titled debut album in 1985, and the first single released from the project, "Oh Sheila", was a dead ringer for a Prince track, and with vocals from leader Melvin Riley resembling the Purple One and a chord structure sooooo close to Sheila E's "The Glamorous Life", it caught on with pop and soul audiences alike. And of course, they threw in an Aussie sounding "Sheila" to throw you slightly off... "Oh Sheila" became a #1 hit simultaneously on the pop, R&B, and dance chart in Billboard magazine in October of 1985. Internati...

Friday is finally here, and it's time to run down my top 100 tunes from the week. Fitz & The Tantrums stick around on top for a second week, while the Black Keys (pictured above) climb up four spots in the top-10. Songs by Iggy Azalea, Sam Smith, and Craig Campbell make the biggest jumps (moves of 10+ places highlighted in red ), while former big hits from OneRepublic, Pretty Reckless, and Sam Smith (again) drop off my list. Happy Memorial Day summer kickoff weekend every who has it! This Week               Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. The Walker - Fitz & The Tantrums (1) 2. Happy - Pharrell Williams (2) 3. Sleeping With A Friend - Neon Trees (3) 4. All Of Me - John Legend (4) 5. Come With Me Now - KONGOS (6) 6. Fever - The Black Keys (10) 7. Let It Go - Idina Menzel (...

Ratt - " Lay It Down " from the album Invasion Of Your Privacy (1985) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #40 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 1 Today's Song of the Day belongs to the Californian glam metal band Ratt , who scored their first top-40 hit with their single " Round And Round " from their debut full-length album. It was no doubt helped by the music video, featuring a dragged-up Milton Berle, and was all over MTV. A year later, they released their sophomore set Invasion Of Your Privacy , and though the video for first single "Lay It Down" didn't have Milton, it did have a well-film concept of a kid's idea of a fun birthday, as well as a guitar riff that killed ... "Lay It Down" popped into the American top-40 for a week in August of 1985, while scaling to #11 on Billboard 's Mainstream Rock radio chart. Internationally the single would be their first top-40 hit in Germany, and it was a minor hit in England (#77) and S...