Pop Sweep: June 7, 2014...

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't seem like something that would push a record to the top-20. Just sayin'.

The true top debut of the week is a superstar duet from two of the biggest female voices in country music, which is seriously devoid of much womanly presence. Miranda Lambert teams up with former American Idol winner Carrie Underwood at #39 for "Somethin' Bad". It's the second track to make the chart from Miranda's upcoming album Platinum. So far it's gone higher than the first, "Automatic", which had topped out at #41 earlier this year and it still going strong at #46. This new one seems more Underwood style than Lambert's and that's a shame. Miranda's one of the few trad-country holdouts out there...

 (Click below to see the rest of the post)


Another Michael Jackson song debuts on the chart, and it's from his posthumous album Xscape. "Slave To The Rhythm" is the song "performed" with smoke and mirrors at the recent Billboard Music Awards, and it jumps in at #45, no doubt helped from the video from the show. At the same time, his current promoted single "Love Never Felt So Good" drops out of the top-10 from #9 down to #16 after one week...

Rapper Nicki Minaj returns at #47 with the first single from her upcoming third album The Pink Print. "Pills and Potions" is a brooding number that doesn't feel like the main single from the project, but rather a teaser track. I'm sure the dance jam the gheys will die for will come later...

While the sixth season of The Voice concluded on May 20th, this weeks chart only has two entries from the show, and they both are from the competition's third-place finisher, Christina Grimmie. Supposedly, due to a "technical difficulty", the iTunes stats contribution to the finalists votes weren't included, so it may be that Grimmie might have been "robbed". But hey, it's an overblown reality show all about the "star judges" at this point. Anyway.....coming in at #66 is Grimmie's duet with her coach/judge Adam Levine with Gotye's "Somebody That I Used To Know", with of course Adam taking lead. Ugh.

Then at #74 is Christina solo with her cover of Elvis' "Can't Help Falling In Love"...

Country Crossover trio Lady Antebellum preview their upcoming fourth studio album with "Bartender" at #78...

As British newcomer Sam Smith has back-to-back-to-back top-40 hits with "Latch" with Disclosure (#29), "La La La" with Naughty Boy (#30), and his own "Stay With Me" (#31), he enters the chart at #92 with his "coming out" video and my "Pop Pick of the Week", "Leave Your Lover"....

The final entry on the chart is from Colombian siren Shakira, with the third single from her self-titled album, "Dare (La La La)". The first, "Can't Remember To Forget You" with Rihanna, went to #15...

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

On the Mainstream Top-40 radio panel, Justin Timberlake collects his eighth #1 hit with "Not A Bad Thing"...

The top debut on this chart at #36 is "First Love" from Jennifer Lopez. She's topped this chart four times, the last time with "All I Have"...

Next up at #37 is Timberlake again with Michael Jackson on "Love Never Felt So Good". On this chart his highest has been "Will You Be There", which peaked at #3 in 1993...

Australian singer/songwriter Sia is in at #38 with "Chandelier"...

The last entry on this list at #40 is R&B singer/songwriter Trey Songz with "Na Na". Back in 2010 he went to #11 with "Bottoms Up"...

 Meanwhile, on the older-skewing Adult Top-40 format, John Legend remains on top for a fourth week with "All Of Me"...

Scottish DJ and producer Calvin Harris returns at #38 with "Summer". He previously made it to #20 with "Sweet Nothing"....

While New Yorkers American Authors stay in the top-10 at #8 with their former #1 hit "Best Day Of My Life", they arrive at #39 with its follow-up, "Believer"...

The last entry at #40 is another New York-based act, Oh Honey, with their first hit "Be Okay"...

Lastly, on the Adult Contemporary (or "easy listening") radio chart, Pharrell reigns for a sixth week with "Happy"...

The sole entry at #30 is Ingrid Michaelson with "Girls Chase Boys". It's her third single to make this list - she went to #20 with "The Way I Am" in 2007....

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