Pop Sweep: January 3, 2015...

Hey gang, it's time to roll out my five-part "chart sweeps", checking out the songs making their debut on the various charts in Billboard magazine. As usual, I'll start out on the pop side of things, then later in the day sample the latest tunes on rock, R&B, country, and dance radio.....

On the "big" chart, Billboard's Hot 100, which combines tallies of radio airplay of all formats, internet streaming (like Spotify and YouTube), and sales (like iTunes and Amazon), Taylor Swift holds on to #1 for a sixth week (her personal best) with "Blank Space"...

Out of the eleven songs debuting on the Hot 100 this week, six of them come from the singing competition TV show The Voice, which had its finale on the 16th of December. All four of the final contestants are represented, and two even made the top-40. But it wasn't the winner of the season who got the top nod on the chart - it was runner-up Matt McAndrew by a mile. The singer/guitarist from Long Beach Island, New Jersey comes in way up at #14 with his "original finale" song, "Wasted Love". The song was co-written by Canadian singer/songwriter/fave of mine Chantal Kreviasuk, and sold over 200,000 copies in its first week, landing at #5 on the Digital Songs chart (the most of any Voice finalist for a week)...

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The man who did win The Voice, country singer Craig Wayne Boyd, had the triple threat of Adam Levine's team splitting the voice three ways, mentor Blake Shelton's rabid fanbase, and the holy roller crowd to rack up phone-in votes, and while his "winner's single" "My Baby's Got A Smile On Her Face" made the top-ten sales list at #7, it makes the Hot 100 at #34....

As Nicki Minaj's new album The Pinkprint lands at #3 on the albums sales chart, two of its tracks sell/stream/got aired enough to make the chart on their own. (Current radio single "Only" drops three notches to #15). First up is "Feeling Myself" featuring Beyonce which enters at #43...

The third-place finisher on The Voice this season, Chris Jamison, comes in at #53 with his "original finale song", "Velvet"...

Chris can take solace that his "finale duet" song with mentor Adam Levine, a cover of Robin Thicke's "Lost Without U", is the top duet song of the season at #63. The original went to #14 on the Hot 100 for Thicke in 2007...

The third single from British pop singer/songwriter Jessie J's Sweet Talker album, "Masterpiece", moves in at #65. The first, "Bang Bang" with Ariana Grande and Nicki Minaj, peaked at #3 and drops to #22 this week...

The fourth-place "wild card" finalist on The Voice, Damien, marches in at #74 with his "original finale song", "Soldier"...

Matt McAndrew's "finale duet" with Voice mentor Adam Levine, "Lost Stars" (an Adam Levine track from the movie Begin Again), comes in at #83. The original wasn't a hit in the States, but was a sizable success in East Asia...

 The second Nicki Minaj entry this week at #88 is "Get On Your Knees" with Ariana Grande...

Last week two album tracks from R&B singer/rapper J. Cole's #1 album 2014 Forest Hills Drive entered the Hot 100. This time out, while only "Wet Dreamz" remains on the chart, dropping to #98, the actual radio single from the set, "Apparently", finally makes its way in at #90...

The third single from country singer Chris Young's A.M. album, "Lonely Eyes", is the last Hot 100 debut at #95. The first, "Aw Naw", climbed to #45 last year...

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

On the Mainstream Top-40 radio panel "Blank Space" is on top for a second week...

Bachata Latin artist Prince Royce sends his first all-English-language single "Stuck On A Feeling" featuring rapper Snoop Dogg at #29...

Ariana Grande's holiday single "Santa Tell Me" makes the pop radio chart a little bit jollier at #39. Her regular radio single "Love Me Harder" also moves up to #5...

Usher comes in at #40 with "I Don't Mind" featuring rapper Juicy J. The track is also in the top-40 on the Hot 100....

Meanwhile, on the older-skewing Adult Top-40 format, Taylor Swift moves up to #1 with "Blank Space"...

The second single from Maryland rock band O.A.R.'s Rockville LP (named for their hometown), "Favorite Song", is in at #38. It follows "Peace", which made it to #14 earlier this year...

Singer/songwriter Mat Kearney enters at #39 with ""Heartbeat", the first single from his upcoming fifth album Just Kids, and my "Pop Pick of the Week". His first hit single "Nothing Left To Lose" went to #7 on this chart in 2006...

 U2 went to #4 on this chart back in 200 with "Beautiful Day". Now they're back at #40 with a song from their iTunes giveaway fiasco Songs Of Innocence, "Every Breaking Wave"...

Lastly, on the Adult Contemporary, or "easy listening" radio chart, "Baby It's Cold Outside" from Idina Menzel and Michael Buble' rules for a third week, while 21 of the 30 spots are Christmas songs, including the two newbies...

The prog-rock turned holiday juggernaut Trans-Siberian Orchestra lands at #26 with "Music Box Blues". In 2012 their "Fireflies" went to #3 on this list...

A cappella group Straight No Chaser drops in at #30 with "Text Me Merry Christmas" featuring Kristen Bell, making both stars of the hit movie Frozen appear at #1 and #30 on the chart...

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