Pop Sweep: March 21, 2015...
It's time to kick off the first of today's five "chart sweeps", checking out the songs making their way on to the various charts in Billboard magazine. As usual, I'll start on the pop side of things, and then later in the day bring out the latest in rock, R&B, country and dance music. And away we gooooo.
On the "big" chart, Billboard's Hot 100, which combines tallies of internet streaming (like Spotify and YouTube), radio airplay from all formats, and sales (like iTunes and AmazonMP3), Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars join the double digit club as "Uptown Funk!" is at #1 for a tenth week...
Leaping in at #15 is the third collaboration between rapper Kanye West and Paul McCartney, "All Day". This track from his upcoming So Help Me God album features rappers Theophilus London and Allan Kingdom. The pair's track with Rihanna, "FourFiveSeconds", holds at #5 this week...
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Proving its emergence as the show to watch this spring, Empire, the musical drama combining Shakespearean plots, hip-hop music, and Terrence Howard overacting, sends another song to the chart as the cast's "Conqueror" marches in at #42. That's five notches higher than last week's debut "You're So Beautiful" jumps to from #71. "Conqueror" features ("newly out") actor Jussie Smollett and British singer Estelle, who originally released the song as a solo track on her True Romance album last year. Back in 2008 she went to #9 with "American Boy" with....Kanye West...
Canadian pop singer Carly Rae Jepsen reappears at #48 with her new song "I Really Like You". It's been almost three years since her earworm "Call Me Maybe" went to #1 for nine weeks in the U.S. Of course, having Tom Hanks lipsynch for your video doesn't hurt...
Another of the former "exclusive" tracks from Taylor Swift's 1989 album, "New Romantics", gets its wide release and enters the chart at #71. (There's no official audio or video for this. Boo!)
Country singer Billy Currington lands at #91 with "Don't It". Three of his singles have made the top 40 on this chart, with "People Are Crazy" reaching #27 in 2009...
Norwegian pop/electronica producer Cashmere Cat teams up with singer Ariana Grande at #93 with "Adore"...
Eric Paslay comes in at #94 with "She Don't Love You", the fourth single from his self-titled debut album. His breakthrough hit, "Friday Night", went to #47 here last year (and #2 on the country chart)...
Philly rapper Meek Mill is back at #96 with "Monster", from his forthcoming Dreams Worth More Than Money. His controversial track "Amen" went to #57 in 2012...
The last new entry on the Hot 100 at #97 is from dubstep kings Skrillex and Diplo who hire Canadian scourge Justin Bieber for "Where Are U Now". This is Skrillex's sixth hit on the Hot 100; he climbed to #69 in 2010 with "Scary Monsters and Nice Sprites". Bieber's been absent from the Hot 100 since 2013...
And now on to the pop radio format charts...
On the Mainstream Top-40 radio panel, Ed Sheeran climbs to the top with "Thinking Out Loud". This is the British singer/songwriter's first time at #1 on this list...
Australian rapper Iggy Azalea comes in at #38 with "Trouble" featuring singer/actress/best thing about this record Jennifer Hudson. It's the second single from the reworked Reclassified edition of her "debut" album. "Beg For It" featuring MO went to #11 on this format...
Female vocal group Fifth Harmony chime in at #39 with "Worth It". It's the follow-up to "Sledgehammer", which peaked at #21 here...
My "Pop Pick of the Week" this time out belongs to British singer Olly Murs as the former X Factor UK runner-up arrives at #40 with "Wrapped Up" featuring Travie McCoy. He previously made the top-10 on this chart with "Troublemaker"...
Meanwhile, on the older-skewing Adult Top-40 pop format, "Thinking Out Loud" returns to #1 for a fourth non-consecutive week...
The lead singer of the modern rock trio fun., Nate Ruess, moves in at #32 with his first solo hit "Nothing Without Love". Apart from the group he also topped this chart as a featured artist on P!nk's "Just Give Me A Reason"...
Alt-hip-hop singer The Weeknd's track from the 50 Shades Of Grey movie, "Earned It", whips in at #38. Ellie Goulding's "Love Me Like You Do" from the film is up at #11 as well...
Singer/songwriter Rachel Platten comes in at #40 with "Fight Song". Back in 2011 she went to #24 with "1000 Ships"...
Lastly, on the Adult Contemporary (or "easy listening") radio chart, Ed Sheeran's "Thinking Out Loud" makes it to the top (his first AC #1)...
Vegas modern rock band Imagine Dragons burn in at #30 with "I Bet My Life". Their best on this format was a #11 showing with "Demons"...
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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