Twostepcublog

" Never Can Say Goodbye " - The Communards from the album Red (1987) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #51 This week's "robbed hit" comes from the British new-wave duo the Communards, led by former Bronski Beat singer Jimmy Somerville along with multi-instrumentalist Richard Coles. While their self-titled debut album in 1986 contained a ton of political and social issue lyrics, as well as Eastern European design and music style (like on their first single "So Cold The Night"), it was a campy cover of the disco classic " Don't Leave Me This Way " that got them to #1 for a month in the UK and the top-40 in America. A year later they released Red , an even more advanced and complete take on issues, specifically gay rights, but they didn't forget to include another club classic. After the first British single " Tomorrow " (a delve into the domestic abuse problem) peaked at #23 in the UK (and top-40 across much of Europe), the pa...

" Angel " - Aerosmith from the album Permanent Vacation (1987) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #3 (two weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 15 Today's song of the day comes from the blues/glam-ish rock band Aerosmith , who staged a "comeback" on the momentum from their collaboration with the rap group Run DMC (who remade the band's "Walk This Way") with their Permanent Vacation album, which scored their first top-20 pop hit in over a decade with " Dude (Looks Like A Lady) ". The second radio single from the record was the ballad "Angel", written by lead singer Steven Tyler along with "song doctor" Desmond Child, and it became their highest-charting song up to that point... "Angel" climbed into the top-3 on the American pop chart in April of 1988. The song also spent three weeks at #2 on Billboard 's Mainstream Rock radio chart. Internationally, it reached #14 in Canada and was a minor hit in the UK at #69....

It's time to cross the Atlantic to check out the songs making the latest official chart in Britain this week, as Justin Bieber's "Sorry" spends a second week at #1... Former The Wanted lead singer Nathan Sykes scores his first solo top-10 hit as "Over and Over Again" comes in at #8. It follows the stellar " Kiss Me Quick " which went to #14 earlier this year.... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

" Devil Inside " - INXS from the album Kick (1987) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #2 (two weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 12 Today's song of the day comes from the Australian rock band INXS , who became A-list stars in America with their sixth studio album, Kick . The first single, the slinky " Need You Tonight ", topped the US pop chart in the beginning of 1988. The second single from the record was another half-whispered vocal from Michael Hutchence, "Devil Inside", though the pace was upped a few notches in the process. The video, which is like a distilled version of the 80s, was directed by a pre- Batman Joel Schumacher... "Devil Inside" rose to the runner up position on the American pop chart in April of 1988, while also reaching that mark on Billboard 's Mainstream Rock radio chart. Internationally, the single went to #6 in their native Australia as well as New Zealand, and #20 in France, and #33 in Germany, but missed the Brit...

I'll wrap up this week's "Music sweeps" with the latest dance jams in the clubs and on the radio as tallied by Billboard magazine. On their DJ-polled Dance Club Play chart, Faithless return to #1 with the new version of their 1995 chart-topper, " Insomnia 2.0 "... Robin S, who had a trio of #1 dance hits in the 90s including the pop smash "Show Me Love", returns at #39 with "Shout It Out Loud!" with DJ Escape, my " Dance Pick of the Week "... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Part four of my "music sweeps" has the latest hits on country radio as monitored by Billboard magazine. On their Country Airplay chart, Chris Young's " I'm Comin' Over " spends a second week at #1... Frankie Ballard takes the top new entry of the week at #45 with "It All Started With A Beer", presumably the first single from his third album. His last record produced three straight #1 hits with "Helluva Life", "Sunshine & Whiskey", and "Young & Crazy"... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

We're at the "hump" of today's "music sweep", sampling the songs making their way on to the official singles charts in Billboard magazine, and this time up I'm serving up the latest hits on R&B radio... On the main R&B/Hip Hop Airplay chart, Drake's " Hotline Bling " is on top for a seventh week... Jazz-soul singer Lalah Hathaway takes her cover of Anita Baker's "Angel" to the main R&B list at #41... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Round two of this week's "music sweeps" is up with the latest hits on rock radio as monitored by Billboard magazine. On their main Rock Airplay chart, the Cold War Kids spend a fifth week on top with " First "... Blues-rock "supergroup" the Dead Weather, which includes Jack White of the White Stripes/Raconteurs, Alison Mossheart of the Kills, Dean Fertita of Queens of the Stone Age, and Jack Lawrence also from the Raconteurs, make their chart debut at #47 with "I Feel Love (Every Million Miles)"... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

I'm ready to kick off the first of today's "music sweeps", checking out the songs making their debut on the various radio and singles charts in Billboard magazine this week. I'll start off on the pop side of things, then later in the day move on to the latest in rock, R&B, country, and dance music. And away we go.... On the "big" chart, Billboard 's Hot 100 , which combines tallies of sales (like iTunes and Amazon MP3), internet streaming (like Spotify and YouTube), and radio airplay from all formats, Adele hangs tight at #1 with " Hello " for a fourth week... As Justin Bieber's Purpose album debuts in the top spot on the Albums chart, 12 of its tracks make their debut individually on the Hot 100 (don't get me started on how. ) One of those, the third radio single "Love Yourself", leaps in at #4, joining " Sorry " and " What Do You Mean? " to give him three songs in the top 10... (Clic...

" Some Kind Of Lover " - Jody Watley from the album Jody Watley (1987) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #10 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 10 Today's song of the day comes from Jody Watley , whose stellar solo debut album, which nabbed her a Grammy award for Best New Artist (even after years with Shalamar), already had netted her a pair of top-10 hits with " Looking For A New Love " and " Don't You Want Me ". The fourth single from the record was the jubilant dance-pop love song of "Some Kind Of Lover". Written by Jody with Andre Cymone, who produced the track with Prince collaborator David Z, the keyboard-led track was the perfect culmination of the road to joy in the album's songs. She also got two nominations for the MTV Video Awards for the clip, featuring Jody's dancing as well as a slightly different mix which started with a throwback to the hook on "Looking For A New Love"... "Some Kind Of Lover" ...

"Black" Friday is here, and I'm ready to roll out my top 100 tunes from the previous week. Taylor Swift holds tight at #1 for a fourth week, while Adele (pictured above werkin' it ) rockets from #20 to #2. Songs from Thomas Rhett, Jess Glynne, and Vance Joy make the biggest jumps (moves of 10+ places highlighted in red ), while former big hits from the Struts, Bob Sinclar, Florence + The Machine, Disclosure with Sam Smith, and George Ezra drop off the list. Let the Christmas games begin!!! This Week                    Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Wildest Dreams - Taylor Swift (1) 2. Hello - Adele (20) 3. S.O.B. - Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats (5) 4. Ex's & Oh's - Elle King (2) 5. Nothin' Like You - Dan + Shay (6) 6. Like I'm Gonna Lose You - Megh...

" Check It Out " - John Cougar Mellencamp from the album The Lonesome Jubilee (1987) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #14 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 9 Today's song of the day is by rock singer/songwriter John "Cougar" Mellencamp , whose 1987 album The Lonesome Jubilee had already spun off a pair of top-10 pop hits in America with " Paper In Fire " and " Cherry Bomb ". The third release from the record was yet another reflective song about the state of life in the poverty-stricken heartland of his youth... "Check It Out" climbed into the pop top-20 in April of 1988, while rising up to #3 on Billboard 's Mainstream Rock radio chart. Internationally, the song went to #12 in Canada, #18 in New Zealand, and #22 in Australia. (Click below to see the rest of the post)

It's time to head Down Under to check out the songs making their debut on the official singles chart in Australia this week, as Adele's " Hello " hangs in at #1 for a fourth week... As Justin Bieber's Purpose album is the top-selling record in the country in its first week, four of its track make their way on to the top-50, joining " Sorry " at #2, " What Do You Mean " at #7, and " I'll Show You " at #20. First at #3 is the presumed third radio single "Love Yourself".. (Click below to see the rest of the post)

" When We Was Fab " - George Harrison from the album Cloud Nine (1987) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #23 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 6 Today's Song of the Day comes from the late George Harrison , who had a big "pop" comeback in 1987 with his pseudo-rockabilly hit cover of " Got My Mind Set On You ".  The second single from his Cloud Nine album was a sonic throwback to his days with the Beatles, "When We Was Fab". Written and produced by Harrison with Jeff Lynne from ELO (and Harrison side-act The Traveling Wilburys), the song sounded plucked from one of the Fab Four's later psychedelic albums, while being accessible enough for the youngsters to sing along. The music video, directed by special effects and pop stars in their own right Godley and Creme, sported cameos from Lynne, fellow Beatle-mate Ringo Starr and Elton John... "When We Was Fab" became George's thirteenth and final top-40 solo pop hit in America...

Here's the top ten hits in Germany this week, according to the country's official singles chart , as Adele's "Hello" is on top for a fourth week... 1. " Hello " - Adele (1) 2. " Geiles Leben " - Glasperlenspiel (2) 3. " Avenir " - Louane (3) 4. " Sorry " - Justin Bieber (5) 5. " Astronaut " - Sido featuring Andreas Bourani (4) 6. " Lush Life " - Zara Larsson (7) 7. "Love Yourself" - Justin Bieber (DEBUT) 8. " What Do You Mean? " - Justin Bieber (RE-ENTRY) 9. " Lieblingsmensch " - Namika (6) 10. " Photograph " - Ed Sheeran (RE-ENTRY) Justin Bieber finds himself with three songs from his Purpose album in the top ten as "Love Yourself" arrives at #7...

" Girlfriend " - Pebbles from the album Pebbles (1987) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #5 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 12 Today's song of the day comes from R&B/dance singer Perri "Pebbles" Reid , who went from being a back-up singer for funk collective Confunkshun to a solo deal in the mid-80s. Her song " Love/Hate " was added to the soundtrack to Beverly Hills Cop II , and reached the dance chart at #34 in 1987.  She released her debut album the same year, and the first single was written and produced by the duo of "Babyface" Edmonds and "L.A." Reid, who were members of the R&B group the Deele. "Girlfriend" was a sugary slice of dance-pop with a heap of soul sass that would lead to a score of Paula Abduls by the end of the decade... "Girlfriend" became Pebbles' first top-10 pop hit in April of 1988. The song climbed all the way to #1 on Billboard 's R&B chart for a couple weeks in ...

Here's the top ten hits in France this week, according to the country's official singles chart , as Adele's "Hello" spends a fourth week at #1... 1. " Hello " - Adele (1) 2. "Working Class Hero" - John Lennon (DEBUT) 3. " Don't Worry " - Madcon featuring Ray Dalton (5) 4. " Sapes Comme Jamais " - Maitre Gims (3) 5. "The Writing's On The Wall" - Sam Smith (DEBUT) 6. " Marvin Gaye " - Charlie Puth featuring Meghan Trainor (2) 7. " Summer 2015 " - L.E.J. (6) 8. " What Do You Mean? " - Justin Bieber (RE-ENTRY) 9. " Stolen Car " - Mylene Farmer & Sting (7) 10. " Photograph " - Ed Sheeran (9) John Lennon's classic song from 1971 "Working Class Hero" leaps onto the top ten at #2... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

" Live Your Life " - Boy George from the album Hiding Out (Original Soundtrack) (1987) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #40 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 1 Today's song of the day comes from British singer Boy George , who had led the band Culture Club to ten top-40 pop hits in America in the early 80s. However, he left the band in a drug-fuel shambles of a life, entering rehab, then having to beat an addiction to the meds to beat the addiction. In 1987, he released his first solo album, Sold , which was pretty successful in the UK, spinning off four top-40 hits including a #1 cover of the soft-rock classic from Bread, " Everything I Own ", done pop-reggae style. This didn't cross over to America, though, with the album being horribly overlooked. George did return to mainstream American radio the following year courtesy of his contribution to the Jon Cryer movie Hiding Out . "Live My Life", written by Danny Sembello ("Maniac" Micha...

"Never Thought (That I Could Love)" - Dan Hill from the album Dan Hill (1987) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #43 This week's 'robbed hit' comes from Canadian pop singer/songwriter Dan Hill, who had returned to the top ten on the American pop charts in 1987 with " Can't We Try ". He released another self-penned ballad as a follow-up, the more optimistic "Never Thought (That I Could Love)"... While "Never Thought" went all the way to #2 on Billboard 's Adult Contemporary radio chart, the same as "Can't We Try", the song stalled right under the American Top-40 at #43. It stayed on the chart longer than any other that missed the top-40 in 1988 - 20 weeks.

" Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car " - Billy Ocean from the album Tear Down These Walls (1988) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1 (two weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 14 Today's Song of the Day comes from Trinidadian pop/dance singer/songwriter Billy Ocean , whose 1986 album Love Zone rewarded him with four top-20 pop hits with " Love Is Forever ", " When The Going Gets Tough, The Tough Get Going " (from The Jewel Of The Nile ), the title track , and the #1 " There'll Be Sad Songs (To Make You Cry) ". Billy started out 1988 by releasing Tear Down These Walls , his seventh studio album, in January, and the first single from the set, co-written by the artist with producer "Mutt" Lange, showed the latter's propensity for extended song titles (like "When The Going Gets Tough". "Get Outta My Dreams, Get Into My Car" returned Billy to the top of the pops in America with a "safe" but foot-tapping sl...

" Twilight World " - Swing Out Sister from the album It's Better To Travel (1987) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #31 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 3 Today's Song of the Day comes from the British jazz-pop ensemble Swing Out Sister , who had broke big in America with one of the freshest and enjoyable songs of the decade in " Breakout ". While in their homeland the follow-up was the seductive " Surrender ", which made the top-10 there, in the U.S. the second single was the epic "Twilight World", written by lead singer Corinne Drewery and bandmates Andy Connell and Martin Jackson. Produced lushly by Paul Staveley O'Duffy, it was meant to keep the momentum going with a more uptempo number... "Twilight World" became Swing Out Sister's second and so-far most recent top-40 pop hit in February of 1988. The song also climbed to #7 on Billboard 's Adult Contemporary (or "easy listening") radio chart, while...

" Rocket 2 U " - The Jets from the album Magic (1987) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #6 (two weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 13 Today's song of the day comes from the family band the Jets , who had led off their second album Magic with the top-ten pop hit from the movie Beverly Hills Cop II , " Cross My Broken Heart ", and followed with the top-20 " I Do You ". The third single pulled from the record was the first to feature brother Haini Wolfgramm on lead vocals. "Rocket 2 U", written and produced by Bobby Nunn, a sometimes musical partner with Rick James, was the band's most earnest attempt to sound "funky", with a Cameo-lite bass and lyrics that suggest ever so innocently that they're sick of being "friendzoned"... "Rocket 2 U" became the Jets' fourth top-10 pop hit in April of 1988. The single also climbed to #5 on Billboard 's R&B chart, while the 12" single made it to #3 on the...

Friday is here, and it's time to roll out my top 100 tunes from the previous week. Taylor Swift holds on at #1 for a third week, while big ol' bear Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats (pictured above) leap into the top 5. Former big hits from Fall Out Boy, Silento, and a seasonal one from Demi Lovato drop off my list, while songs from Adele, Duke Dumont, and a resurgent Jess Glynne make the biggest jumps (moves of 10+ places highlighted in red ). Drive South! This Week           Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Wildest Dreams - Taylor Swift (1) 2. Ex's & Oh's - Elle King (2) 3. First - Cold War Kids (3) 4. Like I'm Gonna Lose You - Meghan Trainor f/John Legend (4) 5. S.O.B. - Nathaniel Rateliff and the Night Sweats (10) 6. Nothin' Like You - Dan + Shay (8) 7. Someone New - Hozier (7) 8. Renegades - X Ambassadors (6) 9...

" Man In The Mirror " - Michael Jackson from the album Bad (1987) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1 (two weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 13  Today's song of the day is from Michael Jackson , whose 1987 album Bad had already spun off a trio of #1 pop hits in America with " I Just Can't Stop Loving You ", " The Way You Make Me Feel ", and the title track . The fourth single release from the record was the one that would end up its most timeless, "Man In The Mirror". Written by Glen Ballard and Siedah Garrett (the latter who sang on "I Just Can't Stop Loving You"), and produced by Michael with Quincy Jones, the self-help mantra of a song seemed more of a hymn than a pop hit, and by the gospel ending (provided by Andre Crouch's choir) back in the day it felt like more of a religious experience.... "Man In The Mirror" became the fourth song from Bad to top the Hot 100 in March of 1988. The single also topped t...

It's time to head Down Under to check out the songs making their debut on the official singles chart in Australia this week, as Adele's "Hello" spends a third week at the top... British boy-band wonders One Direction enter at #29 with a track off of their just-released Made In The A.M. album, "History". Current radio hit "Perfect" is at #17 after peaking at #4, while lead single and former #1 "Drag Me Down" moves up a notch to #38... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

" (Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay " - Michael Bolton from the album The Hunger (1987) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #11 (two weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 10 Today's song of the day was a remake of the first single in the rock era to go to #1 after the artist had passed away. Otis Redding's "swan song", "(Sittin' On) The Dock Of The Bay", was recorded right before Otis' tragic plane crash in 1967. Written with Stax Records house band guitarist Steve Cropper, the breezy, reflective song captured the hearts of Americans enough to send it to the top of the pop chart in March of the following year... In 1987, singer/songwriter/hair product Michael Bolton released a cover of the song as his second single after his first top-40 hit " That's What Love Is All About ". In doing so he stripped all the subdued soul and nuanced melancholy from the track, and turned it into a overachieving vocal exercise with the subtlety of a...

Here's the top ten hits in Germany this week, according to their official music singles chart , as Adele remains on top for a third week... 1. " Hello " - Adele (1) 2. " Geiles Leben " - Glasperlenspiel (2) 3. " Avenir " - Louane (3) 4. " Astronaut " - Sido featuring Andreas Bourani (4) 5. " Sorry " - Justin Bieber (5) 6. " Lieblingsmench " - Namika (6) 7. "Lush Life" - Zara Larsson (DEBUT) 8. " Easy Love " - Sigala (9) 9. "On My Mind" - Ellie Goulding (DEBUT) 10. " Book Of Love " - Felix Jaehn featuring Polina (8) The song I featured last week, "Lush Life" from Swedish singer Zara Larsson, jumps into the top ten here this week, becoming her first in this country... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

"Hysteria" - Def Leppard from the album Hysteria (1987) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #10 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 10 Today's song of the day comes from the heavy metal group Def Leppard , whose album that would become their biggest ever, Hysteria , had a slow start, with the first single "Women" stalling down in the bottom quarter of the Hot 100, and second release " Animal " finally reaching the top-20 on the pop chart. The third single from the album was the title track, a brooding mid-tempo number written by the band with producer "Mutt" Lange... "Hysteria" became the band's first top-10 pop hit in America in March of 1988, while also climbing to #9 on Billboard 's Mainstream Rock radio chart. In their native Britain, the song reached #26 (as the fourth single in that country after "Pour Some Sugar On Me"), while peaking at #13 in Canada and #19 in Ireland. (Click below to see the rest of the...

Here's the top ten hits in France this week, according to their official music singles chart , as Adele's "Hello" spends a third week at #1... 1. " Hello " - Adele (1) 2. " Marvin Gaye " - Charlie Puth featuring Meghan Trainor (2) 3. " Sap és Comme Jamais " - Maitre Gims Featuring Niska (5) 4. "Adventure Of A Lifetime" - Coldplay (DEBUT) 5. " Don't Worry " - Madcon featuring Ray Dalton (4) 6. " Summer 2015 " - L.E.J. (3) 7. " Stolen Car " - Mylene Farmer & Sting (RE-ENTRY) 8. " Homeless " - Marina Kaye (RE-ENTRY) 9. "Photograph" - Ed Sheeran (DEBUT) 10. " Guru " - Adam Vadel (6) British modern rock band Coldplay leaps on to the entire top-100 chart at #4 with their new single "Adventure Of A Lifetime". It becomes their sixth top-10 hit in France; they went to #3 with "A Sky Full Of Stars"... (Click below to see the res...

" Spotlight " - Madonna from the album You Can Dance (1987) Billboard Hot 100 peak: did not chart Billboard Pop Airplay peak: #32 (one week) Weeks in the airplay chart: 5 Today's Song of the Day is from Madonna , who was last seen with two songs from the soundtrack to her horrendous film excursion Who's That Girl with the #1 title track and #2 hit " Causing A Commotion ". To extended the lull between studio albums (her last was 1986's True Blue ), the "Material Girl" released a remix album called You Can Dance . With help from old friend "Jellybean" Benitez, Madge mixed together six older tracks from her first three albums, both singles like "Holiday" and "Into The Groove" and fan faves like "Physical Attraction" and "Where's The Party". Included in the set was a never-before released song that was cut from the True Blue album. Originally written by Curtis Hudson, who had co-p...