Rock Sweep: December 19, 2015...

Round two of today's "music sweeps" is up, checking out the songs reaching the charts in Billboard magazine, and this time up I've got the latest hits on rock radio...

On their main Rock Airplay chart, twenty-one pilots spend a second week on top with "Stressed Out"...

British folk-rock band Mumford and Sons see their third single from their more electric offering Wilder Mind, "Ditmas", enter the chart at #46. The first, "Believe", went to #1 last year.  Named for the park in Brooklyn near where they recorded the album, this relationship-ending track is defiantly self-assured even amidst the pain, while the video starring a Ukrainian horse tamer, is simply stunning.

(Click below to see the rest of the post)


Hard rock trio Highly Suspect, led by brothers Ryan and Rich Meyer from Cape Cod, Massachussetts, had a very good week, earning two Grammy nominations, with "Lydia" for Best Rock Song and Mister Asylum getting the nod for Best Rock Album. Their new single "Bloodfeather" arrives at #47. The song is up to #17 on Billboard's Mainstream Rock chart....

While Canadian bro-rockers Theory of a Deadman move up to #14 with "Blow", the fourth single from their Savages album enters at #49. It follows "Angels", which peaked at #18 on this chart. Apparently re-writing Nickelback's "Rock Star" with none of the pathos, this originally was cute but is not kind of grating, I must say.

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

On the harder-edged Mainstream Rock radio panel, Disturbed score their fifth #1 hit with "The Light". It's their second from their album Immortalized after "The Vengeful One"...

"Saint Cecilia", the title track from the Foo Fighters' swan-song EP, lands at #35. It also moves up the Rock Airplay chart to #33 in its second week. Dedicated to the victims of the Paris tragedy, the freebie track is just as worthy as any of their previous hits, proving that if this is their last hurrah, they're going out on top. They've been on top of this chart six times before, dating back to 2005's "Best Of You"...

Hollywood rockers Stitched Up Heart debut at #37 with "Finally Free". Lead singer Mixi takes time off from her No Doubt cover band (probably) to belt out some lite-metalcore on this minor-chord release.

British alt-hard rock band the Struts follow up their breakthrough single, "Could Have Been Me", which peaked at #12 on this list, with "Kiss This" at #39. It was my "Rock Pick" two weeks ago when it entered the main airplay chart, where it now stands at #40 (it's at #32 on the Alternative list)...

Vegas post-hardcore act Escape The Fate drop in at #40 with "Alive". Their highest so far here is "One For The Money" at #11 in 2013. So we've come to the era of mainstream metalcore. Accomplished, but definitely not "raw".

Meanwhile, on the Alternative/Modern Rock chart, "Stressed Out" is on top for a fifth week...

Icelandic indie-rock band Of Monsters and Men roar in at #37 with "Wolves Without Teeth". Lead single "Crystals" peaked at #4 on this list. Their second album was way underrated, and this wall of sound deserves to replicate the debut's success...

...as the aforementioned "Saint Cecilia" comes in at #40...

Lastly, on the Triple-A ("adult album alternative", or "Hipster rock") format, Coldplay's disco-tastic "Adventure Of A Lifetime" climbs to #1...

Singer/songwriter BØRNS dives in at #24 with "10,000 Emerald Pools", which also moves up to #36 on the Alternative chart. With his ethereal vocals on top of a neo-grunge beat, it's a mesh that should break this artist in the States...

Indie-folk heroes The Decemberists pull "Why Would I Now" from their top-10 album What A Beautiful World, What A Terrible World, and nab my "Rock Pick of the Week" with their earnest promise to stay true...

The X Ambassadors' huge rock hit "Renegades" made it to #2 at this format, as it stands at #12 this week. Their new single "Unsteady" pops in at #30. For all those into Train, OneRepublic, and the like, this is in your wheelhouse...

I'll be back with the latest on R&B radio...