Pop Sweep: February 20, 2016...

I'm ready to kick off the first of this week's "music sweeps", checking out the songs making their way on to the various singles charts in Billboard magazine. As usual, I'll start off on the pop side of things, then later on move on to the latest in rock, R&B, country, and dance. And away we gooooo...

On the "big" chart, Billboard's Hot 100, which combines tallies of internet streaming (like Spotify or YouTube), sales (like Amazon MP3 and iTunes), and radio airplay from all formats, there's a new song at the top. There was speculation on what would become of Zayn Malik leaving the enormously successful "boy-band" One Direction, but for right now, talk is put to rest as his first solo single "Pillowtalk" does what no 1D single has done yet - topped the American pop chart (they made it to #2 with "Best Song Ever")...

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There's a rare second new entry in the top ten as Drake's brand new track "Summer Sixteen" lands at #6. The song, with eviscerates fellow rapper Meek Mill, is presumably the first single from his upcoming Views From The 6 album. It's coming off his biggest pop radio success in a long time, "Hotline Bling"...

Fresh off their Super Bowl halftime show gig, Coldplay jump in at #68 with "Hymn For The Weekend" featuring uncredited vocals from Beyonce, who appears in their India-themed music video. The first single (and the once they performed at the show) "Adventure Of A Lifetime" also jumps to a new high at #36...

New Jersey's own Charlie Puth takes his third song from his debut album Nine Track Mind, "We Don't Talk Anymore" featuring Selena Gomez, to #78. (No, it's not a remake of the Cliff Richard soft-rock nugget.) His "One Call Away" jumps up to a new high of #17 as well...

"Out" singer/actor Troye Sivan had my "Pop Pick" a couple weeks back with "Youth", which now makes the "big" chart at #85...

The top-selling album of the week belongs to Rihanna with ANTI, and a track from the set, "Needed Me", has enough points on its own to make the Hot 100 at #91. Current radio single "Work" is up at #7...

The artist at #2 on the albums chart is hip-hop artist Kevin Gates with Islah, and from that record "Jam", featuring Trey Songz, Ty Dolla $ign, and Jamie Foxx, enters at #97. Also from Islah is "2 Phones" at #46 and "Really Really" at #59...

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

On the Mainstream Top-40 radio panel, Justin Bieber spends a second week on top with "Love Yourself", while with aforementioned "Pillowtalk" single comes in at #26...

 Another former "Pop Pick" and running fave of the year of mine, "7 Years" from Danish band Lukas Graham, makes this chart at #36...

While Canadian songstress Alessia Cara's former #1 hit "Here" drops to #6, her new single "Wild Things" arrives at #40...

Meanwhile, on the older-skewing Adult Top-40 format, Rachel Platten jumps to #1 with "Stand By You"...

Last week's "pop pick", Ellie Goulding's "Something In The Way You Move", crosses over to this format at #38...

Australian alternative dance/pop duo Empire Of The Sun take their 2008 single "Walking On A Dream" to this chart at #40, with exposure from the Honda adverts helping...

Lastly, on the Adult Contemporary, or "easy listening", radio chart, Adele enjoys her 12th week on top with "Hello"...

As the Academy Awards ceremony approaches, one of the nominees for Best Original Song, "Til It Happens To You" from Lady Gaga comes in at #24. While the song has yet to make the "big" chart, it becomes her 10th to reach this format, and it's my "Pop Pick of the Week". It's currently at #89 on the Hot 100... Back in 2011 she went to #7 here with "Edge Of Glory"...

Canadian alt-R&B artist the Weeknd drops in at #27 with "In The Night", the fourth single from his Beauty Behind The Madness album. Two of the others, "Earned It" and "Can't Feel My Face", both reached #13 on the chart...

Country newcomer crosses over here at #30 with her former top-3 radio hit "Burning House"...

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