Twostepcublog

It's time to cross the Atlantic yet again to check out the notable songs and albums making the charts in the UK this week... On the official singles chart in Britain , fourth-season winner of the X Factor UK , James Arthur, makes a massive comeback and moves to #1 with " Say You Won't Let Go ". It's his second time at the top after his "winners song" triumph, " Impossible "... Canadian alt-R&B/hip-hop star The Weekend is back all the way up at #3 with his brand-new single "Starboy". The record, which features French dance faves Daft Punk, is now his third release to reach that mark along with "The Hills" and "Can't Feel My Face"... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Friday's here, and it's time to run down my top 100 tunes from the previous week. After eleven week there's finally a new #1 courtesy of twenty-one pilots, while Fitz and the Tantrums (pictured above) clap themselves back into the top-10. A former big hit from Keith Urban drops off my chart, while songs from Mr. Mig/Gino Caporale, The Chainsmokers/Halsey, and Green Day make the biggest jumps (moves of 10+ places highlighted in red ). Happy birthday, Mike! This Week                Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses) ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Heathens - twenty-one pilots (2) 2. Cheap Thrills - Sia f/Sean Paul (1) 3. Way Down We Go - Kaleo (3) 4. All We Ever Knew - The Head and the Heart (5) 5. You Look Like I Need A Drink - Justin Moore (7) 6. Send My Love (To Your New Lover) - Adele (4) 7. HandClap - Fitz & The Tantrums (11) 8. Can't Stop The Feeling! - Justin

" 18 and Life " - Skid Row from the album Skid Row (1989) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #4 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 13 Today's song of the day comes from the hard rock band Skid Row , whose core of Dave Sabo on guitars and Rachel Bolan got together in Toms River, New Jersey in the mid-80s. Sabo, who played previously with Jon Bon Jovi, brought on a second guitarist in Scotti Hill and Bahamian-born Canadian lead singer Sebastian Bach as well as drummer Rob Affuso, and after Bon Jovi's manage Doc McGhee helped them secure a record contract, they released their self-titled debut album at the beginning of 1989. The first single, the raucous " Youth Gone Wild ", which combined the vocal stylings of glam-metal like Poison with the pristine production of Bon Jovi, and MTV took the bait, and the single climbed to #27 on Billboard 's Mainstream Rock radio chart and slipped into the pop chart at #99. The second single from the record was a more slow-pac

Let's take a trip Down Under to check out the songs and albums from local musicians making the charts in Australia this week... On the official Australian Artists Singles chart , Sia remains on top with " The Greatest "... DJ/producer Throttle pulls in at #13 with "Money Maker", featuring Lunchmoney Lewis and Aston Merrygold (formerly of the group JLS)... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

" If I Could Turn Back Time " - Cher from the album Heart Of Stone (1989) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #3 (two weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 14 Today's song of the day comes from Cher , who was enjoying her 80's renaissance with her second top-10 pop hit of the decade with " After All ", her duet with Chicago's ex-lead singer Peter Cetera from the movie Chances Are and the first single from her Heart Of Stone album. The next single was one she didn't want to record, but ended up being one of her most-loved, if not her de facto "signature" song. "If I Could Turn Back Time", written and co-produced by Diane Warren, tapped into the singer's maturity and jadedness to bring a more thoughtful take on romance gone wrong. AND THAT VIDEO. With an outfit women decades younger wouldn't even try, Cher looked absolutely spectacular among the bevy of sailors on a battleship along with her son Elijah... "If I Could Turn B

Here's the top ten hits in Germany this week, according to that country's official singles chart , as DJ Snake and Justin Bieber remain at #1 for a second week... 1. " Let Me Love You " - DJ Snake featuring Justin Bieber (1) 2. " Human " - Rag N' Bone Man (6) 3. " Closer " - The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey (2) 4. " Don't Be So Shy " - Imany (3) 5. " Cold Water " - Major Lazer featuring Justin Bieber & MØ (4) 6. " The Sound Of Silence " - Disturbed (9) 7. " Bonfire " - Felix Jaehn featuring Alma (5) 8. " Ohne Mein Team " - Bonez MC & RAF Camora featuring Maxwell (7) 9. "Erkläre mir die Liebe" - Philipp Poisel (DEBUT) 10. " Heathens " - twenty-one pilots (RE-ENTRY) Pop singer Philipp Poisel, from the Baden-Wurttemberg region in the southwest, returns to the chart at #9 with "Erkläre mir die Liebe" ("Explain Love To Me"). This is

" Shower Me With Your Love " - Surface from the album 2nd Wave (1988) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #5 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 11 Today's song of the day comes from the lite-R&B trio Surface, who had scored a top-20 pop hit in the summer of 1987 with " Happy ", from their self-titled debut album. A year later, the band released their sophomore set 2nd Wave , though it took a bit more time for pop radio to come on board. After initial single "I Missed" missed the Hot 100 altogether, follow-up " Closer Than Friends " landed them their first #1 R&B hit, while climbing to the lower half of the pop chart. That set up for their next release, the soft and semi-sappy "Shower Me With Your Love". Written by the group's Bernard Jackson, the single came out ready to grace weddings and school dances everywhere... "Shower Me With Your Love" became Surface's first top-10 pop hit in September of 1989. The

Here's the top ten hits in France this week, accord to their official singles chart , as American singer/songwriter LP leaps to #1... 1. " Lost On You " - LP (4) 2. "Na Ha" - PNL (DEBUT) 3. " Let Me Love You " - DJ Snake featuring Justin Bieber (5) 4. "My Way" - Calvin Harris (DEBUT) 5. " This Girl " - KUNGS vs Cookin' On 3 Burners (6) 6. " Take Me To Church " - Hozier (RE-ENTRY) 7. " Encore Un Soir " - Celine Dion (2) 8. " Don't You Know " - KUNGS featuring Jamie N Commons (9) 9. "Elle Avait Son Djo" - Niska featuring Maitre Gims (DEBUT) 10. " Un Homme Debout " - Claudio Capeo (8) Rap duo PNL rocket into the runner-up spot on the chart with "Na Ha", becoming their first to make the top 10... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

" In My Eyes " - Stevie B from the album In My Eyes (1988) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #37 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 2 Today's song of the day comes from singer/songwriter/producer Stevie B , who had landed his first top-40 pop hit with " I Wanna Be The One ". Stevie released the title track to his In My Eyes album as the follow-up. Written and produced by the artist, the sparsely but smartly-produced freestyle gem continued his streak... "In My Eyes" became Stevie B's second top-40 pop hit in July of 1989. The 12" single also climbed to #21 on Billboard 's Dance Club Play chart. Internationally, the single was a minor hit in Canada at #58. (Click below to see the rest of the post)

" Trouble Me " - 10,000 Maniacs from the album Blind Man's Zoo (1989) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #44 This week's 'robbed hit' comes from the alternative rock band 10,000 Maniacs , who came together in upstate New York in the early 80's with various names and lineups before settling with lead singer Natalie Merchant and the current moniker. Releasing an independent-label debut in 1983, they attracted critical and DJ attention, and after being signed by Elektra Records, put out The Wishing Chair two years later, with underground buzz and college radio starting to play their music (I, myself bought that record back in my school days). With that bit of momentum, though with the departure of original guitarist John Lombardo, the band was set up with legendary producer Peter Asher (James Taylor and the label's own Linda Ronstadt) for their third studio set In My Tribe . An amazing collection of folk-rock songs and storytelling, a cover of the Cat Stev

"Cover Of Love" - Michael Damian from the album Where Do We Go From Here (1989) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #31 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 4 Today's song of the day is by actor/singer Michael Damian , who parlayed his success on the soap opera The Young and the Restless to get an "in" with the music industry, and with a cover of the trippy David Essex pop hit " Rock On ", reached #1 on the American pop chart. For the follow-up Damian released the uptempo pure-pop sugar of "Cover Of Love", written by the singer with Janine Best, Troy Johnson, and Larry Weir... "Cover Of Love" became Damian's second top-40 pop hit in the U.S. in August of 1989. Up tomorrow: Freestyle king is in sight.

" Keep On Movin' " - Soul II Soul featuring Caron Wheeler from the album Club Classics Vol. One (1989) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #11 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 10 Today's song of the day comes from Soul II Soul , an R&B collective put together by producer Jazzie B (aka London's own Trevor Romeo) in the late 80's, with a variety of musicians and singers like Caron Wheeler, who dominated the group's debut album Club Classics, Vol. One in 1989. The first two singles from the set, " Fairplay " and " Feel Free ", were released prior to the album and were minor hits in the UK, stopping in the 60s on the chart. But the third single, "Keep On Movin'", introduced dancefloors around the world to a different, mid-tempo beat that was such a refreshing break from the frenetic pace of HI-NRG and the loud thump of house music to bring clubgoers to a different sort of high. Soon, the "Soul II Soul" sound would

" Angel Eyes " - The Jeff Healey Band from the album See The Light (1988) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #5 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 13 Today's song of the day comes from the Jeff Healey Band , whose namesake leader was born in Toronto, Canada, and adopted by a family before he lost his vision to a rare form of cancer, where he had to lose his eyes completely (he has prostheses in place since). He started in music very very young, playing the guitar as a child, and playing with others before forming his own group with drummer Tom Stephen and bassist Joe Rockman. They released their debut album, See The Light , in 1988, and the first single, the blues-rock nugget " Confidence Man ", reached #11 on Billboard 's Mainstream Rock chart (it also slipped in at #76 in England, to this day his best showing). With the video highlighting his guitar-down style of playing, it got him noticed on MTV.  For the follow-up, the rowdy title track made it to #33 on t

Let's cross the Atlantic yet again to check out the singles and albums making the charts in the UK this week... On the official British singles chart , American duo the Chainsmokers claim their fourth week at #1 with " Closer "... Scottish DJ/producer Calvin Harris follows up his #2 hit "This Is What You Came For" with an entry in the top-5 at #5 with "My Way"... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

Friday's here, and it's time to run down my top 100 tunes from the previous week. Sia enjoys her eleventh week at the top, while country singer Justin Moore (pictured above) leaps into the top 10. Songs from Alicia Keys, Luke Bryan, and Kenny Chesney/Pink make the biggest jumps (moves of 10+ places highlighted in red ), while former big hits from Chris Lane, Beck, Meghan Trainor, Eric Church, and Anthony Hamilton fall off the list. Happy Autumn!!!! This Week             Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses) ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Cheap Thrills - Sia f/Sean Paul (1) 2. Heathens - twenty-one pilots (3) 3. Way Down We Go - Kaleo (5) 4. Send My Love (To Your New Lover) - Adele (4) 5. All We Ever Knew - The Head and the Heart (7) 6. This Is What You Came For - Calvin Harris f/Rihanna (6) 7. You Look Like I Need A Drink - Justin Moore (17) 8. Can't Stop The Feeling! - Ju

" Hangin' Tough " - New Kids On The Block from the album Hangin' Tough (1988) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 12 Today's song of the day comes from the Boston "boy-band" New Kids On The Block , whose second album Hangin' Tough had already sent three increasingly successful singles into the American pop charts with " Please Don't Go Girl ", " You Got It (The Right Stuff) ", and the #1 hit " I'll Be Loving You (Forever) ". For the fourth release they put out the title track, written and produced by their svengali Maurice Starr. Heavy on percussion and attitude as light on lyrics, the thumping sing-a-long still made the girls (and some closeted boys) swoon... "Hangin' Tough" became the quintet's second #1 pop hit in the U.S. in September of 1989. Internationally, the song also went to #1 in the UK (also their second #1 after "You Got It") and Ire

It's time to head Down Under to check out the local artists reaching the singles and albums charts in Australia this week... On the country's official local artists singles chart , Sia takes over at #1 with " The Greatest "... Australian Idol 's first winner back in 2003, and who represented the country for the first time in Eurovision two years ago, returns at #10 with "Candle"... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

" Me Myself And I " - De La Soul from the album 3 Feet High and Rising (1989) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #34 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 3 Today's song of the day comes from the rap trio De La Soul , who came together in Long Island, New York in the mid-80s, with the distance from the city center may have affected their alternative style of hip-hop. Rappers Posdnous and Trugoy along with DJ Maseo were helped along by DJ/producer Prince Paul of the seminal rap group Stetsasonic, and recorded their debut album 3 Foot High and Rising in 1989. With a patchwork of esoteric samples and trippy lyrics about peace and observing the minutae of the world around them, they set themselves apart from the dancefloor-heavy direction the genre had headed. The first single though, "Me, Myself And I", didn't shy away from the club, but promoted themselves without having to seem "hard" (and a bit of chunkiness without being comic was a welcome change). And

Here's the top ten hits in Germany this week, according to their official singles chart , as French producer DJ Snake lands his first #1 hit, featuring Canadian hot mess Justin Bieber with his first as well... 1. " Let Me Love You " - DJ Snake featuring Justin Bieber (2) 2. " Closer " - The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey (5) 3. " Don't Be So Shy " - Imany (1) 4. " Cold Water " - Major Lazer featuring Justin Bieber & MØ (4) 5. " Bonfire " - Felix Jaehn featuring Alma (3) 6. " Human " - Rag N' Bones (10) 7. "Ohne Mein Team" - Bonez MC & RAF Camora featuring Maxwell (DEBUT) 8. " The Ocean " - Mike Perry featuring Shy Martin (6) 9. " The Sound Of Silence " - Disturbed (7) 10. "Palmen aus Plastik" - Bonez MC & RAF Camora (DEBUT) Rapper MC Bonez from Hamburg, and producer RAF Camora from the Swiss border town of Vevey, have the highest-selling album i

" Don't Wanna Lose You " - Gloria Estefan from the album Cuts Both Ways (1989) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 13 Today's song of the day comes from Cuban-American pop/dance singer/songwriter Gloria Estefan , whose third English-only album with the Miami Sound Machine, Let It Loose , had granted her four top-10 pop hits with " 1-2-3 ", " Can't Stay Away From You ", " Rhythm Is Gonna Get You ", and the #1 single " Anything For You ". In 1989, with the upcoming release of Cuts Both Ways , Gloria took over as the sole billing on the cover, with the Miami Sound Machine relegated to a credit (and even then, only husband Emilio remained from the original incarnation). Continuing her success with ballads, the first release from the record was "Don't Wanna Lose You", written by Gloria and produced by Emilio with later-stage MSM musicians Clay Ostwald and Jorge Casas. With a soft-set

Here's the top 10 hits in France this week, according to their official singles chart , as a new song takes over at #1... 1. "Perfect Illusion" - Lady Gaga (DEBUT) 2. " Encore Un Soir " - Celine Dion (1) 3. " The Greatest " - Sia featuring Kendrick Lamar (9) 4. " Lost On You " - LP (4) 5. " Let Me Love You " - DJ Snake featuring Justin Bieber (3) 6. " This Girl " - KUNGS vs Cookin' On 3 Burners (RE-ENTRY) 7. " Don't Be So Shy " - Imany (2) 8. " Un Homme Debout " - Claudio Capeo (6) 9. " Don't You Know " - KUNGS featuring Jamie N Commons (7) 10. " We Don't Talk Anymore " - Charlie Puth featuring Selena Gomez (8) Rocketing on to the entire chart at #1 is Lady Gaga, who scores her third #1 hit with "Perfect Illusion". The other two? " Poker Face " and " Bad Romance "... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

" Hooked On You " - Sweet Sensation from the album Take It While It's Hot (1988) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #23 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 7 Today's song of the day comes from the Latin freestyle act Sweet Sensation, who had finally broke through on American pop radio with their fifth single " Sincerely Yours " in the spring of 1989. To follow that up the trio re-released their debut single "Hooked On You". Originally put out in 1986, the song reached #64, but had a huge impression in the New York market. Now with their national exposure, the song was remixed to "punch it up" a little for radio... On its second trip up the charts, "Hooked On You" became Sweet Sensation's second top-40 pop hit in August of 1989. (Click below to see the rest of the post)

" It Isn't, It Wasn't, It Ain't Never Gonna Be " - Aretha Franklin & Whitney Houston from the album Through The Storm (Aretha, 1989) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #41 This week's "robbed hit" comes from two of the most success women in pop music history, Aretha Franklin and Whitney Houston . The former's collaboration with Elton John, " Through The Storm ", was a moderate hit, reaching the top-20 on the Billboard Hot 100 in the spring of 1989, but way below the expectations of those two veterans of the genre who were still having big success in the decade. By releasing a duet with Whitney Houston, who had been coming from a string of seven consecutive #1 hits, it seemed like a no-brainer to revive radio and consumer interest in the Through The Storm album. Written by proven hitmakers Diane Warren and Albert Hammond, the promise seemed a sure thing, but he execution left many shaking their heads... While "It Isn't

Let's cross the Atlantic again to check out the songs and albums reaching the charts in the UK this week... On the British singles chart , the Chainsmokers and Halsey rack up a third week at #1 with " Closer "... Lady Gaga rockets into the top 100 at #12 with her brand new single, "Perfect Illusion". She's had four #1 singles in the UK, but none since 2010. Can this one do the trick? (Click below to see the rest of the post)

" Sacred Emotion " - Donny Osmond from the album Donny Osmond (1989) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #13 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 9 Today's song of the day is by Donny Osmond , the 70's teen idol who made an unexpected comeback in the summer of 1989 with the #2 hit single " Soldier Of Love ". The co-writers of that track, Carl Sturken and Evan Rogers, also penned the follow-up, "Sacred Emotion". Since he was positioning as a more pristine, older version of George Michael, it made sense to take the theme of the Whammer's "Faith" for his own soft-rock gem. And of course, using scantily clad men (and some women) in the video... "Sacred Emotion" became the second top-40 pop hit from Donny's eponymous comeback album in August of 1989. The song also climbed to #4 on Billboard 's Adult Contemporary (or "easy listening") radio chart, the best ranking of his career. A third American single from the a

" Right Here Waiting " - Richard Marx from the album Repeat Offender (1989) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #1 (three weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 13 Today's song of the day comes from pop singer/songwriter Richard Marx , who had landed his second #1 hit with " Satisfied " in the summer of 1989. His next single would be the pop "power-ballad" "Right Here Waiting". Although taken too much for granted as a lovey-dovey song, the lyrics belie a man still obsessed over a relationship gone a long time ago... "Right Here Waiting" became Richard's biggest chart hit, spending three weeks atop the American pop chart in August of 1989. The song also hit #1 on Billboard 's Adult Contemporary radio chart for six weeks (believe it or not, not even his longest run). Internationally, the record went to the top of the singles chart in Australia, Canada, Ireland, and New Zealand, hit #2 in the UK, and reached the top ten in Belgium (#3)

" Friends " - Jody Watley featuring Eric B. & Rakim from the album Larger Than Life (1989) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #9 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 11 Today's song of the day comes from Jody Watley , whose second album Larger Than Life had given her a second almost-had-a-#1 with " Real Love " in the spring of 1989. The follow-up single was a bouncy, sassy, take-no-prisoners call-out of fakes "Friends". Featuring rappers Eric B. & Rakim (a very early instance of a rapper cameo, she made a great choice), the song she co-wrote with producer Andre Cymone was a perfect example of "smart" danceable pop music... "Friends" became Jody's fifth top ten pop hit in the U.S. in August of 1989 (the first to reach the top ten that featured a rapper behind a singer). The single also climbed to #3 on Billboard 's R&B chart, while the extended remix reached #7 on their Dance Club Play list. Internationally, the t

Friday's here, and it's time to run down my top 100 tunes from the previous week. Sia and Sean Paul claim a tenth week at #1, while the Head and the Heart (pictured above) leap into the top-10. Former big hits from Jon Pardi, Alesso, Rihanna, Carrie Underwood, Jill Scott, OneRepublic, and the Strumbellas drop off my list, while songs from Disclosure, Kenny Chesney/Pink, and Billy Currington make the biggest jumps (moves of 10+ places highlighted in red ). Edie! oh Edie! This Week         Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses) --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1. Cheap Thrills - Sia f/Sean Paul (1) 2. H.O.L.Y. - Florida Georgia Line (2) 3. Heathens - twenty-one pilots (6) 4. Send My Love (To Your New Lover) - Adele (3) 5. Way Down We Go - Kaleo (5) 6. This Is What You Came For - Calvin Harris f/Rihanna (4) 7. All We Ever Knew - The Head and the Heart (13) 8. Can't Stop The Feeling!