Twostepcub's Biggest Hits of 2022: Part Four - #70 to #61...
On we go with my countdown of the "biggest" songs to make my weekly music chart. You can catch up with the rest of the series so far by clicking here...
from the single (2022)
Highest rank: #9 (two weeks)
Weeks on the chart: 18
Billboard Hot 100 peak: #51
Billboard Pop Airplay peak: #10
Billboard Adult Contemporary Airplay peak: #19
Billboard Adult Top-40 Airplay peak: #9
Billboard Dance Airplay peak: #27
Official British Singles Chart peak: #67
Songwriters: Halsey (Ashley Frangipane), Sarah Aarons, Sammy Witte
This year saw many music artists and band openly fighting their own record companies, including this week's current champion SZA. Halsey had trouble with the release of this very song, accusing (rightfully) that Capitol was holding back its release until a level of "virality" on the TikTok app was achieved. Another reason record execs for the most part belong in their own level of hell. Nevertheless, Halsey got this out, even though the level of promotion was probably hindered, and we still have yet to see a new album. This self-expose of her personal demons is quite cathartic, especially on the "I think about him everyday" line. In 2020 Halsey was on the countdown twice, at #86 with "You Should Be Sad" and at #98 with her collaboration with DJ Marshmello, "Be Kind".
(Click below to see the rest of the post)
#69 - "Take My Name" - Parmalee
from the album For You (2021)
Highest rank: #37 (three weeks)
Weeks on the chart: 31 (in 2022, still charting)
Hot 100 peak: #22
Adult Top-40 Airplay peak: #20
Country Airplay peak: #1 (two weeks)
Songwriters: Matt Thomas (Parmalee), David Fanning, Ashley Gorley, Ben Johnson
After making a big comeback last year with "Just The Way" featuring Blanco Brown, which crossed over to pop radio and landed at #46 on my 2021 list, the band from North Carolina named after their hometown leaned even harder into "boyfriend country" and ended up having Billboard magazine's top country airplay song of this year, spending one week shy of a year on that list. This was a staple for the southern wedding reception circuit, and it of course is more here for its longevity than anything, though it isn't an embarrassment (that'll come in time LOL).
#68 - "2 Be Loved (Am I Ready)" - Lizzo
from the album Special (2022)
Highest rank: #2 (one week)
Weeks on the chart: 16 (in 2022, still charting)
Hot 100 peak: #55
Pop Airplay peak: #13
Adult Contemporary Airplay peak: #27
Adult Top-40 Airplay peak: #15
Dance Airplay peak: #17
British Singles Chart peak: #16
Songwriters: Melissa Jefferson (Lizzo), Max Martin, Ilya Salmanzadeh, Savan Lotecha, Peter Svensson (The Cardigans)
After bringing the disco party this summer (we'll be hearing that eventually), Lizzo traveled back to the 80's with this bop that sports a production that would've been welcome on a Cyndi Lauper record. Her self-empowerment theme is the focus, though, and she is on top of her game. She proved just because you have a "TikTok dance", doesn't mean your music has to be secondary. Lizzo was on the 2020 countdown at #21 with "Good As Hell"
#67 - "Better Days" - NEIKED, Mae Muller, and Polo G
from the single (2021)
Highest rank: #9 (two weeks)
Weeks on the chart (in 2022): 16 (was on for two weeks in 2021)
Hot 100 peak: #23
Pop Airplay peak: #10
Adult Contemporary Airplay peak: #21
Adult Top-40 Airplay peak: #11
Rhythmic Airplay peak: #22
Dance Airplay peak: #18
British Singles Chart peak: #32
Songwriters: NEIKED (Victor Rådström & Mikael Rabus), Polo G (Taurus Bartlett), Karl Ivert, Kian Sang, Von Tiger
Neo-disco had certainly implanted itself into the mainstream in 2022, and this bop from the Swedish dance production duo along with British newcomer Muller and American "Rapstar" Polo G attempt to recreate the breezy magic of Doja Cat and SZA's "Kiss Me More" without the Dr. Luke factor.
#66 - "Doin' This" - Luke Combs
from the album Growin' Up (2022)
Highest rank: #5 (two weeks)
Weeks on the chart: 16
Hot 100 peak: #26
Country Airplay peak: #1 (one week)
Songwriters: Luke Combs, Drew Parker, Robert Williford
We saw Luke already at #89 with "Cold As You", and this musical purpose statement was the lead single from his next album, Growin' Up. The passion he has for his message comes through loud and clear, and his authenticity is why people love him so much (also he's a "loves everybody" kind of guy, as apart to far-apart-eyed Aldean). The music video, including a tear-inducing moment with friend Adam Church, is so worth a view.
from the album Made In Lagos (2020)
Highest rank (in 2022): #14 (one week) (was #10 for two weeks in 2021)
Weeks on the chart (in 2022): 27 (was on for 14 weeks in 2021)
Hot 100 peak: #9
Pop Airplay peak: #21
Billboard R&B/Hip-Hop Airplay peak: #1 (twenty-seven weeks)
Billboard Adult R&B Airplay peak: #1 (fourteen weeks)
British Singles Chart peak: #16
Songwriters: Wizkid (Ayodeji Balogun), Tems (Temilade Openiyi), Legundary Beatz (Uzezi Oniko & Okiemute Oniko), Richard Isong (P2J)
The "numbers" act in mysterious ways, and even though this Afrobeats breakthrough from Nigerian artists Wizkid and Tems made my top ten last year, it didn't make my 2021 list (just under the "bubbling under" subset) but do the trick this time. It's a just validation for Wizkid, who had been the driving force on Drake's #1 hit from 2016 "One Dance", which he was featured on and placed at #38 on my year-end countdown. And in turn, this laid back but dance-inducing as all that track spawned interest in Tems, who is enjoying her own lead success (she'll be on the "bubbling unders" post). By the way, if all the "chart points" from both years counted, this would've made the top-20. (And to me, the version with Justin Bieber doesn't exist.)
from the EP Chosen (2017)
Highest rank (in 2022): #7 (two weeks) (was #5 for a week in 2021)
Weeks on the chart (in 2022): 24 (was on for 22 weeks in 2021)
Hot 100 peak: #13
Pop Airplay peak: #3
Adult Contemporary Airplay peak: #20
Adult Top-40 Airplay peak: #5
Rock & Alternative Airplay peak: #1 (sixteen weeks)
Alternative Rock Airplay peak: #1 (eleven weeks)
Adult Album Alternative (Triple-A) Rock Airplay peak: #22
British Singles Chart peak: #6
Songwriters: Bob Gaudio, Peggy Farina
Speaking of last year, here's the third of the eight songs that was on my countdown for 2021 to place on this list (this was at #62), and if all the points were added up this would've been in the top ten. A fascinating success for the band that won the Eurovision Song Contest in 2021 representing Italy with "Zitti E Buoni", but broke through in America with this cover of the Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons single from 1967 that came from their stint on Italy's version of the X Factor back in 2017. Perhaps the language barrier did it, but this spirited remake (that had more in common with the dance-pop cover from Norwegians Madcon in 2007) brought them an audience that they just couldn't do on Euro vibes alone.
#63 - "Left and Right" - Charlie Puth featuring Jungkook of BTS
from the album Charlie (2022)
Highest rank: #10 (one week)
Weeks on the chart: 18
Hot 100 peak: #22
Pop Airplay peak: #11
Adult Contemporary Airplay peak: #24
Adult Top-40 Airplay peak: #9
Dance Airplay peak: #32
British Singles Chart peak: #41
Songwriters: Charlie Puth, Jacob Kasher
Charlie was already here at #76 with "Light Switch", and this song also uses studio sonic tricks to grab your ear, switching the vocals to different speakers that works quite well. Plus, there's a "ringer", with one of the singer of the insanely popular K-Pop group BTS providing both a musical and comedic foil for the music video and make the girls swoon.
from the album In Our Own Sweet Time (2022)
Highest rank: #8 (two weeks)
Weeks on the chart: 18
Rock & Alternative Airplay peak: #8
Alternative Rock Airplay peak: #3
Adult Album Alternative Rock peak: #3
Songwriters: Vance Joy (James Keogh), Joel Little
The first single from the Australian singer/songwriters third album, "Missing Piece", came in at #53 on my biggest of 2021, and its follow-up did pretty respectably as well. It's peppy horn section, which reminds me of early-80s British pop like Madness, punches this inspirational song to another level.
#61 - "Girlfriend" - Dove Cameron
from the single (2022)
Highest rank: #5 (one week)
Weeks on the chart: 18
Hot 100 peak: #16
Pop Airplay peak: #2
Adult Contemporary Airplay peak: #23
Adult Top-40 Airplay peak: #7
Dance Airplay peak: #12
British Singles Chart peak: #9
Songwriters: Dove Cameron (Chloe Celeste Hosterman), Evan Blair, Delacey (Brittany Amaradio), Skyler Stonestreet
In 2015, Dove Cameron was a budding young actress that starred in the Disney Channel's rip-off of The Patty Duke Show, Liv & Maddie. She went on to another successful stint on the Disney series The Descendants, which produced three top ten albums on the Billboard 200 sales tally between 2015 and 2019, including the first which went all the way to #1. Fast forward a couple years later, and Dove reemerged as a bisexual power minx that's gonna steal your woman. Mind you, there are under-rumblings of "queer baiting" from her detractors, but taking her at her word this is a seductive and empowering song for young women questioning their sexuality.
That's all for part four! I'll be back tomorrow with a rapper who doesn't fly coach, nerd rock giants return, and an R&B singer/songwriter has some stamina.
Comments