Twostepcublog

    " Turning Japanese " was a radio and club hit for the English new wave band the Vapors. Appearing on their album New Clear Days , the song was written by lead singer/guitarist David Fenton, and produced by Vic Coppersmith-Heaven. On Billboard magazine's Disco Top-100, the single peaked at #34 in 1980, while also getting to #36 on their pop Hot 100 chart. In their native UK, it went all the way to #3.      

    " Run " - George Strait from the album The Road Less Traveled (2001) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #34 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 7   Today's song comes from country music legend George Strait , who had landed his fourth top-40 crossover hit on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 music chart with the song " Go On " in the fall of 2000. A year later, Strait returned with his twenty-first studio album The Road Less Traveled . The lead single from the set was the ballad "Run", written by Tony Lane and Anthony Smith (who co-wrote yesterday's SOTD "Riding With Private Malone"). The song doesn't rely on any pun (a standard in the genre), but rather a direct approach, where George lists the ways his love can travel back to him. The strength of the song is the melody and production; the musical intro is just gorgeous, and the melody and music using unusual chord changes for country sets it apart from the generic competition by a mile. Radi...

    " Basstronic " was a club hit for the "Unknown DJ", the moniker used by producer Andre Pierre Manuel. Released as a stand-alone single, the song was written and produced by Manuel (under the alias "Spock"). On Billboard magazine's Dance Club Play chart, the single peaked at #48 in 1989.      

    " I'm Tryin' " - Trace Adkins from the album Chrome (2001) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #44    This week's "robbed hit" comes from singer Trace Adkins . who grew up in rural Louisiana, where he went to school and worked various jobs before moving to Nashville for a country music career. It was there that he was signed to Capitol Records, where he released his debut album Dreamin' Out Loud in 1996. The first single from the record which Adkins co-wrote, the midtempo track " There's A Girl In Texas ", placed on Billboard magazine's Country Songs radio chart at #20. Despite its modest peak, the song got a lot of buzz, and set him up for his follow-up, the breakup ballad " Every Light In The House ", which spent a week at #3 on the Country radio list, while also becoming his first to make Billboard 's Hot 100 at #78. The third release from the debut, " (This Ain't) No Thinkin' Thing ", made it all the ...

    " Riding With Private Malone " - David Ball from the album Amigo (2001) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #36 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 2   Today's song comes from neo-traditional country music singer David Ball , who had a crossover top-40 hit on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 with his song " Thinkin' Problem " in the summer of 1994. He also had two more decent country radio hits from that album of the same name, with one, " When The Thought Of You Catches Up With Me ", also nearly making the Hot 100, "bubbling under at #107.  In 1996, Ball returned with his next album on Warner Brothers Nashville, Starlite Lounge , but that record stalled down at #44 on Billboard 's Country Albums chart. The lead single from the set, " Circle Of Friends ", also stopped short of the top-40 on the Country Songs list at #49. That downward momentum continues with his third and final disc on Warners, Play , which hit #60 on the Country Albums c...

    It's time for my weekly new albums roundup, where I take a look at the big albums on this week's American and British albums charts, along with my choices of the new records I think you should check out. To catch up on this week's singles round, you can click here .    This week has a chameleon rock trio enter the top ten on the "big" Billboard 200 chart which counts both sales and streaming (for better or worse), while two metal and two veteran rock acts drop in on the top ten on their current albums sales list .     This Is Why - Paramore Billboard 200 debut: #2 Billboard Current Albums Sales debut: #1 Choice cut: "Big Man, Little Dignity" Official British Albums Chart debut: #1    I featured the threesome's "Running Out Of Time" on my singles recap yesterday, and that track and this easy-going song are my highlighted of this diverse disc that are arranged around insecurity as a common theme.   (Click below to see the rest of...

    It's time for my weekly new music roundup, where I feature the big entries on the Hot 100 as well as my personal choices of the songs making the various radio charts in Billboard magazine , as well as on the charts in the United Kingdom .  This week two songs come in strong in their first week entering in the top-40 on Billboard 's Hot 100. "Love You Anyway" - Luke Combs from the album Gettin' Old (2023) Billboard Hot 100 debut: #15 Official British Singles Chart debut: #62 The second preview track of Combs' upcoming fourth album (well, depends on if you count it as a companion to last year's Growin' Up or not) is a powerful and emotional take on being the one in the relationship whose in love with someone who isn't. The subject matter fits the traditional country production in which the fiddle and his vocals truly shine here. This deserves to be another #1 hit for him.  (Click below to see the rest of the post)

    " Pump Up The Jam " was a huge club and radio hit for the Belgian act Technotronic. Appearing on their album Pump Up The Jam: The Album , the song was written by the group's producer/musician Jo Bogaert under the alias Thomas de Quincey, and Manuela "Ya Kid K" Kamosi, who sings and raps all the vocals on the record, even though the label sported the "featuring Felly" tag, being the dancer Felly Kilingi who lipsynched Milli Vanilli/C&C Music Factory/Black Box style in the music video. The remix for American clubs was done by David Morales. On Billboard magazine's Dance Club Play chart, the single spent four weeks at #1, while reaching #2 on the pop Hot 100 and #10 on the R&B Singles chart.       

    Friday's here, and it's time to run down my top 100 "hit" tunes from the previous week. Taylor Swift (pictured above) reigns for a tenth week with "Anti-Hero", while her follow-up is already climbing two notches in the top ten. Songs from Fall Out Boy, Miley Cyrus, and Metro Boomin'/The Weeknd/21 Savage make some of the biggest jumps (moves of 10+ places highlighted in red ), while former big hits from Morgan Wallen, Jimmie Allen, Gabby Barrett, Nicky Youre, and Noah Kahan drop off my chart. And under the list everything is Spotify playlisted for 5 1/2 hours of the biggest in pop, rock, R&B, country and dance music. A full weekend with you? Awesome! This Week             Song/Artist (last week's position in parentheses) ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1. Anti-Hero - Taylor Swift (1) 2. Made You Look - Meghan Trainor (4) 3. Die F...

    " Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning) " - Alan Jackson from the album Drive (2002) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #28 (two weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 10   Today's song comes from country music artist Alan Jackson , whose ninth studio album, When Somebody Loves You , had landed him a top-40 crossover hit on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 with arguably his worst single, " Where I Come From " in the fall of 2001.  At the Country Music Association's Awards show in November of that year, Alan was up for Male Vocalist of the Year, Album of the Year, and Entertainer of the Year (losing all three). But he was the high point of the show when he performed a song he wrote the month before to relay his thoughts after the horrible terrorist attacks on September 11th.  What Alan came up with was "Where Were You (When The World Stopped Turning)", which shone above all the drivel that came before and definitely after (looking directly at Toby and Da...

    " Tramp " was a club hit for the rap group Salt-N-Pepa. Appearing on their debut album Hot, Cool, & Vicious , the song was written by producer Hurby "Luv Bug" Azor, using a sample of the R&B song from 1967 by Lowell Fulson and Jimmy McCracklin. But most people know this single from the "B-Side", " Push It ", which wasn't even on the album during its initial release but became a huge pop and R&B hit and broke the pair in the mainstream. On Billboard magazine's Dance Club Play chart, both songs were listed with "Tramp" first as the A-side, where it peaked at #18 in 1987. "Tramp" also went to #21 on their R&B Songs chart, while "Push It" hit #28 and rose to #19 on the pop Hot 100... (Click below to see the rest of the post)

    " You Gets No Love " - Faith Evans featuring P. Diddy & Loon from the album Faithfully (2001) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #38 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 1   Today's song comes from R&B singer Faith Evans , whose second album Keep The Faith had scored a trio of top-40 pop crossover hits with " Never Gonna Let You Go " and two top ten placings with " Love Like This " and " All Night Long ".  In the spring of 2001, Evans would collaborate with fellow Bad Boy Records singer Carl Thomas for a track on the label's album The Saga Continues..., nominally released under Sean Combs' P. Diddy name. " Can't Believe ", which sampled a track from Nas-affiliated rap supergroup The Firm, did pretty decently on urban radio, spending over seven months on Billboard magazine's R&B Songs chart, peaking at #14, but stalled down at #56 on their pop Hot 100. At the 2002 Grammy Awards, the song was nominated for Best R...

    " Shotgun " was a club hit for rapper Raheem, an original member of the group the Geto Boys. Appearing on his solo debut album The Vigilante , the song was written by Raheem (under his real name Oscar Ceres) with producers Karl Stephenson and James Smith. On Billboard magazine's Dance Club Play chart, the single peaked at #50 in 1989.      

    " Son Of A Gun (I Betcha Think This Song Is About You) " - Janet Jackson featuring Missy Elliott, P. Diddy, and Carly Simon from the album All For You (2001) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #28 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 5   Today's song is from Janet Jackson , whose seventh album All For You had already scored two big hits with the #1 single " All For You " and the top ten follow-up " Someone To Call My Lover ", which sampled 70s soft-rock band America's "Ventura Highway".  The third and final single from the record also sampled a classic from 1972, and this time even brought along the original singer and songwriter. "Son Of A Gun", written and produced by Jackson with Jimmy "Jam" Harris and Terry Lewis, was a very loose interpolation of Carly Simon's #1 smash " You're So Vain ", using the opening words as the title. Janet asked Simon to use the sample, and Carly not only approved but agreed to r...

    " Funky Celebration " was a club hit for American disco singer Gloria Brooks, who recorded under the alias Queen Samantha. Released as a stand-alone single, the song was written by Harry and Myriam Chalkitis and Mike Swirid, with Harry producing with Charles Ibgui. On Billboard magazine's Disco Top-100, the single peaked at #79 in 1981.       

    " A Woman's Worth " - Alicia Keys from the album Songs In A Minor (2001) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #7 (one week) Weeks in the Top-40: 14   Today's song comes from singer/songwriter/producer Alicia Keys , who stormed the Grammy Awards and claims a #1 pop hit on her first try with the single " Fallin' " in the summer of 2001.  Her follow-up to that smash was the ballad "A Woman's Worth", which she produced and co-wrote with Erika Rose. The song tackles the transactional side of love where its measure how he cares on how much time and effort he spends on her, while on the other hand she "gives up the goods". It deals with rankings, and who puts who "first". But the way Alicia does it conversationally is so masterful that is flows on the groove she sets down like a river of butter. While it doesn't have the raw intensity of "Fallin'", "A Woman's Worth" is more reflective in tempo and tone,...

    " I'm A Survivor " - Reba McEntire from the album Greatest Hits Volume III: I'm A Survivor (2001) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #49   This week's "robbed hit" comes from country music legend Reba McEntire , who had scored her first top-40 crossover hit on Billboard magazine's Hot 100 chart in the beginning of 2000 with the song " What Would You Say " from her 25th studio album So Good Together . In 2001, McEntire started her television sitcom Reba , and took a few years off to concentrate on that. However during that time she also released her third greatest hits set, which included three new songs, one of which was the theme song for the show and the subtitle for the collection, "I'm A Survivor". Written by Shelby Kennedy and Philip White, the song tells a story of a woman who has overcome obstacles from her own birth... I was born three months too early The doctor gave me thirty days But I must have had my mama's will A...

    " Wherever You Will Go " - The Calling from the album Camino Palmero (2001) Billboard Hot 100 peak: #5 (two weeks) Weeks in the Top-40: 40   Today's song comes from the band the Calling , who came together in Los Angeles in the mid-1990s with friend Alex Band and Aaron Kamin. Going through a series of names and lineups, they had the luck to be living next to producer and label head Ron Fair, who helped them get signed to RCA Records. Band and Kamin settled on "the Calling" as a moniker and assembling a new group behind them, they released their debut album Camino Palmero in 2001. The lead single from the record was the mid-tempo ballad "Wherever You Will Go". Written by Band and Kamin, and produced by Marc Tanner, the song has the appearance of speaking to a person whose loved one had left, though its vague enough to apply to either death or the end of a relationship as well as for lovers, spouses, family members, friends, and whatever. A genera...

    It's time for my weekly new albums roundup, where I take a look at the big albums on this week's American and British albums charts, along with my choices of the new records I think you should check out. To catch up on this week's singles round, you can click here .   This week's top ten on the Billboard 200 sees the return of one of the biggest selling singers of all times.   Queen Of Me - Shania Twain Billboard 200 debut: #10 Billboard Current Albums Sales debut: #2  Official British Albums Chart debut: #1 Choice cut: "Best Friend"    Six years after she made her triumphant return after a fifteen-year lapse with Now , which saw her recovering from almost losing her voice as well as her husband/svengali Mutt Lange, Twain proves she still has a fanbase in America with her latest, which despite Billboard placing this on the album chart is by no way anything but a pop album a la Taylor Swift's initial forays. It's a bit overpolished at tim...

    It's time for my weekly new music roundup, where I feature the big entries on the Hot 100 as well as my personal choices of the songs making the various radio charts in Billboard magazine , as well as on the charts in the United Kingdom . This week a "viral" hit from two newcomers rockets into the top-20.    " Boy's A Liar, Pt. 2 " - PinkPantheress & Ice Spice from the single (2023) Billboard Hot 100 debut: #14    This apparently is the new TikTok "thing", the revamp of the song from British singer PinkPantheress from her 2022 EP Take Me Home which adds American rapper Ice Spice. The frenetic beat that seems to borrow from both Miami Bass and K-Pop and have video game noises in the background is custom made for the short-attention span app, and adding the rapper does give a break from the too cutesy for me voice PP puts on it. This is planning to soar on the charts next week, be forewarned.   (Click below to see the rest of the post)...