Week of March 28

After a light week for debuts last week, six new songs pop on the charts this week, half of which come from chart newcomers.

She & Him are singer-actress Zooey Deschanel and singer-songwriter M. Ward. Their first album, "Volume One," was a critical hit. The song at No. 40, "Gonna Get Along Without You Now," comes from the follow-up, "Volume Two." Its their first hit on my charts.

Another duo scoring their first hit on my charts are The Bird and the Bee, aka Inara George and Greg Kurstin. Their album "Interpreting the Masters Volume 1" is billed as a tribute to the work of Daryl Hall and John Oates, and it features covers of such songs as "Maneater," "One on One," "She's Gone" and "I Can't Go for That." But my favorite track is a Kurstin-George original, "Heard It on the Radio." The music definitely reflects the "Voices"/"Private Eyes" era of Hall and Oates. The song is this week's highest debut, at No. 35.

Colbie Caillat's "I Never Told You" at No. 36 is her third hit from "Breakthrough," following "Fallin' for You" (No. 1) and "Out of My Mind" (No. 13). Bon Jovi re-enters for the first time since 2007 as "Superman Tonight" comes in at No. 38. But the real chart comeback this week belongs to country singer Mindy McCready. She's only had one hit on my chart, "Guys Do It All the Time" in 1996, which went to No. 22. She's back this week as "I'm Still Here" enters at No. 39.

Two songs enter the Top 10 this week by two of the hottest male artists of the past decade. At first blush, country singer Keith Urban might not seem to fit that designation. He's only had three Top 10 hits on my chart. But so far, when he hits the Top 10, he goes all the way to the top: "Once in a Lifetime," "Stupid Boy" and "Standing Right in Front of You" each went to the summit. This week, " 'Til Summer Comes Around" moves 15-10. Will his streak continue?

Meantime, "Full Steam" by David Gray featuring Annie Lennox moves 11-9. Gray has had five "official" No. 1s on my chart ("Babylon," "Please Forgive Me," "Say Hello, Wave Goodbye," "Sail Away" and "The World to Me"), while "The One I Love" was a hit during my charts' hiatus period (but still became the No. 1 song of 2005, so it's likely it would've been a No. 1 hit). Can this duet return him to the top?

Week of March 21

Only one debut this week, and a holdover at No. 1, but lots of midchart action. It'll be interesting to see which of these songs will advance to the Top 10 and No. 1 in the weeks to come.

Fantasia has this week's sole debut: "Even Angels," at No. 39. The "American Idol" victor has had three previous chart hits ("I Believe" was a hit during a time when my charts were on hiatus). "Hood Boy" and "Uneligible" each peaked at No. 16, while her collaboration with Aretha Franklin, "Put You Up on Game," hit No. 26.

Week of March 14

Chart newcomers dominate this week's debuts, with the only debut from a veteran coming from John Mayer. "Heartbreak Warfare," at No. 37, is Mayer's 10th hit since 2002, when he went to No. 1 with "No Such Thing." He's gone back to the top two more times -- with "Your Body Is a Wonderland" (four weeks in 2002) and "Waiting on the World to Change" (one week in 2006).

Musician/actor Christian Kane has actually been around as long as Mayer -- recording as part of the country/rock act Kane in the early part of last decade -- though he's probably best known in the mainstream as the actor who played the lawyer Lindsey on the "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" spinoff "Angel" for three seasons. He's recording solo as a country/rock artist these days, and "The House Rules" (at No. 39) is from his new, self-titled EP.

The No. 1 song this week in Billboard, "Break Your Heart," by Taio Cruz featuring Ludacris, enters at No. 35, the first entry on my charts for either act (though rapper Ludacris has had a few dozen hits nationally in the past decade). The rap/hip-hop act Kidz in the Hall enters at No. 40 with its first hit, "Jukebox." "American Idol" contestant from last season Danny Gokey comes in at No. 36 with "My Best Days Are Ahead of Me," while singer Diane Birch remakes Haddaway's No. 1 hit from 1993, "What Is Love?" as a piano-driven ballad, at No. 38.

Week of March 7

Artists from the British Isles or Australia have the week's four biggest movers. Leaping 27-18 is "Full Steam," a duet from Cheshire-born David Gray and Scotland's Annie Lennox. Close behind, moving 26-19, is "'Til Summer Comes Around," the latest from Queensland-raised, New Zealand-born Keith Urban. Up six to No. 29 is the remake of "Everybody Hurts" by the mostly British collaborative Helping Haiti. And making a serious play for No. 1 is Northampton's V.V. Brown, whose "Shark in the Water" moves 10-2.

Amid all the Commonwealth conquering of the charts this week, American Alicia Keys continues to carve out a strong presence with her second No. 1 hit in three weeks from "The Element of Freedom," dethroning Brit Robbie Williams. "Try Sleeping with a Broken Heart" pushes 3-1, even as her former charttopping duet with Beyonce, "Put It in a Love Song," slides 2-10. The album's first hit, "Doesn't Mean Anything," went to No. 10 in November.

Of the Haiti relief effort songs, while the superstar collaborations are dominating attention, Rihanna's solo remake of Bob Marley's "Redemption Song" has proved the most staying power so far, up to No. 15 this week. The Sheryl Crow/Kid Rock/Keith Urban remake of "Lean on Me" is right behind at No. 16. Lagging are the aforementioned "Everybody Hurts," as well as the remake of "We Are the World" from Artists for Haiti, dropping 25-37 in its third week.