Three debuts this week, capped by the Swell Season, led by Glen Hansard and Marketa Irglova. "High Horses," at No. 38, is the follow-up to the Top 10 "Low Rising." I saw the group in concert last week and it was uniformly excellent. I wasn't familiar with the group's music beyond "Low Rising" and the Oscar-nominated "Falling Slowly" from "Once" (credited to Hansard and Irglova, that hit the Top 10 on my charts a few years back). I definitely recommend seeing them if you get a chance.
Soul/R&B veteran Bettye Lavette is back at No. 40 with "All My Love," her take on a Led Zeppelin track from their "In Through the Out Door" album from 1979. (This must be the year for Led Zep R&B remakes, as Mary J. Blige has covered "Whole Lotta Love" and "Stairway to Heaven.") Lavette's last time in the Top 40 was in 2007, when "I Guess We Shouldn't Talk About That Now" hit No. 21. "All My Love" is from her latest collection, "Interpretations: The British Rock Songbook."
The last of the debuts comes from Erik Hassle. "Hurtful," at No. 39, was selected last week as iTunes' free download of the week. Hassle is a 21-year-old singer-songwriter from Sweden, and "Hurtful" comes from his debut release in the U.S., "Pieces."
At the top of the charts this week, The Bird and the Bee conclude their chart rise with "Heard It on the Radio" moving 2-1. But two songs take big leaps into the Top 10 to challenge it in weeks to come. "Free," by the Zac Brown Band, moves 21-9, a 12-notch jump, while coming on even stronger is "California Gurls" from Katy Perry featuring Snoop Dogg, bounding 17 positions, 22-5. Can either one of them slow down what's become a revolving door at No. 1? We'll see.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
Thursday, May 20, 2010
Week of May 23
Two debuts this week. The new entry at No. 39 is actually the first Top 40 hit on my charts for Tonic. The late '90s band earned national attention with songs such as "If You Could Only See" and "You Wanted More." "Nothing Is Everything" is from the group's first effort since the solo success of singer/songwriter Emerson Hart. Hart went to No. 1 on my charts a few years back with three successive hits, "If You're Gonna Leave," "When She Loves You" and "I Wish the Best for You."
Meanwhile, Katy Perry makes it two weeks in a row for debut collaborations. "If We Ever Meet Again," her team-up with Timbaland, enters at No. 40. Last week's debut, "California Gurls" featuring Snoop Dogg, leaps 32-22 this week. It ties with the Zac Brown Band's "Free" for the week's top mover (that song moves 31-21).
At the top of the chart, Lifehouse rebounds from the No. 16 peak for "Halfway Gone" with the follow-up as "It Is What It Is" moves up 2-1. That's the group's third chart-topper, following "First Time" in 2007 and "Whatever It Takes" in 2008.
Meanwhile, Katy Perry makes it two weeks in a row for debut collaborations. "If We Ever Meet Again," her team-up with Timbaland, enters at No. 40. Last week's debut, "California Gurls" featuring Snoop Dogg, leaps 32-22 this week. It ties with the Zac Brown Band's "Free" for the week's top mover (that song moves 31-21).
At the top of the chart, Lifehouse rebounds from the No. 16 peak for "Halfway Gone" with the follow-up as "It Is What It Is" moves up 2-1. That's the group's third chart-topper, following "First Time" in 2007 and "Whatever It Takes" in 2008.
Thursday, May 13, 2010
Week of May 16
Up at the top of the charts this week is "Break Your Heart" by Taio Cruz featuring Ludacris. It's a former No. 1 hit on Billboard's Hot 100, which is a rarity these days. In years and decades past, Billboard chart-toppers were regularly No. 1 songs on my charts, but these days the urban-Top 40-leaning Hot 100 and my AAA-Adult Top 40-leaning charts don't have as much overlap. "Break Your Heart" is the first Hot 100 No. 1 in 2010 on my chart; last year, there were two -- Lady GaGa/Colby O'Donis' "Just Dance" and "Fireflies" by Owl City.
Five debuts this week including a couple of interesting collaborations. Pop singer Katy Perry teams up with veteran rapper Snoop Dogg on "California Gurls" at No. 32. The English rock band Keane debut at No. 38 with "Stop for a Minute," a collaboration with Somali-Canadian rapper K'naan. And Michael Bolton makes a comeback at No. 40 with "Murder My Heart," a song that features backing vocals by co-writer Lady GaGa. It's a more subdued vocal from longtime belter Bolton, who hasn't been on the charts since "Steel Bars" went to No. 6 in 1992. (That one was an unusual collaboration, too, co-written by Bob Dylan.)
The week's highest debut is "Free" by the Zac Brown Band at No. 31. The group has caught fire on country radio in the past year, but this song came to my attention courtesy of my friends at UU-BRU Internet Radio. (If you haven't listened to "the electric eclectic Top 40," give it a shot.) This track reminds of songs I've liked by George Strait, Tim McGraw and even James Taylor. An interesting blend; we'll see how it does in future weeks.
Five debuts this week including a couple of interesting collaborations. Pop singer Katy Perry teams up with veteran rapper Snoop Dogg on "California Gurls" at No. 32. The English rock band Keane debut at No. 38 with "Stop for a Minute," a collaboration with Somali-Canadian rapper K'naan. And Michael Bolton makes a comeback at No. 40 with "Murder My Heart," a song that features backing vocals by co-writer Lady GaGa. It's a more subdued vocal from longtime belter Bolton, who hasn't been on the charts since "Steel Bars" went to No. 6 in 1992. (That one was an unusual collaboration, too, co-written by Bob Dylan.)
The week's highest debut is "Free" by the Zac Brown Band at No. 31. The group has caught fire on country radio in the past year, but this song came to my attention courtesy of my friends at UU-BRU Internet Radio. (If you haven't listened to "the electric eclectic Top 40," give it a shot.) This track reminds of songs I've liked by George Strait, Tim McGraw and even James Taylor. An interesting blend; we'll see how it does in future weeks.
Thursday, May 6, 2010
Week of May 9
This week, there are five remakes in the Top 40, not including Usher's "Making Love (Into the Night)," an original that incorporates Benny Mardones' "Into the Night." The latest is an interesting collaboration by two artists who each have had hits with the song. "You've Got a Friend," a Carole King composition, became popular concurrently as an album track on her legendary "Tapestry" and as a Billboard chart-topping single by James Taylor. King and Taylor debut this week at No. 37 with their duet on a live version of "Friend," recorded in late 2007 at L.A.'s Troubadour. The song is on "Live at the Troubadour," an album of King and Taylor concert duets.
Nikki Yanofsky received attention at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics with her performance of the song "I Believe." Yanofsky, a Montreal-born singer in the Norah Jones vein, debuts at No. 39 with "Cool My Heels," her first chart hit.
The final debut is from Joss Stone. "Could Have Been You," at No. 38, is her second song from "Colour Me Free" to chart (the first being "Free Me" at the beginning of the year).
At the top of the charts, Uncle Kracker earns back-to-back No. 1's with "Another Love Song." It follows "Smile," which went to No. 1 for four nonconsecutive weeks and became the top song of 2009. We'll see whether this one has similar staying power.
Nikki Yanofsky received attention at the 2010 Vancouver Olympics with her performance of the song "I Believe." Yanofsky, a Montreal-born singer in the Norah Jones vein, debuts at No. 39 with "Cool My Heels," her first chart hit.
The final debut is from Joss Stone. "Could Have Been You," at No. 38, is her second song from "Colour Me Free" to chart (the first being "Free Me" at the beginning of the year).
At the top of the charts, Uncle Kracker earns back-to-back No. 1's with "Another Love Song." It follows "Smile," which went to No. 1 for four nonconsecutive weeks and became the top song of 2009. We'll see whether this one has similar staying power.
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