A Musical Mystery: Is Someone Dropping A Surprise Album?

Tunes for June?

It started out as a blind item Thursday night on the trade site HITS Daily Double — the potential for a surprise album to be issued at some point during the first week of June. Immediately, music message boards were buzzing as to whom could be behind such a release. Now, this obviously has no confirmation, it’s merely a suggestion of a rumbling inside this industry, but the potential is huge for another blockbuster dependent on the soloist or band with such an album. I, myself, haven’t a clue as to who it actually is. However, I’m here to give suggestions! Let’s sort this one out together…

• It could be a diva with a flashy new release. Should the mystery item be something like Adele‘s 25, it could save a 15% drop in albums year-to-date. It may even be capable of selling 1 million copies in its first week as the followup to the Diamond certified 21. There’s also singer Taylor Swift, who is due for a new album at some point this year. Both the country and pop communities would be excited by new music from her. We also have Rihanna, who last year was reported to be involved with two albums seeing a 2014 release date rather than completing a new set for a 2013 date. Finally, there’s Lady Gaga; we’ve heard whispers of an ARTPOP 2 coming at some point, and we’re also likely to see her collaboration effort with Tony Bennett, Cheek To Cheek, this year. Question is, will it be now?
• It could be a solo rapper. Given the recent $3 billion deal between Apple and Beats By Dre, could we be upon the release of that decade-plus-in-the-making Detox by Dr. Dre? It certainly makes sense given all the news lately, but then again, it’s been pushed back so many times that it may never see the light of day. Lil Wayne‘s Tha Carter V is also in the running given that a leadoff single is now on the charts; so is his cohort Nicki Minaj with The Pink Print. Both are anticipated after an underperforming Young Money compilation. We also can’t forget about rapper Wiz Khalifa‘s Blacc Hollywood; with no date yet, it could fit in here. Kanye West may be an option as well.
• It could be act that’s had decades of success and is looking to making some sort of comeback. Madonna‘s name has been thrown around quite a bit since the announcement of a surprise release; she and Katy Perry have been working together recently, and she’s been in the studio with both Avicii and Natalia Kills. Prince recently signed a new deal with his old label Warner Bros. – could this be the first of his new albums for them? There’s also U2, who have released a few tunes since the beginning of the year: “Invisible” and “Ordinary Love” (from the film Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom.) Was their album really pushed back to 2015… or is now the right time to put it out?
• We also have the performers that could be the ultimate shock. Could you imagine if Gwen Stefani dropped an album out of nowhere? After all, she will be judging on The Voice this season and has been working on some sounds with the other new judge on the panel, Pharrell. Given all their playing at festivals in the last few months, wouldn’t it make sense for Outkast to release an album? Epic has a little momentum (can’t give them too much credit) with the Michael Jackson posthumous effort. What about Justin Bieber in his attempt to silence the critics? What about JoJo and her first album in eight years? Far too many options, so little time to analyze them all.

The curiosity factor is going to go on for some time and I’m not sure I’ve helped things totally, but we’ll see what happens this week! Think it may be someone else? Frank Ocean? Janet Jackson? Kesha? Let me know! Comment below or find me on social media by clicking the “Get Social!” tab above.

RADIO REPORT: POP! Goes The Picks (June 2014)

If you follow the radio charts like I do, you’ll want to be on top of only the freshest music being serviced across the nation. So, I’m bringing back an early PGTC feature with a bit of a revamp. With this monthly series, I’ll be highlighting some great tracks at a few different radio formats I enjoy that will be fighting for airspace over the next few months. So, what are we waiting for? Let the battles begin.

CHR (*) and HOT AC (**)

AVICII featuring AUDRA MAE – “Addicted To You” (June 3) (*)
Label: PRMD/Island/Republic
Sweden’s Tim Bergling has been having a massive era on the U.S. charts with two hits in a row: “Wake Me Up!”, with a vocal from Aloe Blacc, and “Hey Brother”, featuring Dan Tyminski. Now, he’s out with his third single from True, though “Addicted” hasn’t been nearly as big on the worldwide charts. Still, it should receive some proper airtime here.

GLENN MORRISON featuring ISLOVE – “Goodbye” (June 3) (*)
Label: Robbins
I first discovered “Goodbye” last summer when it was picked up by SiriusXM’s two pop channels before it slowly rose up the radio charts in Morrison’s native Canada, where it has since been certified Platinum. Now, the record is getting a push to multiple U.S. formats. Will radio says “hello” to the 28-year-old or wave him away before the song takes off?

JANELLE MONÁE – “Heroes” (June 3) (**)
Label: Caroline/Capitol
Two years ago, Monáe scored a #1 song at the Hot AC format as a featured act on fun.‘s “We Are Young”, but hasn’t seen any significant action on these airwaves since it. 2013’s The Electric Lady gave her biggest debut thus far on the Billboard 200, and you’ll find this oft-covered David Bowie cut on Pepsi’s Beats Of The Beautiful Game soundtrack.

JESSE MCCARTNEY – “Superbad” (June 10) (*)
Label: Eight0Eight/INgrooves
Previously covered in a post I wrote three weeks ago about former boy band members going the solo route, the single finally goes to radio this month. It follows “Back Together”, which unfortunately didn’t do much last year. Though he is firmly committed to going the independent way, this kind of song would do better on a major. It’s a really hot track.

JACQUIE LEE – “Broken Ones” (June 17) (**)
Label: 300/Atlantic
You may remember Lee from Christina Aguilera‘s team during the fall 2013 season of The Voice. She placed as the runner-up behind Tessanne Chin, but Lee is already making her move with 300 Entertainment, Lyor Cohen’s label. They previously charted with Eric Bellinger at Rhythmic, and have a few dozen spins on Alternative with Panama.

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ALTERNATIVE (*) and AAA (**)

AMERICAN AUTHORS – “Believer” (June 10) (*)
Label: Mercury/Republic
It barely went top 50 on the Alternative chart last year, but thanks to the enormous numbers put up by “Best Day Of My Life” over the last few months, “Believer” is getting a second chance on the airwaves. It’s already top 40 at Hot AC and should go top 50 here rather soon. You can catch them on tour with OneRepublic and The Script this summer.

JAMIE SCOTT – “My Hurricane” (June 10) (**)
Label: Virgin/Capitol
With both a Graffiti6 album and a Scott solo album in 2014, it may just be the best year ever. No lies detected. This first single from effort, due September 9, is going to AAA radio, the same format where “Free” reached the top ten and “Stare Into The Sun” bounced up into the top 20. This storm’s a-brewing and the weather report is calling for a smash.

STU LARSEN – “Thirteen Sad Farewells” (June 17) (**)
Label: Nettwerk
If you’re a fan of the musician named Passenger, then you probably know who Larsen is. He and Mr. Rosenberg have been good friends for a while and often perform together. After a few self-released EPs, his debut album for Nettwerk, titled Vagabond, lands in stores on July 15. The performer is currently wrapping up a small U.S. tour in Los Angeles.

THE GRISWOLDS – “Beware The Dog” (June 17) (*)
Label: Wind-Up
I saw these guys at CMJ back in October along with the band Sheppard, and although “Heart Of A Lion” failed to take off at Alternative, the Australian four piece is trying again with this single. The blog coverage of the song is off to a fast start and it’s easily their most accessible release to date for the U.S. market. This puppy is barking away for your love.

TWIN ATLANTIC – “Heart And Soul” (June 24) (*)
Label: Red Bull
About to break the top 20 on the Singles Chart in the United Kingdom, “Heart” is already the group’s highest charting single across the pond. With Red Bull’s multi-year campaign for AWOLNATION‘s “Sail”, launching it at Alternative  in the fall of 2011 and then at CHR in the summer/fall of 2013, this could be the label’s next enduring hit. Stay tuned!

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Which track(s) would you like to see do well from the list above? Let me know! Comment below or click the “Get Social!” tab to find PGTC on social media.

Bringing ’88 Back: A “Fancy” Feast Of Sampled Songs

They’re so antsy, you already know.

With huge gains in airplay and sales, it’s easy to see why the new #1 atop the Hot 100 this week is “Fancy” by rapper Iggy Azalea and singer Charli XCX. Despite the inevitable calls that R&B and rap music is being whitewashed (again), it’s quite the achievement for both performers, who each score their first chart-topper on the big list. In turn, Azalea becomes only the fourth female rapper to hit the summit following Lauryn Hill (1998), Lil’ Kim (2001) and Shawnna (2003). Since she’s also featured on the #2 single this week, singer Ariana Grande‘s “Problem”, I’d say she’s having a pretty good year so far and the successes will only continue for her.

In recognition of this story and the song, one line came to mind in the first verse. It’s borrowed from rapper Nas‘s 2003 hit “Made You Look”: “Rooftop like we bringin’ ’88 back.” Of course, this line refers to holding parties up on the rooftop of a building. However, Azalea wasn’t born in 1988 and the song certainly doesn’t date back to then. Luckily, there have been plenty of songs in the past few years that have been “bringin’ ’88 back” through a sample or cover of a prior hit. Even since her first EP release in the summer of 2012, we’ve had these fun flashbacks…

FLO RIDA – “I Cry” (2012)
Sample: “Piano In The Dark”, Brenda Russell featuring Joe Esposito (#6, June)

His songs have sampled everyone from Dead Or Alive to Eiffel 65 to Etta James, so I guess it’s not a surprise that the rapper made it on here. “Piano”, of course, was an unexpected comeback smash for Russell. “Cry” marks a rare case where both a single and the song it sampled climbed to the same peak on the Hot 100; it went to #6 just before Christmas in 2012.

SEBASTIAN MIKAEL featuring WALE – “Last Night” (2013)
Sample: “Nite And Day”, Al B. Sure! (#7, July)

Originally born in Sweden and then based in Boston during his college years, this 24-year-old took on this classic from the New York singer, which also charted as a sample for acts like LL Cool J and P.M. Dawn. Mikael’s debut release went top ten on the Urban chart in December and broke the top 40 at Rhythm radio earlier this year. His current single is “Forever”.

TO BE ONE – “Please Don’t Go Girl” (2014)
Sample: “Please Don’t Go Girl”, New Kids On The Block (#10, October)

This trio of teens from New Jersey has yet to fully break on the pop scene, but with the longtime support of SiriusXM’s two pop channels, Atom Factory recently serviced this to CHR radio to minimal results. Unfortunately, it looks to be over. The original “Girl” put the New Kids on the map with their first of nine top ten hits in a row, all ranking between 1988 and 1990.

MARIAH CAREY – “One More Try” (2014)
Remake: “One More Try”, George Michael (#1, May)

As Me. I Am Mariah… The Elusive Chanteuse prepares to debut in the top 3 on the Billboard 200, this remake seems to be a fan favorite from an otherwise troubling era. Carey has a history of bringing ’88 back when it comes to covering songs: in 1999, her take on Brenda K. Starr‘s #13 hit “I Still Believe” (which she originally sang backup on) eclipsed it, going to #4.

When it comes to my 1988 jams, I’ll still take those tunes from Breathe and Johnny Hates Jazz, with an occasional spin of Climie Fisher or Crowded House. That’s just a small sample of my favorites that colored the charts with “Electric Blue”, “Out Of The Blue” and “Pink Cadillac”. What’s your favorite ’88 throwback? Let me know! Comment below or find me on social media by clicking the “Get Social!” tab.

Going Up The Country: A Twist Of Twang At Pop Radio

Howdy, cowboys and cowgirls. Much like last year, there’s about to be a honky tonk hollering onto the pop charts thanks to a few remixed versions of recent hits at the Country format. There’s sure to be a few thousand groans along the way, but it’s anyone’s guess as to how these songs will actually do. It’s also anyone’s guess as to which idea is the worse concept. The whole process seems outdated and unneccessary. Then again, the public likes what the public likes. Get ready to see these new edits on that achy breaky chart we call the Billboard Hot 100 soon:

One more “Drink”.

JERROD NIEMANN featuring PITBULL – “Drink To That All Night”
Release Date: May 19 / at CHR radio now, adds date: June 10

Now that “Wild Wild Love” has seen the last of its love on the pop airwaves, rapper Pitbull is making his way to the Wild Wild West along with singer/songwriter Jerrod Niemann. The 34-year-old performer from Kansas recently scored his second #1 on the Country survey with this for two weeks, a far different sound from his first chart-topper, 2010’s “Lover, Lover”. With the recent trend of so-called “Bro Country” and all the criticism hurled towards it, perhaps this song isn’t the worst offender of all, but it’s certainly seen its share of disparagers. Label Sea Gayle/Arista failed to cross “Lover” to Hot AC radio four years ago… can Mr. Worldwide guide Judge Jerrod through the dog eat dog world that awaits them on these outlets? With digital sales surging and spins on a dozen (mostly Southern) stations to date, this “Night” is looking notable.

They’re on a “Roll”.

FLORIDA GEORGIA LINE featuring JASON DERULO – “This Is How We Roll”
Release Date: June 5 / Adds Date: June 17

Well, they’ve done it! Over on the Mediabase chart, “Roll” just topped the list for a week, marking five number one singles in a row at Country radio for the duo of Tyler Hubbard and Brian Kelley since their debut release “Cruise”. Of course, that single weathered a pop run in a remix with Nelly, took on a second chart life and forever complicated the history of what is now Billboard’s Hot Country Songs survey. (There’s already been enough said about that heated issue.) So, now the two men are out to prove that lightning does strike twice with this rerelease. This story started over the weekend when Derulo posted this on Instagram with a caption referring the title, along with the hashtags “#comingsoon” and “#countrymusic”. I guess there’s no reason to believe it could lead to anything else. You know what to do with this idea… Giggle, giggle, giggle.

Two songs making the jump is significant enough for the early summer months, but we may not be done entirely. A single like Dan + Shay‘s recent release “19 You + Me” has enough crossover potential in it, while Luke Bryan‘s new #1 on the Country chart, “Play It Again”, is already receiving some unsolicited play at Hot AC radio. We’ll see what happens! For now, you can let me know what you think about these records on the range by commenting below or click the “Get Social!” tab to find PGTC on social media.

TURN IT UP TUESDAY: What’s New In Stores This Week (May 27)

Carey on, Mimi.

Memorial Day may be over for this year, but some chart veterans are hitting the scene with new efforts this week, along with a few newcomers to the Billboard 200. Here’s what albums and singles are in stores for the week of May 27:

• After delays, single changes and scanning childhood self-portraits for the better part of two years, the diva is back and ready to roll. Mariah Carey returns with her first studio album since 2010, Me. I Am Mariah… The Elusive Chanteuse. Though she’ll likely claim the week’s top debut, Coldplay‘s Ghost Stories should be strong enough to hold her back from #1. Nevertheless, the Lambs are ready to strike for their shepherd. (iTunes)
• Speaking of fanbases, the Mahomies are another strong one. Luckily, their leader, Austin Mahone, is finally out with an EP titled The Secret, which comes nearly two years after his first radio single release. His most recent single, a collaboration with Pitbull titled “Mmm Yeah”, is on there, along with a few extra nu sounds. Look for it to debut somewhere in the top ten with a really front-loaded first day sales total. (iTunes)
• Former U.K. X Factor finalist Cher Lloyd is hearing those “Sirens” go off today as her second album, Sorry, I’m Late, finally arrives in stores this week after a six month delay. The set was postponed after single “I Wish” failed to chart significantly, although that aforementioned second single isn’t doing much either. Don’t count the Brats out, though – they could deliver a solid entry for her. (iTunes)
• Other releases out this week include: Crowder‘s Neon Steeple (iTunes), Hercules and Love Affair‘s The Fest Of The Broken Heart (iTunes), Kiss‘s Kiss 40 (iTunes), Neil Young‘s A Letter Home (iTunes), Röyksopp & Robyn‘s Do It Again (EP) (iTunes), Sharon Van Etten‘s Are We There? (iTunes), The Ready Set‘s The Bad & The Better (iTunes) and the original Broadway soundtrack to The Bridges Of Madison County (iTunes).

New digital-only singles that you can buy this week include:

• “Hello, You Beautiful Thing”, a digital single from Jason Mraz‘s forthcoming album. (iTunes)
• “I Wanna Feel”, already storming the top in the U.K. for producer SecondCity. (iTunes)
• “Shades Of Cool”, a digital release from Lana Del Rey‘s Ultraviolence album. (iTunes)
• “XO”, a remake of a Beyoncé underperforming single by John Mayer. (iTunes)

Miranda Lambert‘s Platinum debuts next week and makes its way towards that lofty certification, while new albums from 50 Cent and The Orwells also try to break ahead of the pack. A full preview is coming on Tuesday!

Highlights from Adam’s Top 40: May 25, 2014

Just hold on, we’re going “Home”.

DEBUTS
39. American Authors – Believer
38. Milky Chance – Stolen Dance
35. Jamie Scott – My Hurricane | HIGHEST DEBUT

TOP GAINERS
34. Neon Trees – Love In The 21st Century (38)
33. Daughtry – Battleships (37)
28. Christina Perri – Burning Gold (32)
18. Coldplay – A Sky Full Of Stars (26) | BIGGEST MOVER

THIS WEEK’S TOP TEN
10. Oh Honey – Be Okay (11) | PEAK: #10
09. Graffiti6 – The Bridge (09) | PEAK: #09
08. Foster The People – Best Friend (08) | PEAK: #08
07. Coldplay – Magic (04) | PEAK: #01 for three weeks
06. Bleachers – I Wanna Get Better (05) | PEAK: #01 for one week
05. Clean Bandit featuring Jess Glynne – Rather Be (07) | PEAK: #05
04. Passenger – Scare Away The Dark (06) | PEAK: #04
03. Ed Sheeran – Sing (03) | PEAK: #03
02. Rixton – Me And My Broken Heart (02) | PEAK: #02
01. A Great Big World – Already Home (01) | PEAK: #01 for three weeks

Top 10 Next In Line:
1. Jesse McCartney – Superbad (3)
2. Saint Raymond – Everything She Wants (2)
3. Hudson Taylor – Battles (4)
4. Kiesza – Hideaway (8)
5. Us The Duo – No Matter Where You Are (10)
6. George Ezra – Budapest (9)
7. Young Rising Sons – High (-)
8. Stu Larsen – Thirteen Sad Farewells (-)
9. Lady Antebellum – Bartender (-)
10. Jacquie Lee – Broken Ones (-)

In The Mix:
Clean Bandit featuring Sharna Bass – Extraordinary
Colbie Caillat – Try (new)
James Blunt – Postcards
Janelle Monáe – Heroes (new)
Jason Mraz – Love Someone (new)
Marc Broussard – Hurricane Heart (new)
Paloma Faith – Only Love Can Hurt Like This
Sara Bareilles – Chasing The Sun
Sarah McLachlan – In Your Shoes

Chart Notes:

• Two weeks ago, it was tied for the Biggest Mover, and now Coldplay grabs the title once more for “A Sky Full Of Stars”, up eight this week from 26-18. It’s the second hit from the band’s new album, Ghost Stories, which looks to become their latest #1 album on the Billboard 200. There aren’t many more notable moves upward within the top 40, but several songs are up four spots, including tracks from Christina Perri and Neon Trees.
• The Highest Debut of the Week marks the first solo entry from Graffiti6 leader Jamie Scott on my chart, “My Hurricane”, entering at #35. A forthcoming album is due for release this fall. The debut of “Hurricane” coincides with the run of “The Bridge”, the title track from the duo’s second album, which was independently released after label troubles with Capitol Records. How will this Jamie vs. Jamie battle proceed? Stay tuned to find out!
• After taking over Europe with their first single, the duo of Clemens Rehbein and Philipp Dausch, better known as Milky Chance, debut on my own top 40 with “Stolen Dance”. It’s in at #38. Promoted in the U.S. by Republic Records, it’s already building on the AAA and Alternative airwaves, where it will inevitably take a slow run up. “Dance” is taken from their album Sadnecessary, which has yet to be released here.
• After spending a week at #1 on my chart last November with “Best Day Of My Life”, the former Boston and now Brooklyn based quartet American Authors are writing another musical memoir at #39, “Believer”. The single was originally serviced to Alternative radio last year and tanked, barely scratching the top 50. Now, given their bigger profile thanks to “Day” and a slightly new mix, more people will surely be believing in it.

(See my full chart on the M4BCC message board)

REWIND: Memorial Day Goes Musical On Adam’s Top 40

If you’re a fan of my weekly top 40 chart, Adam’s Top 40, and want to push rewind for the upcoming holiday weekend, then it’s time to jump into the Way Back Machine and go full speed into the archives of my personal survey statistics before I post this weekend’s update. It’s hard to believe that I created these lists so long ago; there’s a lot of great music, some memorable hits and quite a few tracks that have been lost along the way. I’m afraid that’s how things go sometimes. These are all those Memorial Day top tens from the past ten years, covering 2004 through 2013. Enjoy!

10 years ago… May 30, 2004

1. Hoobastank – “The Reason” (fourth week at #1)
2. Alanis Morissette – “Everything”
3. Cherie – “I’m Ready”
4. Ryan Cabrera – “On The Way Down”
5. Avril Lavigne – “Don’t Tell Me”
6. Ashlee Simpson – “Pieces Of Me”
7. JoJo – “Leave (Get Out)”
8. Jessica Simpson – “Take My Breath Away”
9. Los Lonely Boys – “Heaven”
10. Mis-Teeq – “Scandalous”

9 years ago… May 29, 2005

1. Howie Day – “Collide” (first week at #1)
2. Gavin DeGraw – “Chariot”
3. Duran Duran – “What Happens Tomorrow”
4. Kelly Clarkson – “Behind These Hazel Eyes”
5. Bryan Adams – “This Side Of Paradise”
6. Low Millions – “Statue”
7. Keane – “Everybody’s Changing”
8. Michael Bublé – “Home”
9. Weezer – “Beverly Hills”
10. Jason Mraz – “Wordplay”

8 years ago… May 28, 2006

1. Daniel Powter – “Bad Day” (fourth week at #1; tenth week non-consecutive overall)
2. Daniel Powter – “Lie To Me”
3. Bo Bice –  “The Real Thing”
4. Rob Thomas – “Ever The Same”
5. Keane – “Is It Any Wonder?”
6. Rascal Flatts – “What Hurts The Most”
7. Bon Jovi featuring Jennifer Nettles – “Who Says You Can’t Go Home?”
8. James Blunt – “Wisemen”
9. Nickelback – “Savin’ Me”
10. KT Tunstall – “Suddenly I See”

7 years ago… May 28, 2007

1. Maroon 5 – “Makes Me Wonder” (ninth week at #1)
2. Nickelback – “If Everyone Cared”
3. Michael Bublé – “Everything”
4. Darren Hayes – “Who Would Have Thought?”
5. Elliott Yamin – “Wait For You”
6. Kaiser Chiefs – “Ruby”
7. dbClifford – “Don’t Wanna”
8. Jon McLaughlin – “Beautiful Disaster”
9. James Morrison – “You Give Me Something”
10. Brandi Carlile – “The Story”

6 years ago… May 28, 2008

1. Leona Lewis – “Bleeding Love” (twelfth week at #1)
2. Jason Mraz – “I’m Yours”
3. Duffy – “Mercy”
4. Madonna featuring Justin Timberlake – “4 Minutes”
5. The Last Goodnight – “Stay Beautiful”
6. The Bravery – “Believe”
7. R.E.M. – “Supernatural Superserious”
8. Gavin DeGraw – “In Love With A Girl”
9. Colbie Caillat – “Realize”
10. Ferras – “Hollywood’s Not America”

5 years ago… May 24, 2009

1. Rob Thomas – “Her Diamonds” (first week at #1)
2. David Cook – “Come Back To Me”
3. Shinedown – “Second Chance”
4. The Script – “The Man Who Can’t Be Moved”
5. Pink – “Please Don’t Leave Me”
6. Mat Kearney – “Closer To Love”
7. Carolina Liar – “Show Me What I’m Looking For”
8. Nickelback – “If Today Was Your Last Day”
9. The Fray – “You Found Me”
10. Jason Mraz featuring Colbie Caillat – “Lucky”

4 years ago… May 30, 2010

1. V.V. Brown – “Shark In The Water” (fourth week at #1)
2. Nickelback – “This Afternoon”
3. Jack Johnson – “You And Your Heart”
4. Keane featuring K’naan – “Stop For A Minute”
5. Colbie Caillat – “I Never Told You”
6. Lady Antebellum – “Need You Now”
7. Tonic – “Release Me”
8. Daniel Merriweather – “Red”
9. Rob Thomas – “Mockingbird”
10. Christina Aguilera – “Not Myself Tonight”

3 years ago… May 29, 2011

1. Parachute – “Something To Believe In (Jeremiah)” (second week at #1)
2. Jason Aldean with Kelly Clarkson – “Don’t You Wanna Stay”
3. Fitz & The Tantrums – “MoneyGrabber”
4. Matt Nathanson – “Faster”
5. Jessie J featuring B.o.B – “Price Tag”
6. Maroon 5 – “Never Gonna Leave This Bed”
7. OneRepublic – “Good Life”
8. The Band Perry – “If I Die Young”
9. Britney Spears – “Till The World Ends”
10. Graham Colton – “Pacific Coast Eyes”

2 years ago… May 27, 2012

1. Keane – “Silenced By The Night” (third week at #1)
2. Carly Rae Jepsen – “Call Me Maybe”
3. fun. featuring Janelle Monáe – “We Are Young”
4. Daniel Powter – “Cupid”
5. Ed Sheeran – “The A Team”
6. Gotye featuring Kimbra – “Somebody That I Used To Know”
7. Karmin – “Brokenhearted”
8. Graffiti6 – “Stare Into The Sun”
9. Maroon 5 – “Payphone”
10. Train – “Drive By”

1 year ago… May 26, 2013

1. Passenger – “Let Her Go” (third week at #1)
2. Justin Timberlake – “Mirrors”
3. Daniel Powter – “Crazy All My Life”
4. Florida-Georgia Line featuring Nelly – “Cruise”
5. Michael Bublé – “It’s A Beautiful Day”
6. Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams – “Get Lucky”
7. Fitz & The Tantrums – “Out Of My League”
8. Kelly Clarkson – “People Like Us”
9. Matt Hires – “Restless Heart”
10. Walk Off The Earth – “Red Hands”

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Which year’s top ten is your favorite? Let me know! Comment below or click the “Get Social!” tab to find PGTC on social media.

TURN IT UP MONDAY: What’s New In Stores This Week (May 19)

They keep it chill.

There’s a battle brewing on the schedule this week with at least three acts looking to put up six figure numbers — perhaps one would call it “a sky full of stars”, yes? (NOTE: some releases may still not be out until Tuesday dependent on record label availability/iTunes response time.) Here’s what albums and singles are in stores for the week of May 19:

• Call it “Magic”, call it new: today marks the release of the new album from Coldplay, Ghost Stories, which has been streaming on iTunes for the past few days. At nine tracks in length, it’s the band’s shortest album to date. (A Target exclusive deluxe edition lifts that total to twelve.) The current radio single from it is “A Sky Full Of Stars”, co-produced with Avicii. Expect this to debut at #1 on the album chart just as their last three albums have. (iTunes) (Read my review of Ghost Stories)
• Following in a close second place is the latest effort from Country singer Brantley Gilbert, titled Just As I Am. Lead single “Bottoms Up” recently topped the Country chart and second single “Small Town Throwdown”, a collaboration with Justin Moore and Thomas Rhett, just made a significant debut on that same chart as aided by a first day Clear Channel deal. Will it reach Platinum status as Halfway To Heaven did? It could happen. (iTunes)
• Former American Idol winner Phillip Phillips goes Behind The Light on his sophomore album, which features the current top ten Hot AC hit, “Raging Fire”. Though the song hasn’t garnered as much airplay or sales as “Home” or “Gone, Gone, Gone” as of yet, the album is a lock for a high debut thanks to his large fan base. (iTunes)
• Looking to score their seventh top ten album on the Billboard 200, The Roots are out with their latest effort, …And Then You Shoot Your Cousin. I’m sure you’ll be seeing them promote it at their late night home, The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon, this week. No singles from it have charted thus far. (iTunes)
• Move over, Frozen, there’s a new soundtrack in town catching a lot of early attention. It’s a collection of songs from the forthcoming film The Fault In Our Stars, due in movie theaters on June 6. The set features all original songs by acts like Birdy, Ed Sheeran, Grouplove and more. (Feels sold separately.) (iTunes)
• Other releases out this week include: Afrojack‘s Forget The World (iTunes), Conor Oberst‘s Upside Down Mountain (iTunes), Hedley‘s Wild Life (iTunes), Kenny Wayne Shepherd Band‘s Goin’ Home (iTunes), Melanie Martinez‘s Dollhouse (EP) (iTunes) and the original Broadway soundtrack to The Bridges Of Madison County (iTunes).

New digital-only singles that you can buy this week include:

• “Bartender”, the first single from the forthcoming album by Lady Antebellum. (iTunes)
• “Keep Us Safe”, a live track from Country singer Carrie Underwood. (iTunes)
• “Get Her Back”, a new single from Robin Thicke. Wonder who this song is about? (iTunes)
• “Love Someone”, new from Jason Mraz‘s forthcoming album. (iTunes)
• “Mission”, a new single from rapper Lupe Fiasco. (iTunes)
• “Somethin’ Bad”, a collaboration between Miranda Lambert and Carrie Underwood. (iTunes)

Mariah Carey‘s Me. I Am Mariah… The Elusive Chanteuse comes into the light next week, while Austin Mahone makes a splash with his EP titled The Secret. Which musical mystery will take the crown? A full preview is coming on Tuesday!

Highlights from Adam’s Top 40: May 18, 2014

“Home” is where the chart is.

DEBUTS
39. The 2 Bears – Angel (Touch Me)
38. Neon Trees – Love In The 21st Century | HIGHEST DEBUT

TOP GAINERS
32. Christina Perri – Burning Gold (37)
31. Duck Sauce – NRG (38) | BIGGEST MOVER
26. Coldplay – A Sky Full Of Stars (32)
16. SecondCity – I Wanna Feel (22)

THIS WEEK’S TOP TEN
10. Phillip Phillips – Raging Fire (07) | PEAK: #03
09. Graffiti6 – The Bridge (11) | PEAK: #09
08. Foster The People – Best Friend (09) | PEAK: #08
07. Clean Bandit featuring Jess Glynne – Rather Be (08) | PEAK: #07
06. Passenger – Scare Away The Dark (06) | PEAK: #06
05. Bleachers – I Wanna Get Better (01) | PEAK: #01 for one week
04. Coldplay – Magic (02) | PEAK: #01 for three weeks
03. Ed Sheeran – Sing (05) | PEAK: #03
02. Rixton – Me And My Broken Heart (04) | PEAK: #02
01. A Great Big World – Already Home (01) | PEAK: #01 for two weeks

Top 10 Next In Line:
1. Milky Chance – Stolen Dance (8)
2. Saint Raymond – Everything She Wants (1)
3. Jesse McCartney – Superbad (-)
4. Hudson Taylor – Battles (6)
5. American Authors – Believer (10)
6. Jeremy Redmore – Bad Philosophy (4)
7. Donkeyboy – Crazy Something Normal (3)
8. Kiesza – Hideaway (-)
9. George Ezra – Budapest (-)
10. Us The Duo – No Matter Where You Are (-)

In The Mix:
Clean Bandit featuring Sharna Bass – Extraordinary
Jacquie Lee – Broken Ones (new)
James Blunt – Postcards (new)
Lady Antebellum – Bartender (new)
Paloma Faith – Only Love Can Hurt Like This
Red Wanting Blue – You Are My Las Vegas
Sara Bareilles – Chasing The Sun (new)
Sarah McLachlan – In Your Shoes
Stu Larsen – Thirteen Sad Farewells
Young Rising Sons – High (new)

Chart Notes:

• For the second week in a row, A Great Big World rule the top 40 with “Already Home”, their first song to reach the top. Album Is There Anybody Out There? also produced a #2 entry last year, “Say Something”, which gained traction as a duet with Christina Aguilera. Though the duo’s only been charting since the fall of 2013, singer Ian Axel was listed beneath my survey in early 2011 with a solo version of their breakout release “This Is The New Year”.
• The week’s Biggest Mover belongs to duo Duck Sauce, who debuted last week at #38 and now rise to #31, a gain of seven spots. Their last hit, “Barbra Streisand”, peaked at #13 in late 2010 and dented the Hot 100 at #89. Believe it or not, there’s been only one other saucy set of singers to hit Billboard’s big survey. In 1972, a Detroit trio called Hot Sauce peaked at #96 with their only charting record for Volt Records, “Bring It Home (And Give It To Me)”.
• Following their recent #1 single, “Sleeping With A Friend”, the Utah quartet Neon Trees land this week’s Highest Debut with “Love In The 21st Century” at #38. The second release from Pop Psychology goes to Alternative radio soon, where “Sleeping” still currently ranks in the top 20. Overall, it’s the band’s seventh single to enter my chart.
• At #39 is this week’s other debut, the first chart hit for a duo called The 2 Bears. They are Joe Goddard, one fifth of the band Hot Chip, and Raf Rundell. The two have been making music together since 2009 and their second album, titled The Night Is Young, is due this fall. “Angel (Touch Me)” is released digitally at the end of June.

(See my full chart on the M4BCC message board)

ALBUM REVIEW: Coldplay – Ghost Stories

Viva la Coldplay.

Conscious uncoupling: Coldplay lead singer Chris Martin and then-wife Gwyneth Paltrow ignited that term when it was used to describe their separation earlier this year, but it can be applied just as much to Martin’s band. The playful pop sounds of their last two albums are nothing more than a breakup to write about, replaced with the more atmospheric and contemplative themes of Ghost Stories, released on Parlophone/Atlantic this Monday. Finding itself somewhere between a breakup album and an effort with a hint of opportunity, this nine song collection (twelve on the Target deluxe) goes for the personal, but personally, isn’t even close to what I was looking for out of their latest material. This isn’t to say what the  group has written and recorded is subpar, but enduring classics they are not.

The album begins with the soothing “Always In My Head”, which begins with a series of chants before transitioning into a moody rocker. It feels incomplete at just one verse and one chorus, Martin repeatedly singing to his love, “you’re always in my head.” Also sparsely written is the first radio single from the project, “Magic”, a beautifully simple composition that gently eases along. This tale ends on a hopeful note: “If you were to ask me/After all that we’ve been through/Still believe in magic/Oh, yes I do… of course I do.” Picking up the pace from there is third cut “Ink”, one of the stronger tracks of the set, which picks up the pace from the solidly slow beginning. The optimism of a romance is likened to “carving your name with a pocket knife”, although Martin indicates that his relationship now “feels like there’s something broken inside.”

Fourth track “True Love” is also a welcome treat, which comes off as a sequel to the quartet’s 2013 soundtrack single from The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, “Atlas”. Though the request to “tell me you love me” and “If you don’t, then lie to me” isn’t particularly convincing, the song as a whole is pleasant. The pre-release track “Midnight” follows in the fifth slot in a minimalist fashion, reminiscent of the mid-to-late 1970’s Peter Gabriel catalog. Martin subjects us to passionate longing once more in “Another’s Arms”, in which he wishes “that you were here beside me” as he watches the tube in the wee hours of the morning. I hope he isn’t tuned into reruns of Divorce Court (or the umpteenth airing of Country Strong.)

The final three tracks in the set, if not the best of the bunch, certainly provide an interesting experience for the listener. It advances with the acoustic-based “Oceans”: think of it as the “God Put A Smile Upon Your Face” of Ghost Stories. Perhaps the most intriguing part about is the coda which leads into a full outro, a chaotic assembly of crashing waves, bells ringing in reverse and more. It transitions nicely into the second radio single and obvious hit of the bunch, “A Sky Full Of Stars”, co-produced by Avicii. Even more dance-oriented than 2011’s “Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall”, the song is uplifting and the only real hyper positive moment on here. That, of course, means we end on a downer: “O”, the piano-heavy ballad that delicately unwinds to the calls of Martin to “fly on” as “a flock of birds”. It has single potential down the line.

If the days of Parachutes and A Rush Of Blood To The Head are more up your alley, then the finely crafted tunes of Ghost Stories, subtleties and all, will probably appeal more to you than the casual fan of “Viva La Vida”. It’s certainly not lacking in terms of inspiration, but given the jump from the pop-driven Mylo Xyloto to this, the experience isn’t wholly satisfying. Then again, one could argue that the concept of adoration isn’t either. Love on the rocks ain’t no big surprise, and neither are the sales that come along with the hype of an act like Coldplay. Though this album’s start will likely be slower and not as impressive in the long run, there are a few songs on here that could drive numbers up.

There’s unfinished business to be had, but I’m sure it’ll be years before anything new is ready for our consumption. Until then, get a good bookmark. You may find yourself coming back to these Stories when you least expect it.

(Stream and purchase Ghost Stories on iTunes)