It’s the start of another weekend, which means it’s time for another trip back into the archives on Adam’s Top 40 Flashback! Every Saturday, the day before my latest top 40 goes up for the week, I feature the highlights of a past countdown. They’re all here — the hit songs, the songs that flopped, and the songs that may be a little embarrassing to reflect on.
This week, we stroll back six years and find out what was topping my chart for the week of April 3, 2011…
Biggest Mover(s): MATT NATHANSON, “Faster” (30-21, nine spots)
10. COLBIE CAILLAT, “I Do” (steady, second week) Album: All Of You (2011, Universal Republic Records)
Peak: #5 for two weeks
09. PARACHUTE, “Something To Believe In (Jeremiah)” (steady, second week) Album: The Way It Was (2011, Mercury Records)
Peak: #1 for three weeks
08. THE BAND PERRY, “If I Die Young” (steady, second week) Album: The Band Perry (2010, Republic Nashville Records)
Peak: #2 for two weeks
07. AVRIL LAVIGNE, “What The Hell” (down 1)
Album: Goodbye Lullaby (2011, RCA Records)
Peak: #6 for two weeks
06. JESSIE J featuring B.O.B, “Price Tag” (up 1)
Album: Who You Are (2011, Lava/Universal Republic Records)
Peak: #2
05. ADELE, “Rolling In The Deep” (down 2) Album: 21 (2011, XL/Columbia Records)
Peak: #1 for six weeks
04. JASON ALDEAN featuring KELLY CLARKSON, “Don’t You Wanna Stay” (steady, third week) Album: My Kinda Party (2010, Broken Bow Records)
Peak: #1 for four weeks
03. DURAN DURAN, “All You Need Is Now” (up 2)
Album: All You Need Is Now (2010, S-Curve Records)
Peak: #1 for two weeks
02. ANDY GRAMMER, “Keep Your Head Up” (steady, eighth week) Album: Andy Grammer (2011, S-Curve Records)
Peak: #2 for eight weeks
01. PINK, “F**kin’ Perfect” (steady, third week)
Album: Greatest Hits… So Far!!! (2010, LaFace/RCA Records)
Peak: #1 for three weeks
Check back next Saturday for another Adam’s Top 40 Flashback countdown and don’t forget to follow the blog by using the tab below or find PGTC on social media by clicking the “Get Social!” tab at the top of the page.
We’ve made it through a quarter of the year, and the hits just keep on coming in this week’s report. Let’s check out all the action right here:
KODAK BLACK – Painting Pictures (iTunes)
The 19-year-old Florida performer is riding the success of the viral hit “Tunnel Vision” with his debut album, which follows his set of mixtapes over the last few years. The song just impacted at Urban radio, and should be charting rather soon. With a healthy amount of sale and stream equivalent units being added to its total, it should have a large debut on the album survey next week.
TRACE ADKINS – Something’s Going On (iTunes)
This is the fifteenth studio album for the Country star, who made his debut in 1996 and topped the chart with tracks like “(This Ain’t) No Thinkin’ Thing” and “You’re Gonna Miss This”. His current album features the song “Watered Down”, which is in the lower rungs of the survey. Look for it somewhere in the top 40.
LA’PORSHA RENAE – Already All Ready (iTunes)
Former American Idol runner-up Renae is out with her debut album, which features the top ten Urban AC hit “Good Woman”. It’s at #9 currently. Though the buzz from the show is largely gone, there should still be some interest in the release.
More albums out this week:Aimee Mann‘s Mental Illness (iTunes), Bob Dylan‘s Triplicate (iTunes), Fleetwood Mac‘s Tango In The Night (Deluxe) (iTunes), Goldfrapp‘s Silver Eye (iTunes), Jackie Evancho‘s Two Hearts (iTunes), Jamiroquai‘s Automaton (iTunes), Jennifer Paige‘s Starflower (iTunes), MercyMe‘s Lifer (iTunes), Nelly Furtado‘s The Ride (iTunes), Phantoms‘s Phantoms (iTunes)
More EPs out this week:Matt Maeson‘s Who Killed Matt Maeson? (iTunes)
New digital-only singles that you can buy this week include:
“9 (After Coachella)”, Cashmere Cat featuring MØ & SOPHIE (iTunes)
“Always Summer”, Jordan Fisher (iTunes)
“Breathe (HEDEGAARD Remix)”, Astrid S (iTunes)
“Do You Love Me”, Jay Sean (iTunes)
“Don’t Love Me”, Janine (iTunes)
“Don’t Take The Money”, Bleachers (iTunes)
“Ex (Acoustic)”, James TW (iTunes)
“Fault Line”, Michelle Branch (iTunes)
“Good Morning (Acoustic)”, Grouplove (iTunes)
“Happy Love”, ROMANS (iTunes)
“Humble.”, Kendrick Lamar (iTunes)
“In Cold Blood”, alt-J (iTunes)
“Keep In Line”, Maybird (iTunes)
“Low Blows”, Meg Mac (iTunes)
“Need You Now”, Dean Lewis (iTunes)
“No Promises”, Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato (iTunes)
“Oh Love”, MisterWives (iTunes)
“Plastic”, Will Joseph Cook (iTunes)
“Same Dark Place”, JR JR (iTunes)
“Same Mistakes”, Seramic (iTunes)
“Sunrise Sunset”, Benny Cassette (iTunes)
“The One”, The Chainsmokers (iTunes)
“The Other (Stripped)”, Lauv (iTunes)
“Ultralife”, Oh Wonder (iTunes)
“Vitamin D”, Ludacris featuring Ty Dolla $ign (iTunes)
“When You’re Gone”, VÉRITÉ (iTunes)
We’ll see you next week for new albums from Michelle Branch, Pentatonix, The Chainsmokers and more. Listen to the PGTC Friday Faves list on Spotify!
Welcome to Add Lib, a new weekly report on POP! Goes The Charts that’s mad about CHR/Top 40 adds, based on the station data provided by Mediabase 24/7 and Add Board. This week: “Time” is certainly on Zayn‘s side, Machine Gun Kelly pulls at his Top 40 trigger and Drake finds that P-A-S-S-I-O-N got him in a jam again, or, at least making a nice jam again. Time to syndicate some rhythms and other radio results, because I’m ready to do the most with the Most Added songs of the week:
LIFE IN THE FAST ZAYN: He’s “still got” power over the pop panel. Zayn, along with PartyNextDoor, has this week’s Most Added song at CHR/Top 40 radio with “Still Got Time”. It’s added at 76 pop stations, while it brings in another 11 on the Rhythmic panel. This total is slightly under the 88 stations that “Pillowtalk” was added to in its first frame in February 2016, but it remains a very respectable total, one that will likely grow in the coming weeks. All eyes are now on Harry Styles, who should pick up a solid number of adds when his single debuts on April 7, though it’s unclear whether it’ll officially impact on April 11 or not. Though their group may never perform together again, the radio support on these solo projects is definitely headed in one direction.
“BEST” FOOT FORWARD: Reloading on the radio charts, rapper Machine Gun Kelly aims and fires with his new hit, “At My Best”, a release that features actress/singer Hailee Steinfeld. It’s new at 47 stations on the CHR panel, giving it the second Most Added title. Currently bulleted (no, not that kind of bullet) in the top 40 at the format, it’s Kelly’s second hit and Steinfeld’s fourth here. So, expect this one to make some fast moves in the coming weeks, especially with its early sales and streaming stats. Steinfeld is currently filming Pitch Perfect 3, due out in late December. Meanwhile, will “Best” find pop perfection this summer? Stay tuned!
PASSIONABLY LATE: While Drake‘s “Passionfruit” has already made its juicy debut in the top 50 at Rhythmic radio, it’s been a little slower to get that sweet sound on a number of Top 40 stations. That being said, with two dozen adds this week, ranking it in the #4 spot on the Most Added leaderboard, I think programmers looking for some fresh fruit should give it a ripe rotation switch. Of course, this single comes from the performer’s most recent set, More Life, which topped the latest Billboard 200 with a massive number of streaming-equivalent units. The single also debuted at #8 on the newest update of Billboard Hot 100. Forget about this “fake news” obsession; Drake news is where it’s at.
MOST ADDED — THIS WEEK’S TOP TEN 1. ZAYN featuring PARTYNEXTDOOR, “Still Got Time” (RCA)
2. MACHINE GUN KELLY featuring HAILEE STEINFELD, “At My Best” (Republic/Bad Boy/Interscope)
3. CALVIN HARRIS featuring FRANK OCEAN & MIGOS, “Slide” (Columbia) 4. DRAKE, “Passionfruit” (YMCMB/Republic) 5. KYLE featuring LIL YACHTY, “iSpy” (Indie-Pop/Atlantic) 6. FLO RIDA & 99 PERCENT, “Cake” (APG/Atlantic) 7. JASON DERULO featuring NICKI MINAJ and TY DOLLA $IGN, “Swalla” (Beluga Heights/Warner Bros.) 8. G-EAZY & KEHLANI, “Good Life” (Atlantic/RRP) 9-T. RAG’N’BONE MAN, “Human” (Columbia) 9-T. STARGATE featuring P!NK and SIA, “Waterfall” (RCA)
Welcome to Radio Active, a weekly report from POP! Goes The Charts that gets to the chart of the matter: all the highlights from the CHR/Top 40 chart, as published by Mediabase 24/7 and Mediabase Research. When it comes to the health of our pop airwaves, I, as your Commander-In-Chart, will provide coverage for all, including the preexisting conditions from last week’s top 50. So, if you’re in need of some medical melodies, or a ditty from the doctor, never fear; your favorite chart geek is here to prescribe some pop stats:
ED IN THE CLOUDS: Nearly approaching its record-setting spin total from two weeks back, Ed Sheeran‘s “Shape Of You” stays at #1 for the sixth week on the CHR/Top 40 chart. This achievement means that Sheeran’s now spent half of his run, 12 weeks, in the top spot. Incredible! “Shape” also tops the Hot AC chart for a fifth week, while it ranks in the top ten on the Rhythmic chart. I haven’t quite figured out what the singer/songwriter’s favorite shape actually is, but perhaps if you lend me a Shape-O rattle and a little time to figure out, I can get you an answer by next week’s post.
Sheeran re-enters at #45 on this week’s chart with “Castle On The Hill”, which was recently reissued to the format. It’s a new peak for it; you’ll recall that upon the song’s release, it briefly spent one week in the top 50 on the second chart in January. “Galway Girl” is on several stations as well, continuing to pick up airplay in major markets. Unsurprisingly, the song’s already been to #1 in Ireland.
THE LANGUAGE OF “LOVE”: The Swedish duo Axwell Λ Ingrosso sounds like they should be one part of a law firm, scoring victories in Top 40 trials. They could’ve even had their own commercial during every daytime talk show. Alas, that’s not the case, but there is a case on the docket regarding a lovable new track of theirs. “I Love You”, featuring Kid Ink, brings some order to the court of chart hits, jumping from 42-36 this week. Someone better call the pop prosecutor; there’s a writer making far too many legal puns for one chart recap. Take him away, officer…
Axwell and Sebastian Ingrosso previously charted as two-thirds of the electronic group Swedish House Mafia, who hit the top 40 two times between 2011-2013 with “Save The World” (#36, 9/4/11 MB) and the smash “Don’t You Worry Child” (#2, 2/3/13 MB). If they ever got back together at some point, I’m sure the CHR panel would prove that this Swedish House is, in fact, a home. A chart is still a chart, even when there’s no song that departs.
“STILL” THE ONE: As Harry Styles preps for the release of his solo single in April, Zayn is wasting no time with his next move. His latest single is “Still Got Time”, which features PartyNextDoor, entering at #40 after just a few days of airplay. The single may appear on Zayn’s second solo album, though no details about the set have been revealed yet. With four top 40 songs outside of One Direction, he remains the most successful member to come from the group. Call me crazy, but that’s rather in-Zayn. Get it? Call me cra– oh, nevermind. I’ve had worse, people.
Zayn also remains in the runner-up spot for the fifth week in a row with “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever”, a duet with Taylor Swift off the Fifty Shades Darker soundtrack. Had the song made it to #1, it would have been the first male-female duet from a film to top the format since Peabo Bryson and Regina Belle‘s “A Whole New World”, from Aladdin, a three-week #1 hit in February 1993. Well, what can I say? Reaching the top is no magic carpet ride, even if it looks easy. Still, the song’s been a major hit across the globe, so it’s nothing to be sad about, kids.
JUST PUSH PLAY-N-SKILLZ: With a skillful remake of a Selena song, Texas duo Play-N-Skillz collaborates with Frankie J, Becky G and Kap G on a Spanglish mix of “Si Una Vez (If I Once)”, entering at #50 on this week’s CHR chart. This is Frankie J’s first charting single at the format since 2006, when “That Girl” (#21, 9/3/06 MB) became his last main-credited appearance. This release makes its top 50 entry just days before the 22nd anniversary of Selena’s death. The performer is best remembered in the CHR world for a pair of posthumous hits: “I Could Fall In Love” (#12, 9/8/95 R&R) and “Dreaming Of You” (#20, 12/22/95 R&R), both from an album named after the latter single.
This is not the first Latin-infused collaboration to reach the top 50 at the format. In fact, in September 2014, Enrique Iglesias‘s hit “Bailando” reached #9 on the CHR chart, which featured Sean Paul, Descemer Bueno and Gente de Zona. Will this song make it just as high? We’ll see soon. ¡Buena suerte amigos!
Sunday afternoon means it’s time for the Record Rewind, highlighting the top new tracks that you might’ve missed during the work week, all from my favorite independent acts out there. If it’s on the site, it’s something that you need to check out!
Across the PGTC SoundCloud page and my playlists on Spotify, these stuck out as my favorite independent songs of the week…
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AMY ALLEN – “Get Me Outta Here!” (iTunes) (Spotify)
In the past, we’ve reposted and playlisted music from a great Boston band called Amy & The Engine. Leader Allen is now recording as a solo performer, and her latest single is a catchy indie pop ditty. If you haven’t discovered her yet, this is a great start to the journey.
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CAFUNÉ – “How Can I Explain” (iTunes) (Spotify)
How can we explain how much we enjoy this duo’s music? Well, it’s very simple: members Sedona Schat and Noah Yoo are a talented twosome that have mastered the art of a bop. In all seriousness, this is a smooth track with an enticing darkness about it. It’s so good.
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WANDERER – “Dreams” (iTunes) (Spotify)
Based in Tempe, AZ, singer and songwriter Adam Simons was previously featured on the Rewind with two cuts from his EP called C I T Y. His latest single is a cover of the Fleetwood Mac hit from 1977. Of course, his take is very dreamy and lush too. It’s worth a listen.
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For more great new music, these tunes are worth a listen…
LOYAL – “Tower Over All” (SoundCloud)
SILENT CROWD – “Giving It Up” (SoundCloud)
Want to be featured on this weekly wrap-up? Submit your music to adamfsoybel@gmail.com and I’ll check our your tunes. Thanks!
DEBUTS
38. Sheppard – Keep Me Crazy
36. Ed Sheeran – Galway Girl | HIGHEST DEBUT
TOP GAINERS
35. Sigrid – Don’t Kill My Vibe (40)
32. New Politics – One Of Us (39)
24. Wrabel – Bloodstain (31)
22. MisterWives – Machine (30) | BIGGEST MOVER
19. JP Cooper – September Song (24)
(see #8 below)
THIS WEEK’S TOP TEN 10. James TW – Ex (12) | PEAK: #10
09. Rag’n’Bone Man – Human (07) | PEAK: #01 for six weeks 08. Lorde – Green Light (13) | PEAK: #08 07. Imagine Dragons – Believer (08) | PEAK: #07 06. Michael Bublé – I Believe In You (06) | PEAK: #06
05. MUNA – I Know A Place (03) | PEAK: #01 for two weeks
04. ZAYN & Taylor Swift – I Don’t Wanna Live Forever (04) | PEAK: #01 for two weeks 03. Julia Michaels – Issues (05) | PEAK: #03 02. Ed Sheeran – Castle On The Hill (02) | PEAK: #02 01. Katy Perry featuring Skip Marley – Chained To The Rhythm (01) | PEAK: #01 for two weeks
Top 10 Next In Line:
1. Bea Miller – Song Like You (1)
2. New Kids On The Block – One More Night (4)
3. Scott Helman – Kinda Complicated (-)
4. Rag’N’Bone Man – Skin (5)
5. Skip Marley – Lions (2)
6. Delta Rae – A Long And Happy Life (-)
7. Sheryl Crow – Halfway There (7)
8. Gavin DeGraw – Making Love With The Radio On (9)
9. Fastball – I Will Never Let You Down (-)
10. Bobby Bazini – Never Let Go (-)
In The Mix:
Adele – All I Ask
Celine Dion – How Does A Moment Last Forever
DREAMCAR – Kill For Candy
Mike Posner – In The Arms Of A Stranger
Stargate featuring P!nk and Sia – Waterfall
Weezer – Feels Like Summer
Chart Notes:
It’s Ed Sheeran‘s world, and we’re all living it. The singer/songwriter is now up to his third chart hit from ÷ on my chart. At #36, “Galway Girl” is the week’s Highest Debut, while “Shape Of You” slips to #12 and “Castle On The Hill” stays at #2 for its third week. Galway, of course, is a city in Ireland, though it’s unclear if the Galwegians are content with all the attention as of late. I guess we’ll see soon!
Aussie sextet Sheppard now has just as many chart entries as they do members. Their sixth song to reach my top 40, “Keep Me Crazy”, debuts at #38. Their single’s already hit in the top 40 in Australia. The group first made my chart in the spring of 2013 with “Let Me Down Easy”, which topped out at #10 that July.
In case you missed it, make sure to check out the new Crowncast, a podcast co-hosted by Crownnote owner Kurt Trowbridge and yours truly. It’s a fun listen, full of music statistics and shade, and we’d really appreciate your support. Thanks!
It’s the start of another weekend, which means it’s time for another trip back into the archives on Adam’s Top 40 Flashback! Every Saturday, the day before my latest top 40 goes up for the week, I feature the highlights of a past countdown. They’re all here — the hit songs, the songs that flopped, and the songs that may be a little embarrassing to reflect on.
This week, we stroll back 13 years and find out what was topping my chart for the week of March 28, 2004…
06. AVRIL LAVIGNE, “Don’t Tell Me” (up 2)
Album: Under My Skin (2004, Arista/RMG Records)
Peak: #2 for three weeks
05. SARAH CONNOR, “Bounce” (up 2)
Album: Sarah Connor (2004, Epic Records)
Peak: #5 for two weeks
04. THE DARKNESS, “I Believe In A Thing Called Love” (steady, second week) Album: Permission To Land (2003, Must Destroy/Atlantic Records)
Peak: #4 for three weeks
03. THREE DAYS GRACE, “(I Hate) Everything About You” (steady, fifth week)
Album: Three Days Grace (2003, Jive/Zomba Records)
Peak: #3 for six weeks
02. SWITCHFOOT, “Meant To Live” (steady, fifth week)
Album: The Beautiful Letdown (2003, Red Ink/Columbia Records)
Peak: #1 for one week
01. MAROON 5, “This Love” (steady, eighth week)
Album: Songs About Jane (2002, Octone/J/RMG Records)
Peak: #1 for nine weeks
Check back next Saturday for another Adam’s Top 40 Flashback countdown and don’t forget to follow the blog by using the tab below or find PGTC on social media by clicking the “Get Social!” tab at the top of the page.
Though it’s unlikely that anyone will top Drake this week, unless there’s some secret release just waiting to drop, we do have several fun albums in the mix, as well as some familiar names. Let’s check out all the action right here:
BETTY WHO – The Valley (iTunes)
This pop paradise is ready for some playlist action, and you’ll certainly find some cuts from it on our own playlist below! Her remake of “I Love You Always Forever” hit the top ten in Australia last year, and instant grats like “Human Touch” and “Mama Say” are great slices of what’s sure to be an enjoyable effort. We’re hoping it ends up somewhere in the top 50.
MIKE WILL MADE-IT – Ransom 2 (iTunes)
Producer/songwriter Michael Williams II has created some of the biggest Urban records so far this decade, and for his debut album, he’s bringing out the big names: among them, Big Sean, Kendrick Lamar, Lil Wayne and Rae Sremmurd. Expect a solid week ahead for it.
RAELYNN – WildHorse (iTunes)
This is the former The Voice contestant’s first full-length set, though she did get out an EP during the time at her former record label in 2015. The current single from it, “Love Triangle”, is approaching the top 30 on the Country radio chart.
More albums out this week: Colton Dixon‘s Identity (iTunes), James Blunt‘s The Afterlove (iTunes), Mansionz‘s Mansionz (iTunes), Paul McCartney‘s Flowers In The Dirt (Special Edition) (iTunes),RuPaul‘s American (iTunes), Take That‘s Wonderland (iTunes), Trey Songz‘s Tremaine (iTunes)
More EPs out this week:Boyce Avenue‘s Cover Sessions, Vol. 4 (iTunes), Delta Rae‘s A Long And Happy Life (iTunes)
New digital-only singles that you can buy this week include:
“50,000” and “I Can’t Stop Thinking About You” (Dave Audé Remixes), Sting (iTunes)
“Chainsmoking”, Jacob Banks (iTunes)
“Cold (Hot Shade & Mike Perry Remix)”, Maroon 5 featuring Future (iTunes)
“Deliverance”, Rationale (iTunes)
“Dreams”, Wanderer (iTunes)
“Focus”, Life Of Dillon featuring L. Marshall (iTunes)
“High”, Sir Sly (iTunes)
“Hold It Down”, Noah Kahan (iTunes)
“How Can I Explain”, CAFUNÉ (iTunes)
“I Miss You (Acoustic)”, Grey featuring Bahari (iTunes)
“Issues (Acoustic)”, Julia Michaels (iTunes)
“Just A Feeling”, Phantoms featuring Vérité (iTunes)
“Last Young Renegade”, All Time Low (iTunes)
“Let Go” and “More Of Me”, Natasha Bedingfield (iTunes)
“Light Up Your Body”, David Guetta featuring Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne (iTunes)
“Long Way Back”, Sheryl Crow (iTunes)
“Make It Work”, NAWAS (iTunes)
“Mo Bounce”, Iggy Azalea (iTunes)
“Older Now”, 888 (iTunes)
“Speak To A Girl”, Tim McGraw & Faith Hill (iTunes)
“Still Got Time”, ZAYN featuring PARTYNEXTDOOR (iTunes)
“The Heart Part 4”, Kendrick Lamar (iTunes)
“Truth Is A Beautiful Thing”, London Grammar (iTunes)
We’ll see you next week for new albums from Bob Dylan, MercyMe, Nelly Furtado and more. Listen to the PGTC Friday Faves list on Spotify!
Welcome to Add Lib, a new weekly report on POP! Goes The Charts that’s mad about CHR/Top 40 adds, based on the station data provided by Mediabase 24/7 and Add Board. This week: Dua Lipa hopes that “One” turns into four, Jax Jones and Raye throw shapes, but not “of you”, and Rag’N’Bone Man delivers a ditty with “Human” touch. The way I want to touch you is through a bit of commentary, so be the Tennille to my Captain of these charts, won’t you?
BREAKING UP IS HARD TO DUA: With two top 40 hits to date, and a third top 50 single, the musical marriage of Dua Lipa and the CHR radio panel has been a rocky one, which is a shame. Luckily, they’re still committed, thanks to some commitments for her latest U.S. single, “Be The One”. It’s the Most Added record at the format this week, picking up 31 stations. Lipa is currently on the chart with two of those aforementioned songs, “No Lie” (#47, with Sean Paul) and “Scared To Be Lonely” (#28, with MartinGarrix). The former is headed down, while the latter is moving up. Will this “be the one” that takes her to the top ten and gets her album out? Will programmers keep paying her lip-a service? I don’t have a crystal ball, but I do have high hopes for it.
THE “BEST” OF WHAT’S “GOOD”: With so many artists of different genres continuing to surprise the music world with their crazy collaborations, it’s only fitting that we talk about two additional songs. However, these two pop bops sure have some musical muscle; both songs impact next week, so be sure to watch out for some higher numbers a week from now. Of course, you can check back here and see all the action unfold.
One is G-Eazy and Kehlani‘s duet called “Good Life”, which is new at 23 new stations this week. This is one of the tracks from the upcoming soundtrack to The Fate Of The Furious, with both the album and movie due on April 14. For most of the stations here, it will be the first time a Kehlani single makes it onto their playlist, though the performer has some previous history at the Rhythmic and Urban formats. We’ll see if it can do better than the fourth Most Added slot next week.
The other teams Machine Gun Kelly and Hailee Steinfeld on a song called “At My Best”, which comes in with a slightly higher 25 stations and the second Most Added title. Of course, the rapper is coming off his huge chart-topping hit “Bad Things”, featuring ex-Fifth Harmony member Camila Cabello. It spent two weeks at #1 in February. Steinfeld’s collected three top 40 hits of her own since 2015, but it was that third single, “Starving” (with Zedd and Grey), that slowly took her to three non-consecutive weeks at #5 in January. At this point, it has the potential to be next week’s Most Added record, so stay tuned to this blog for more!
JUMPIN’ JAX: 29-year-old producer Jax Jones is largely unknown to a U.S. audience. In fact, his feature on Duke Dumont‘s “I Got U” (#48, 8/17/14) is his sole chart appearance to date. However, that may change soon with the launch of his recent top five single across Europe, “You Don’t Know Me”, which features singer Raye. Upon impact, the song scores 22 adds this week, which is good for the fifth Most Added slot. Jumpin’ Jax flash, it’s a smash smash smash. (Well, I hope it is. I would throw shapes to “Don’t” any time it comes on the radio.) This may turn out to be too risky of a choice for some stations, but I certainly approve it.
HE’S THE MAN: Only one single in this week’s report recently spent six weeks at #1 on my personal chart; needless to say, I’m a little (a lot) biased when it comes to Rag’N’Bone Man‘s “Human”. The massive European hit has already gone to #1 on two radio formats in the U.S., Alternative and Triple A, while it continues to make some moves at Hot AC and CHR/Top 40. At the latter, it’s new at 16 stations, which places it as the eighth Most Added song of the week. In the last decade, we’ve had humanly hits at the pop format from The Killers (#35, 1/18/09) and Christina Perri (#31, 5/18/14). You know, all those singles did much better on my own chart; can somebody make me a gatekeeper already?
MOST ADDED — THIS WEEK’S TOP TEN (ELEVEN) 1. DUA LIPA, “Be The One” (Warner Bros.) 2. MACHINE GUN KELLY featuring HAILEE STEINFELD, “At My Best” (Republic/Bad Boy/Interscope) 3. FLO RIDA & 99 PERCENT, “Cake” (APG/Atlantic) 4. G-EAZY & KEHLANI, “Good Life” (Atlantic/RRP) 5-T. JASON DERULO featuring NICKI MINAJ and TY DOLLA $IGN, “Swalla” (Beluga Heights/Warner Bros.) 5-T. JAX JONES featuring RAYE, “You Don’t Know Me” (Interscope) 7. STARGATE featuring P!NK and SIA, “Waterfall” (RCA) 8. RAG’N’BONE MAN, “Human” (Columbia) 9-T. CALVIN HARRIS featuring FRANK OCEAN & MIGOS, “Slide” (Columbia) 9-T. KYLE featuring LIL YACHTY, “iSpy” (Indie-Pop/Atlantic) 9-T. LORDE, “Green Light” (Lava/Republic)
Welcome to Radio Active, a new weekly report from POP! Goes The Charts that gets to the chart of the matter: highlights from the CHR/Top 40 chart, as published by Mediabase 24/7 and Mediabase Research. Time to store those Shamrock Shakes away until next year; we have to get back to shaking our groove things, bon-bons, tailfeathers and, of course, it off. (Just don’t make me get out that Take 5 CD single I bought at Strawberries with my allowance money when I was ten.) Here’s what’s shakin’ on this week’s pop chart:
ALL ABOUT “YOU”: As I predicted last week, singer/songwriter Ed Sheeran‘s “Shape Of You” holds on at #1 for a fifth week on the pop chart. “Shape” is now the longest-running #1 at the format by a solo male since John Legend’s “All Of Me”. That spent five weeks at #1 (4/20-5/18) in 2014. Just below the top 50 this week is follow-up “Castle On The Hill”, which was reissued to radio when his previous single appeared to be peaking. (“Shape” has since lost its bullet.) Also of note, “Galway Girl”, which is doing quite well in the U.K. and Ireland, spiked at several stations on St. Patrick’s Day following the debut of a lyric video for the song. See, we can root for at least one orange-haired leader nowadays, because it’s common understanding that “Castle On The Hill” trumps Capitol Hill.
This means that ZAYN and Taylor Swift’s “I Don’t Wanna Live Forever” stays in the runner-up position for the fourth consecutive week, despite a valiant effort to reach #1. Last year, three songs spent four weeks at #2, with two eventually climbing to the top spot: “Stressed Out” (2/28-3/6) by twentyonepilots, and “Don’t Let Me Down” (6/26-7/10) by TheChainsmokers featuring Daya. So, what missed? That would be “This Is What You Came For” (#2 from 7/24-8/14) by Calvin Harris featuring Rihanna, a single that was co-written by Swift (originally credited as Nils Sjöberg.) Does history repeat itself? Does Zaylor pounce at the pop peak next week? Do I ever stop being so darn inquisitive? Probably not. Anyways, grab a partner and a hairbrush and belt out your best “When You Believe”. We’ll see what happens seven days from now.
TAKE THE “CAKE”: Sources tell us that rapper Flo Rida celebrated Pi Day with some “Cake”, and though it may not be the exact pop pastry for the day, it sure is a sweet one for he and duo 99 Percent. Their collaboration is up from 36-30 on this week’s survey. This hit is taken from the compilation This Is A Challenge, which is essentially a graveyard full of all those viral singles that you knew pop programmers would avoid because the callout was atrocious. (No shade, but shade.) It’s too early to tell what will happen to this entry, but if I were you, I would look for some alternative desserts to indulge in. That being said, I’m not sure we’ll ever have a smash called “Baklava”, but I’ve been wrong before.
Prior to this chart confection, the Average White Band‘s “Cut The Cake” (#34, 6/6 and 6/27/75 R&R) and DNCE‘s “Cake By The Ocean” (#2, 4/10-17/16) were the only CHR cakes to bake in the top 40. Of course, the latter single took 27 weeks in the top 40 to get to its peak of #2, just short of the PPW era record for any single to achieve its highest position: 33 weeks to #9 for “I’ll Be” (10/2/98 R&R) by Edwin McCain. Don’t expect the new “Cake” to be hanging around this bakery for nearly that long.
LITTLE EYE, BIG HIT: The origin of the phrase “I spy with my little eye…” and the accompanying children’s game may not be the clearest, but 23-year-old newcomer Kyle seems to be the current musical master of the concept. The secret is out at radio, as “iSpy” leaps from 43-35 this week. The hit features rapper Lil Yachty, who previously reached the top 40 as a featured act on D.R.A.M.‘s “Broccoli” (#18, 11/13/16). Perhaps this is a good time for me to make my musical debut as Lil Yacht Rock, where I seamlessly rap on fire beats from the likes of DJ Kenny Loggins and Mixmasters Pablo Cruise. Eh, maybe not. Anyways, more of the programming community is bound to keep spying on the action for this one in the coming weeks, as it continues to sell and stream well.
Spies haven’t appeared in top 40 titles for several decades, but perhaps that’s just because they’ve been undercover all this time. The last one to chart was “Spy In The House Of Love” (#22, 12/2-9/88 R&R) by Was (Not Was), which is still a jam, though I also like a bit of “Spies Like Us” (#9, 1/24/86 R&R) by Paul McCartney. Now, back to our musical mission, secret agent men and women…
FREAK OF THE “WEAK”: From Marvelous 3 to a marvelous chart achievement for the Met brothers, pop trio AJR is rising up the chart from 42-38 with “Weak”. It’s their second top 40 hit, and first in nearly three years. “I’m Ready” took a slow ride up to #25 (7/27/14) and probably ruined any good memory you had of watching SpongeBob SquarePants as a kid. (Let’s be fair, the only thing most of us were “ready” for was that song to get pulled and crash.) That being said, it is nice to see the three guys back on the chart. I think “Weak” has some room to grow, especially because a number of major markets aren’t playing it, and a lot of the airplay for it is relegated to the dreaded overnight shift. You know, someone’s gotta work those indies…
A number of tracks in this week’s top 50 share exact titles with previous charting songs, but “Weak” is one that matches a past #1 hit. 24 years ago, another trio, the three ladies known as SWV, took their “Weak” to #1 for four weeks (7/2-23/93 R&R), becoming the biggest song of their career. Of course, this was at a time when the Rhythmic and Top 40 panels were still combined, but it was quite a year for the three women.
WISHING ON A STARGATE: If you read the most recent Add Lib report on Tuesday, you already know that “Waterfall”, by duo Stargate and featuring P!nk and Sia, was the Most Added CHR song of the week. All that radio response allows it to debuts at #47 on this week’s published update. The all-star team could prove to be a major contender for 2017’s Song Of The Summer, even if it’s a little early to start discussing the topic. There’s no comment from TLC or Wendy & Lisa at press time; water they waiting for? It’s sure to be an interesting song to track over the next few months.
Though this is Stargate’s first charting song as a main-credited act, they’ve had plenty of hits as producers and writers. However, this wasn’t always the case. You can always count on me to remember such classics (well, not quite) like Mikaila‘s “So In Love With Two” (#25, 12/22/00 R&R) and Ashley Ballard‘s “Hottie” (#48, 3/30/01 R&R), which were the duo’s first two pop chart entries. We all start somewhere, folks. (Mikaila’s song was actually a pretty big hit on my personal chart, but Ballard’s was not. I was 10 and 11 at the time!)
“PRETTY” YOUNG THING: After millions of plays on Spotify across several singles, and a notable amount of Viral chart success, 18-year-old singer Maggie Lindemann makes her CHR chart debut at #50 this week with “Pretty Girl”. Though the track does not gain in spins from last week, it might have just missed charting if it wasn’t supported by syndicated program Most Requested Live on the past two Saturday night programs. The single is also benefiting from a discount at digital retailers, with week-to-week sales gains for over a month.
The name Maggie appears in a few song titles throughout the decades, most notably 1971’s “Maggie May” by Rod Stewart, but it’s a rare one when it comes to charting singers on the pop survey. Now, that’s not to discourage any of you expecting parents reading the blog right now, but if you are expecting a boy, I highly recommend the name Adam. I’m not biased at all, I promise.
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