ADAM’S TOP 100 OF 2015: #02 and #01

Pop ’til you drop.

Here it is, the annual countdown of the top 100 hits based on my weekly personal charts from the first week of December in 2014 to the last week of November in 2015. It was another great year for both chart veterans and newcomers, novelty hits and timeless ballads, country, pop, rock, and everything in between. We have them all, from “Hello” to “No Good In Goodbye”. Now, it is time to say “hello” to the Top 100 and “goodbye” to the year that was 2015.

Well, we’ve made it to the top two songs on my year-end chart for 2015. Before we dive in, I just wanted to take a moment to say a quick thank you to everyone that’s been following the reveal and supported the blog this year. Whether you’ve liked it or shared it or even if this is the first time you’ve read it in 2015, it really means a lot that you chose to head on over to my blog. Here’s hoping that you stick around for what’s coming in 2016! Alright, let’s do this. Here are my #2 and #1 songs for the year…

002. YEARS & YEARS – “King”
Label: Interscope
Album: Communion
Peak: #1 for two weeks
Top 40 Weeks: 29

Formed in 2010, the London-based trio of Olly Alexander, Mikey Goldsworthy, and Emre Türkmen originally started out as a five member band before their current lineup was cemented. In 2014, the group made their U.K. top 40 debut as a featured act on the single “Sunlight”, which was credited to Belgian DJ/producer The Magician. They’ve now had five hits across the pond, with the song that comes in at #2 on my Top 100 of 2015 remaining their biggest thus far. Yes, it’s not quite the “King” of my year-end list, but it certainly put up a good effort.

On My Chart: “King” entered at #10 on the Next In Line list for the chart dated January 11. Two weeks later, it was on the chart, and by March 1, its sixth week on, it was safely in the top ten. On the chart dated April 12, its 12th week in the top 40, the song was on top of my chart, where it stayed one additional week. “King” spent an additional two months in the top ten after its run at #1, a rarity when most former chart-toppers in 2015 averaged about 5 or so weeks falling down and out of my top ten. Though “Desire” narrowly missed the top spot in October and November, they’ll hopefully find themselves at #1 again soon.

On The Charts: You might ask yourself, “How did this single tank in U.S.?” Unfortunately, the buzz from overseas, including its #1 peak in the U.K., wasn’t enough to make it a big hit here. On the pop radio survey, it stalled at #37 for two weeks in late June. A follow-up, “Desire”, couldn’t even reach the top 50. Some say that it wasn’t meant to be, but I beg to differ. Alas, life goes on.

001. JUKEBOX THE GHOST – “Postcard”
Label: Cherrytree/Interscope
Album: Jukebox The Ghost
Peak: #1 for seven weeks
Top 40 Weeks: 33

For the first time ever, two trios occupy the top two slots on my year-end survey, and it’s the first time in five years that a trio is in at #1. Back then, it was the country act Lady Antebellum and “Need You Now”, a crossover hit that held down my #1 spot for 11 weeks. Now, it’s three pop pals that formed their group in 2003 at George Washington University that stamp their seven-week #1 and mail it to the top of my year-end chart. So, to band members Ben Thornewill, Tommy Siegel and Jesse Kristin, I apologize for the wait, but it’s time to celebrate! Congrats on your #1 song on my chart this year. It’s a good one.

On My Chart: “Postcard” debuted in the Mix on the chart dated March 22 and made its top 40 debut by April 12, moving up at a moderate pace. However, in its seventh week in the countdown, the single leaped from 11-5 and then to #1 the next week, the May 31 chart, marking one of the quicker runs to the top this year. With seven weeks atop my countdown, the song also claims the title of my longest-running #1 of the year. It held in the top ten until early September, and wasn’t out of my survey until the final week of the chart year, accumulating a total of 33 weeks in the top 40 this year. A follow-up release has yet to chart.

On The Charts: It slayed the charts, becoming a major crossover hit and multi-Platinum single… in my dreams. Sadly, this track couldn’t garner more than just a few radio stations on the Triple A panel when it was serviced. Needless to say, I think it was a real missed opportunity for both the label and radio as a whole. (Interscope could always try it again in 2016, I suppose. Please?)

You can always follow and listen to the Top 100 of 2015 on Spotify, or check out the full list with a point breakdown and the songs below the Top 100. Thanks once again for checking out the rankings, and we’ll see you back for the weekly chart on Sunday!

ADAM’S TOP 100 OF 2015: #04 and #03

Pop ’til you drop.

Here it is, the annual countdown of the top 100 hits based on my weekly personal charts from the first week of December in 2014 to the last week of November in 2015. It was another great year for both chart veterans and newcomers, novelty hits and timeless ballads, country, pop, rock, and everything in between. We have them all, from “Hello” to “No Good In Goodbye”. Now, it is time to say “hello” to the Top 100 and “goodbye” to the year that was 2015.

Now, the two former #1 songs from my personal chart that rank at #4 and #3 for the year!

004. ELLIE GOULDING – “Love Me Like You Do”
Label: Cherrytree/Interscope/Republic
Album: Fifty Shades Of Grey: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack
Peak: #1 for four weeks
Top 40 Weeks: 28

In the history of the pop radio survey, only twice has there been a period where three songs from the movies consecutively hit #1. In 1978, it was three cuts from the soundtrack to Saturday Night Fever. In 1998, two singles from City Of Angels hit the top spot, followed by one from Armageddon. This past May, Goulding’s Fifty Shades Of Grey song started another three song chain, which was followed by The Weeknd‘s “Earned It” (FSOG) and then Furious 7‘s “See You Again” by Wiz Khalifa and Charlie Puth.

On My Chart: Goulding’s track was one of the big Q1 records at both radio and retail, and thus, it bypassed my sections beneath the chart and landed as the #40 debut on my chart dated January 11. It reached the top ten in its fifth week (February 8) and got a lift to the top on the chart dated March 15, its tenth week on. Its 28-week total is the longest chart run for a solo female this year.

On The Charts: Given the film and soundtrack’s success, it’s no surprise that “Love” was a global smash and is currently up for a Golden Globe nomination and several Grammy Award categories. It became a top ten hit in over two dozen countries, going to #3 on the Hot 100 and #1 on several U.S. radio charts. It’s up to 412 million plays on Spotify.

003. SAINT MOTEL – “My Type”
Label: Elektra/RRP
Album: My Type (EP)
Peak: #1 for four weeks
Top 40 Weeks: 28

In 1982, Martha Davis and her group called The Motels hit #5 on the pop radio chart with a tender ballad, “Only The Lonely”. It hasn’t been easy for motel music since they, well, checked out of the charts in 1985. (They had a total of four top 40 songs, for the record.) Luckily, these four men from Los Angeles know how a chart vacancy comes and goes, and they rocked a reservation into a long stay at radio this year. It took them six years to experience a true U.S. breakthrough, but their time and effort was worth it.

On My Chart: The group’s first chart hit entered the Mix during the week of January 18. It made the top 40 two weeks after that and quickly climbed into the top ten by March 1, its fifth week on. It slowed down from there, but made it to #1 by the last week of April (26) in its 13th week on. After holding at the top for four weeks, it held onto the countdown for another 12 before falling off.

On The Charts: “Type” hit the top five on AAA radio and cracked the top ten on the Alternative chart during the summer. Sadly, it didn’t become a crossover single. It also registered top 40 peaks in Italy (#14) and the United Kingdom (#34) during 2014. That international presence has launched it to 33.5 million streams on Spotify since its release.

Tomorrow, we arrive at the top two, so check back then! You can always follow and listen to the Top 100 reveal on Spotify.

ADAM’S TOP 100 OF 2015: #07, #06 and #05

Pop ’til you drop.

Here it is, the annual countdown of the top 100 hits based on my weekly personal charts from the first week of December in 2014 to the last week of November in 2015. It was another great year for both chart veterans and newcomers, novelty hits and timeless ballads, country, pop, rock, and everything in between. We have them all, from “Hello” to “No Good In Goodbye”. Now, it is time to say “hello” to the Top 100 and “goodbye” to the year that was 2015.

We’ll reveal three songs today, #4 and #3 tomorrow and the top two on Wednesday. We’re so close to the top, you can almost see it in the distance. Here come the songs that rank at #07, #06 and #05 for the year 2015…

007. THE SCRIPT – “No Good In Goodbye”
Label: Columbia
Album: No Sound Without Silence
Peak: #1 for two weeks
Top 40 Weeks: 24* (29 total, including 2014 Chart Year)

Fifteen years after Danny O’Donoghue and Mark Sheehan first made my top 40 in MyTown with a minor hit, “Now That I Found You”, they’ve been all over my chart with Glen Power since early 2009 as this act. They’ve scored with ten top ten singles in a row.

On My Chart: The trio’s second single off their album debuted at #9 Next In Line for the week of October 19 last year, just a few weeks after “Superheroes” fell out of #1. Two weeks later, it was in the top 40, hitting the top ten by the chart dated December 14, its seventh week on. It didn’t go to #1 until the week of February 15, its 16th (!) week on. By late May, it was “Goodbye” to this one.

On The Charts: “Good” stalled before it could hit the top 20 on the Hot AC chart, marking their lowest-charting top 40 single at the format. It fared better internationally, hitting the top ten in Belgium and Hungary. It’s up to 15.8 million streams at Spotify.

006. DURAN DURAN featuring JANELLE MONÁE and NILE RODGERS – “Pressure Off”
Label: Warner Bros.
Album: Paper Gods
Peak: #1 for five weeks
Top 40 Weeks: 24+ (as of November 29, 2015)

They were “Hungry” for national success when they first hit the top five on the Hot 100 in 1983, and in the three decades since the boys broke the U.S. market, they’ve had plenty of amazing songs. Even though my list began in 1999, they’ve totaled three #1 hits.

On My Chart: “Pressure” bypassed the two sections underneath my survey and debuted at #40 during the week of June 21. Five weeks later, it was in the top ten, and then quickly rose to the top in its tenth week (August 23) on the chart, staying for five weeks. That marks the second-longest run at #1 during the chart year. It’s currently falling on my personal chart, now in its 27th week on.

On The Charts: The odds were against it, but “Pressure” ended up reaching #33 on the Hot AC listing, which was a nice surprise given the band’s four-year absence on the charts and the ageism of radio. It just topped the three million stream mark at Spotify.

005. ED SHEERAN – “Thinking Out Loud”
Label: Atlantic
Album: x
Peak: #1 for four weeks
Top 40 Weeks: 24* (31 total, including 2014 Chart Year)

If you’re “thinking” that this single will go down as one of the best torch songs of the decade, you may be right. The x era launched four songs into my top ten, making it Sheeran’s most successful. He recently took an extended break from his social media pages.

On My Chart: This entered at #8 Next In Line on the chart dated September 28 of last year, when “Don’t” was still in my weekly top five. It went top 40 on October 19 and, much like in the U.K., took its time climbing my chart until the week of January 18, the list when it hit #1. It was in its 14th week overall. Sheeran’s 31-week run on my survey surpasses “The A Team” and its total of 29.

On The Charts: Beginning in the fall of 2014, this slow burner became an international smash, reaching the top ten in dozens of countries, including a #2 Hot 100 peak and #1 peaks on three radio charts. It’s been streamed on Spotify 555 million times. Huge.

Tomorrow, we go higher into the top five, so check back then! You can always follow and listen to the Top 100 reveal on Spotify.

ADAM’S TOP 100 OF 2015: #10, #09 and #08

Pop ’til you drop.

Here it is, the annual countdown of the top 100 hits based on my weekly personal charts from the first week of December in 2014 to the last week of November in 2015. It was another great year for both chart veterans and newcomers, novelty hits and timeless ballads, country, pop, rock, and everything in between. We have them all, from “Hello” to “No Good In Goodbye”. Now, it is time to say “hello” to the Top 100 and “goodbye” to the year that was 2015.

Are we ready for the top ten, boys and girls? We’ll reveal three songs today, three tomorrow, two on Tuesday and the final two on Wednesday. Get excited, because here come the songs that rank at #10, #09 and #08 for the year 2015…

010. ROMANS – “Uh Huh”
Label: Roc Nation
Album: Overthinking – Part 1 (EP)
Peak: #1 for two weeks
Top 40 Weeks: 24

Singer, songwriter and producer Sam Roman has collaborated with acts such as Disclosure, Mary J. Blige, Naughty Boy and Olly Murs, but 2015 was his year to shine as a main-credited artist, and he did. “Uh Huh” was an exciting and energetic surprise.

On My Chart: “Uh Huh” immediately debuted at #3 Next In Line on the chart dated May 24, then came into the top 40 at #36 a week later. It hit the top ten in its sixth week and #1 in its 11th week (August 9) on the chart. After its run at the top, it began a slow descent down the top ten, then fell more rapidly once it exited that region. By the chart of November 15, it was out of the top 40.

On The Charts: This song went to two U.S. radio formats, Hot AC and Triple A, and though it picked up a handful of stations on both panels, it was not a hit on either one. However, it’s been spun nearly 1.3 million times on Spotify.

009. GAVIN JAMES – “The Book Of Love”
Label: Capitol
Album: Bitter Pill
Peak: #1 for two weeks
Top 40 Weeks: 25

24-year-old Dublin-born James made his debut on my chart this year, and the Irish singer managed to score two top ten singles in a row. (“Bitter Pill” came in at #46.) His album Bitter Pill recently debuted at #5 in his home country, though it’s not out here yet.

On My Chart: “Book” was first put into rotation beneath my chart during the last week of March and then made the top 40 four weeks later. It entered the top ten in its seventh week. On the chart dated July 19, it climbed 2-1 in its 13th week on. After a second frame at the top, it began falling down the top 40 until the week of October 18, when it fell out after a 25 week total on the chart.

On The Charts: Though “Book” was serviced to Triple A radio in the U.S., it didn’t chart at the format. However, it did make the top 40 on the Belgian and Dutch charts. It’s amassed over 9.2 million streams at Spotify across studio and live versions.

008. WALK THE MOON – “Different Colors”
Label: RCA
Album: Talking Is Hard
Peak: #1 for one week
Top 40 Weeks: 26

After hitting #6 on my survey in 2012 with “Anna Sun”, this Ohio quartet came back with a bang in the fall of 2014 with a giant hit, “Shut Up And Dance”, becoming one of the biggest crossover records of 2015. This splashy single followed it to the top of my list.

On My Chart: This hit from the band came in at #7 Next In Line for the week of April 26 and then entered at #40 the next week. Reaching the top ten in its eighth week, it took until its 14th week (August 2) to spend its sole frame at the top of my listing. By the week of November 1, it was off after a 26 week run, marking the group’s second consecutive single to reach the half-year mark.

On The Charts: “Different” was a success at the group’s core format, Alternative, where it peaked at #6 in October. It also made it to #40 on the Hot AC chart. In both cases, its performance was hindered by massive recurrent play of “Shut Up And Dance”.

Tomorrow, we go higher into the top ten, so check back then! You can always follow and listen to the Top 100 reveal on Spotify.

ADAM’S TOP 100 OF 2015: #20-11

Pop ’til you drop.

Here it is, the annual countdown of the top 100 hits based on my weekly personal charts from the first week of December in 2014 to the last week of November in 2015. It was another great year for both chart veterans and newcomers, novelty hits and timeless ballads, country, pop, rock, and everything in between. We have them all, from “Hello” to “No Good In Goodbye”. Now, it is time to say “hello” to the Top 100 and “goodbye” to the year that was 2015.

In the next ten songs on this year’s Top 100, two cuts from one of my favorite albums of the year, the U.K. hit that should’ve gone to radio this summer and didn’t, the case of two “Heartbeat” hits and their battle for airtime, plus, a whole lot more. So, shall we? Let’s get back into the Top 100 of 2015 at #20…

020. JOHN NEWMAN – “Come And Get It”
Label: Republic
Album: Revolve
Peak: #2 for three weeks

Top 40 Trivia: Shortly after Newman’s leadoff single debuted and peaked at #5 in his native U.K., an adds date at CHR/Top 40 radio was posted for the song at the end of August. I was pretty excited, as were a few other people. Then, his U.S. label, Republic Records, decided to pull it, and an impact week was never rescheduled. No additional singles from the album have entered so far.

019. LIFE OF DILLON – “Overload”
Label: Disruptor/Epic
Album: Prologue (EP)
Peak: #2

Top 40 Trivia: Though their act mentions a Dillon, no members of this trio are actually named that. David, Joe and Robert find themselves telling the story of their band name’s origin quite a bit, recalling the memory of meeting a carefree surfer in Brazil. An unexpected encounter with the man, named Dillon, and the travel stories he shared to the three guys led to the name of their trio.

018. ONE DIRECTION – “Drag Me Down”
Label: Syco/Columbia
Album: Made In The A.M.
Peak: #1 for two weeks

Top 40 Trivia: 2015 marked the year that this boy band’s #1 streak on the Billboard 200 album chart came to an end, thanks to a boy by the name of Bieber. Justin Bieber‘s Purpose gave the young singer a major career boost and a strong #1 set, leaving an upset fan base to take in the disappointment of a, still very solid, #2 entry for the four. It’s their last studio album before a hiatus.

017. CARLY RAE JEPSEN – “I Really Like You”
Label: Interscope
Album: E•MO•TION
Peak: #1 for one week

Top 40 Trivia: You couldn’t miss actor Tom Hanks in the music video for Jepsen’s former #1 on my chart, but did you know the 59-year-old star was in another video earlier this year? It was a short cameo filmed for his wife Rita Wilson’s “Girls Night In” clip, which was released as a stand-alone single in March. Could the Big and Forrest Gump actor participate in more videos next year?

016. MARK RONSON featuring BRUNO MARS – “Uptown Funk!”
Label: RCA
Album: Uptown Special
Peak: #3 for three weeks

Top 40 Trivia: The number of writers in this single’s credits grew quite a bit during its time in the national spotlight. I guess it’s not the biggest surprise given its nostalgic sound. The total currently stands at 11, five of which belong to The Gap Band for the sampling of “Oops! Upside Your Head”, a 1980 R&B hit. Mars and Ronson are credited as both writers and producers on “Funk”.

015. MAT KEARNEY – “Heartbeat”
Label: Republic
Album: Just Kids
Peak: #2 for two weeks

Top 40 Trivia: In January of this year, American Idol champ Kelly Clarkson released a single titled “Heartbeat Song”, and as her leadoff singles do, it quickly soared into the top ten at Hot AC radio. Well, Hot AC is the format that Kearney does the best at, and his single was pulled several weeks later. It was a crushing blow for sure, but it did end up higher on my Top 100 for the year!

014. CARLY RAE JEPSEN – “Run Away With Me”
Label: Interscope
Album: E•MO•TION
Peak: #2 for four weeks

Top 40 Trivia: In perhaps one of the weirder chart runs this year, this single managed a week at #50 in August on the pop radio survey, then began to crash downward. Several weeks later, the song began to rise again thanks to a very late block add by the two dozen or so stations that are owned by Cumulus Media. Sadly, it didn’t do much in its second run, but Jepsen’s track is still lovely.

013. A GREAT BIG WORLD – “Hold Each Other”
Label: Black Magnetic/Epic
Album: When The Morning Comes
Peak: #1 for four weeks

Top 40 Trivia: When “Hold” hit the top spot in September, this New York duo, made up of Ian Axel and Chad King, became the latest twosome to have two #1 hits on my survey. Those duos include the brother-sister act named Boomkat (“The Wreckoning” and “What U Do 2 Me”) and England’s Graffiti6 (“Free” and “Stare Into The Sun”.) Will the two guys find an “Oasis” at #1 next?

012. TAYLOR SWIFT – “Style”
Label: Big Machine/Republic
Album: 1989
Peak: #1 for two weeks

Top 40 Trivia: This is the last of Swift’s four songs to make my Top 100 of the year, which makes her the top solo female on my chart for 2015. The most stylish hit on my chart until her chart-topper reached the summit was “Hit ‘Em Up Style (Oops!)” by Blu Cantrell, which peaked at #2 during the summer of 2001. Unfortunately, Swift never welcomed her on stage for a surprise duet.

011. CAUSES – “Teach Me How To Dance With You”
Label: RCA (U.K.)
Album: Under Bridges That You Built For Me
Peak: #2 for four weeks

Top 40 Trivia: This song was recently reissued at both retail and streaming platforms here ahead of the release of the quartet’s debut album. In its original chart run in The Netherlands, the song peaked at #21, but was certified Platinum and recently jumped past five million streams on Spotify. As the act looks forward to 2016, we’ll see how Causes and their effect play out on the charts.

Tomorrow, it’s into the top ten, so check back then! You can always follow and listen to the Top 100 reveal on Spotify.

ADAM’S TOP 100 OF 2015: #30-21

Pop ’til you drop.

Here it is, the annual countdown of the top 100 hits based on my weekly personal charts from the first week of December in 2014 to the last week of November in 2015. It was another great year for both chart veterans and newcomers, novelty hits and timeless ballads, country, pop, rock, and everything in between. We have them all, from “Hello” to “No Good In Goodbye”. Now, it is time to say “hello” to the Top 100 and “goodbye” to the year that was 2015.

In the next ten songs on this year’s Top 100, we go international with acts from Canada, England and Ireland. We’ll also recall the sweet year that was 2015, rev our engines to a rockin’ record, and hunt down a discotheque Juliet teenage dream. Sounds like the time is here to enter into the top 30 with some trivia bites and check out the next ten songs on the list…

030. THE SCRIPT – “Man On A Wire”
Label: Columbia
Album: No Sound Without Silence
Peak: #5

Top 40 Trivia: This Irish trio had a lot to celebrate with their latest era, as it continued to do very well on my survey. The three guys landed two number-one songs, one of which is still to come, and this additional top five, extending their top ten streak to ten in a row. The video, as well as the “Superheroes” clip, was filmed in South Africa, a country that gave us several chart acts in 2015.

029. MAROON 5 – “Sugar”
Label: 222/Interscope
Album: V
Peak: #4 for two weeks

Top 40 Trivia: This year was extra… sugary at radio across all formats. At least five of them were serviced: following this was a song called “Sugar, You” by Oh Honey at Hot AC, then “Sugar” by Jennifer Nettles at Country, a different tune titled “Sugar” by Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds at AAA, and finally, “Sugar” by Robin Schulz and Francesco Yates at CHR/Top 40.

028. AMERICAN AUTHORS – “Go Big Or Go Home”
Label: Island/Republic
Album: (single only)
Peak: #4

Top 40 Trivia: The phrase “go big or go home” originated from a piece of branding by a company called Porker Pipes. Based in California, they created a line of exhaust systems for Harley-Davidson motorcycles about two decades ago. Of course, we hear it a lot today, mostly in the context of sports. However, it was inevitable that those five words would show up in a song or two as well.

027. SHAWN MENDES – “Stitches”
Label: Island/Republic
Album: Handwritten
Peak: #5

Top 40 Trivia: Mendes’s song took a lengthy 23 weeks to hit #1 on the CHR/Top 40 chart, longer than any other chart entry in 2015. If you’re wondering if that’s a record, it’s close, but not quite. That title still belongs to 2012’s “Give Your Heart A Break” by Demi Lovato, which hit #1 in its 25th week. Mendes’s new duet with Camila Cabello could be a record to watch there in 2016.

026. ONE DIRECTION – “Night Changes”
Label: Syco/Columbia
Album: FOUR
Peak: #5 for two weeks

Top 40 Trivia: This boy band has one more song in the countdown that they recorded as a quartet, but it was “Night” that lives on as their last official single under their original lineup (including member Zayn Malik.) Malik quit the band pretty close to when this song peaked at radio, though it was already descending on my chart for several weeks. The group goes on a hiatus fairly soon.

025. TAYLOR SWIFT – “Blank Space”
Label: Big Machine/Republic
Album: 1989
Peak: #1 for three weeks

Top 40 Trivia: Swift’s 1989 is going for a sixth #1 on the CHR/Top 40 chart next year, as “Out Of The Woods” will be, well, out on the charts in a big way. Katy Perry’s Teenage Dream managed to accomplish the feat between 2010 and 2012, and perhaps the bad blood between them (allegedly) is serving as fuel for the 26-year-old singer. She has one more entry to come on the Top 100.

024. SAM HUNT – “Take Your Time”
Label: MCA Nashville/Capitol
Album: Montevallo
Peak: #3 for three weeks

Top 40 Trivia: 2015 was a great year for Country crossovers on my top 40. Four of them entered the chart, with one of them in the running to be a smash on next year’s Top 100 (Thomas Rhett‘s “Die A Happy Man”, which climbed to #32 on the weekly list at the close of the chart year.) Hunt’s release was the biggest, and he’s now competing for Best New Artist at the Grammy Awards.

023. WALK THE MOON – “Shut Up And Dance”
Label: RCA
Album: Talking Is Hard
Peak: #1 for three weeks [2014 CY]

Top 40 Trivia: On the last chart of the 2014 Chart Year, this song began its run at the top. Had all of its weeks been included on this year’s survey, I’m sure it would have been way higher. Alas, “Shut” had a massive 36-week run on my chart and might be their biggest hit for me for some time. If you want to do some more dancing, the third and final of those titles is on the way tomorrow.

022. NATE RUESS – “Nothing Without Love”
Label: Fueled By Ramen/RRP
Album: Grand Romantic
Peak: #3 for two weeks

Top 40 Trivia: Perhaps a new fun. era would have been better than what occurred this year for Ruess’s first solo outing. No, it wasn’t particularly grand or romantic to see his debut album dive after its first week or to see this single bottom out quickly, but I still thought it was solid. Past “Nothing” songs to go top ten on my list include ones by Mat Kearney, O-Town and The Script.

021. X AMBASSADORS – “Renegades”
Label: KIDinaKORNER/Interscope
Album: VHS
Peak: #5 for three weeks

Top 40 Trivia: The letter X marks a tiny spot in top 40 radio history, as only one act (prior to this one) and one song beginning with the letter had ever reached that portion of the chart. In November 1993, the R&B group Xscape went to #8 with their debut single, “Just Kickin’ It”. In September 1980, “Xanadu”, by Olivia Newton-John and the Electric Light Orchestra, got to #2.

Tomorrow, we’ll reveal #’s 20 through 11, so check back then! You can always follow and listen to the Top 100 reveal on Spotify.

ADAM’S TOP 100 OF 2015: #40-31

Pop ’til you drop.

Here it is, the annual countdown of the top 100 hits based on my weekly personal charts from the first week of December in 2014 to the last week of November in 2015. It was another great year for both chart veterans and newcomers, novelty hits and timeless ballads, country, pop, rock, and everything in between. We have them all, from “Hello” to “No Good In Goodbye”. Now, it is time to say “hello” to the Top 100 and “goodbye” to the year that was 2015.

In the next ten songs on this year’s Top 100, a former American Idol winner, a young performer who auditioned for Idol and had her big break many years later, two songs from an English performer and the incredibly shrinking group that first made my chart as a quintet and is now a trio. Let’s enter into the top 40 with some added trivia and check out the next ten songs on the list…

040. CAUSES – “Walk On Water”
Label: RCA (U.K.)
Album: Under Bridges That You Built For Me
Peak: #6 for two weeks

Top 40 Trivia: This quartet, led by Rupert Blackman, has one more song to go on the Top 100. Until we “dance” on over to the section of the chart, we have this miraculous musical moment, a title that’s been a hit on the Hot 100 two times before. In 1972, it was Neil Diamond who took his single to #17, and in 1988, Eddie Money took his song up to #9. That’s a whole lot of walking.

039. KELLY CLARKSON – “Invincible”
Label: RCA
Album: Piece By Piece
Peak: #7 for three weeks

Top 40 Trivia: Clarkson remains the biggest contestant from any American Idol season to rank on my personal chart. 17 of her singles have hit the top ten on my chart, and 25 of her songs have become top 40 hits, way ahead of the act in second place. In my current chart, the title track from her latest album could extend that top ten total to 18 shortly. Stay tuned to see if that happens!

038. MARTIN LUKE BROWN – “Take Out Of Me”
Label: Parlophone (U.K.)
Album: Take Out Of Me (EP)
Peak: #8

Top 40 Trivia: So far, in his short career, Brown has managed to place four singles in my top 40 in a year. I’d say that’s a pretty good start, and one that will hopefully lead him to even more success on the national charts in 2016. Though he hasn’t reached #1 yet, there is a Brown singer that has. In May 2010, it was VV Brown that spent four weeks at the top with “Shark In The Water”.

037. ED SHEERAN – “Photograph”
Label: Atlantic
Album: x
Peak: #10 for two weeks

Top 40 Trivia: When Sheeran’s song hit the top ten on the CHR/Pop chart earlier this year, it became the latest title to reach a top ten peak in three different decades. The other “Photograph” songs to do it were by Ringo Starr (#1, 1973) and Nickelback (#3, 2005). Additionally, “Photograph” by Def Leppard managed a #16 peak in 1983. I guess photos are popular in any decade.

036. TORI KELLY – “Nobody Love”
Label: Capitol
Album: Unbreakable Smile
Peak: #6 for two weeks

Top 40 Trivia: Eight of the songs in this year’s Top 100 were a part of iHeartMedia’s On The Verge program, which gives radio stations at a given format a song to play for a minimum of 150 spins with special on-air branding. Kelly’s track is one of four from a CHR/Top 40 campaign, like the previously revealed Conrad Sewell and Prince Royce and a higher release by Nate Ruess.

035. DELTA RAE – “Scared”
Label: Sire
Album: After It All
Peak: #7 for three weeks

Top 40 Trivia: They’ve been touring all over the States this year, but luckily, they get to take a breather over the holidays. This sextet from North Carolina is a fantastic live act, and their albums are certainly quality, including their latest set. In fact, it was in the spring that After became the group’s first album to make the Billboard 200. Here’s hoping that their profile continues to rise.

034. SCOTT HELMAN – “Bungalow”
Label: Warner Bros. (Canada)
Album: Augusta (EP)
Peak: #8 for two weeks

Top 40 Trivia: 2015 wasn’t the biggest of years for Canadian-born artists on my top 40, but Helman, who lives in Toronto, had a solid debut with a track that just missed hitting the top ten on the Hot AC chart up north. Only Carly Rae Jepsen and Shawn Mendes managed to rank higher on my year-end list. Both “Machine” and “That Sweater” off his EP are now charting in Canada.

033. YEARS & YEARS – “Desire”
Label: Interscope
Album: Communion
Peak: #2 for two weeks

Top 40 Trivia: This single from the English trio was the third to be released from their debut album and their first to break the top 40 in their native United Kingdom. That was in November of 2014. Almost a year later, in September, the song impacted pop radio in the U.S. and unfortunately tanked harder than their previous single, “King”. Can the trio have a proper U.S. hit in 2016?

032. PARACHUTE – “Crave”
Label: Vanguard
Album: (single only)
Peak: #4 for two weeks

Top 40 Trivia: “Crave” was co-written by the leader of a former Adam’s Top 40 act. It’s the Gabe Dixon Band, and their one charting song, “Till You’re Gone”, peaked at #35 in the fall of 2008. Dixon, who now releases as a solo artist, is currently based in Nashville. (Another co-writer, Jamie Hartman, just missed making my chart in late 2007 as the lead vocalist of Ben’s Brother.)

031. MARTIN LUKE BROWN – “Nostalgia”
Label: Parlophone (U.K.)
Album: (single only)
Peak: #7 for four weeks

Top 40 Trivia: A few of the acts that made this year’s Top 100 countdown were featured in the Introducing rotation slot on the weekly playlist compiled by the heads of BBC Radio 1. This slot, which a song holds for just a week, enables a new artist to receive seven spins across several different shows. Brown’s great song was played in October 2014 and led to his current record contract.

Tomorrow, we’ll reveal #’s 30 through 21, so check back then! You can always follow and listen to the Top 100 reveal on Spotify.

ADAM’S TOP 100 OF 2015: #60-41

Pop ’til you drop.

Here it is, the annual countdown of the top 100 hits based on my weekly personal charts from the first week of December in 2014 to the last week of November in 2015. It was another great year for both chart veterans and newcomers, novelty hits and timeless ballads, country, pop, rock, and everything in between. We have them all, from “Hello” to “No Good In Goodbye”. Now, it is time to say “hello” to the Top 100 and “goodbye” to the year that was 2015.

In the next 20 songs on the countdown, two singers named Jamie (neither of which Ray Parker, Jr. sang about in 1984), a quintet that’s no longer together after just one major-label single, a recent On The Verge track at CHR/Top 40 radio, a song title that is a word away from being a hot Moody Blues remake, and one of the year’s top fidelity anthems that many people deemed “good”. If you’re ready to be tempted with some tantalizing tunes, sit back and listen to the songs ranked #60 through #41:

060. FLETCHER – “War Paint”
Label: Snapback Entertainment
Album: (single only)
Peak: #12 for two weeks

059. JAMIE LAWSON – “Wasn’t Expecting That”
Label: Gingerbread Man/Elektra
Album: Jamie Lawson
Peak: #12

058. MIKA – “Talk About You”
Label: Casablanca/Republic
Album: No Place In Heaven
Peak: #11

057. FANCY REAGAN – “Knock Me Out”
Label: Republic
Album: (single only)
Peak: #12 for two weeks

056. LIONS HEAD – “Begging”
Label: Tanz Dich Glücklich/Columbia
Album: (single only)
Peak: #10

055. JAMIE SCOTT – “Unbreakable”
Label: Capitol
Album: My Hurricane
Peak: #1 for six weeks [2014 CY]

054. MAT KEARNEY – “Billion”
Label: Republic
Album: Just Kids
Peak: #9 for two weeks

053. OLLY MURS featuring TRAVIE MCCOY – “Wrapped Up”
Label: Columbia
Album: Never Been Better
Peak: #5 for two weeks

052. MAROON 5 – “This Summer’s Gonna Hurt…”
Label: 222/Interscope
Album: V
Peak: #5

051. HOODIE ALLEN featuring ED SHEERAN – “All About It”
Label: Atlantic
Album: People Keep Talking
Peak: #8 for two weeks

050. NATE RUESS – “Great Big Storm”
Label: Fueled By Ramen/RRP
Album: Grand Romantic
Peak: #9 for two weeks

049. ANDREW MCMAHON IN THE WILDERNESS – “High Dive”
Label: Vanguard
Album: Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness
Peak: #1 for two weeks

048. KELLY CLARKSON – “Heartbeat Song”
Label: RCA
Album: Piece By Piece
Peak: #9 for three weeks

047. MATT WOODS – “In The Dark”
Label: Sticky Company
Album: In The Dark (EP)
Peak: #10 for two weeks

046. GAVIN JAMES – “Bitter Pill”
Label: Capitol
Album: (single only)
Peak: #7 for two weeks

045. CONRAD SEWELL – “Hold Me Up”
Label: 300 Entertainment
Album: (single only)
Peak: #9

044. ANDY GRAMMER – “Honey, I’m Good”
Label: S-Curve/Hollywood
Album: Magazines Or Novels
Peak: #9 for two weeks

043. MATT NATHANSON – “Gold In The Summertime”
Label: Vanguard
Album: Show Me Your Fangs
Peak: #9 for three weeks

042. TAYLOR SWIFT – “Wildest Dreams”
Label: Big Machine/Republic
Album: (single only)
Peak: #2

041. TAKE THAT – “These Days”
Label: Polydor (U.K.)
Album: III
Peak: #1 for one week

Tomorrow, we’ll reveal #’s 40 through 31, so check back then! You can always follow and listen to the Top 100 reveal on Spotify.

ADAM’S TOP 100 OF 2015: #80-61

Pop ’til you drop.

Here it is, the annual countdown of the top 100 hits based on my weekly personal charts from the first week of December in 2014 to the last week of November in 2015. It was another great year for both chart veterans and newcomers, novelty hits and timeless ballads, country, pop, rock, and everything in between. We have them all, from “Hello” to “No Good In Goodbye”. Now, it is time to say “hello” to the Top 100 and “goodbye” to the year that was 2015.

In the next 20 songs on the countdown, our entries include a controversial Country crossover, a trio named after a male who isn’t actually in the group, the first single from a musical to hit my chart in four years, a Best New Artist nominee and a song title that I will get to experience for the first time on March 1, 2017. Age is just a number, by the way, but it’s a countdown; we have plenty of numbers to go. Let’s get back to counting backwards, from #80 down to #61:

Songs with a + denote chart peaks as of the top 40 dated November 29, 2015
Ties broken by: 1) chart peak (and) 2) number of weeks to reach peak points

080. MODEST MOUSE – “Lampshades On Fire”
Label: Epic
Album: Strangers To Ourselves
Peak: #18

079. SHAWN MENDES – “Something Big”
Label: Island/Republic
Album: Handwritten
Peak: #14

078. EDEN XO – “Too Cool To Dance”
Label: Capitol
Album: (single only)
Peak: #6 for two weeks [2014 CY]

077. ANDREW MCMAHON IN THE WILDERNESS – “Cecilia And The Satellite”
Label: Vanguard
Album: Andrew McMahon In The Wilderness
Peak: #3 for three weeks [2014 CY]

076. SARA BAREILLES – “She Used To Be Mine”
Label: Epic
Album: What’s Inside: Songs From Waitress
Peak: #10 for three weeks+

075. LIFE OF DILLON – “Dreams”
Label: Epic
Album: Prologue (EP)
Peak: #15

074. TRAIN – “Bulletproof Picasso”
Label: Columbia
Album: Bulletproof Picasso
Peak: #15

073. MARTIN LUKE BROWN – “Scars On Scars”
Label: Parlophone (U.K.)
Album: (single only)
Peak: #16 for two weeks

072. BANNERS – “Shine A Light”
Label: Island/Republic
Album: (single only)
Peak: #5 for two weeks+

071. BLEACHERS – “Rollercoaster”
Label: RCA
Album: Strange Desire
Peak: #3 for two weeks [2014 CY]

070. BØRNS – “Electric Love”
Label: Interscope
Album: Dopamine
Peak: #16 for three weeks

069. THE AVENER – “Fade Out Lines”
Label: Republic
Album: The Wanderings Of The Avener
Peak: #15 for two weeks

068. TORI KELLY – “Should’ve Been Us”
Label: Capitol
Album: Unbreakable Smile
Peak: #13

067. LITTLE BIG TOWN – “Girl Crush”
Label: Capitol Nashville/Interscope
Album: Pain Killer
Peak: #14 for three weeks

066. PASSENGER – “27”
Label: Nettwerk
Album: Whispers
Peak: #10 for two weeks

065. TAYLOR SWIFT – “Bad Blood”
Label: Big Machine/Republic
Album: 1989
Peak: #12

064. ROB THOMAS – “Trust You”
Label: Atlantic
Album: The Great Unknown
Peak: #12

063. OLLY MURS featuring DEMI LOVATO – “Up”
Label: Columbia
Album: Never Been Better
Peak: #12 for two weeks

062. CLEAN BANDIT featuring JESS GLYNNE – “Real Love”
Label: Atlantic
Album: New Eyes
Peak: #12 for two weeks

061. ELLIE GOULDING – “On My Mind”
Label: Cherrytree/Interscope
Album: Delirium
Peak: #2+

Tomorrow, we’ll reveal #’s 60 through 41, so check back then! You can always follow and listen to the Top 100 reveal on Spotify.

ADAM’S TOP 100 OF 2015: #100-81

Pop ’til you drop.

Here it is, the annual countdown of the top 100 hits based on my weekly personal charts from the first week of December in 2014 to the last week of November in 2015. It was another great year for both chart veterans and newcomers, novelty hits and timeless ballads, country, pop, rock, and everything in between. We have them all, from “Hello” to “No Good In Goodbye”. Now, it is time to say “hello” to the Top 100 and “goodbye” to the year that was 2015.

In the first 20 songs on the countdown, our entries include a boy band who just gave their last live performance before a hiatus, a high school student with some boy trouble, the first fully a cappella track on the pop radio survey since the mid-90’s, a singer and songwriter that kept it smooth on my very first chart in 1999, and a bunch of singles that aren’t Cheap Trick, Lionel Richie and/or Morris Albert remakes. Confused? Let’s clear it all up, from #100 to #81:

Songs with a + denote chart peaks as of the top 40 dated November 29, 2015
Ties broken by: 1) chart peak (and) 2) number of weeks to reach peak points

100. ONE DIRECTION – “Perfect”
Label: Syco/Columbia
Album: Made In The A.M.
Peak: #8+

099. LAWSON – “Roads”
Label: Global Entertainment
Album: (single only)
Peak: #20

098. JAKE OWEN – “Real Life”
Label: RCA Nashville
Album: (single only)
Peak: #21 for two weeks

097. JAMES BLUNT – “When I Find Love Again”
Label: Atlantic
Album: Moon Landing – Apollo Edition (or) Smoke Signals (EP)
Peak: #11

096. BOY & BEAR – “Walk The Wire”
Label: Nettwerk
Album: Limit Of Love
Peak: #20

095. PRINCE ROYCE featuring SNOOP DOGG – “Stuck On A Feeling”
Label: RCA
Album: Double Vision
Peak: #19

094. PENTATONIX – “Can’t Sleep Love”
Label: RCA
Album: Pentatonix
Peak: #15+

093. MAROON 5 – “Animals”
Label: 222/Interscope
Album: V
Peak: #5 for two weeks [2014 CY]

092. DNCE – “Cake By The Ocean”
Label: Republic
Album: SWAAY (EP)
Peak: #11+

091. THE 1975 – “Love Me”
Label: Dirty Hit/Interscope
Album: I like it when you sleep, for you are so beautiful yet so unaware of it
Peak: #7 for two weeks+

090. TAKE THAT – “Let In The Sun”
Label: Polydor (U.K.)
Album: III
Peak: #17

089. MAROON 5 – “Feelings”
Label: 222/Interscope
Album: V
Peak: #15

088. DAYA – “Hide Away”
Label: Artbeatz/RED
Album: Daya (EP)
Peak: #19 for two weeks

087. PHASES – “I’m In Love With My Life”
Label: Warner Bros.
Album: For Life
Peak: #18 for two weeks

086. ADAM LAMBERT – “Ghost Town”
Label: Warner Bros.
Album: The Original High
Peak: #19 for two weeks

085. BRANDON FLOWERS – “Can’t Deny My Love”
Label: Island/Republic
Album: The Desired Effect
Peak: #17

084. CHRISTINA PERRI – “The Words”
Label: Atlantic
Album: Head Or Heart
Peak: #17

083. ROB THOMAS – “Hold On Forever”
Label: Atlantic
Album: The Great Unknown
Peak: #12+

082. CONOR MAYNARD – “Talking About”
Label: Parlophone (U.K.)
Album: (single only)
Peak: #15 for two weeks

081. ADELE – “Hello”
Label: XL/Columbia
Album: 25
Peak: #1 for two weeks+

Tomorrow, we’ll reveal #’s 80 through 61, so check back then! You can always follow and listen to the Top 100 reveal on Spotify.