Saturday, June 12, 2010

Rock-It! 6-19-10, A New Gurl On Top, Drake & Taio Cruise To High Debuts

25-year old Katy Perry has returned to #1 for the first time since 2008 when she reached the top with her very first hit, “I Kissed A Girl”. She returns to #1 again this week with another girl, “California Gurls” featuring Ludacris. This week the Santa Barbara, California girl moves from 2-1. It’s her fourth Top 10 appearance. She also reached the Top 10 in 2008 with “Hot N Cold” and again last year with “Waking Up In Vegas”.

28-year old Travie McCoy has hit the Top 5 before but not as a solo star. In 2007, his New York hip hop band Gym Class Heroes reached #4 with their debut single “Cupid’s Chokehold”. Three years later, Travie jumps from 11-5 with his first solo hit, “Billionaire” featuring Bruno Mars.

The Black Eyed Peas make it five Top 10 hits from their blockbuster album “The E.N.D.” This week they leap from 16-9 with “Rock That Body”. Two of the previous four releases from the album made long runs at #1 last year: “Boom Boom Pow” and “I Gotta Feeling”. Previous to this album the L.A. quartet had only had three hits in their entire 9-year chart career.

Making the week’s highest debut in the Top 40 and entire Hot 100 is Canadian actor and hip hop star Aubrey Drake Graham. The 23-year old Toronto native goes simply by his middle name, Drake. This week he is in at #15 with “Miss Me” featuring Lil Wayne. It’s from his brand new album, “Thank Me Later”. It becomes Drake’s seventh Top 10 hit in his short chart career which began a little over a year ago.

For the second week in a row, the Top 40’s biggest moving song is from 22-year old MIchigan newcomer Mike Posner. Last week he moved from 40-31 with “Cooler Than Me”. This week he makes even a bigger leap by rocketing from 31-19.

Four other songs debut in the Top 40 this week. British electro hop star Taio Cruz is in at #26 with “Dynamite”. It is the follow up to his #1 smash “Break Your Heart” featuring Ludacris which slips from 5-6 this week. The 27-year old also debuts on the Top 200 Album chart this week with “Rokstarr”.

20-year old Miami, Florida hip hop star Jason DeRulo is looking for his third Top 10 hit. He debuts at #34 with “Ridin’ Solo”. He has already gone to #1 with “Whatcha Say” and Top 10 with “In My Head”.

Two chart veterans round out the list of new songs. Atlanta rapper T.I. scores his 14th Top 40 hit this week at #38 with “Got Your Back” featuring Keri Hilson. And Canadian chart veterans Nickelback rack up their 10th Top 40 U.S. hit with “This Afternoon” at #39.

Best of the New Releases

Streetlight-Joshua Radin, 36-year old singer/songwriter Joshua Radin has enjoyed a career of hearing his music played in TV shows such as “Grey’s Anatomy”, “American Idol” and “So You Think You Can Dance”. More recently he has hit the pop charts in the U.K. This may be the breakout single in the U.S. for the Ohio native. Clever lyrics teamed up with a catchy melody has this song on my radar.

Higher State-Bailey, Another fun dance hit that has reached the club scene.

Home-The Goo Goo Dolls, They have a sound that they know hits home with their listeners. So their latest single does not wade very far in the deep end. Just another classic Goo Goo Dolls single.