Posts filed under 'Chart Updates'
Chart updated: 11/10/08 (and some other music news)
I was struck this evening by the fact that while I’m a dance DJ, and I love dance music, the truth is, I just love music, dance or otherwise. But before I get into that, and perhaps some of the surprises that go with it, I’ll briefly talk about the chart update.
This past week, Britney Spears ended-up at #1 with Womanizer. Say what you will about the woman, but her producers (and the various remixers on the project) sure know how to turn out good material. There are several terrific mixes floating around, and apparently I’m not the only one who’s digging them.
At #2 is my friend Jacinta, with her latest, Electric Universe, which I blogged about recently. The more I hear this song, the more I like it, and the more I’m enjoying some of ther mixes other than the Robert G. mix I initially fell for.
You can view the chart here for the rest, but one other notable is mid-chart… Milk & Sugar Presents MS2, with Stay Around. There’s a superb mix from Germany’s Spencer & Hill that I always play, and really, really enjoy. The production’s great, and I love the soulful vocal. A friend of mine commented, “Someone should buy that girl some more lyrics,” and yeah, I would agree it’s a bit redundant. But it’s nonetheless enjoyable to my ears.
OK, back to the music surprises.
I was listening to some DJ promos online tonight, and some of the promos are pop, alternative, country, etc. Normally I limit myself to dance (obviously), but I decided to preview some of the other tracks, including a new single from LeAnn Rimes, and it suddenly struck me… Yes, I love dance music, but as I said at the beginning of this post, I also just love music, period. No, I don’t spend much time listening to country. But what’s not to appreciate when you have a talent like LeAnn Rimes?
Two tracks really stood out that are deserving of mention.
First, Keane’s new single, The Lovers are Losing. Their notable hit single from a couple of years ago, Is it Any Wonder? was my ringtone for months, and Lovers has the same incredible hit potential. Great songwriting, great lyrics, and an incredible performance make this an almost surefire hit. For dance lovers like me, there were some great remixes of Wonder, and I hope that some might be made available soon for Lovers. In the meantime, this one’s finding a home on my iPod.
Second, Canadian Idol’s most recent winner, Theo Tams, offers-up Sing. As near as I can determine, this track is unavailable in the U.S., which is a shame. While Sing is the “winner’s song” written and selected for him by the show’s producers, it is nonetheless a pleasant, enjoyable, ballad with a nice piano foundation, and with great hit potential as well since it’s likely to crossover well between AC, AAA and other mainstream radio formats. Typical of the Idol franchise, anyone from the teen fans of Tams to someone like my mother could enjoy this track.
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this brief break. Back to the dance music. 
Wes
2 comments November 11, 2008
Some changes to the chart “buy” links
Those who’ve seen my weekly Top 25 Dance Chart are probably aware that I place “buy” links in the rightmost column for every entry I can. I do this for several reasons:
- To support the artists by making it easy to buy their material.
- As a service to listeners so they can know immediately that a track is available for sale, and can go buy it on-the-spot.
- To make a few pennies each time somebody buys something.
To that third point, believe me, I make about enough money each month to buy a snack at Taco Bell (but I think of you each time I do, of course).
Until today, I’ve been linking to iTunes and Beatport. These referral and commission systems are called “affiliate programs” in the web business, and for high-visibility, high-traffic web sites, they can be a real money maker for the site referring the traffic, and for the stores being referred to.
In any event, I’ve pulled the plug on Beatport, and replaced it with links to Amazon’s MP3 download store. Like Beatport, they sell MP3 files, free of DRM (copy protection), that can be loaded onto any portable music player, or played by virtually anything that can play digital music at all (cell phones, PCs, whatever).
But unlike Beatport, Amazon doesn’t play favorites with record labels, they don’t care about an affiliate’s sales volumes, and they don’t force customers to use a slick Flash-based web interface that looks sexy but otherwise inhibits usability. Beatport also seems to over-emphasize certain genres of dance and electronic, which is fine I suppose, but they honestly just don’t carry a lot of the stuff I play anyway.
Many people have told me they don’t like iTunes; others don’t seem to care. I have nothing against iTunes per se; I have an iPod (three of them, actually), so I shop there too from time to time. iTunes Plus certainly removes the DRM aspect from the discussion, but they still sell AAC files, not MP3s. And given that MP3 files will play on just about anything, I will probably start emphasizing Amazon links going forward.
In the end, I don’t really care much whether you click the links on my chart or not, or whether you prefer Amazon, or iTunes, or Masterbeat, or Beatport. The real thing for me is that music consumers support the music and the artists they love by buying their music instead of stealing it. Most musical artists make their money through live performances, not records, and that’s been true since before the music industry starting falling apart. But for dance artists, live performance opportunities are few, leaving music sales as the main revenue source. Hopefully you’ll ponder that a bit the next time you’re wanting the lastest dance track, and keep an already very small “industry” alive.
Wes
1 comment October 21, 2008
Chart updated: 9/5/08 (and some other news)
Last Friday, I posted the weekly update to the Top 25 chart on my web site. As you may have noticed, I’m not blogging about the chart each week at this point, since at least recently, there’s not been huge amount of shifting. I don’t think it’s for lack of new releases, but perhaps more for the staying power of a handful of tracks. Anyway, following are some observations.
- Loveless feat. Amanda Wilson has taken the top spot this round. This is one of two great recent releases from Groove Factory Records out of Boston and the UK. (I’m going to do a separate blog entry about them soon.) It’s a great track, with superb production, and I’ve been spinning it a lot.
- Ercola feat. Daniella is still hanging around in the top 4 of my chart for a whopping 13 weeks now. I don’t keep track of such things, but it’s got to be a record, and a testament to the popularity and solidity of this track. The vocals are great, and Spanish producer Ercola’s work on the track (as well as the various project remixers) is really solid. I still get constant requests for the song, and I still enjoy it every time I hear it. Definitely will be one of my top tracks for 2008 when I tally it up later this year.
- M-Box and Susie Ledge are at #3 this week with another track I just can’t seem to get enough of. “When You’re Gone” is strong, due in no small part to its songwriting. Ledge is a singer/songwriter from London; M-Box is the production team of Darren Stokes and Philip Larson. Stokes is known for his involvement with Tin Tin Out, and as a well-known producer/remixer. Larson is an Grammy-winning producer who’s worked with Kylie Minogue, Moby and others. Ledge herself as toured as an opener for Kosheen. Together, they’ve truly spun some gold on this project.
- At #4 we find yet another personal fave that the crowds like, and I’ve blogged about it before: Destination-X and Lisa Molina with “Little Secret.”
A couple of noteworthy new tracks:
- Sunfreakz, the recording name of Belgian producer Tim Janssens, has a sure hit on his hands with “Drive Out,” entering at #20. With several very strong remixes in the release package, it’s set to find a wide audience.
- Cary Brothers, with the track “Ride” (as remixed by Tiesto) is getting requested a lot. While it’s arguably a bit more trancey than I normally play, it nonetheless fits well in my sets, and it’s got a strong male vocal with awesome production. It enters at #12.
That’ll do it for me for now. Keep the volume high.
Wes
Add comment September 8, 2008
Chart updated: 8/1/08 (and some other news)
In analyzing my charts over this past weekend, I noticed that a programming error was very slightly skewing current week’s results in situations where I might have uploaded some chart data after the chart date. That didn’t happen very often, but when it did, the chart would only be accurate if accessed the following week or later. D’oh! Anyway, it’s fixed now.
Speaking of, the latest chart is now up, and there’s just not a whole lot of change this week. Some highlights follow.
- The top 3 merely trade places a bit for the third week in a row. They are Destination X feat. Lisa Molina; DJ Skillmaster; and Ercola feat. Daniella. All three tend to get requested often, and we’ll see if they keep fighting it out next week.
- Butterflies Attack feat. Joe Murena enters the chart at #17 with How Can I Fall?, a great cover of an 80s song I’d nearly forgotten about. Murena’s great vocal really makes this song work, but regardless of what you might think of the sappy original arrangement, it’s still catchy song with a good lyric.
- It’s nice to hear Crystal Waters again. Her new single, Dancefloor, is one of the Adds this week, and she sounds as good as always.
- Keri Hilson’s Energy has been a track I’ve been listening to in its original form for several weeks now. With the release of some dance remixes, it’s an Add this week, and a particularly strong one. Expect to see this one on the chart soon.
Keep listening…
Wes
Add comment August 4, 2008
Chart updated: 7/29/08 (and some other news)
Anyone who follows this blog (is there enough here to follow?) will notice that I’ve not been blogging lately. It’s not for lack of desire, but as I said in my last post a month ago, I’ve been extraordinarily busy, both in my day job, as well as on the music front. Literally every spare moment is over-committed by about 2x or 3x, so if something can slip, it’s likely to.
In any case, even the chart updates have been suffering, but I did get everything current this morning. I also did a little coding recently to allow everyone to see past charts. Because the charts are housed in a database, even when I don’t post one for a certain week, you’ll find it in the list anyhow because its data is still entered either way. So while I missed the 7/18 chart posting, you can go back and see what it would have been had I expressly posted it.
Let’s quickly go over some highlights:
- New York’s Destination X holds the #1 spot with Little Secret, which has been a favorite track of mine for a few weeks now, and one that audiences really, really like as well. With the great vocals of Lisa Molina (also New York-based, but at one point a fellow Denver resident), and a great lyrical sentiment, this track really shines.
- CAPP Records snags #2 with week with DJ Skillmaster’s Summertime. While some have referred to this as a “novelty track,” I disagree with that assessment, and so do audiences I play for. It’s absolutely true that this track is a little non-traditional, weaving-in sound bites and dubs alongside the vocal, but I think that’s what gives it its unique shine, frankly. The mainstream Jason Matthew mix is my favorite, but the edgier Dany Wild treatments (there are two of them) are great for harder-edged sets.
- Spanish producer Ercola holds #3 with Every Word, featuring the amazing and intoxicating vocals of Daniella. This one is a real crowd favorite, and I get very frequent requests to play it. Here too, a really strong lyric contributes to why this song works so well.
- Beyoncé’s little sister Solange is at #9 this week with another favorite from the filter house realm, I Decided. Catchy lyrics and great production, along with Solange Knowles’ soulful voice make this track work really well, especially given that classic disco house/filter house treatment by Freemasons (in the Freemasons mix, obviously; there are also mixes out as well).
- One anomaly of my charting approach is that requests can end-up bringing a track onto the chart that probably doesn’t otherwise belong there, witness #24, Matt Darey’s Beautiful Day. This was my #1 song of 2007, and for whatever reason, people have been requesting it again lately… Enough that it re-emerged on the chart as a new entry this week.
No other real surprises on the chart this week. We’ll see what next week brings. And I am working on some new, more conversational blog entries as time allows, so expect to see something soon. Thanks for checking-in.
Wes
Add comment July 29, 2008
Chart updated: 6/27/08
I’ve been updating my Top 25 Dance Chart, but haven’t been doing blog posts recently since, frankly, my day job has been kicking my ass. So let’s visit some of the recent movements.
Not terribly surprisingly, Robyn is holding the top spot for two weeks running with Handle Me. Interscope released Robyn’s nearly two year old album here this year, and I’m not sure what took so long for a US label to take an interest. The last time most of us heard about Robyn was in the 90s with Show Me Love, and she sound better now than she did even then. Handle Me has been getting some Internet radio airplay for months, but the track was serviced to DJs not that long ago; I expect to be spinning this one for awhile to come.
Finnish producer Ercola has been responsible for some great music lately, and one of my favorites of the lot is Every Word which holds the #2 spot for as many weeks. With great production, and a sweet vocal from Daniella, the song has a lot going for it.
Other notables in the chart this week include the UK’s Taio Cruz with a fantastic track that has yet to see a US release: I Can Be. With its uplifting lyrics and positive message, it’s a real fave of mine, and the audiences seem to enjoy it as well. My good friends Jennifer and Cory, better known as Pleasure Center, are holding mid-chart with Love’s a Basic Freedom, another song with an upbeat and time-appropriate message. And a new release from CAPP, DJ Skillmaster’s Summertime is at #14 as a new entry. This song has several new mixes for 2008, and I expect it to be around for awhile too with its unique and fresh arrangement peppered with sound bites and overdubs.
Some of the hot new adds for the week include a great track from DJ HeavyGrinder, Mind Eraser, which features the vocals of the talented Zelma “C+C Music Factory” Davis in a grungy electro track that’s a real grabber. And a particularly strong dance crossover is Duffy’s Mercy which is a real crowd favorite at the moment. Finally, a real surprise from Alanis Morissette with Undernearth; I’ve never been much of a fan, but the numerous dance remixes of Morissette’s new single are really strong.
Turn up the volume,
Wes
Add comment July 1, 2008
Chart updated: 5/9/08
OK, well, maybe the chart wasn’t updated on the 9th, but the Top 25 Dance Chart for the week has now been posted for your enjoyment.
I’m a little surprised that the top two slots are still holding for Elena and Velvet, but they are unchanged from last week.
Moving to #3 is the amazing Love Resurrection from Aurora feat. Amanda Wilson. I simply love this song, and audiences seem to enjoy it as well. As I have blogged previously, it’s a great remake of an old Alison Moyet song, and the production work from Aurora is just amazing.
Another song making a big jump is Australia’s Raen with Dramatic Fanatic at #5. It’s a fun song, I think, with interesting lyrics and great production. This track apparently hasn’t been signed to a label in the US that I can tell, so it’s tough to find.
With the availability of some new mixes for Freemasons’ Uninvited, the tracks has reappeared on my chart at #12.
Nothing else particularly shocking on the chart, other than the reappearance of Basshunter’s Now You’re Gone after a temporary drop-off.
In the new adds department, a new song from CAPP, as yet unreleased, is DJ Skillmaster with Summertime. The underlying song from Skillmaster is actually a couple of years old. It was a good track on its own, but Dany Wild’s new remix is why I’ve started playing it. The track has a whole new feel and energy. The song will be released with a newly-filmed video this summer; I’m just getting an early start with this one.
Among the hot adds this week are CoCo Star’s fab new single, Kick Yourself, along with Michelle Williams’ soulful and groovy We Break the Dawn, and perhaps my favorite of the bunch, Robbie Rivera feat. Denise Rivera (no relation!) with Back to Zero, which is particularly strong on all front (lyrically, vocals, production).
Enjoy…
Wes
Add comment May 12, 2008
Chart updated: 5/2/08
I was a bit late this week with the chart processing, but the latest Top 25 Dance Chart has been posted. There are a few surprises this week in terms of movement.
Elena’s sad but well-produced track Before I Sleep has jumped to #1. The heart-wrenching lyric notwithstanding, I just love this song, and audiences are responding well to it too. With Velvet at #2 with Fix Me, this gives the top two slots to Robbins Entertainment, and I have to say, they’ve nailed it with some really strong single releases in recent months.
Unsurprisingly, Leona Lewis is now at #3 with Bleeding Love. This is one of those songs I liked at first, sorta wondered about, but that came back strongly for me. Audiences seem to have responded in kind. There’s a range of good mixes of the track, and it’s just superbly well done.
Oddly enough, #4 and #5 are held by the same artist: Andrew Spencer on my own label affiliate, CAPP Records. I’ve been spinning Zombie since I got the first rough cut of the track for U.S. release back in August of 2007. It did a soft hit late last year on the Bounce! compilation and had an official release back in February here. So for me, the song is hardly new, but I still really love it. I might be biased since it’s a CAPP track, but I think it more speaks to the incredibly solid production work on the track, and it continues to chart strongly with pools and mixshows.
As for the other Spencer track, To Be With You is a pick from the 50 Techno Electro Tunes compilation. It’ll be released as a single sometime later this year (stay tuned), but it stood out for me the moment I heard it. Another incredibly strong set of production work there.
Also noteworthy is DJ Bill Bennett with Breakaway. This is, simply put, an amazing electro house track. Inaya Day is a great vocalist, but I’m still amazed at how well this track is put together, every time I hear it.
I could go on and on with this blog entry, but let me at least mention a couple of stand-outs.
At #15, Aurora gives us Love Resurrection, a remake of a classic Alison Moyet song. Amanda Wilson does a great job with the vocals (I love her voice!), and again, the production work is superb. And at #16, Australia’s Raen delivers solidly on Dramatic Fanatic. I really dig this funky, kitschy track and its clever lyrics.
Have a great week.
Wes
1 comment May 5, 2008
Chart updated: 4/25/08
The latest Top 25 Dance Chart was up a day late this week (oops), but here’s a quick look at the notables.
Britney’s Break the Ice moved up to the #1 spot. I’ve mentioned it before, but she can be as much of a mess as she wants if this is what her producers and handlers manage to come-up with after her day in the studio. Eye Witness feat. Charlene Oliver continues moving up with I’ve Never Been to Me. And Elena leaps-up to #3 with the beautiful but lyrically heart-wrenching Before I Sleep.
It seems there are a number of tracks on the chart that are losing steam at the same time. Ron Perkov, Idina Menzel, OneRepublic, Basshunter and Jesse McCartney among them.
One interesting item here is that Jordin Sparks’ No Air makes a new entry at the very bottom of the chart. This is an anomaly of the approach I use to make these charts (which I’ve written about before and won’t dive into again now). But the bottom line is that other songs have more total plays in the period covered, despite No Air being hot right now and played a lot. This causes a sort of damping effect, but in general, it’s one I’m not disappointed about because it prevents the “flave of the week” effect (songs debuting at #1 or #2 like you see in so many other charts, notably Billboard and BBC Radio 1).
Another anomaly of the approach is that songs that fall off can quickly re-debut with just a few spins, like Filo & Peri who are back at #13. Of course, Anthem is not a new entry at all.
But enough database head scratching. Velvet’s Fix Me, a strong new release from Robbins, popped-in at #12, and Natasha Bedingfield at #21 with her latest. The rest of the new entries have bubbled-up from recent Hot Adds. A few of those are worth mentioning too.
Sam Sparro’s Black and Gold is a strong new track that once again, through a set of superb remixes, brings a non-dance artist into the dance realm. I’d never heard of him, but Sam is apparently a soulful singer-songwriter, and while he currently calls L.A. home, the Brits in particular seem to really be digging him right now. Speaking of the UK… UK-based producers H ‘Two’ O got added with What’s it Gonna Be, an R&B infused gem that’s getting a lot of attention on their home turf.
As usual, you can check it out on my web site, and click to buy tracks if so inclined as well. Enjoy.
Add comment April 28, 2008
Chart updated: 4/18/08
The chart’s up a day early (click here to see); no Thursday gig this week, so no need to wait, right?
Idina Menzel holds the #1 spot again this week with Gorgeous, which still receives tons of requests. And not a shock that Britney moves to #2 with Break the Ice, her latest dance remix (and a real favorite of mine).
One big mover this week is Eye Witness feat. Charlene Oliver with I’ve Never Been to Me, the remake of Charlene’s own song, originally recorded and released in 1978 and again in 1982, when it became a big worldwide hit for her. I still think it’s pretty cool that she re-recorded the song 30 years after she did the first time… A true “remake” vs. a “cover” release. (Wouldn’t it be fun to hear Madonna re-record Material Girl or Holiday as a new dance track? Someone mentioned that to me, I think my friend Reece, and I totally agree!)
Two new entries that popped-on mid-chart include DJ Bill Bennett and Inaya Day with Breakaway. Frankly, about anything with Inaya’s vocal is likely to get my attention, but Bennett did a superb job bringing it all together on this. A gritty, dirty, high-energy production that complements the vocal well, I find it mixes quite well in a lot of directions. The audience response is really strong as well.
The other is Elena’s Before I Sleep, one of the newest Robbins releases. Elena hails from Romania, and the song is an English version of Privirea Ta (which is also included on the CD single). I love the beautiful vocal, the mixes available are strong, and the song’s emotional, heart-felt lyrics are something most any of us can relate to. I just all comes together nicely, and is just the latest in a string of good release out of the Robbins camp.
Some strong new adds this week. Zentribe and Linda Newman out of Spain are back with the really strong Feels Like Heaven (which is a totally different song than the recent Cam Tyler release of the same name), and this time, Zentribe is grittier than their recent Superlove (which I did also like). Alison Moyet’s new single, A Guy Like You, finally jumped across the pond from Europe; it’s great to hear her slick vocal again on some new material. And Australia’s Raen offers Dramatic Fanatic which is sorta funky but very nicely produced.
Shirley Bassey’s Get This Party Started was active in Europe months ago, and some of the Euro listeners in my online sets requested it “way back when;” well, it’s bubbling-up here now, and the unlikely pairing of Bassey’s James Bondian vocal with a remake of that particular song just works for me. And finally, Jordin Sparks and Chris Brown’s No Air is going to be with us for a long time I suspect; Jason Nevins did a remarkable job of bringing all that together for the dance release.
You can check it out on my web site, and click to buy tracks if so inclined as well. Enjoy.
Add comment April 17, 2008
