Top 40 Breakdown: FINALLY Someone Knocks Off "Apologize"

Every Friday from now until whenever I decide to stop, I'm going to provide a breakdown/commentary on the week's Top 40 radio charts (If someone from Pretty Much Amazing wants to throw things at me for snagging an idea they had for awhile, now would be the time). So let's look at this weeks hits:

After 8 seemingly endless weeks atop the list, Timbaland/OneRepublic's "Apologize" saw its reign come to an end this week, slipping to #2. Before you feel bad for either band though, OneRepublic has "Stop and Stare" at #25 and climbing, and Timbaland's name appears a staggering 3 times with "Apologize" (#2), "The Way I Are" (#14), and 50 Cent's "Ayo Technology" (#29) all charting this week.

Replacing "Apologize" is the new Alicia Keys track "No One". Quite frankly I would have rathered another week of "Apologizing" boning the radio, but clearly I'm in the minority here. The rest of the top 10 is pretty lackluster, as Fergie's "Clumsy", Rihanna and Ne-Yo's "Hate That I Love You" and Colbie Caillat's "Bubbly" are still holding strong, as is the intolerable "Low" by Flo Rida. The only bright spots in the top 10 are Finger Eleven at #9 (down from #7 last week) and Jordin Sparks' "Tattoo" rising to #6.

Once out of the top 10, things get good. "Misery Business" by Paramore rose to #13 this week, but with a gain of only 5 plays nationwide, I don't think that'll get much higher. Daughtry's newest pop/rock crossover "Over You" is holding at #12, and rounding out the top half is Linkin Park's "Shadow of the Day", up one spot from last week. Also in there are a bunch of songs left over from the summer, with the aforementioned "The Way I Are" and Kanye West's "Stronger" (#17) just refusing to lay down and die. At 29 weeks, "The Way I Are" is the longest charting song on the Top 40 right now.

Once out of the top 20, the rest of the list is made up of songs either on their way in or on their way out. After "Everything" failed to make a dent on the radio, Buckcherry's "Sorry" is making a run for the top, currently sitting at #22. The positively generic "Never Too Late" by Three Days Grace follows close behind, while Boys Like Girls and Chris Brown's "With You" also saw chart increases this week. On the way out is the indefensibly bad Soulja Boy, who starting next week will most likely enter the recurrent chart, along with Maroon 5 and 50 Cent. At the tail end of the list is "Calling You" by Blue October, released on the re-issue of 2006's Foiled (the original version was released in 2003). The song has bottomed out the chart for the last two weeks, but I'm personally hoping for a boost in the coming weeks.

My expectations for next week: With no song immediately poised to take down "No One", expect it to remain for another week or two, unless "Tattoo" can make a huge jump quickly. A bunch of songs will probably fall off the charts next week into the recurrent section, which might pave the way for "Calling You" to rise, and Sara Bareilles' "Love Song" to crack into the crossover list. That's the best I can offer this week, perhaps as I keep looking we'll see something more.

The Highlight Reel
Timbaland feat. OneRepublic - Apologize
Finger Eleven - Paralyzer
Paramore - Misery Business
Linkin Park - Shadow of the Day
Buckcherry - Sorry
Boys Like Girls - Hero/Heroine
Blue October - Calling You

Source: http://www.radioandrecords.com/Formats/Charts/CHR_Top40_Chart.asp

Current Music: Our Lady Peace - Made of Steel (DRMed...sorry guys)

==TJ==

Boys Like Girls are good...WHAT!!??

Some quick reviews that got overshadowed by the awesomeness of the Foo Fighters leak last week:

-Going against the advice of Luis from Pretty Much Amazing, I went ahead and picked up the leak of James Blunt's All The Lost Souls. Luis, if you happen to be reading this, you were right. With a few marginal exceptions, its a snooze. If I want to hear a song like "1973", I'll stick with music that came out in 1973.
Ruling on the Field: 3/10
Highlight Reel:...Sad to say there really isn't one. If you really want a taste, I'll give you 1973.

-I've only barely gotten through all of Graduation, but it's definitely something that's gonna get a few more rounds on my iPod before it wears out. This is the only Kanye album I've heard in its entirety, so I don't really have a point of reference, but suffice it to say I'm impressed. Kanye's brand of rap is way more accessible than most of the rest of what the genre is offering up (with the exception of maybe Timbaland).
Ruling on the Field: 7/10
Highlight Reel: Stronger, Can't Tell Me Nothing

-I ruckused the self-titled debut from Boys Like Girls, primarily on the strength of this live version of "The Great Escape" I picked up from iTunes (the link is to the video of the AOL Session. The audio of the same performance is also on iTunes). "The Great Escape" is definitely one of the highlights of the album, but its matched by tracks like "Thunder" and "Five Minutes to Midnight". I don't know if there is a truly good way to do pop-punk, but Boys Like Girls put up something really fun.
Ruling on the Field: 8/10
No Highlight Reel for this because I ruckused it, but I'll try to get an mp3 of that live track up later in the week.

I think that's it for now. Back later with some other goodies.

==TJ==