More Thoughts on the Hot 100 Stagnation; Whiskey-Chitto Breaks Silence (SNS Week of 3/23/2025)

 I SWORE THAT I was going to leave this issue behind, but apparently there is more to say regarding the recent sameness of the Billboard Hot 100.   But ironically, there is actually a little movement in the chart's top 10 this week.   There are two debuts by hip hop artist Playboi Carti (including one duet with The Weeknd), and one from Chappell Roan, proving that to get into that region of the chart, you have to either be a hip-hop artist or an artist with a flashy image like Ms. Roan.   Serious singer-songwriters need not apply.    "Die With a Smile" and "A Bar Song" are STILL in the top 10, and "Birds of a Feather" MOVES UP to #7.    "Lose Control", because of the three debuts, drops to #12 in its 83rd week on the chart, eight away from equaling the longevity record.

This past week, Dw Dunphy of Orbis Max posted on my Facebook page about his take on the lack of movement on the Hot 100.   Here's what he had to say:

Saw the post on Scenes 'n Soundwaves and was compelled to throw in my two cents on the state of the Billboard Top 100, and its inherent movement stagnation. The reason for said stagnation is two-fold: it is measuring streaming above every other metric source AND people are using playlists like albums.

The theory goes: Much as people gravitated to those Now That's What I call Music compilation CDs back in the 2000s, so too are they using fairly static playlists that do not frequently update. They have their vibes playlist and they stick to it.

This goes against everything we as people engaging with digital distribution were told would be, that it was an open frontier where everything and anything was available to all, no boundaries.

It leads to the idea of the "tyranny of choice," being, when given an infinite menu of options to choose from, you freeze, fearing making a new, bad decision, so you go straight for the known quantity, the burger, the chocolate chip cookie, etc. The more options you get, the less likely people are to exercise that freedom, and the more likely they are to run to "Don't Stop Believin'," "Africa," and "Dreams."

What we see on the Billboard Hot 100 is that same idea at work. People pick their playlist as they would a compilation off the shelf, they put it in the car CD player and there that CD stays for weeks, sometimes months. The playlist stays on the phone and does not shift until the curator throws songs off for new ones, but what incentive does the curator have to do that when this one version is still getting so many clicks? Billboard measures what it measures. Why question the data being stuck in the metaphorical mud? They're not wrong, but they're not factoring in why it is skewed as it is.

Worse, I do not see this changing anytime soon. That is a whole other conversation.

While some of his comments regarding this equate with what I had written a few weeks back, namely the "canned playlists" of top hits on streamers such as Spotify, which result in a vicious cycle of sameness---the charts reflect the streaming, and the resulting playlists based on that, in turn, feed the charts----Dunphy mentions that this was the same with those "Now That's What I Call Music" compilations that came out in the late 90's and 2000's and continued through May 2024.   Those compilations contained songs that were hits, and what the listeners wanted to hear.    Of course, the big difference was, in its prime, you could only get these compilations on CD; thus, they would only count on the Billboard 200 albums chart (album tracks---those just confined to albums, weren't eligible to chart on the Hot 100, as opposed to digital downloads or streams, where the individual tracks were eligible to chart. 

I had suggested a few weeks back about somehow Billboard weeding out these streaming playlists from its calculations of the charts, but that could be close to impossible.    In the late 1990's, Billboard allowed airplay-only tracks to chart, in response to many labels' refusal to issue singles, which in their opinion would cannibalize album sales; something that went by the wayside once Napster-triggered individual tracks were made available by iTunes, Amazon and other legal download sites.   And while there are airplay charts on Billboard, which resulted in the "old-fashioned" way of songs gradually moving up the surveys, that information is dwarfed by streaming, plus we wonder how radio stations determine what to add; it's usually based on national streams and sales, rather than local requests and sales (which, because of the very few brick-and-mortar music stores) is almost non-existent.

The only positive thing to come out of this is that streaming (and digital downloads) enables a lot more artists to showcase their work, and while 99% of it never makes the charts, it does give the music fan a wide variety to check out---even if most of them prefer to listen to the tried-and-true.

THE LAST COUPLE OF WEEKS, I had mentioned that the Louisiana band Whiskey-Chitto Ramblers, had removed most of their songs from the streaming, digital and video sites, including  solo material from the band's leader, Seth Storer, resulting in a few of the band's songs dropping off the Scenes 'n' Soundwaves 100 last week.  That included the band's former top 10 "Breakdown" as well as the rising song "Bender Coming On".   I theorized that Storer's upcoming album Chapter I, which includes all of the deleted songs, due to drop on April 4, might be the reason for the deletion.

Well, this past week, both Storer and the band broke their silence, and acknowledged the absence of their music on the platforms.    A March 23 post from the band, featured three responses from fans to the band pulling their songs.   One was from a woman whose husband was a big fan of the band; their songs help him through some bad times and was really down in the dumps when the music was no longer available.  Another was "super bummed" that the music was gone and hoped everything was okay.    The final one was someone checking every day for the music to be back.

But the caption of the post hardly mentioned the reason, "This is why we write, record, and release new music! Thanks and all the best!" Which still didn't address the situation.

Finally, on March 26, the band posted that the reason for the removal of their music was that they were switching to a new distribution company, and that, aside from Storer's upcoming album, that all the prior songs and album would return to the sites.  "We appreciate your patience and support as we aim to make all of our albums available to you again soon. Thank you for listening!  "

Glad to hear it was for that reason, rather than any controversy and scandal.    Here's hoping that the songs return soon!

SNS 100:   My chart this week sort of resembles Billboard's as the top 8 songs remain the same as the week before.    Thus, Thee Sacred Souls' "My Heart is Drowning" holds at the top for a fifth week.  Michael Nau's "No Quit" is new to the Top 10 (17-10), and only one new song enters the top 20, that being Billie Eilish's ballad, 'Wildflower", thus garnering Impact honors (29-20).  Last week's Top Debut becomes this week's Mover, The Jay Vons' "Days Undone" (55-31). 

As for the debuts, they are led by Aussie Don West's follow-up to his blog #1 "Small Change" with "Friends".   Slower than the prior song, but still in beach music "smoothie" mode, this is a nice soulful ballad.    I'm not sure if this fine artist is getting beach airplay but he should.     The instrumentation and production is top-notch.  It might take a couple of listens this time around, but it should move up my chart fine.  

Balu Brigada, a New Zealand duo, tops the alternative airplay chart this week, and debuts on SNS with "So Cold"

The alternative airplay chart has often been criticized for its relative lack of new acts, so it was refreshing to see that the #1 song on that format is "So Cold" by the New Zealand band Balu Brigada.  This is a catchy, bouncy, jangly song that is so welcome.    I probably should have added this weeks ago, but, being this in a format that I've slowly moved away from, it's nice to see this song getting airplay.

Of course, no sooner I praise alternative radio for playing Balu Brigada, do I add Linkin Park's latest, "Heavy is the Crown", #7 on the current alt chart.    And yes, despite the loss of Chester Bennington, the song is in the band's classic style, but somehow it still comes on as fresh.    Mike Shonda's rap/rock vocals are still relevant here, but recent member Emily Armstrong's contributions are still essential to the bands continued relevance.    Should do well here.

Next is Tim Sidden, a "jack-of-all-trades" in the beach music community.   Aside from his work with the Cat5 band, he is also a producer extraordinaire, most notably producing Deb Browning (including her current duet with Michael Fite, moving up to #12 this week),and also a solo artist, as he releases his latest,    "You Make Me Crazy".    Oddly enough, this is a cover of a song which charted at #62 back in 1977, by Sammy Hagar, an artist not really associated with beach music, but Sidden somehow makes it work.  

Next is Clover County's "Ultraviolet".   Clover County is the stage name of A.G. Schiano, and she is based in Athens, Georgia.     She is a student at the University of Georgia, and with this song, she concocts a great singer-songwriter vibe, that is along the lines of the awesome female singers that I've featured in the past few years.  

That vibe continues with Lucy Dacus' "Ankles".    A bit different from Clover County, but the singer-songwriter magic is there, a bit reminiscent of Kacey Musgraves.    Next is Caamp's  'Let Things Go".  The alt-folk quartet which hit #8 here in 2022 with "Officer of Love", and this one continues that style.  Finally, another beach effort from the production helm of Tim Sidden, that being Tony Torre's "Carolina Girls", originally done in 1980 by General Johnson and Chairmen of the Board, which topped beach music charts back then but didn't cross over to the Hot 100.   Torre's is pretty much faithful to that version, but the bounciness of the song is still relevant to beach music today.

Finally, we have a reentry from Lenny Kravitz, with "Honey".   It is current atop one of the beach music charts and top five on John Hook's list as well, thus it's deserving of another shot.   It peaked at #64 here last year in a six-week run.

Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist

March 23, 2025

This Week	Last Week	ARTIST-Title	Weeks on List
1	1	NUMBER ONE: THEE SACRED SOULS "My Heart is Drowning" Album: Got a Story to Tell (5 Weeks at #1)	10
2	2	Tennis - Weight of Desire	7
3	3	My Morning Jacket - Time Waited	8
4	4	Orbis Max - Follow	7
5	5	Moon Soul - Love Again	9
6	6	Starbuck - Beach Radio	6
7	7	The Black Keys - The Night Before	5
8	8	The Six Piece Suits ft. Nina Starsong  - Lovers Into Strangers	8
9	10	Sylvia Johns Ritchie - My Heart Knows You By Heart	6
10	17	Michael Nau - No Quit	3
11	11	Sofi Tukker - Purple Hat	10
12	16	Deb Browning and Michael Fite - I Never Wanted To	5
13	13	Beach Weather - Seth Cohen	9
14	15	Rivermist - Oceans Apart	8
15	9	The Palms - Ghost	16
16	12	Lainey Wilson - 4X4XU	10
17	14	Jalen Ngonda - Anyone in Love	11
18	19	Almost Monday - Can't Slow Down	5
19	18	SZA - BMF	10
20	29	TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK: BILLIE EILISH "Wildflower" Album: Hit Me Hard and Soft	4
21	27	Jim Quick and Coastline ft Albert Rogers- Hustlin'	10
22	28	Duran Duran - Evil Woman	7
23	36	Guster - When We Were Stars	7
24	37	Justice ft. Tame Impala - Neverender	5
25	31	Calypso Joe and the Coconuts - Me Myself and the Blues	9
26	35	The Pozers - What You Do To Me	6
27	30	I-42 Band - Love Comes Knocking	11
28	38	Lola Young - Messy	9
29	20	Don West - Small Change●	15
30	23	Leon Bridges - Laredo	15
31	55	MOVER OF THE WEEK: THE JAY VONS "Days Undone" Album: The Word	2
32	24	Moto Bandit - Private Pile●	17
33	40	The Cure- A Fragile Thing	8
34	21	Fitz and the Tantrums - Steppin' On Me	14
35	25	Monophonics - Sage Motel	17
36	26	Pepper Creek - We Cruis'n	19
37	22	Barry Walsh - Rescue Me	11
38	41	Einsteins Dad - Black Doves	7
39	44	Juliet Callahan - Intoxicated (Excuse Me)	5
40	39	Lady Gaga and Bruno Mars - Die With A Smile●	28
41	46	The Marias - No One Noticed	7
42	47	Fontaines DC - Favourite	7
43	48	Kathleen Turner Overdrive - Best Dog	6
44	49	Sir Prize and the Twomorrow Knightz - Glide to Arrive	5
45	34	Samzidat - Plenty of Old Shoes	9
46	50	Carly Pearce - Truck on Fire	6
47	42	The Beaches - Takes One to Know One▲	29
48	57	Lady Gaga - Arbracadabra	4
49	61	Phantogram - Come Alive	3
50	52	Kjband - The Outsider	6
51	32	Hajaj - High No More	17
52	62	Ashley Clark and Matthew Simon Clark - Liberty	3
53	33	Blake Shelton - Texas	16
54	45	The Offspring - OK, But This is the Last Time	9
55	56	Dani Zanoni - Safe Space	4
56	53	ROSE and Bruno Mars - APT	8
57	64	Teddy Swims - Guilty	3
58	59	Barry Walsh - The Sound	5
59	43	Gizmo Varillas - Paraiso	11
60	60	Franz Ferdinand - Night or Day	5
61	70	Orbis Max - Lie To Me	2
62	77	The Kooks - Never Know	2
63	66	David F. Porfirio - Mother Earth	4
64	79	MT Jones - I'd Be Lying	2
65	80	The Tonez - Flip Flops	2
66	74	Einsteins Dad - Snap Shot	2
67	67	The Early November - The Sand	6
68	76	Ruth Morayniss. - Any Day Now	3
69	63	Jason Aldean - Whiskey Drink	6
70	68	Inhaler - Your House	4
71	54	Sports Team - I'm In Love  (Subaru)	21
72	72	Moon Soul - I Really Do	12
73	73	Morgan Wallen - I'm the Problem	3
74	51	Royel Otis - If Our Love Is Dead	8
75	75	Sweet Unrest - How Are You Feeling	4
76	58	Teddy Swims - Bad Dreams●	24
77	82	Valerie June - Joy, Joy	2
78	---	TOP DEBUT: DON WEST "Friends" Album: Don West	1
79	65	Jitwam - Opendoors●	29
80	84	Tommy James - Where Did Our Love Go	3
81	81	Lucius - Gold Rush	3
82	85	Jelly Roll - Liar	10
83	90	Øff Guard - Animated Feature	2
84	---	Balu Brigada - So Cold	1
85	87	pMad - Feed	2
86	---	Linkin Park - Heavy Is the Crown	1
87	86	The Warning - Hell You Call a Dream	4
88	93	Kendrick Lamar ft. SZA - Luther	2
89	---	Tim Sidden - You Make Me Crazy	1
90	92	Real Sickies - Should Have Seen It Coming	2
91	---	Clover County - Ultraviolet	1
92	96	Deb Browning and Marlisa Kay Small -Sunshine and Summertime●	34
93	83	Gotts Street Park ft Pip Millett - Got To Be Good▲●	30
94	---	Lucy Dacus - Ankles	1
95	---	Caamp - Let Things Go	1
96	69	Thomas Rhett ft Teddy Swims - Somethin' 'Bout a Woman	16
97	95	Niko Moon - Dance With Me	2
98	RE ENTRY	Lenny Kravitz - Honey	8
99	89	Shaboozey - Good News	10
100	---	Tony Torre - Carolina Girls	1

Tremors:

101. Alabama Shakes - Until There's Nothing Left

Tremors: Songs which have steady or increasing points but not enough to chart on the SNS 100.

Murmurs:

Elton John and Brandi Carlile - Who Believes in Angels

Joe P. - Pass Me Your Love

The Weeknd - Cry For Me

Declan McKenna - Champagne

Micheal Nau - Love Survive

Bachman-Turner Overdrive - 60 Years Ago

Gary Lowder and Smokin' Hot - I Can Dream About You

Fontaines DC - It's Amazing to Be Young

Ty Segall - Fantastic Tomb

Haim - Relationships

Moonsoul - Don't Change

Awolnation - Barbarian

Myles Smith - Nice To Meet You

Calvin Harris - Smoke the Pain Away

Tim Clark - This Love

Sleep Token - Emergence

The Cynz - Heartbreak Time

DWLLRS - TTYLSOS

Lizzo - Still Bad

Claire Davis - Thrive

Murmurs: Songs which are in the queue for future adds onto the Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist.

Songs with the greatest increase in favorite points over the prior week

▲Song garnered most plays on Spotify, for the  month, with a superscript following the symbol if most played for multiple months; or if a song was among the top 5 most plays for two months. ● Song among top 5 most plays on Spotify.  Awards given during the last blog of each month.  To qualify, the song must be currently or have peaked in the top 40. (Until September 2024)

●Songs garnering 25 plays on Spotify (“Scrobbles”) according to Last.Fm (effective October 2024)  ▲ Songs garnering 50 plays.