A late blog once again, so let's get on with just some assorted stuff about the music that is out there.
Adele holds my top spot for the second week with "Easy on Me", but falls to #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 after a four-week run. Why is that? The song is still #1 on Adult Contemporary and rises to that position on Adult Top 40 (Hot AC); it's #2 on Triple-A, #4 on Top 40 and even debuts at #25 on the country chart (!). So, what gives with the Hot 100 position?
 |
| Taylor Swift is in the process to recording much of her prior albums and songs, as she had been unable to claim licensing rights to her original music. |
Well, streaming is the name of the game and the new #1 song on Billboard is "All Too Well (Taylor's Version)" by Taylor Swift. In fact, the new #1 album is Red (Taylor's Version). If you immediately notice a pattern here, it's no coincidence. Both Red and the new #1 song were originally recorded by Ms. Swift some time ago. Apparently, last year there was an issue regarding whether Taylor was able to get rights to her music usage, even though she had written all her songs. Apparently, she did not have rights to her back catalog. So, Taylor decided to embark upon re-recording all her music; thus Red, originally released in 2012, is the second full album project with that undertaking (2008's Fearless was the first, released earlier this year.
Taylor Swift, of course has been around for quite a while now, and I have seen her go from very introspective country, to banal pop. However, she seemed to rebound artistically with her last album, 2020's Evermore (nominated for Album of the Year at the Grammy Awards, incidentally), which was a well-rounded set of many styles. Three songs from it hit my blog playlist: "Willow", which debuted at #1 last December on the Billboard Hot 100 (knocking out Mariah Carey's "All I Want for Christmas Is You" in the process), and peaking at #54 here; "Coney Island" (with The National, a major alternative entry and peaking here at #25 in a 27-week run, and "Gasoline" (with Haim) which peaked at #66 blog.
Shortly thereafter, she started her re-recording project starting with her album Fearless (Taylor's Version), originally her second release, from 2008. All of the singles released from that album, as well as the new one carry "Taylor's Version" as a subtitle to distinguish it from the original recording.
I get what Taylor is trying to accomplish here. For almost the entire history of recorded music, performers gaining their own rights to their songs (as opposed to publishing companies and record labels) isn't easy, and the artist is not properly compensated for their work, so I see where Ms. Swift is coming from. But I have two concerns. It's probably going to drive me up a wall every time I see one of her songs on the chart that is subtitled "Taylor's Version". After all, she is the performer, so naturally it's her version---who else would it be? The second thing is, why are people buying this again when they've probably purchased it back then? One thing I don't get into is purchasing re-recordings of music that I had originally grown up and listened to in my life. Naturally, much of this is streamed these days, and because of all those streaming services, it's much easier to click on a current playlist or song than go back and find something from ten or fifteen years ago. I haven't listened to these "new songs", so I can't comment on whether it's similar (or better or worse) to the originals. Still, I understand why she is doing this, and it's a shame that she has to resort to it.
However, I am rooting for her in a sense. On this week's Billboard Hot 100, re-entering the chart at #35 is, yeah, you guess it, "All I Want for Christmas Is You", a harbinger of what the charts will be like for the next month and a half, when holiday classics new or old, dominate the top 10 like they have the last two years, and when the Mariah Carey song---already lampooned in various memes---nonetheless will hit #1. Like "Willow" last year, maybe Taylor Swift, can release another "Taylor's Version" of one of her past albums and some songs can enter at #1 to keep Mariah out of the top spot, this year!
Incidentally, the release of "All Too Well (Taylor's Version)", by hitting #1, breaks a fifty year-old record on the Billboard Hot 100. It runs for ten minutes and thirteen seconds. The old record? That would be Don McLean's "American Pie" which ran 8 minutes and 37 seconds.
Anyway, back to my list. As mentioned above, Adele is #1 for a second week but there is competition in the top four. Fleet Foxes' "Featherweight" moves 3-2, and it was great to hear that their album Shore was nominated for Best Alternative Album (Halsey's If I Can't Have Love, I Want Power is also nominated). ScreenAge's "Like Fine Wine" jumps 5-3, passing Anna Lavigne's "Dance the Last Goodbye", although the latter is still strong. It should be interesting next week, especially between Adele and perhaps ScreenAge: Both acts are tied for most blog #1's by a female or female-led band, with five; with Adele tying things up with "Easy on Me" last week. ScreenAge would break that tie if "...Wine" hits the top spot.
Elton John and Dua Lipa move 10 to 7 with "Cold Heart", which ties Sir Elton's peak position on my blog achieved by his 2019 duet with Taron Egerton with "I'm Gonna Love Me Again" (Egerton played Elton in the Rocket Man biopic two years ago). The song is at #11 on the Hot 100 which may bring Elton John his first Billboard Top 10 in over twenty years. Not bad for a song in which Elton pretty much didn't have anything to do with!
You see, the song is pretty much a mash-up of sorts of several prior Elton songs. I had mentioned there were three of his songs incorporated this track; actually, there are four. "Sacrifice", a 1989 hit for Elton is pretty much the original version, altered a bit to bring the key and tempo to the feel of the record. The second song, the chorus of his 1972 hit "Rocket Man" is sung by Ms. Lipa, in a slightly different key to match "Sacrifice". "Kiss the Bride" from 1983 gets two lines, again taken from the original with Dua's vocals adding to the effect. But what I didn't realize was about the ending to the song--a sampling of "Where's the Shoorah" as a fade-out; that obscure song is from Elton's 1976 album Blue Moves. Elton has sad that the pandemic has put him on the sidelines regarding recording and performing for now. But, with his rich catalog, he is already a part of recorded history even if he doesn't record anything else!
Christina Taylor moves 12-8 with "Damn Boy". It's her first blog top 10 since 2018's "American Dreamin'". The song reportedly has 750,000 streams to its credit. Unfortunately, still no chart action for her, but she is getting her music noticed! Coming next week is a holiday release from her and three others in a collaboration; more on that then.
SLOW 'BOAT': There is some music of note in the second ten. Anna Lavigne's "This Time" grabs Impact honors in a 33-14 move, giving her two songs in this week's top 20. Tinkers Lane and Leon Bridges also enter the top 20 as do two others: Zac Brown Band and Jake Leckie featuring Alexis Morrast. Brown moves 21-17 with "Same Boat" in its 19th week, which ties a record for the longest ascent into my top 20. Christina Alessi's "The Truth's Upon Us" also took 19 weeks to hit my top 20 in early 2020. Meanwhile, "After the Flood" makes New Jersey-born Alexis Morrast the second artist who performed at September's Roselle Park Arts Festival to hit the SNS top 20; the first of course, was ScreenAge. With Johnny Woods "Last Glass of Whiskey" losing its bullet at 33 and Swingadelic's "Gonna Build Me a Playhouse" peaking at #23 (now at #57), it looks like it'll just be the Screeners and Ms. Morrast to immensly benefit from playing the festival.
HOLDAY INVASION: With Mariah's song already in the Hot 100, it's time for more on my list. Three of the eight debuts are holiday songs; Kelly Clarkson's "Christmas isn't Cancelled (Only You)" was added last week. The Top Debut is "Hear the Angels" by Shannon Marsyada. The Hazelton PA singer with the angelic voice is back and it's great to hear something new from her. If you remember last year, she was going to record a holiday album, and even released a song "Winter Birds", although only in video, but she couldn't finish it in time. I'm not sure if "Hear the Angels" is new, or if it was slated to be released last year, but I am happy to add it to my playlist now. This is a beautiful piano-and-vocal ballad song that Adele does so well. There is no doubt there is some of her influence on Ms. Marsyada's music; she has stated that she had written some music with Adele in mind. "Hear the Angels" Is a beautiful hymn-like song that can rank with things like "O Holy Night". Great job!
Mention Rob Thomas and you can't help but go back twenty years to the days of Matchbox Twenty, but he really hasn't been away. In fact, his new holiday entry "Small Town Christmas" joins his current song with Santana and American Authors, "Move" on my chart this week. And, he is no stranger to the holidays: His "New York Christmas" is a perennial holiday staple going back twenty years. Ironically this time around, he moves from the big city to a small town in the title. This is an uptempo, more contemporary song firmly in the pop lane, that is, how current pop should be. It should garner some spins; it debuts on the Adult Contemporary chart this week. Finally, Carrie Underwood releases "Favorite Time of Year", which she performed in a clip featured during the broadcast of the Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade. Ms. Underwood was on my list last year with "Hallelujah" in a duet with John Legend. It's a bouncy song in the "Candy Cane Lane" or some of Kelly Clarkson's recent holiday entries. Worthy of a good holiday run.
Among the non-holiday entries: Parquet Courts impressed last time out with the #13 "Almost Had to Start a Fight" a few years back, and they are back with "Walking at a Downtown Pace", a nice example of how alternative rock should be, a bit jangly and catchy at times. Baltimore duo Beach House has had a few big blog hits, and they return with the rather somber and dreamy "Once Twice Melody". Gets impressive with repeated listens. The name of the next act is very familiar, especially if you're traveling I-80 west in New Jersey: Del Water Gap. That is the stage name of S. Holden Jaffe, who hails from Brooklyn and he makes his blog debut with "Perfume". It's from a debut self-titled album. A nice, richly textured, gutsy song. Aspiring New York urban-country artist Lauren Davidson's latest, "Hindsight" and the blog debut from Metronomy, "It's Good to Be Back". The English band has been around since 1999, and the song recalls the synth-pop of bands like New Order and Erasure.
WRAPPING IT UP: Last year, I had talked about artist Christopher Butler's annual "Wrappie Awards", an honor given each year to the person who publicly hears "Christmas Wrapping", a song by Butler's former band The Waitresses, celebrating its 40th anniversary in 2021, either on a radio station, or in a public place. The start time is noon on the Friday after Thanksgiving. The winner was Becky Bose, from Butler's hometown of Akron Ohio who heard it at the town's Summit Mall. The contest aids the Akron Main Library's Children's Department, and a $500 donation in Ms. Bose's name to the library has been made.
Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist
November 21, 2021
|
This Week |
Last
Week |
ARTIST-Title |
Weeks
on List |
|
1 |
1 |
NUMBER ONE:  Album: 30 (2 weeks at #1) |
6 |
|
2 |
3 |
8 |
|
|
3 |
5 |
4 |
|
|
4 |
4 |
6 |
|
|
5 |
2 |
11 |
|
|
6 |
7 |
9 |
|
|
7 |
10 |
11 |
|
|
8 |
12 |
10 |
|
|
9 |
6 |
8 |
|
|
10 |
9 |
17 |
|
|
11 |
8 |
13 |
|
|
12 |
11 |
19 |
|
|
13 |
13 |
18 |
|
|
14 |
33 |
TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK:  Album: Roses for the Ride |
3 |
|
15 |
19 |
9 |
|
|
16 |
23 |
6 |
|
|
17 |
21 |
19 |
|
|
18 |
30 |
5 |
|
|
19 |
14 |
14 |
|
|
20 |
26 |
8 |
|
|
21 |
27 |
7 |
|
|
22 |
15 |
15 |
|
|
23 |
18 |
12 |
|
|
24 |
16 |
15 |
|
|
25 |
29 |
8 |
|
|
26 |
20 |
28 |
|
|
27 |
22 |
12 |
|
|
28 |
38 |
8 |
|
|
29 |
39 |
7 |
|
|
30 |
41 |
7 |
|
|
31 |
43 |
6 |
|
|
32 |
36 |
6 |
|
|
33 |
37 |
8 |
|
|
34 |
42 |
5 |
|
|
35 |
17 |
10 |
|
|
36 |
40 |
7 |
|
|
37 |
28 |
24 |
|
|
38 |
25 |
14 |
|
|
39 |
44 |
7 |
|
|
40 |
24 |
18 |
|
|
41 |
45 |
6 |
|
|
42 |
34 |
15 |
|
|
43 |
32 |
Christina Alessi and the Toll Collectors - Stone Meets the Sea |
16 |
|
44 |
54 |
4 |
|
|
45 |
31 |
18 |
|
|
46 |
68 |
MOVER OF THE WEEK:  Album; Star-Crossed |
3 |
|
47 |
61 |
3 |
|
|
48 |
58 |
3 |
|
|
49 |
63 |
3 |
|
|
50 |
35 |
18 |
|
|
51 |
55 |
4 |
|
|
52 |
47 |
13 |
|
|
53 |
48 |
24 |
|
|
54 |
75 |
2 |
|
|
55 |
50 |
7 |
|
|
56 |
72 |
2 |
|
|
57 |
46 |
11 |
|
|
58 |
51 |
12 |
|
|
59 |
53 |
21 |
|
|
60 |
77 |
2 |
|
|
61 |
67 |
4 |
|
|
62 |
49 |
10 |
|
|
63 |
69 |
4 |
|
|
64 |
--- |
TOP DEBUT:  (Single Only) |
1 |
|
65 |
52 |
15 |
|
|
66 |
81 |
2 |
|
|
67 |
57 |
11 |
|
|
68 |
71 |
4 |
|
|
69 |
76 |
3 |
|
|
70 |
59 |
15 |
|
|
71 |
60 |
26 |
|
|
72 |
64 |
14 |
|
|
73 |
66 |
15 |
|
|
74 |
79 |
2 |
|
|
75 |
70 |
5 |
|
|
76 |
74 |
3 |
|
|
77 |
98 |
2 |
|
|
78 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
79 |
56 |
13 |
|
|
80 |
73 |
5 |
|
|
81 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
82 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
83 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
84 |
62 |
14 |
|
|
85 |
96 |
2 |
|
|
86 |
65 |
12 |
|
|
87 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
88 |
85 |
21 |
|
|
89 |
--- |
1 |
|
|
90 |
---- |
1 |
|
|
91 |
78 |
6 |
|
|
92 |
82 |
17 |
|
|
93 |
80 |
15 |
|
|
94 |
95 |
4 |
|
|
95 |
83 |
9 |
|
|
96 |
87 |
23 |
|
|
97 |
86 |
20 |
|
|
98 |
84 |
10 |
|
|
99 |
88 |
29 |
|
|
100 |
89 |
5 |
|
|
Songs with the greatest increase in
favorite points over the prior week. ●
Songs with
25 or more plays on iTunes/iPods ▲ Songs with 50 or more plays.
|
|
Holiday Songs
