Scenes 'n' Soundwaves: My New Obsession With "Chart History Videos" (SNS week of 7/2/2023)

I'VE ALWAYS been interested in charts, going back to the radio station weekly surveys in the 1960's, onward through the trade magazine charts. It's primarily the reason why I created this blog, which in a way, is actually a "front" for the SNS 100, which serves as a playlist for the music I've been featuring for almost 13 years.

That sort of history is at this point in time has intrigued me, and I've looked back at the Billboard charts (as well as Record World, a competing trade publication that I had subscribed to until it folded in 1982). But the Hot 100 nowadays is as popular as ever and is the "bible" for measuring the success of popular music to this day. That hasn't been more apparent than now, as if you Google any recording act, on its Wikipedia pages, you will see a chart section.

Screenshot from my "chart history" video for Fitz and the Tantrums.

Apparently, there are other chart buffs besides me; one just has to go on YouTube to find many video montages out there. There are a few that show all the number one songs from the first Billboard Hot 100 in August 1958, going 65 years forward to the present day. Many videos deal with the Top 100 Year-End songs that Billboard publishes at the end of each calendar year.

That had inspired me to make year-end Top 100's for all the years that I had tabulated lists. While I had started doing this as far back as 1976 and continued all the way until 2003, when I quit, only to restart them, thanks to social media in 2009, it was because of these montage videos that led me to create several of my own. If you follow my Facebook page, or my YouTube channel, you will notice that I've done many of them already. So far, it's been for the following years: 1964, 1966, 1970, 1972, 1974, 1976, 1979, 1982, 1985, 1987, 1996, 2001, and the first one I did, 2022, last year. I plan on doing more of these.

But this chart obsession has gone even further. Last year I had noticed a "chart history" video for The Beatles (and post breakup solo songs). This involved a "race chart" line graph that tracked the week-by-week positions on the Hot 100. As the chart issue dates scroll along the top of the video, it shows the song and its week-by-week chart position, as it goes up and down.

Recently, I've seen more of these. Next, I saw similar ones for Aretha Franklin, Barbara Streisand, Queen, Elton John and Dionne Warwick. Some involved the Billboard 200 Album chart as well as the Hot 100. Of course, when you view one video, a slew of other similar ones pop up, and more current artists like Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Ed Sheeran, P!nk, Taylor Swift, Maroon 5 and Adele.

Once again, I became obsessed with this. Unlike the montage videos, which feature either stills of the artist or song, or a video, these "chart history" just shows the graph, with the songs moving along it. The song that is featured on the graph is heard via audio; if an artist has multiple chart entries at one time, the highest ranked song is heard. If songs crisscross on the chart, it automatically cuts to the new highest ranked song. Sometimes, songs cross paths several times at one, causing one song to play for a second, followed quickly by the other song.

So, this past week, once again, I got an idea. I have almost 13 years of my own chart history, namely the "Scenes 'n' Soundwave 100" that you see at the bottom of each blog I do. What if I created my own based on my own chart history stats? So, I did just that.... twice thus far.

The first one I decided to do was for Fitz and the Tantrums, for several reasons. The band first charted in late 2010 on the Billboard Triple-A chart, just a few months after I started my blog, and charted throughout the 2010's into this decade, last appearing early this year. They've reached #1 on my blog 12 times, more than any other act during my blog era. Several friends followed the band at one time or another, some of them seeing them live.

After posting it to YouTube, my wife wanted me to do one for Foster The People, an L.A. indie pop band most noted for their #3 hit from 2011, "Pumped Up Kicks". That was perfect for my blog as well, since it was around the time that my blog debuted, that the song from their debut album Torches, came out. The band had four number ones on my SNS 100 and that was well received.

So, what next? Well, upon reviewing more YouTube videos based on the Hot 100, there is more than just history graphs for just one artist. There have been variations. Some of them involved multiple artists at one time, such as a video involving all four coaches during one season of the competition show The Voice (in this case, Blake Shelton, Kelly Clarkson, John Legend and Ariana Grande). Others have featured Top 10's week by week for a certain calendar year, songs with the biggest drops from #1, songs that lasted 30 or more weeks on the Hot 100 (before the "SoundScan" era) and many other variations.

Thus, the ideas of doing a chart history are infinite. Some of the other artists I'd like to do are Florence + The Machine and The Black Keys, both of these acts had many blog number one's and chart entries but, like Foster the People and Fitz and the Tantrums, rarely placed a song on the Hot 100. Perhaps some of my favorite 1960's and 70's artists that had relatively short chart spans on the actual Hot 100. Maybe some of my local, favorite obscure artists that have scored on my blog, like Hegazy, Paul Czekaj, Rachel Allyn, ScreenAge/Colorjoy, David F. Porfirio, The Hounds of Winter, Shannon Marsyada; the possibilities are endless. And then maybe one with all Carolina beach music songs on the SNS 100 (that would be very cluttered when I get to 2022, but it would show the evolution of how that genre gradually invaded my chart).

CURRENTLY: Back to the current SNS 100 chart, Say She She's "Don't You Dare Stop" spends a second week at the top. Colorjoy moves into the runner-up position with their revamped "Blue Eyed Addiction", although a bit of a distance behind Say She She but one not that insurmountable. If it does overtake "Dont..." it would tie Say She She for most number one's this year with three. Beach music claims positions 5 to 9, with The Tonez' "Caught Up" the prime mover (9-7). Miley Cyrus scores her second Top 10 from her Endless Summer Vacation set as "Jaded" moves 13-10 to follow her #1 blog and Hot 100 "Flowers".

Positions 11 to 13 involve acts that are also currently in the Top 10. Colorjoy's "Vacant Side" moves 18-11 to follow "Blue Eyed Addiction"; it is one notch away from being the fifth Top 10 entry from Golden Age (and the duo has a third song, the former Top 10 "Drops of Honey", now at #18. Say She She's "Reeling", the "flip side" to "Don't You Dare Stop" moves 17-12, while Orbis Max, still at #4 with "R U OK", has "No Hero" moving 21-13 to take Impact honors. John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band and Allison Ponthier also enter the Top 20.

The top movers on the chart include the Mover of the Week (and last week's Top Debut), "Daytrippin' " by Iration (60-32), Arlo Parks' "Devotion" (53-37), and Kesha's "Only Love Can Save Us Now". Turning to the Hot 100, the top 2 songs on that chart are big movers on mine. Morgan Wallen spends a 13th week at #1 with "Last Night". The song leads Billboard's "Song of the Summer" chart and is just two away from tying Harry Styles' solo record for most weeks at #1. On the SNS 100, the song moves 40-27, becoming Wallen's third blog Top 30. In the runner-up spot again on the Hot 100 is Luke Combs' "Fast Car", and here moves 79-52.

DEBUTS (AND AN INCIDENTAL TRIBUTE TO A FALLEN FRIEND): The Top Debut this week is "Francesca" by Hozier. The song is from his upcoming album Unreal Unearth, due next month. The song has somewhat of a personal meaning for me, as I knew a woman named Francesa that I had briefly dated back in 1985, but reconnected via Facebook, and as it turned out, was the sister-in-law of a Roselle Park friend. Francesca had been battling cancer but finally lost her battle last week. Hozier's song is a very powerful rock ballad. While I'm not exactly sure what the song is about, although the title isn't mentioned, but the lyrics such as

A grip taking hold...Like a cancer that grows./ .Each piece of your body that it takes../ Though I know my heart would break / I'd tell them put me back in it

proves very powerful. This is a strong song, and it debuts here at #70. While Hozier did hit the blog top 40 with the recent "Eat Your Young", which was a Triple-A hit as well, this should put Hozier back into the Top 10, something he hasn't done since his blog #1, "Someone New" from 2015.

LP, (real name Laura Pergolizzi) a Long Islander who had a huge blog hit last year with "Angel", hitting #1, is back with "One Like You", from LP's latest album Love Lines. The singer-songwriter is in rare form, singing with much soul like the prior song. It sort of has retro leanings but fits right in with the eclectic songs that have been dominating my chart this year. A worthy follow to one of my favorite songs of 2022.

Speaking of eclectic singer-songwriting, Danielle Ponder returns with her latest "Roll the Credits". It's a haunting concoction what with her soulful voice and awesome production. This should top the recent "So Long".

Beach music outfit The Holiday Band was one of the first shag bands to score on my chart, and they return with the aptly named "Happy Music". It's what you expect from this genre and should go well up the chart; it's already doing well on several beach charts. Meanwhile Lana Del Rey is back with "Say Yes to Heaven". It's also what you'd expect from her as well, but the sound is fresh. Again, keeping with the trend of female singer-songwriters doing well here, this is squarely in her center lane. With a few listens to his somber yet haunting song, this could put her back in "Ride" territory, her #1 blog song from 2013, or at least equaling her last blog top 10, her 2017 cover of Sublime's "Doin' Time".

Another band that I hadn't heard from in a long time, Blur, returns with "The Narcissist". No relation to Halo Circus' 2018 Top Ten song of the almost the same name, it's a nice return for this band, which was one of the prime britpop bands of the 1990's. Songs like "There's No Other Way", 'Girls and Boys" and "Song 2" were alternative hits in that decade. There was some sort of rivalry between Blur and fellow britpoppers Oasis, but in my opinion, Blur blew them away. This song is definitely reminiscent of their earlier material, but with a more introspective slant to it; thirty years will do that to you. Should do well on my chart.

Sir Prize and the Twomorrow Knightz, a fictional duo created by Gregory Dobbins and Tim Izzard.

TRA LA LA: The final Hot 100 debut is something called "Automatic Satin Circus" by a fictional outfit called Sir Prize and the Twomorrow Knightz. It is a project of an animated cartoon-like band and a throwback to Saturday morning cartoon bands like The Archies, Josie and the Pussycats, and shows like The Banana Splits and Scooby-Doo. A further look, however, reveals that the masterminds behind this project include lyricist Gregory Dobbins, and none other than songwriter and musician Tim Izzard from the U.K. Dobbins runs the U.S-based Internet station "Dandy's Stardust Dive", which has supported all of Tim's musical output the last few years, and which Izzard name-dropped on his recent blog Top 10 "Walk The Walk".

The premise of this project is to put a "bubblegum" slant (based on many of the above shows and "bands" I listed) to Izzard's neo-glam songs that he is noted for. While the music isn't too far off what he has done in the past, and while his prior work like 21st Century Expose had a serious tone, this time around, it's just plain fun and goofing around. While the album that the song is taken from, Glitter Gum and Bubble Pop shows the cartoon image of the duo, the video is similar to Izzard's "Glam Rock Star (Tribute) in that it flashes images of early 1970's pop, rock and glam stars, leading off with Norman Greenbaum's "Spirit In the Sky" hit, referenced at the beginning of the song and video, many of which are cartoon drawings. Similar to "Glam Rock Star", Tim name drops many of these artists or their songs. But what distinguishes the song from "Glam Rock Star" is the chorus of "Hey Hey Hey / Umm Umm Umm", and a bunch of "La La's" "Ooo ooos" and "ah ha's" and the like, which I presume is the "bubblegum" aspect of the song. He wisely includes, among others, The Sweet, which started out as a bubblegum band before transitioning into glam rock.

It'll be interesting to see how this one does, but if Izzard's track record is any indication, it should put him back in the top 20 in yet another collaboration. Speaking of which, Izzard also has a new release with his buddies in Orbis Max, but since I'm a couple singles behind with that band's rapid song releases, that may have to wait a while.

Two songs debut in the Tremors section: 1980's-era Canadian power-pop band Loverboy, with "Release" and yet another band from New Jersey, The Spins. I will devote a blog to my latest trend in looking for indie bands from the Garden State very soon as there are many that I have discovered these days.

Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist

July 2, 2023

This Week	Last Week	ARTIST-Title	Weeks on List
1	1	NUMBER ONE: SAY SHE SHE "Don't You Dare Stop"▲ (Single Only) (2 Weeks at #1)	6
2	4	Colorjoy - Blue Eyed Addiction (Renewed Version)	9
3	2	Thee Sacred Souls - Love Is The Way	9
4	3	Orbis Max with Lisa Mychols ft. Ed Ryan - R U OK	14
5	5	Marlisa Kay Small and Jerry Thomas West - Love Really Hurts Without You●	9
6	6	The Main Event Band ft. Sharon Woodruff - Love Makes The World Go Round	10
7	9	The Tonez - Caught Up	7
8	7	Jerry Powell - One More Summer Night	10
9	8	Deb Browning - Think I Found Forever▲	16
10	13	Miley Cyrus - Jaded	7
11	18	Colorjoy - Vacant Side	9
12	17	Say She She - Reeling	6
13	21	TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK: ORBIS MAX "No Hero" (Single Only)	6
14	20	Einsteins Dad - Anytime Blues	6
15	22	John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band - Day In the Sun	5
16	11	Hannah Goodall - The Girl Who Once Loved You●	12
17	16	I-42 Band - Beach Fever On My Mind	12
18	10	Colorjoy - Drops of Honey▲	12
19	19	The Heavy Heavy - Go Down River	10
20	24	Allison Ponthier - Hollywood Forever Cemetary	8
21	12	Rick Strickland and Lesa Hudson - Got it Right (The First Time)●	23
22	27	Rhonda McDaniel - Say A Prayer	7
23	26	Ed Sheeran - Eyes Closed	11
24	15	Jimmy Ogburn's Salt Luvs Pepper ft. David Cornelius - Love Me Like I Love You	18
25	31	Cannons - Loving You	5
26	14	The Carolina Queens - The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)	14
27	40	Morgan Wallen - Last Night	12
28	30	Too Much Sylvia - It Still Is	6
29	23	Say She She - In My Head●	18
30	41	Rev. Bubba D. Liverance and the Cornhole Prophets - Dreamsicle	4
31	25	Tennis - Forbidden Doors	10
32	60	TOP DEBUT: IRATION "Daytrippin'" Album: Daytrippin'	2
33	34	Miya Folick - Bad Thing	13
34	28	The Heavy - Hurricane Coming	15
35	37	Wayne Free - Our Paradise	9
36	44	Lesa Hudson - Count On Me	4
37	53	Arlo Parks - Devotion	3
38	39	Sunny War - No Reason	6
39	43	boygenius - Not Strong Enough	9
40	38	TYTILLIDIE - Body On Me	13
41	29	Goldie Boutiiler - Cowboy Gangster Politician	16
42	33	Hanna Jadagu - What You Did	8
43	62	Kesha - Only Love Can Save Us Now	3
44	47	Pageants - Worse	6
45	45	Isn't It Always - Laced Love	10
46	49	The Gaslight Anthem - Positive Charge	7
47	35	Marlisa Kay Small - Anyway	12
48	32	Drugdealer - Valentine	12
49	36	Colorjoy - Beautiful People●	15
50	42	Devon Gilfillian - All I Really Wanna Do●	19
51	50	Arlo Parks - Weightless▲	20
52	79	Luke Combs - Fast Car	2
53	58	Dua Lipa - Dance The Night	5
54	51	Deb Browning and Six Piece Suits - It Don't Get Better Than This	34
55	59	The Arcs - Heaven Is a Place	5
56	61	Jim Quick and Coastline - Those Summer Days	6
57	68	Eddie Testa Band - Feel The Love	3
58	46	Colorjoy - Golden Age▲	17
59	57	Foo Fighters - Rescued	7
60	65	Prairie Fire - Death of An Artist	5
61	48	Tim Izzard - Alice Pearl	11
62	67	Sylvia Johns Ritchie - When I Wish For You	3
63	64	K.Flay - Raw Raw	5
64	70	Taylor Swift - Karma	3
65	96	Beach Weather - Sex, Drugs, Etc.	2
66	71	Highwind - Never Sitting Pretty	3
67	73	Cat5 Band - What's Love Got To Do With You	3
68	52	SZA - Kill Bill	17
69	63	Rev. Bubba D. Liverance and the Cornhole Prophets - Ti Ta Ti Ta Ti Ta Ta▲	24
70	---	TOP DEBUT: HOZIER "Francesca" Album: Unreal Unearth	1
71	69	What's Left? - Do It To Me	8
72	86	Frankie Cosmos - Abigail	2
73	83	The Six Piece Suits - That Groove	3
74	54	Beck - Thinking About You	18
75	103	Taylor Swift - Cruel Summer	1
76	---	LP - One Like You	1
77	55	Depeche Mode - Ghosts Again	18
78	87	Jenny Lewis - Psychos	11
79	98	Pollyanna - Good For You	2
80	93	Halogens - Without Warning	3
81	94	Miley Cyrus - River	2
82		Danielle Ponder - Roll The Credits	1
83	56	Juliet Callahan - Depth of Soul	12
84	72	Tame Impala - Wings of Time	15
85	82	Miley Cyrus - Flowers▲	24
86	105	Elle King - Jersey Giant	1
87	---	The Holday Band - Happy Music	1
88	85	Say She She - Trouble●	32
89	97	Grace Gaustad - Disappear	2
90	101	Kelly Clarkson - Mine	1
91	106	Roger Smith - Baby Boomers	1
92	77	Harry Styles - Satellite	4
93	80	Moon Taxi - Classics	8
94	---	Lana Del Rey - Say Yes To Heaven	1
95	84	Grouplove - Hello	11
96	---	Blur - The Narcissist	1
97	---	Sir Prize and the Twomorrow Knightz - Automatic Satin Circus	1
98	66	Lizzo - Special	12
99	76	Allie Privette - Ain't Nobody	19
100	81	The Cowsills - Rhythm Of the World	11