Scenes 'n' Soundwaves: The Latest "Hot 100 Drama"; Wallen Back at #1; Hozier tops SNS 100 (SNS week of 8/6/2023)

THIS WEEK'S BLOG is a bit early in the week as I am again going away on a geocaching expedition for four days, so this one will be brief, but there's a lot to talk about the Billboard Hot 100 so most of the discussion will be about that.

Last week I had speculated that (1) Will Jason Aldean's controversial "Try That In A Small Town" repeat as #1, (2) Will rapper Travis Scott, whose new album came out last week grab the top spot, and (3) if none of these two happen, will Morgan Wallen's "Last Night" move back up to the top for a 15th week.

The answer: 3

Well, not only did "Try That In A Small Town" drop out of the #1 spot, but also fell out of not only the top 10, but also the top 20. The song lands at #21 on the Hot 100. It's the sixth biggest drop from #1 (not counting holiday songs, which traditionally drop off come January) in the chart's 65-year history. If there's any solace, the all-time drop-out leader happened just a few months ago: Jimin, from the K-Pop group BTS debuted at #1 with "Like Crazy" then fell to #45 the following week.

The drop really was sort of expected as many songs that conservatives rally around are supported for a couple of weeks, then drop off considerably. The song has yet to even reach the top 10 on the Country Airplay chart despite it being out for three months (it's #15 there). But I have a feeling it's not so much the subject matter of the song as much as Jason Aldean has been around for almost twenty years. Country radio seems to rally around younger artists such as Morgan Wallen, Luke Combs, Bailey Zimmerman, Lainey Wilson, Carly Pearce, Gabby Barrett and Zack Bryan these days. Veterans like Blake Shelton, Luke Bryan, Tim McGraw as well as Aldean usually have fallen short of the top 10, that is true with their recent releases.

But the song on my SNS 100 drops from #8 to #16 this week after only three weeks on the chart. It's the first time that a song that reached my top 10 in two weeks has dropped out of the ten in week three. I like the song, I think that in my opinion it has a positive message, but it's a song that would normally make its way up the chart gradually. But the demand for the song in the wake of its controversary (claims of it being "racist", video banned from CMT), as well as favorable reactions from friends on social media spiked the song prematurely. I'm not sure of its Billboard fate in the coming weeks, but the song here could level off and perhaps move back up. But that remains to be seen, especially in a year that has seen so much great music discoveries.

MEANWHILE, there was big hype about rapper Travis Scott's new album, Utopia dominating the Hot 100, including a #1 debut this week. While the album did, indeed debut at the top of the Billboard 200 albums chart, and that 18 tracks from it debuted (plus one that debuted last week), and Scott now has 111 Hot 100 entries (ninth on the all-time list), the highest debut was "Meltdown" which features Drake at #3,and "FE!N" featuring Playboi Carti at #5, it still has to be considered a disappointment since two country songs still occupy the top two slots. Which brings us to.....

Since Aldean fell sharply, and Scott only debuted at #3, that means Morgan Wallen moves back to the #1 spot on the Hot 100, with Luke Combs again right behind at #2. That makes it 15 weeks atop the Hot 100 for Wallen, matching Harry Styles' "As It Was" which did the same last year, for 4th all time. Only Mariah Carey and Boys II Men's "One Sweet Day", Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee featuring Justin Bieber's "Despacito" (both with 16) and Lil Nas X featuring Billy Ray Cyrus "Old Town Road" (19) have more weeks at the top. While "One Sweet Day" was pre-blog, Styles' "As It Was" topped my SNS 100 for two weeks, "Old Town Road" for four weeks. "Despacito" topped off at #21 during its Hot 100 streak. Currently Wallen moves 6-3 on the SNS 100 with "Last Night". With Combs' cover of Tracy Chapman's "Fast Car" back at #2, country songs were able to hold back the hip-hop songs at 3 and 5.

MEANWHILE ON THE SNS 100: Hozier moves into the top spot with "Francesca". It's his first blog topper since "Someone New" led the chart dated October 19, 2015. That's a gap of seven years, nine and a half months. The record, incidentally, is held by the duo Pageants, 8 years and 6 months between "Musing of the Tide" and "Just Tell Me". "Francesca" is also top five on the Triple-A chart. Meanwhile, reggae outfit Iration moves to #2 with "Daytrippin'"; it's the band's biggest blog hit; "867" and "Borderlines" both hit #3. As mentioned above, "Last Night" moves 6-3. Kesha's "Only Love Can Save Us Now" which had topped the chart the last three weeks, drops to #4. The Tonez' "Caught Up" rebounds from #7 to #5 after peaking at #4 two weeks ago, as the song is catching on with multiple beach music stations and charts.

Say She She has the next two songs, "Reeling" and "Don't You Dare Stop" at 6 and 7, while Lesa Hudson's "Count on Me" moves 14-8 becoming her third top ten song. Miley Cyrus' "Jaded" has been moving back and forth between the nine and eleven spots, it's back to 9 this week, while Luke Combs enters the top 10 with "Fast Car", his first blog hit.

CRUEL CHART: Taylor Swift has arguably been the most successful and consistent artist over the past 17 years, and her "Cruel Summer" moves to #4 on this week's Hot 100. She also grabs the Impact award on the SNS 100 with the song, going from 21 to 12. But here's an interesting fact: This is Ms. Swift's 24th blog chart entry, but remarkably, only her third song to make my top 20! Only 2013's "I Knew You Were Trouble" (#20) and 2015's "Shake It Off" (#7) were able to get there. "Cruel Summer" is the only new song in the top 20 this week.

Last week's Top Debut, "Say She She's "Astral Plane", grabs the Mover of the Week honors (63-37). With "Trouble" inching back into the big chart, the group now has five songs on the SNS 100. The band's sophomore album, Silver will drop next month. Also, with five songs on this week's chart is Colorjoy. Last week, the Jersey duo set a record with six songs simultaneously on the chart, but "Beautiful People", which hit #1, drops out this week. "Apathy" moves 80-60 this week; the first five songs have all hit top ten.

Due to the short listening period this week, only a few songs were added, but several songs that were Tremors (my version of 'Bubbling Under") enter the big chart. Such is the case with the Top Debut "Dancing with Your Shadows" by former American Idol winner Phillip Phillips. It's pretty much what you'd expect from him. Jim Quick and Coastline are next with "Eight Four Three", which as I mentioned last week, is nominated for Song of the Year at the Carolina Beach Music Awards. It's a great boogie song that you could definitely get into. A worthy follow up to "Those Summer Days". Thirty Seconds to Mars' "Stuck", high on the alternative charts, it's a rhythmic stomp. While I had heard of the band before, I had no idea that accomplished actor Jared Leto is also a member of this band! Good song! Maroon 5, P!nk, Donna Missal and Royel Otis inch their way onto the SNS 100 from the Tremors list.

Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist

August 6, 2023

This Week	Last Week	ARTIST-Title	Weeks on List
1	2	NUMBER ONE: HOZIER "Francesca"● Album: Unreal Unearth	6
2	4	Iration - Daytrippin'●	7
3	6	Morgan Wallen - Last Night	17
4	1	Kesha - Only Love Can Save Us Now▲	8
5	7	The Tonez - Caught Up	12
6	5	Say She She - Reeling	11
7	3	Say She She - Don't You Dare Stop▲	11
8	14	Lesa Hudson - Count On Me	9
9	10	Miley Cyrus - Jaded	12
10	17	Luke Combs - Fast Car	7
11	11	Orbis Max with Lisa Mychols ft. Ed Ryan - R U OK	19
12	21	TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK: TAYLOR SWIFT "Cruel Summer" Album: Lover	6
13	16	Rev. Bubba D. Liverance and the Cornhole Prophets - Dreamsicle	9
14	12	Einsteins Dad - Anytime Blues	11
15	9	Colorjoy - Vacant Side●	14
16	8	Jason Aldean - Try That In A Small Town	3
17	15	John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band - Day In the Sun	10
18	18	Too Much Sylvia - It Still Is	11
19	13	Orbis Max - No Hero	11
20	20	Arlo Parks - Devotion	8
21	24	LP - One Like You	6
22	26	The Faithful Brothers - Dance My Hurt Away	5
23	32	Pollyanna - Good For You	7
24	22	Cannons - Loving You	10
25	23	Jerry Powell - One More Summer Night	15
26	19	Rhonda McDaniel - Say A Prayer	12
27	33	SZA - Snooze	4
28	31	Elle King - Jersey Giant	6
29	27	Marlisa Kay Small and Jerry Thomas West - Love Really Hurts Without You●	14
30	25	Deb Browning - Think I Found Forever▲	21
31	34	Dua Lipa - Dance The Night	10
32	28	The Main Event Band ft. Sharon Woodruff - Love Makes The World Go Round	15
33	29	Pageants - Worse	11
34	36	Beach Weather - Sex, Drugs, Etc.	7
35	30	Thee Sacred Souls - Love Is The Way	14
36	40	Lana Del Rey - Say Yes To Heaven	6
37	63	MOVER OF THE WEEK: SAY SHE SHE "Astral Plane" Album: Silver	2
38	38	Eddie Testa Band - Feel The Love	8
39	37	The Arcs - Heaven Is a Place	10
40	46	Sir Prize and the Twomorrow Knightz - Automatic Satin Circus	6
41	45	Randy Clay Band - Wildflower	5
42	47	Cat5 Band - What's Love Got To Do With You	8
43	52	Jon Pardi - Your Heart Or Mine	4
44	53	Danielle Ponder - Roll The Credits	6
45	49	Frankie Cosmos - Abigail	7
46	57	Roger Smith - Baby Boomers	6
47	51	Jenny Lewis - Psychos	16
48	56	The Holiday Band - Happy Music	6
49	42	Prairie Fire - Death of An Artist	10
50	60	Highwind - Never Sitting Pretty	8
51	41	Allison Ponthier - Hollywood Forever Cemetary	13
52	43	Say She She - In My Head●	23
53	35	Colorjoy - Blue Eyed Addiction (Renewed Version)	14
54	39	boygenius - Not Strong Enough	14
55	70	Lainey Wilson - Watermelon Moonshine	3
56	65	Halogens - Without Warning	8
57	67	Nick Waterhouse - Hide and Seek	4
58	44	Jim Quick and Coastline - Those Summer Days	11
59	61	Miley Cyrus - River	7
60	80	Colorjoy - Apathy	2
61	71	Olivia Rodrigo - Vampire	5
62	55	Rick Strickland and Lesa Hudson - Got it Right (The First Time)●	28
63	73	The Record Company - Talk To Me	3
64	62	Miya Folick - Bad Thing	18
65	87	Thee Sacred Souls - Running Away	2
66	48	Wayne Free - Our Paradise	14
67	54	Colorjoy - Drops of Honey▲	17
68	58	I-42 Band - Beach Fever On My Mind	17
69	78	Gabby Barrett - Glory Days	4
70	50	Taylor Swift - Karma	8
71	64	Hannah Goodall - The Girl Who Once Loved You●	17
72	72	Gwen Stefani - True Babe	4
73	89	Gary Lowder and Smokin' Hot ft. Bridger Warlick - Picture of You	2
74	59	Sunny War - No Reason	11
75	66	The Carolina Queens - The Shoop Shoop Song (It's In His Kiss)	19
76	69	Arlo Parks - Weightless▲	25
77	77	The Linda Lindas - Too Many Things	5
78	79	Molly Burch - Physical	3
79	76	Grace Potter - Good Time	5
80	81	Jonas Brothers - Waffle House	3
81	84	Orbis Max - The North	2
82	86	Allison Ponthier - Character Development	3
83	83	Loverboy - Release	5
84	82	Joy Oladokun ft. Noah Kahan - We're All Gonna Die	4
85	91	Demi Lovato - Swine	3
86	75	Deb Browning and Six Piece Suits - It Don't Get Better Than This	39
87	95	Beck and Phoenix - Odyssey	2
88	100	David F. Porfirio - No Way Out	2
89	105	TOP DEBUT: PHILLIP PHILLIPS "Dancing With Your Shadows" Album: Drift Back	1
90	---	Jim Quick and Coastline - Eight Four Three	1
91	68	Ed Sheeran - Eyes Closed	16
92	74	Jimmy Ogburn's Salt Luvs Pepper ft. David Cornelius - Love Me Like I Love You	23
93	106	Maroon 5- Middle Ground	1
94	90	Colorjoy - Golden Age▲	22
95	104	Donna Missal - God Complex	1
96	103	P!nk - Trustfall	1
97	101	Say She She - Trouble●	35
98	102	Royel Otis - Oysters In My Pocket	1
99	---	Thirty Seconds to Mars - Stuck	1
100	88	Tennis - Forbidden Doors	15