Pop Goes the Blog? Hardly (SNS week of 10/1/2023)

 I TOOK A LOOK AT THE CURRENT BILLBOARD HOT 100 for this week and noticed that the top seven songs on it are included on my SNS 100 chart.   I wondered that perhaps, my chart, which doubles as my playlist is getting too mainstream. 

The answer, of course is "no".

What I had tried to do when I created my chart in August of 2010 was to augment what's popular with my take on it, and that includes songs that deserve to be hits, as well as obscure, often local, up and comers that put out great music that should be heard.    

I've always included some popular songs on the chart.   Of course, in recent years, that is pretty hard to do, because what passes as "popular" leaves a lot to be desired.    You've seen the memes floating around which states. "it's not that I'm old, it's that your music really does suck".     And for the most part, there is no argument, but I've tried to select some that are worth listening to.   

The songs also serve as a measuring stick to what is popular at a certain time.    I know many charts out there are specialty lists belonging to a certain genre or music format.     But, let's say, in a few years, you roll out a year-end list for that.     How many songs do you remember?     Exactly.

My chart is a comprehensive picture of what used to be common way back in the day, a mixture of styles.  To combine the Taylor Swifts and the SZA's with beach music acts like The Tonez and Deb Browning, then add Jersey indie artists such as Colorjoy, Charlotte Sessions and Polyanna, then more soulful national acts like Say She She , Devon Gilfillian, Arlo Parks, and Thee Sacred Souls, and finally throw in unique acts like Orbis Max and Einsteins Dad, I think you got yourself a nice array of songs on the musical spectrum.   That was the whole idea of this chart in the first place.

For the record, here are Billboard's top seven songs and where they are standing on the SNS 100.   Moving back to #1 this week is Doja Cat's "Paint the Town Red", with its awesome loop of Dionne Warwick's "Walk on By".    The song moves 55-43 on this week's SNS chart after four weeks.   Right behind at #2 is SZA's "Snooze" which also claims that same position on SNS.    Luke Combs' remake of "Fast Car" is still at #3 on the Hot 100.   The song got to #6 here a few weeks ago and is currently at #41.

Taylor Swift's "Cruel Summer" is still persistent on the Hot 100 moving back up from #6 to #4.   The song peaked here at #4 and is currently at #25.  "I Remember Everything" by Zach Bryan and Kasey Musgraves is #5 on the Hot 100 (after debuting at #1); it sits at #67 here, down from its peak at #64.  "Last Night" by Morgan Wallen is #6 on the Hot 100, after a 16-week run at the top), and got to #2 here, currently sits at #78.     Finally, Olivia Rodrigo's "Vampire", which had two separate weeks at #1 on the big chart, holds at its #19 peak here on SNS.

In addition, Dua Lipa's "Dance The Night", holding on here at #95, is at #10 on the Hot 100, giving it 8 of the top ten on the SNS 100.   Finally, two former number one's on Billboard, Jason Aldean's "Try That In A Small Town" and Oliver Anthony's "Rich Men North of Richmond", are also on the list, with the former currently at #40 (after peaking at #8), and #30,, respectively.

Whether it's cool pop, alternative, beach music, neo-soul or local indie artists, I try to bring together what I think is good music here, at least for the duration of this blog, whenever that is.

ON THE SNS 100:   Fall Out Boy's remake of "We Didn't Start the Fire", holds on to a second week atop my chart this week.    It's definitely been a year of remakes topping my list.   After going for almost 13 years without one, "...Fire" becomes the fourth remake of a pop hit this year.    The song was a #1 hit for Billy Joel in 1989, and it follows The Carolina Queens' "Shoop Shoop Song" (Betty Everett #6, 1964),  The Main Event Band's "Love Makes the World Go Round" (Deon Jackson, #11, 1966), and Marlisa Kay Small and Jerry West's "Love Really Hurts Without You" (Billy Ocean, #22, 1976).   In addition, two 1980's hits are represented on the SNS 100 this week, the other being Luke Combs' "Fast Car" which was a #6 hit for Tracy Chapman in 1988. 

Movers in the top 20 include The Record Company's "Talk to Me" (5-3), Starbuck's "On the Sand" (10-7), Black Pumas' "More Than A Love Song (16-8), Pepper's "Get Me Ready" (15-11), Jim Quick & Coastline's "Eight Four Three" (20-17) and Deer Tick's "Forging Ties" grabbing Impact honors in a 25-18 move. Further down, we have Christina Black's "I Miss You Babe", last week's Top Debut, getting Mover honors (73-47).

Beach music band The Carolina Blue Dots have the Top Debut with "Under the Moonlight", from their 2017 album Those Summer Days.

DEBUTS:  With a noticeable drop in Carolina beach music releases in recent weeks, I've been checking out older songs that I may have missed.    "I Miss You Babe" came out in 2021, and now this week's Top Debut belongs to Carolina Blue Dots' "Under the Moonlight", from that outfits' 2017 album Those Summer Days.   The Dots' "Cruzin' Down the Boulevard" was #1 here for three weeks last fall, but the two follow-ups, "New Shoes, Let's Go Dancing" stalled at #62, and "Your Love", despite being a big hit on a couple of beach charts, only got to #83.

But a video for "Under the Moonlight" was posted a few days ago, in spite of it being six years old.   One listen to it and WOW!   This is a classic, slow dance, beach music ballad that just gives me chills.  For me, a song like this is a fantasy, perhaps being down there in North Myrtle and hearing this song at the end of the night, meeting someone special.     I would be surprised if this doesn't equal the success of "Cruzin'".  While I'm not sure whether this is the official follow-up to "Your Love", the song is MY follow-up, and since the song (and others on this great album) are on Spotify, it's easy to share this.

With summer over, it's a good time to check out beach music that has been around a while.  Another gem, Gary Lowder and Smokin' Hot's cover of "Sitting In the Park", a 1965 hit for Billy Stewart, is under consideration, although to my knowledge, it's not on Spotify.   I do know that the song was released around 2015.

Meanwhile, making their first appearance on the SNS 100 is Blonde Redhead, an indie band based in New York City, but two of the members were originally from Milan, Italy.  This is cool, upbeat, melodic, dreamy, alt-rock to its finest with heartfelt vocals, perfect for this time of year.    This has potential.    Olivia Rodrigo follows up "Vampire" with "Bad Idea, Right?", another piece of accessible, smart pop.  Part spoken (but not really rapped), and part sung, it borders on alt, power pop to the best.

Colony House enters with "Cannonballs", which has a Tom Petty "Runnin' Down a Dream"-like intro, but then gets into good, unadulterated alt-rock.  The song keeps moving, and as a result, you can help but move and groove to it.   Moving to the pop side, we have Selena Gomez's "Single Soon", a straight-down-the middle pop song.    Another from the Asbury Park indie scene is Latewaves, with "Italian Smokes", proving that the scene there is alive and well.   Also from the Garden State is Bleachers, with "Modern Girl", with a Jersey Shore-eque sax intro, evolving into a power pop jaunt.     

Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves 100 Playlist

October 1, 2023

This Week	Last Week	ARTIST-Title	Weeks on List
1	1	NUMBER ONE: FALL OUT BOY "We Didn't Start The Fire" Album: So Much (for) Stardust (Deluxe Edition) (2 Weeks at #1)	7
2	4	SZA - Snooze	12
3	5	The Record Company - Talk To Me	11
4	6	Thee Sacred Souls - Running Away	10
5	2	Iration - Daytrippin'●	15
6	3	The Tonez - Caught Up	20
7	10	Starbuck - On the Sand	6
8	16	Black Pumas - More Than A Love Song	5
9	9	Michael McMeel with Marlisa Kay Small- I'll Be Around	8
10	8	Say She She - Astral Plane●	10
11	15	Pepper - Get Me Ready	7
12	13	Gary Lowder and Smokin' Hot ft. Bridger Warlick - Picture of You	10
13	12	Sir Prize and the Twomorrow Knightz - Automatic Satin Circus	14
14	14	Lainey Wilson - Watermelon Moonshine	11
15	7	Lesa Hudson - Count On Me	17
16	18	Rivermist - Right Place Right Time	7
17	20	Jim Quick and Coastline - Eight Four Three●	9
18	25	TOP 20 IMPACT OF THE WEEK: DEER TICK "Forgiving Ties" Album: Emotional Contracts	6
19	19	Olivia Rodrigo - Vampire	13
20	11	Colorjoy - Apathy▲	10
21	28	King Tappa - One Day	7
22	42	The Rolling Stones - Angry	3
23	36	Charlotte Sessions - Should I Be The Man	5
24	23	Orbis Max with Lisa Mychols ft. Ed Ryan - R U OK	27
25	17	Taylor Swift - Cruel Summer●	14
26	35	The National - Eucalyptus	6
27	34	Cannons - Desire	5
28	32	The Revivalists - Good Old Days	8
29	29	Marlisa Kay Small and Jerry Thomas West - Love Really Hurts Without You●	22
30	24	Kesha - Only Love Can Save Us Now▲²	16
31	41	Phillip Phillips -- Dancing With Your Shadows	9
32	21	Jerry Powell - One More Summer Night	23
33	27	Say She She - Reeling	19
34	33	Deb Browning - Think I Found Forever▲	29
35	39	Rev. Bubba D. Liverance and the Cornhole Prophets - Edisto	7
36	46	Cold War Kids - Run Away With Me	6
37	43	Middle Kids - Highlands	6
38	45	Queens of the Stone Age - Paper Machete	8
39	22	Roger Smith - Baby Boomers	14
40	40	Jason Aldean - Try That In A Small Town●	11
41	26	Luke Combs - Fast Car	15
42	50	Loverboy - Release	13
43	55	Doja Cat - Paint the Town Red	4
44	53	James Hunter Six - Heartbreak	4
45	30	Oliver Anthony Music - Rich Men North of Richmond	7
46	44	Metric - Just the Once	8
47	73	MOVER OF THE WEEK: CHRISTINA COOPER BLACK "I Miss You Babe" (Single Only)	2
48	31	Cat5 Band - What's Love Got To Do With You	16
49	58	Momma - Bang Bang	5
50	37	Hozier - Francesca●	14
51	68	The Beaches - Blame Brett	3
52	49	Say She She - Don't You Dare Stop▲	19
53	70	Beabadoobee - The Way Things Go	3
54	56	Thundercat and Tame Impala - No More Lies	6
55	47	The Faithful Brothers - Dance My Hurt Away	13
56	57	Miley Cyrus - Used To Be Young	5
57	61	Wilco - Evicted	4
58	38	Pollyanna - Good For You●	15
59	48	Too Much Sylvia - It Still Is	19
60	63	The Wheelgunners - Girls Alright	4
61	52	Juliet Callahan - Heal	8
62	51	Nick Waterhouse - Hide and Seek	12
63	72	Maneskin - Honey (Are U Coming?)	3
64	65	Local Natives ft. Suki Waterhouse -NYE	4
65	54	John Cafferty and the Beaver Brown Band - Day In the Sun	18
66	67	Daisy Jones and the Six - Look At Us Now (Honeycomb)	4
67	64	Zach Bryan ft. Kasey Musgraves - I Remember Everything	5
68	69	Orbis Max - Selling The Van	4
69	62	The Main Event Band ft. Sharon Woodruff - Love Makes The World Go Round	23
70	90	The Killers - Your Side of Town	2
71	---	TOP DEBUT: CAROLINA BLUE DOTS "Under The Moonlight" Album: Those Summer Days	1
72	74	Noah Kahan - Dial Drunk	5
73	66	The Regrettes - Dancing On My Own	5
74	71	Orbis Max - The North	10
75	59	LP - One Like You	14
76	80	Chris Stapleton - White Horse	4
77	81	The Sand Band - I'll Come Running Back To You	3
78	60	Morgan Wallen - Last Night	25
79	93	Devon Gilfillian - Love You Anyway	2
80	---	Blonde Redhead - Snowman	1
81	78	Portugal. The Man ft Unknown Mortal Orchestra - Summer of Luv	6
82	85	Say She She - In My Head●	31
83	87	Polyanna - Judas	3
84	97	The Joy Formidable - Cut Your Face	2
85	86	Grace Potter - Good Time	13
86	95	boygenius - Cool About It	2
87	104	Dacey - If We Never Try	1
88	79	Einsteins Dad - Anytime Blues	19
89	---	Olivia Rodrigo - Bad Idea Right?	1
90	84	Arlo Parks - Devotion	16
91	102	L7 - Cooler Than Mars	1
92	75	Thirty Seconds to Mars - Stuck	9
93	---	Colony House - Cannonballers	1
94	88	The Struts - Too Good at Raising Hell	7
95	82	Dua Lipa - Dance The Night	18
96	---	Selena Gomez - Single Soon	1
97	---	Bleachers - Modern Girl	1
98	77	Highwind - Never Sitting Pretty	16
99	89	Bryan Hansen Band - Death of a Yes Man	4
100	---	Latewaves - Italian Smokes	1

Tremors:

101. Blink-182, "One More Time"

102. Big Thief , "Vampire Empire"

103. Death Cab For Cutie, "An Arrow In the Wall"

104. Ariel Pink, "I Wanna Be a Girl"

105. Frankie Cosmos, "Fruit Stand"

106. Bad Omens, "Limits"

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

▲Song garnered most plays on Spotify, for the  month, with a superscript following the symbol if most played for multiple 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.

Songs on the SNS 100 are included on the following public Spotify playlists

 

Scenes ‘n’ Soundwaves Top 40:  Contains songs in positions 1-40 on the SNS 100

Scenes Up and Coming:  Songs below #40 that are moving up the chart.

Scenes Recurrents: Songs which have dropped below the top 40 but are still on the SNS 100