Friday, November 29, 2013

Flashback Friday: Steely Dan - Black Friday



FLASHBACK FRIDAY on Mel's Internet Universe Music Blog

Well this is the song for the day. "Black Friday" by Steely Dan. Appropriate song for today since it kicks off the official start of the holiday season with of all things, Black Friday Sales.

Black Friday is a traditional shoppers holiday that comes on the day after Thanksgiving for consumers and retailers all over the United States. Thousands of people flock to the malls, stores and online destinations in their first attempts to meet the oncoming Christmas Day deadline of December 25. Bargains galore lead shoppers to the malls only to find that the advertised deals are long gone to the people who came earlier than you. What the stores love is that you stay and buy higher priced items. Yes!

Do you fall into that trap? I don't. I avoid the malls and stores on Black Friday. I rather stay home and eat leftover Thanksgiving turkey and listen to some great music by Steely Dan. I will do that today.

"Black Friday" was issued as a single on ABC Records in 1975. It made it to the Billboard Hot 100 and peaked at #37. The track is off the album Katy Lied, the 4th for the group.


Sunday, November 24, 2013

Ylvis Not Elvis Tops the Chart This Week



Mel's Weekly Top 20
Week of November 24, 2013.

This WeekTitleArtistLast Week
1 The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?) Ylvis 2
2 The Walker Fitz & The Tantrums 4
3 Royals Lorde 1
4 Wake Me Up Avicii 3
5 Roar Katy Perry 5
6 Unconditionally Katy Perry 13
7 Things We Lost In the Fire Bastille 6
8 Sweeter Than Fiction Taylor Swift 10
9 One Day (Radio Edit) Caro Emerald 9
10 Little Games The Colourist 11
11 Sail AWOLNATION 12
12 Callin' Me When I'm Lonely Sheryl Crow 14
13 Bad Blood Bastille 16
14 Safe and Sound Capital Cities 7
15 Summertime Sadness (Alternative Radio Mix) Lana Del Rey 8
16 Just Another Girl The Killers 19
17 Compass Lady Antebellum 20
18 New Paul McCartney 15
19 Light of Christmas (feat. tobyMac) Owl City new
20 The Monster (feat. Rihanna) Eminem new


CHART NOTES

I suspect that there is some deeper meaning to the story and lyrics in our #1 song this week. Ylvis' "The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)" has a great beat, good music and well... some nonsensical, supposedly animal noises lyrics. More than half the song have non-sensical lyrics. Not a first in the annals of pop music, but nevertheless here with us in 2013. You can view the lyrics and video in the clip included on this page. The song took several weeks to get to the #1 spot. Last week it was #2.

Ylvis replaces Lorde who had the #1 song for the past 4 weeks. "Royals" drops 2 to #3 this week.

Entering into the #2 position up from #4 of last week is Fitz & the Tantrums. Their latest track is called "The Walker". The song has been on high rotation in my iTunes ever since I got their album More Than A Dream back in May. To me this is one of the best Fitz & the Tantrum songs to date. Hopefully it gets wider airplay in the future.

Katy Perry zooms into the top 10 this week with her latest single "Unconditionally". The track enters at #6 up from #13 of last week. It is right behind her current, former #1 hit "Roar" which sits at #5. Both from her album Prism.

New entries to the top 20 this week include Owl City's holiday track "Light of Christmas" which also feature TobyMac at #19. At #20 we find rapper Eminem entring at #20. This is the first time that Eminem appears on this chart since 2000's "The Real Slim Shady". I am not an Eminem fan, hence most of his songs have been ignored over the years. The only reason this one is listed is because Rihanna shares vocals and some melody on this.

Songs That Went to #1 in 2013

The Fox (What Does The Fox Say?) - Ylvis (1)
Royals - Lorde (4)
Wake Me Up - Avicii (2)
Safe and Sound - Capital Cities (2)
Roar - Katy Perry (4)
Get Lucky - Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams (2)
Treasure - Bruno Mars (3)
Waves - Blondfire (2)
Blurred Lines [feat. T.I., Pharrell] - Robin Thicke (3)
Get Lucky - Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams (6)
Tangled Up - Caro Emerald (3)
When I Was Your Man - Bruno Mars (2)
Change - Churchill (7)
Daylight - Maroon 5 (2)
Carry On - Fun (3)
Anything Could Happen - Ellie Goulding (2)

(x) = Total weeks @ #1

Friday, November 22, 2013

Flashback Friday - The Marmalade Cover of The Beatles' "Ob La Di, Ob La Da"



FLASHBACK FRIDAY on Mel's Internet Universe Music Blog

Most people in the United States have not heard much about the band The Marmalade even though they had 2 hit singles in the U.S. Their most well known track is "Reflections of My Life" which hit the top 40 in 1969 and peaked at #10.

After that the band did not enjoy much chart success until 1976 when another single made it to the Hot 100. That song was "Falling Apart at the Seams" which peaked at #49.

Despite not being too popular in America, The Marmalade did enjoy a long string of hit singles in the U.K. One of their most well known there is this cover of The Beatles classic "Ob La Di, Ob La Da" which in 1968 went all the way to #1 on the British charts. This is a good cover which should have become a hit in the U.S.

The song missed the mark in the U.S., but now through the wonder of YouTube, you can now listen to and watch The Marmalade cover this top hit song.

Sunday, November 17, 2013

Lorde on Top of the Charts for Week #4



Mel's Weekly Top 20
Week of November 17, 2013.

This WeekTitleArtistLast Week
1 Royals (4th Week @ #1!) Lorde 1
2 The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?) Ylvis 3
3 Wake Me Up Avicii 2
4 The Walker Fitz & The Tantrums 8
5 Roar Katy Perry 4
6 Things We Lost In the Fire Bastille 5
7 Safe and Sound Capital Cities 6
8 Summertime Sadness (Alternative Radio Mix) Lana Del Rey 7
9 One Day (Radio Edit) Caro Emerald 10
10 Sweeter Than Fiction Taylor Swift 14
11 Little Games The Colourist 11
12 Sail AWOLNATION 12
13 Unconditionally Katy Perry 18
14 Callin' Me When I'm Lonely Sheryl Crow 16
15 New Paul McCartney 9
16 Bad Blood Bastille 17
17 I Got You Jack Johnson 13
18 The Mother We Share CHVRCHES 15
19 Just Another Girl The Killers --
20 Compass Lady Antebellum --
CHART NOTES

"Royals", the smash hit single by Lorde holds on to #1 for a 4th consecutive week on the Weekly Top 20. We find Ylvis moving up to #2 wit their single, "The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)". At #4 we find Fitz & the Tantrums with what is now their biggest hit on the Weekly Top 40 and "The Walker". The single off their album More Than Just A Dream bounces from #8 to #4 this week.

Taylor Swift breaks into the top 10 this week with her latest single "Sweeter Than Fiction" up 4 from #14 to #10.

Two songs make their chart debut this week. They are "Just Another Girl" by The Killers at #19 off their greatest hits compilation album, and country music's Lady Antebellum with their new single "Compass" at #20.

Songs That Went to #1 in 2013

Royals - Lorde (4)
Wake Me Up - Avicii (2)
Safe and Sound - Capital Cities (2)
Roar - Katy Perry (4)
Get Lucky - Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams (2)
Treasure - Bruno Mars (3)
Waves - Blondfire (2)
Blurred Lines [feat. T.I., Pharrell] - Robin Thicke (3)
Get Lucky - Daft Punk featuring Pharrell Williams (6)
Tangled Up - Caro Emerald (3)
When I Was Your Man - Bruno Mars (2)
Change - Churchill (7)
Daylight - Maroon 5 (2)
Carry On - Fun (3)
Anything Could Happen - Ellie Goulding (2)

(x) = Total weeks @ #1

VIDEO SHOWCASE HITS











Mel's Weekly Top 20
Week of November 10, 2013.

This WeekTitleArtistLast Week
1Royals (3rd Week @ #1!)Lorde1
2Wake Me UpAvicii2
3The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)Ylvis4
4RoarKaty Perry3
5Things We Lost In the FireBastille5
6Safe and SoundCapital Cities7
7Summertime Sadness (Alternative Radio Mix)Lana Del Rey6
8The WalkerFitz & The Tantrums10
9NewPaul McCartney9
10One Day (Radio Edit)Caro Emerald11
11Little GamesThe Colourist8
12SailAWOLNATION12
13I Got YouJack Johnson15
14Sweeter Than FictionTaylor Swift18
15The Mother We ShareChvrches17
16Callin' Me When I'm LonelySheryl Crow19
17Bad BloodBastille20
18UnconditionallyKaty Perry--
19Home AgainElton John14
20That's My Jam (feat. Owl City)Relient K13

CHART NOTES

Lorde holds at #1 with "Royals" for the 3rd week in a row. Fitz & the Tantrums moves up 2 from #10 to #8 with "The Walker". Caro Emerald breaks into the top 10 at #10 with "One Day". Katy Perry debuts with the only new song at #18 with her latest single "Unconditionally". Her former #1 hit, "Roar" is still on the chart at #4. Both tracks are from her album Prism.

Thursday, November 7, 2013

Mel's Weekly Top 20 - November 3, 2013.



Mel's Weekly Top 20
Week of November 3, 2013.

This WeekTiitleArtistLast Week
1Royals (2nd week @ #1!)Lorde1
2Wake Me UpAvicii2
3RoarKaty Perry3
4The Fox (What Does the Fox Say?)Ylvis7
5Things We Lost In the FireBastille6
6Summertime SadnessLana Del Rey4
7Safe and SoundCapital Cities5
8Little GamesThe Colourist11
9NewPaul McCartney12
10The WalkerFitz & The Tantrums15
11One Day (Radio Edit)Caro Emerald13
12SailAWOLNATION14
13That's My Jam (feat. Owl City)Relient K9
14Home AgainElton John10
15I Got YouJack Johnson16
16ApplauseLady Gaga8
17The Mother We ShareChvrches17
18Sweeter Than FictionTaylor Swift20
19Callin' Me When I'm LonelySheryl Crownew
20Bad BloodBastillenew