Top 100 of 2012 Countdown Part 9

Numbers 20 to 11

We're on the home stretch in counting down the Top 100 Hits of 2012. The countdown picks up at number 20.

20 - Watching You Watch Him by Eric Hutchinson - I know next to nothing about Eric Hutchinson except for this song which was given away by Apple through their iTunes Music Store as the song of the week. To me, of all the free songs given away by Apple or anyone else, this was the best. In fact "Watching You Watch Him" is one of the most cheery pop song ever about a guy who can't get the attention of "his girl" set to a great pop tune and dance beat. It is the kind of pop music that gets you humming all day. You would think "Watching You Watch Him" would have been a big hit. It was not. "Watching You Watch Him" was a hit on my chart where it spent 15 weeks, with 6 of them mired in the #2 position without reaching #1. On mainstream pop music radio, the song was not played despite it being featured on the ABC-TV show Grey's Anatomy or on numerous video programs.

19 - Someone Like You by Adele - Starting with this song at position #19, every song from this point on will be a #1 song. There were 19 songs that reached #1 on the Weekly Top 20. This is the first one. it's by Adele and it is beautiful ballad called "Someone Like You" from her Grammy Award winning album 21.

18 - Run For Your Life by Matt Cardle - Matt Cardle's biggest hit to date is his first record "Run For Your Life". The single was released late last year and topped the charts in December for 2 weeks, and carried over to 2012 for another 2 weeks at #1. In all for the calendar year 2012, Matt Cardle's "Run For Your Life" had a total chart 8 weeks and if added to the 7 weeks it accumulated in 2011, you have a total of 15 weeks. This was good enough to put the song in at #15 on the Top 100 Hits of 2011 and #18 on the Top 100 Hits of 2012. Wow!



17 - Glad You Came by The Wanted - A lot of "bubblegum" records made it to the top 20 this year. Here's one of them, a #1 hit by the band The Wanted. Here's "Glad You Came".



16 - Good Time by Owl City featuring Carly Rae Jepsen - 2012 was a good year for new Bubblegum Princess Carly Rae Jepsen. On this record "Good Time", she was teamed up with electronic artist/group Owl City for their first #1 song on the Weekly Top 20. "Good Time" spent 13 weeks on the chart with a week perched at the top position late in the summer. I love the video for this song... a bunch of kids going to a party and having a good time. It is what I would expet from a Carly Rae Jepsen song.



15 - It Will Rain by Bruno Mars: Back in the late 1980s and early 1990s I remember seeing this kid on the old Hawaiian Moving Company TV show with Michael W. Perry impersonating "The King", Elvis Presley. This kid got started in show business at the age of 4 and was billed as "Bruno". His real name is Peter Gene Hernandez and spent most of his younger life growing up in Hawaii in a show business family. The guy had the moves from an early age doing not only Elvis but also Michael Jackson and other hot stars of the day. By the late 1990s and 2000s he kind of vanished only to re-surface in 2010 as "Bruno Mars" the professional name he uses today. Since his chart debut that year, Mars has gone on to have not 1 or 2 #1 songs, but 4 on this chart from 2010 to the present. Those #1 songs included "Just the Way You Are" in 2010, "Grenade" in 2011 and this one... "It Will Rain" which became one of the first songs to hit #1 on the chart this year. So her it is... "It Will Rain" by Bruno Mars.


14 - Locked Out of Heaven - Bruno Mars: By the end of 2012 Bruno Mars was once again on top of the charts with this song... "Locked Out of Heaven".


13 - Red Solo Cup by Toby Keith - "Red Solo Cup" stands out as the funniest and most popular beer song of 2011 and 2012. The single was a novelty tune that was given to country singer Toby Keith co-written by Brett and Jim Beavers and the The Warren Brothers. The song was recorded in the fall of 2011 and became a country and pop sensation due to its humorous video that featured a number of celebrities including Sammy Hagar, Roger Clemmens, Larry Bird and Jeff Dunham. "Solo Cup" stayed on the top 20 for 11 weeks and peaked at #1 for 2 of those weeks.



12 - The One That Got Away by Katy Perry - The biggest hit of 2012 from Katy Perry's re-released album Teenage Dream is "The One That Got Away", a single that went to #1 here and spent 12 weeks on the top 20.


11 - Gangnam Style by PSY: The most popular video on YouTube for 2012 is PSY's #1 international smash hit that went viral the world over since its release in July. In fact "Gangnam Style" is the most popular video ever on YouTube and has to date of this posting generated more than 1,098,711,753 views... and counting! PSY's real name is Park Jae-sang. He is from South Korea and has studied in the United States. He is a 34-year old singer, songwriter, rapper, dancer and record producer and has released dozens of albums and singles in his home country of South Korea since 2001 all in the "K-Pop" music genre. "Gangnam Style" is a catchy Korean language dance song with a funny video that has spawned countless imitations all over the world. The single has gone to #1 on charts all over the world except for in the United States, where it peaked at #2 on the Billboard Hot 100 having been denied the top spot mostly by Maroon 5's #1 hit "One More Night". Regardless the song is funny, memorable, catchy and annoying all at the same time. It is the "Macarena" of this decade and will be played for many years to come. Here is the video and song "Gangnam Style":


And there you have it... the 90 top songs so far. The next entry will focus on the Top 10 Hits of 2012. Come back soon!

Top 100 of 2012 Countdown Part 8

Numbers 30 to 21

Are you having fun? Is this countdown fun? Fun is in the order as we resume our countdown at position #30.

30 - We Are Young by Fun: "We Are Young" is the breakout hit of 2012 for the group Fun. It is their most watched video on YouTube with more than 156 million views. The single peaked at #1 in the United States and many other countries throughout the world. The single 5x platinum in the U.S. selling more than 6 million copies. Here on my Weekly Top 20, it reached a respectable #3 for two weeks during its 12 week chart run. It's a good record, should have gone higher but did not.

29 - That Girl - Noisettes: The Noisettes are now a duo consisting of fiery female singer Shingai Shoniwa and guitarist Dan Smith. Their music is now filled with studio musicians. For 2012 they released two singles off their latest album Contact, which to me had very poor distribution in the U.S. which probably prevented "That Girl" from becoming a hit here. In the UK, "That Girl" got only as high as #87. On the Weekly Top 20, Noisettes got a #3 hit out this song.



28 - Ho Hey by The Lumineers - Probably the biggest hit by an indie band this year, the folk tinged rock group Lumineers reached the top of the alternative rock and indie charts with this song: "Ho Hey".



27 - Heart Attack by The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - Fronted by lead singer Mette Lindberg, Asteroids Galaxy Tour has been quite successful on Mel's Weekly Top 20 since 2008's "Around the Bend". This year they were back with 2 singles, "Major" which we covered back at number 51 and "Heart Attack", a #3 hit on the chart this spring. Unfortunately neither "Heart Attack" or "Major" managed to become major hits.



26 - Hang It Up by The Ting Tings - What we have here at songs #27 and #26 are two groups that first came to prominence by having their music featured on Apple iPod commercials. The Ting Tings did it with "Shut Up and Let Me Go" while Asteroids did that with "Around the Bend". Since that success The Ting Tings have been relegated to minor dance hit success with a string of songs that include "That's Not My Name", "Hands" and this one, "Hang It Up".



25 - Anything Could Happen by Ellie Goulding: At the end of the 2012 Top 100 chart tabulation period on December 23, Ellie Goulding's "Anything Could Happen" was stopped at the #2 position after spending 9 weeks climbing up the chart. On the December 30, 2012 Weekly Top 20, Goulding's single went to #1 but will not be counted as such for 2012 since the December 30 chart is the first one being used to calculate the 2013 Top 100 which won't be compiled until next December. So as the song title says, "anything could happen" and more than likely this song will be listed again for 2013 with its #1 status accounted for.



24 - Part of Me by Katy Perry: Katy Perry's Teenage Dream is an album that came in two flavors... the original release in 2010 that featured the hits "California Gurls," "Teenage Dream", "E.T.", "Last Friday Night" and "The One That Got Away" spawned two more hit singles after the album was re-released in January 2012 with additional tracks added. The single "Wide Awake" already appeared in this countdown at #48 and this one "Part of Me" which peaked at #2 this year, ends up at #24.



23 - When We Stand Together by Nickelback: Canadian rockers Nickelback scored a hit with "When We Stand Together" on the Weekly Top 20 as well as on other charts in the first half of 2012. Peaking at #2 for 2 weeks, the single racked up 12 total weeks on the chart to give it the 24th position for year end.



22 - Want U Back by Cher Lloyd - Cher Lloyd is a British singer who cut her chops in one of those X Factor shows but did not quite make it. She and some other singers did get a record contract. In 2012 she came out with this top 40 breakthrough hit which climbed to #2... Here is "Want You Back" complete with the "helicopter noise". Cute.



21 - Give Me All Your Luvin' by Madonna - 54-year-old Madonna has been in the music industry for decades. Every guy has probably lusted after her at some time or another. She came out with huge hits such as "Borderline", "Lucky Star", "Material Girl", "Like A Virgin" and "Papa Don't Preach". The trek of hit records continued from the 1980s to today.

In the 2000s, Madonna has managed to release with a hit song every few months. Her latest, "Give Me All Your Luvin'" made its debut during the 2012 NFL Super Bowl half time show on NBC TV. The appearance also featured Nicki Minaj and M.I.A. The single was released shortly after the performance where it became a top 10 Billboard Hot 100 hit. On my chart the song peaked at #2 and held that position for 4 weeks without making it to #1.



And there you go... songs #30 to #21. We just got the top 20 left and that comes tomorrow and on New Years Day. The entire Top 100 Hits of 2012 will also be revealed then. Stay tuned.

Top 100 of 2012 Countdown Part 7

We're in the Top 40 portion of the Top 100 of 2012 Countdown. Let's move ahead until we get to #1.

Numbers 40 to 31

40 - Blown Away by Carrie Underwood - Carrie Underwood is a huge country and pop superstar. She first surfaced and won the 4th year of American Idol way back in 2004. Since then she has hit both the country and pop charts with several, big hit singles including "Jesus Take the Wheel," "Before He Cheats", "Wasted", "Cowboy Casanova", and most recently before this song, "Good Girl". "Blown Away" is the second single and title track from Underwood's latest album. It was her biggest hit of 2012 and here it is kicking off our top 40 at #40.



39 - Amazing by Matt Cardle - I can't figure out why Matt Cardle doesn't get much airplay in the United States. He's had a number of hits in his native UK over the past year. He is right up there with U.S. American Idol winner Phillip Phillips in the type of crooning pop songs he covers. Yet no U.S. hit. What's up with that? I think Matt Cardle can be a success in the U.S.



38 - Higher Than The Clouds by Anuhea - The thing that makes Anuhea a success if breaking away from her Hawaii home and having her music marketed across America and the world. She first broke on the scene back in 2010 when her single "Right Love, Wrong Time" was a featured track on Apple's iTunes service in 2009. From then on she has enjoyed the success of having 2 albums and several singles released. Among her most popular singles are the songs "I Just Want You Around", "Come Over Love" and this one, "Higher Than the Clouds", which reached #4 on the Weekly Top 20 and spent 11 weeks on the chart.



37 - Brokenhearted by Karmin: Bubblegum music seems to score high with me and this song is no exception. I know next to nothing about Karmin except that they are a duo and had this big hit song "Brokenhearted".



36 - Paradise by Coldplay - This is one of the biggest records on the Top 100 Hits of 2012 chart, yet it only places at #36? Well folks, Coldplay's "Paradise" was the biggest hit ever on the Top 100 Hits of 2011 chart, where it is listed as #1 for the year having spent 7 weeks at #1 on the Weekly Top 20 and running up a 15 week chart stay that overlapped for another 7 weeks into 2012. So yes, by the time 2012 rolled around and the Top 100 tabulated, we found that "Paradise" while on the way down, peaked at #4 in 2012 and its seven week stay on the 2012 charts insured its high ranking on this year's Top 100. Got it? From the album Mylo Xyloto, here is last year's #1 song of the year and this year's 36th most popular song of the year, Coldplay and "Paradise".



35 - The Walk by Mayer Hawthorne: This song could have been a big radio hit, but never caught on. Probably something doing with its stylishly violent video and perhaps its lyrics, this "hit" record failed to chart across mainstream radio even though Mayer Hawthorne offers a laid back, soulful, white pop rock singing style. "The Walk" charted on my Weekly Top 20 to the #4 spot for a few weeks and is slotted in at #35 on this year end chart. You may want to also check out the explicit but somewhat tamer rap version of the same song.



34 - Hold On by Alabama Shakes: Alabama Shakes' single "Hold On" was given away at several online music sites including Apple's iTunes and Amazon's MP3 music store. Surely I downloaded both copies of this laid back but catchy single. I did not buy the album, but I certainly have it saved on my Spotify account. Here for you viewing pleasure is "Hold On" at #34 on the Top 100 Hits of 2012 countdown.



33 - What Makes You Beautiful by One Direction - One Direction was probably the most successful "boy band" for 2012. They scored big in 2010 by finishing 3rd in the British version of the X Factor TV talent show. This year the group hit the big time by offering several hit singles to their fans and the masses on mainstream top 40 radio. "What Makes You Beautiful" was a #1 hit in their native UK and managed to go to #4 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart. On my weekly chart the song also peaked at #4 where it stayed for 3 weeks during its somewhat short 9 week run. Good enough however to be the #33 most popular song of 2012.



32 - Skyfall by Adele: This year Grammy Award winning singer Adele got the honors of singing the theme song to the latest James Bond 007 film Skyfall. "Skyfall" topped the charts in several countries, went to #2 in the UK and to #8 on the Billboard Hot 100. On my Weekly Top 20, "Skyfall" peaked at #4 for 4 of its 10 week chart run in late 2012.



31 - Carry On by Fun: As the Top 100 Hits of 2012 was being compiled we note that Fun's latest hit "Carry On" has racked up enough weeks and a peak of #3 so far going into 2013 with the potential of hitting #1. The fact that it has already gone to #3 made it eligible to chart this high at position #31.



And there you have it, the countdown of hit songs that made it to the Top 100 Hits of 2012, positions #40 to #31. Tomorrow, #30 to #21. The hits are getting bigger all the time.

Mel's Weekly Top 20 - December 23, 2012.

Mel's Weekly Top 20
Week of December 23, 2012.

This Week	Title	Artist	Last Week
1	Locked Out Of Heaven (2nd Week @ #1!)	Bruno Mars	1
2	Anything Could Happen	Ellie Goulding	4
3	Carry On	Fun	5
4	Diamonds	Rihanna	2
5	Daylight	Maroon 5	6
6	Christmas In The Sand	Colbie Caillat	7
7	Ho Hey	The Lumineers	3
8	Now Is the Start	A Fine Frenzy	8
9	Mermaid	Train	10
10	I Knew You Were Trouble	Taylor Swift	19
11	Little Talks	Of Monsters And Men	11
12	Rock & Roll Love Affair	Prince	16
13	I Could Be A King	The Dunwells	12
14	Clouds	Zach Sobiech	20
15	Tornado	Little Big Town	17
16	One More Night	Maroon 5	9
17	We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together	Taylor Swift	13
18	Madness	Muse	15
19	Heartbeat	Jjamz	--
20	Ready or Not	Bridgit Mendler	--

CHART NOTES:

Bruno Mars holds at #1 for a second week with "Locked Out of Heaven". At #2 we find Ellie Goulding with "Anything Could Happen" up from #4 last week. At #3 Fun is back with "Carry On" up from #5 last week. New to the top 5 is "Daylight" by Maroon 5 up a point at #5 from last week's #6.

Colbie Caillat's "Christmas in the Sand" makes it to the peak of the holiday season moving up 2 from #8 to #6 this week. It's off the album of the same name. Good song, good album.

Taylor Swift bolts up the chart from #19 to #10 this week with her latest single "I Knew You Were Trouble" off her Red album. Her big #1 hit of this year "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" drops from #13 to #17 thus week. The track is off the same album.

At #14 we find "Clouds" by 17 year old Zach Sobiech, who wrote this song for his girl friend. Zach is dying from cancer. Hopefully this song will become a huge hit before he passes. Read more about Zach at the song's YouTube video link. "Clouds" is one of the most touching and heartfelt songs to come out this year.

Two songs making their chart debut this week: "Heartbeat" by Jjamz at #19 and "Ready or Not" byBridgit Mendler at #20. That's it for this week's chart. Have a great Christmas holiday. Year end chart coming soon.

Top 100 of 2012 Countdown Part 6

For this portion of the countdown, since I am working on it so late in night, I am just going to give you the videos... so here goes...

Numbers 50 to 41

50 - Daylight by Maroon 5 - Apparently the band put this compilation of user and fan video clips to make a compelling montage of people's feelings and ideas on several personal topics. The 3:45 length song is extended to more than 9 minutes on this montage. Enjoy:



49 - Runaways by The Killers - While not as big as their previous hits, this one racked up enough weeks on the Weekly Top 20 to slot it in at the #49 position.



48 - Wide Awake by Katy Perry - Ms. Perry has enjoyed huge chart success on the pop charts all over the world. One of the 3 singles she places in the Top 100 Hits for 2012 is this one... "Wide Awake" at #48.



47 - Rumor Has It by Adele - Britain's Adele was a late comer to Mel's Weekly Top 20. Most of the singles off her hit album 21 which were supposed to appear in 2011 never charted until this year. "Rumor Has It", one of the most uptempo songs on the album peaked at #5 during its 12 week chart run. Here is the video:



46 - In The Dark by Dev is one of a handful of dance oriented tracks to make it to the Top 100. The song first charted in late 2011 and spent several weeks into 2012 getting as high as #5 before falling off the chart.



45 - What Could Have Been Love by Aerosmith - Steven Tyler and his band Aerosmith have been making music, playing concerts and releasing records since the early 1970s. For me they will always be best known for their Columbia Records era albums that garnered the singles "Dream On," "Sweet Emotion," "Walk This Way", "Last Child" among others. Since the late 1980s and going into the 2000, the band has surfaced every now and then with rock hits in the style of rap remixes and more recently "power ballads". "What Could Have Been Love" is such a power ballad that soared all the way to #5 this past summer, making it good to be listed at #45 for 2012.



44 - Simple Song by The Shins: As I mentioned earlier in this countdown, The Shins who are a popular indie ban scored a huge hit in 2007 with the track "Phantom Limb". This year they came back with a new line-up and the album Port of Morrow and the single "Simple Song" in hopes of duplicating the chart success of "Phantom Limb". They succeeded in getting this track to be listed as the 45th most popular song of 2012.



43 - Take A Little Ride by Jason Aldean - Today's country music is so very unlike the twangy traditional country & western music that was popular in the 1950s, 60s and 70s. Today country is a hybrid of pop and rock while maintaining the same types of messages as their earlier counterparts. "Take a Little Ride" by Jason Aldean is such a song... worthy to even chart as a pop/rock crossover and making it to this Top 100 as the 43rd most popular song of the year.



42 - Big In Japan by Martin Solveig ft Dragonette and Idoling - Last year Martin Solveig had a huge hit with Dragonette called "Hello". They came back in early 2012 with this song... "Big In Japan". Here is a remix of the hit.



41 - Home by Phillip Phillips - I don't watch American Idol. I did not know that Phillip Phillips was the winner of the 2012 contest. "Home" began to chart in late summer and was a bonafide hit by fall.



And there you have it. The latest 10 hits in our daily countdown to #1 of the Top 100 Hits of 2012. Do you like the individual videos? If so leave a comment. Maybe I might do this all the way to the end. Tomorrow, hits #40 to #31. We're getting closer...

Top 100 of 2012 Countdown Part 5

Numbers 60 to 51

60 - Spectrum by Florence + The Machine - This is the only single that charted from Florence + The Machine’s 2012 album Ceremonials. The song was played more than 34 times on my iTunes, charted on the Weekly Top 20 for 9 weeks and peaked at #7.

59 - I Like Girls That Drink Beer by Toby Keith - Beer songs have been a recurring theme in country music for decades. This year Toby Keith crossed over twice into pop territory with two beer drinking songs. The first one is “I Like Girls That Drink Beer” which came out in late summer and made it as high on our weekly chart to #7. 

58 - The Book Of Morris Johnson by Zee Avi - Malaysian singer Zee Avi scored a big hit with “The Book of Morris Johnson” on this chart last year (2011). It dominated during the late summer, fall and winter of 2011 spanning a chart run of 17 weeks which pushed it to the end of December, peaking for 3 of those weeks at #2. It ended up being the 16th most popular song on the Top 100 of 2011. “Morris Johnson” continued to chart in the early part of 2012 spending an additional 3 weeks in January while on its downward slide. It was listed as high as #6 this year, hence its relatively high ranking of #58. Zee Avi records for Jack Johnson’s Brushfire Records which is also the home to Bahamas who checked in at #70 on this countdown.

57 - Christmas In The Sand by Colbie Caillat - Very few Christmas songs have made it to the chart over the years. This is one of them. Colbie Caillat continues with her bright, tropical flared music, offering us this Christmas ditty that will be a recurring yule time classic. Off the album of the same title, Colbie took this to #6 for a week where it is still being charted at the end of 2012.

56 - That's Why God Made The Radio by The Beach Boys - Talking about breezy, how about the sun, surf and the breeze? The Beach Boys, a perennial hit making rock n roll group well known for the “surfing sound” since the 1960s were back in 2012 with a new album, this hit single and Brian Wilson at the helm. “That’s Why God Made the Radio” recalls days at the beach, cruising in your rod and listening to the hit songs on top 40 radio.

55 - Only the Horses by Scissor Sisters - Are there any sisters in the rock group Scissor Sisters? I checked. The answer is a big resounding “no”. The group derives their name from “the lesbian sexual act tribadism”. Whatever that is... yuck! Anyway the band is comprised of 4 guys and 1 woman and have been around since at least 2001. “Only the Horses” was the band’s latest single to chart, peaking at #6.

54 - My Heart Goes Boom by Miss Li - Miss Li shot to prominence in 2009 when her song “Bourgeois Shangri-La” was used in an Apple iPod commercial and became a hit on Mel’s Weekly Top 20. She came back this year with “My Heart Goes Boom” a single that only got minimal airplay in Europe and nothing in America. I liked the song enough to have it chart for several weeks peaking at #6 and ending up at #54 for 2012.

53 - Tonight Is The Night by Outasight - Outasight is the stage name of Richard Andrew an American singer and hip-hop artist who had a hit with this record. Got as high as #6 and ends up at #53 on the Top 100 Hits of 2012.

52 - Starships by Nicki Minaj - I am not much into rap music or even dance music these days. However this one crossed the line into mainstream popularity and became a huge hit on the major charts all over the world. The video looks like it was partly filmed in Hawaii and features Polynesian dancers and a funky sci-fi like motif. Nicki Minaj is one of those black chicks who likes to project a sexy image (see the video at the top of this posting)... and like many of her songs this one does not stop short in that category. For 2012 “Starships” checks in at #52.

51 - Major by The Asteroids Galaxy Tour - This record by The Asteroids Galaxy Tour came out in late 2011 and hung around long enough in 2012 to be listed on the Top 100. “Major” is a good song but not as good as some of their previous hits or the follow-up single “Heart Attack” that is listed higher on this countdown.

And with that song, we are now exactly at the half way point in this blog countdown of the Top 100 Hits of 2012. We got 50 more to go. Check again tomorrow!

Top 100 of 2012 Countdown Part 4

Numbers 70 to 61

This is the 4th part of the Countdown of the Top 100 Hits of 2012 on this blog. As we continue we cover hits in positions 61 to 70. And now on with the countdown.

70 - Caught Me Thinking by Bahamas - I never heard of the singer who calls himself Bahamas until I downloaded the free (from Amazon.com) Brushfire Records Best of 2012 Sampler album. Bahamas real name is Afie Jurvanen. Brushfire Records is the label owned by Jack Johnson who of course had a number of hits chart including the #1 hit “Upside Down” in 2006. “Caught Me Thinking” as far as I know has not become a mass market hit. However it did chart on Mel’s Weekly Top 20. It had a chart run of 10 weeks and peaked at #9, enough to give it standing as the 70th most popular song of the year for me.

69 - My Oh My by Tristan Prettyman - Newcomer Tristan Prettyman racked up enough weeks with this track to make it to #69 of the year. This song peaked at #8 for a week on the Weekly Top 20.

68 - Dance With Me Tonight by Olly Murs - Olly Murs seems to be enjoying success in the UK as “Dance With Me Tonight” got a lot of airplay on the BBC and other British radio stations. It also charted fairly high in the UK too. Here in America, I don’t think this track amounted to much. On my chart Olly stayed on for 10 weeks and peaked at #8.

67 - Now Is the Start by A Fine Frenzy - A Fine Frenzy is not really the name of a band, but instead is the adopted name by singer-songwriter / pianist Alison Sudol. Under her monicker, Sudol has released 3 albums, her most recent Pines featuring the single “Now is the Start”. As a late arrival to Mel’s Weekly Top 20, the song has piled up a chart run of 8 weeks so far, stopping at #8 as of the time of this compilation, and could go even higher as we move into 2013.

66 - Give Your Heart A Break by Demi Lovato - Ms. Lovato first appeared on the Weekly Top 20 last year with “Skyscraper” which charted at #67 on the Top 100 Hits of 2011. This year she did one position better as “Give Your Heart a Break” charts at #66 on the Top 100 Hits of 2012.

65 - A Thousand Years by Christina Perri - In 2010 Christina Perri hit the charts with her debut hit “Jar of Hearts” which ended up at #60 on the year end chart. This year, Perri was back with “A Thousnand Years” a track that enjoyed success for most of the year coming back as a second version by year end. The original version peaked at #8 for a couple of weeks this year, good enough to land at #65 for 2012.

64 - Show Me The Way by The Cranberries - The Cranberries are an alternative rock band that enjoyed huge success in the 1990s releasing several albums and singles including the hits “Dreams”, “Linger”, “Zombie”, “Salvation”, “Ode to my Family” and “When You’re Gone” throughout that decade. After 1999 the group stopped recording and pretty much fell off the face of the planet. In late 2011 they released “Show Me The Way” which charted late that year and pushed into 2012 getting as high as #7. When the single appeared on their new album Roses, the title was shortened to “Show Me”. I am happy to know The Cranberries are recording new music. Hope to hear more in 2013 and beyond.

63 - Marry The Night by Lady GaGa - This was the last single to chart from Lady GaGa’s 2011 album Born This Way. The single peaked at #7 after a 5 week run. Ms. GaGa did not release any new music for 2012.

62 - I Make My Own Sunshine by Alyssa Bonagura - What a love about this song is that a ukelele is used as one of the main instruments that gives the track a breezy and cheery feel. Makes me feel happy. “I Make My Own Sunshine” was used in a Lowes’ commercial. Still it is a good song that charted on the Weekly Top 20 peaking as high as #7 and landing the #62 spot on this year’s Top 100.

61 - 50 Ways To Say Goodbye by Train - “50 Ways to Say Goodbye” was the follow-up single to Train’s #1 hit “Drive By”. It charted for 8 weeks getting as high as #7 and securing the #61 spot on the Top 100 Hits of 2012 chart. The track also appears on their album California 37.

With that we wrap another day at the Top 100 for 2012. Tomorrow we cover tracks #60 to #51.

Top 100 of 2012 Countdown Part 3

Numbers 80 to 71

The countdown of the Top 100 Hits of 2012 continues with Part 3 featuring songs number 80 to 71 today.

80 - These Times by SafetySuit - I don’t know much about this band, but they have been around for a few years placing songs on occasion in the Weekly Top 20. This year “These Times” is the first of two songs placed in the Top 100. 

79 - Good Girl by Carrie Underwood - It’s been years now since Carrie Underwood first broke into national prominence via Fox’s American Idol TV broadcast. Today Underwood is a well established country and pop artist having placed several songs on the pop and country charts over the years. This year Carrie manages to get two songs into the Top 100, the first of these being “Good Girl” which was the first single released from her latest album Blown Away.

78 - Me Without You by TobyMac - Toby McKeehan is better known from his stage name TobyMac. He’s Christian rapper, singer-songwriter who has been in the business for more than a dozen years. He first appeared on the Weekly Top 20 with his hit “City on Our Knees” in 2009. This year the Mac is back with “Me Without You” which peaked at #10 after enjoying a 9 week chart run.

77 - Starlight by Matt Cardle - 2012 was a good year for Matt Cardle. His rise to fame began in 2010 but really took off in 2011 after he winning the British X-Factor TV talent show. He had a #1 hit on the top 20 with “Run For Your Life.” This was the follow-up which charted for 8 weeks and peaked at #10 for 2 weeks.

76 - Do It Our Way (Play) by Alesha Dixon - This is another one of those songs that I heard first on BBC Radio #2. “Do It Our Way (Play)” was written for the Weight Watchers program. It was a minor hit in Britain hitting #53 on the U.K. pop charts. The song got no airplay in America. It did make my chart peaking at #10 for 2 weeks.

75 - Easy Come, Easy Go by the Great Lake Swimmers - I listen to a lot of music on BBC Radio #2. They play many songs that never get aired on U.S. radio. Case in point it this gem by the Canadian folk rock group Great Lake Swimmers. I heard it several times in early 2012 to a point that I seeked out and bought the single from Amazon. It charted and got as high as #10 for 3 weeks before tapering off. Good enough to be ranked at #75 for 2012.

74 - Mermaid by Train - This is the 3rd track off Train’s 2012 album California 37 to chart. I am not sure if this was released as a single. However it started to chart in late 2012 and has so far racked up enough weeks to chart it up as #9 on December 23. It’s been listed on a number of independent and personal charts though the internet. The song is still on its way up and will likely be listed on the 2013 Top 100 Hits.

73 - Too Close by Alex Clare - I don’t know much about this British singer-songwriter except that he had a big top 10 hit here in the U.S. “Too Close” was good enough to end up in the Weekly Top 20 and finishes the year at #73.

72 - Stronger (What Doesn't Kill You) by Kelly Clarkson - It’s incredible to believe that Kelly Clarkson’s win on the first American Idol TV show occurred 10 years ago in 2002. She has since been a hit making machine with her latest “Stronger” reaching #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 and other charts all over the USA and the world. For 2012 Clarkson’s big single checks in at #72 on this chart.

71 - Happy Pills by Norah Jones - Another young lady who has been on the music scene for at least the last 10 years is Norah Jones. She first came to prominence in 2002 with her single “Don’t Know Why” off her debut album Come Away With Me. The hit was huge and put her on the pop music map. Since then she has performed in numerous concerts, made TV appearances and released 5 solo albums and a number of collaborative LPs. Her most recent album Little Broken Hearts yielded two singles, the biggest, “Happy Pills” made it to the top 20 and got as high as #9 this year. Good song. Nice album in he best of Norah Jones’ “tradition”.

Tomorrow positions 70 to 61. Hope you are all having a great Christmas holiday!

Top 100 of 2012 Countdown Part 2

Numbers 90 to 81

As we head into the new year, we recap the Top 100 Hits of 2012. Today songs #90 to #81.

90 - Guardian by Alanis Morissette - Alanis will forever be associated with the angst driven rock of Jagged Little Pill that first made her famous in 1995 and 1996. I will always remember her #1 hit "Ironic" which stormed up the charts in 1996 and became her signature song for all time. After that a string of lesser hits, Alanis sort of disappeared until resurfacing in 2012 with this hit single "Guardian". While not up to "Ironic" standards or bliss, this song was good enough to go to #12 for a couple of weeks and end up at #90 for the year.

89 - Doom and Gloom by The Rolling Stones - Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and the rest of The Rolling Stones have been churning out hits for more than 40 years. They first charted way back in 1964 and exploded into the music scene with the original British Invasion by topping the charts with "(I Can't Get No) Satisfaction" in 1965. From then on as they say, it's history. For 2012 the Rolling Stones came back with "Doom and Gloom" a new single that launched a new compilation album as well as a new concert tour. The guys are all pushing 70 and beyond but this song shows that they can still rock. "Doom and Gloom" peaked at #12 on the Weekly Top 20 for 2 weeks and stayed on the chart for 7.



88 - Love Will Set You Free by Engelbert Humperdinck - 76-year old Engelbert Humperdinck recorded this comeback single for the 2012 Eurovision Song Contest. He entered on behalf of his home country and came in nearly last @ 25th place in the May 2012 competition. The song got some airplay on British radio, charted on the Weekly Top 20 and settled at #11 for a week before falling off. Humperdinck is a crooner best known for the hits "Release Me" and "After the Loving".

87 - Leave The Lights On by Meiko - Indie artist Meiko was an internet sensation when she released her first album and single "Boys With Girlfriends" in 2008. That track went all the way to #1 on the Weekly Top 20 and ended the year at #17 on the Top 100. This year Meiko came back with a cooking video, a new album and "Leave the Lights On" that checks in at #87 on the Top 100 Hits of 2012 chart.

86 - Dancin' Away With My Heart by Lady Antebellum - One of several singles from Lady Antebellum's 2011 album Own the Night. This track stayed on the chart for 6 weeks, peaking at #11.

85 - Charlie Brown by Coldplay - This was the 4th single to chart off Coldplay's Mylo Xyloto album.

84 - Good Feeling by Flo Rida - While this track peaked only as high as #11 this year, the song turned out to be one of my most played tracks on iTunes for 2012. It's a rap song by seasoned veteran Flo Rida that has a good medley. The track also appeared in a Buick commercial. Got it from the Now 42 compilation album. See the video at the top of this post.

83 - I Feel Love by Shannon Hurley - I follow Shannon Hurley on my Twitter feed. She is a very active indie artist that has over the years put out music spanning various genres including alternative, folk, pop, trance, electronic and now disco. I could not resist her cover of Donna Summer's 1977 hit "I Feel Love". Hurley's version is a near carbon copy of the Summer hit. Love it.

82 - Little Talks by Of Monsters And Men - "Little Talks" is one of those freebie tracks that I got from iTunes in early January of this year. For the most part of the year, the track just sat in my iTunes library, unplayed. However by mid November I noticed it was listed on a variety of music charts... I decided to check it out again. In time "Little Talks" grew on me; made it to the Top 20 where it has so far peaked at #11 and is still going up, perhaps overlapping into 2013.

81 - Born to Die by Lana Del Rey - I don't see what the appeal of Lana Del Rey is to the masses. Sure she has a handful of good songs off her supposedly debut album. I think "Born to Die" was one of those free tracks given away by Apple's iTunes store, and what the heck, I download these weekly and even listen to them. Some like this one charted high enough to make it to #81 in the Top 100 Hits of 2012 chart.

So for now there you have it on the day before Christmas. I counted down 20 of the hits that made it to the Top 100 Hits of 2012 chart. On Christmas day I'll recap numbers 80 to 71. Have a safe and Merry Christmas.

Top 100 of 2012 Countdown Part 1

Numbers 100 to 91

Starting today until we get to #1 I am proud to countdown and comment on the first 10 songs that have made it to Mel's Weekly Top 20 Top 100 Hits of 2012 list. So let the countdown start as we head off to #1.

100 - One Life by James Morrison. This song was played a few times on BBC Radio #2. It never played on any station in the U.S. or locally that I know of. Still a good, mellow ballad with no U.S. airplay. James Morrison is not the same guy who used to sing for The Doors nor is he James Blunt who I confused him for when I first heard this.

99 - Primadonna by Marina and the Diamonds. This song probably could have done better on my chart, but it did not. It is a great pop song but got only high as #13 after a 6-week run. In 2010 Marina went to #53 on the year end chart with her debut hit "Hollywood". That record peaked at #7.

98 - It's Only Life by The Shins. In 2007 The Shins scored a huge hit on the Weekly Top 20 with "Phantom Limb". The song went to #1 and held that position for 5 weeks making it good enough to become #1 for the year on the 2007 chart. This was The Shins' first big hit after being on the indie scene for several years. In 2012 The Shins were back with a new member line-up and new album Port of Morrow. The beautiful "It's Only Life" was the 2nd single from the album peaking at #13 on the Weekly Top 20.

97 - Free by Haley Reinhart - Nationally this went nowhere. I liked it. Good enough to land at #13 on the weekly chart and end up at #97 for 2012. Reinhart was a finalist in the American Idol TV series.



96 - Settle Down by No Doubt - Gwen Stefani and her group No Doubt was supposed to make this huge comeback in 2012 after not having released an album for more than 10 years. Their comeback single was no "Hella Good" -- totally missed the mark.... "Settle Down" lasted only a few weeks on the Weekly Top 20 and peaked at #12. For the year it gets #96. Two follow-up singles did not click for me. Gwen, try something that is more like the old No Doubt.

95 - It's Only Love by Matt Cardle - 2012 was a good year for British singer Matt Cardle. He placed 3 songs in the 2012 Top 100 Hits. This is the first one, his latest release. Peaked at #12 after a 5 week stay on the chart.

94 - I Could Be A King by The Dunwells - Amazon.com offers a lot of free music by new and upcoming artists. This group reminds me of Mumford & Sons. This single is in the same type of folk-roots-rock vein as Mumford. Good song, and may still be going up the chart by year's end. Peaked so far at #12.

93 - Oh Love by Green Day - Here is another major rock group single that missed the mark for me. "Oh Love" is the only single from Green Day's ambitious but ignored (by me) 3 album set Uno! Dos! Tre! The single was not radio friendly and did not motivate me to sink money into 3 albums that probably all sound the same. I liked some of their earlier albums, but these I'll pass.



92 - Everybody Talks by Neon Trees - Utah rockers Neon Trees had a huge hit in 2010 with "Animal". Their latest hit single "Everybody Talks" received a lot of radio airplay, racked up sales but did not do much for me. Peaked at #12 on my weekly chart and settles at #92 for 2012.

91 - Princess of China by Coldplay featuring Rihanna - An unusual pairing here, but mega rockers Coldplay managed to get a hit out of this single which is from their 2011 album Mylo Xyloto.

And there we have it, the first installment of the Top 200 Hits of 2012 countdown. Check back tomorrow for numbers 90 to 81.

Mel's Weekly Top 20 - December 16, 2012.

Mel's Weekly Top 20
Week of December 16, 2012.

This Week	Title	Artist	Last Week
1	Locked Out Of Heaven	Bruno Mars	2
2	Diamonds	Rihanna	1
3	Ho Hey	The Lumineers	3
4	Anything Could Happen	Ellie Goulding	4
5	Carry On	Fun	7
6	Daylight	Maroon 5	6
7	Christmas In The Sand	Colbie Caillat	11
8	Now Is the Start	A Fine Frenzy	10
9	One More Night	Maroon 5	5
10	Mermaid	Train	14
11	Little Talks	Of Monsters And Men	15
12	I Could Be A King	The Dunwells	13
13	We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together	Taylor Swift	9
14	Skyfall	Adele	8
15	Madness	Muse	16
16	Rock & Roll Love Affair	Prince	19
17	Tornado	Little Big Town	17
18	Gangnam Style	Psy	12
19	I Knew You Were Trouble	Taylor Swift	--
20	Clouds	Zach Sobiech	--

CHART NOTES:

Looks like 2012 is ending about the same way it started with Bruno Mars back on top of the charts. Early this year Mr. Mars was at #1 with "It Will Rain" which held the top spot for 2 weeks in January. Now Bruno is on top again with his latest single "Locked Out of Heaven" a track off his latest album Unorthodox Jukebox.

This means Rihanna's "Diamonds", last week's #1 song fell to #2 after a three week run on top. Holding at #3 are The Lumineers with "Ho Hey". Also holding at #4 is Ellie Goulding and "Anything Could Happen". Fun breaks into the top 5 with their latest single "Carry On". That record moves up 2 from #7 to #5. It is the latest single off their album Some Nights, which saw the title song go to #1 earlier this year.

Colbie Caillat has the best new Christmas song of the season. I think her single track "Christmas in the Sand" certainly captures the feel of the spirit for those of us who live in areas with no snow... like Hawaii... where Christmas can be spent in the sand of Waikiki, Kailua, Ala Moana, Hapuna or many other beaches throughout the islands. "Christmas in the Sand" moves up from #11 to #7 this week. Good song... definitely.

Two songs make their debut into the top 20 this week.

At #19 we find Taylor Swift charting with her latest single off the album Red. Fact is several singles have already been released from her Red album. On this chart so far, the only one to make it until this week is "We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together" which held the #1 spot for several weeks this past fall. The second single to be listed now is "I Knew You Were Trouble," at #19 which is another pop flavored country track that is certain to be a big seller as we move into the new year.

Finally at #20 I have the record that almost came out of nowhere to make its debut on this chart. A week ago while I was listening to the "Coast to Coast AM" radio talk show with Ian Punnett, one of the bumper songs he played caught my attention. It is "Clouds" by 17 year old Zach Sobiech, a dying cancer patient of Lakeland, Minnesota, who is turning to music - writing and performing songs as a way to say goodbye to his friends and family before his time comes. Zach's music was heard by a radio station executive who knew enough people in the local music community to help Zach professionally record his music. The result is the "Clouds" music video, single and a new album. Read more about it at Zach's YouTube video link. "Clouds" is one of the most touching and heartfelt songs to come out this year. God will bless Zach for the gift of music he is leaving behind.

Links: Zach Sobiech | Children's Cancer Research Fund

Songs That Went to #1 in 2012

Locked Out of Heaven - Bruno Mars
Diamonds - Rihanna
One More Night - Maroon 5
We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together - Taylor Swift
Gangnam Style - PSY
We Are Never Ever Getting Back Together - Taylor Swift
One More Night - Maroon 5
Good Time - Owl City featuring Carly Rae Jepsen
Some Nights - Fun
She's So Mean - Matchbox Twenty
Set Fire to the Rain - Adele
Call Me Maybe - Carly Rae Jepsen
Payphone - Maroon 5
Somebody That I Used To Know - Gotye featuring Kimbra
Glad You Came - The Wanted
Somebody That I Used To Know - Gotye featuring Kimbra
Drive By - Train
The One That Got Away - Katy Perry
Red Solo Cup - Toby Keith
Someone Like You - Adele
It Will Rain - Bruno Mars
Run For Your Life - Matt Cardle