Lookin' Fine '89. February 12th. Put the Buffalo in Sex and Armageddon It

We might have got a week off the almost near frantic turn over on the chart last week but holy hell it's back this week at the lower end of the chart, nothing new debuted high enough to worry the top ten but still, it's wild just how much turn over there is this week, let's get to our top ten though where for yet another week, it's "Kokomo" by The Beach Boys at number one but's hold on number one is looking shaky as sales margins closed this week.

It's a good sign for "Teardrops" by Womack & Womack which remained steady at number two this week and "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" by The Proclaimers which also climbed one place to number three and looks like being more of a chance to challenge for number one than "Teardrops" but we'll have to see.

It did push "Especially for You" by Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan back to number four as it continues to weaken, it's coming under pressure from "You Got It" by Roy Orbison which climbed one spot to number five and looks like rising higher in the weeks ahead.

Unfortunately it meant that "Rock and Roll Music" by Mental As Anything got pushed back to number six this week, those sales are on the decline for it. 

Roy Orbison's supergroup The Traveling Wilburys stayed steady at number seven with "Handle With Care" while "Tucker's Daughter" by Ian Moss climbed one place to number eight.

We have two songs making their first appearances in the top ten this week and I am not all that thrilled about either with "Orinoco Flow" by Enya up three to number nine because boring shlock like this somehow has a place in the top ten when it shouldn't while Art of Noise's cover of Prince's "Kiss" feat. Tom Jones rose four places to number ten because when the quality is questionable you got to shoot into the top ten...ugh...

Gains

One song into the top twenty this week with "Angel of Harlem" by U2 up from 22 to 18 this week while "Orange Crush" by R.E.M climbed six places to 22 (nice to see!).

Happy to see "Copperhead Road" by Steve Earle rise five spots to 25 but head scratchingly people like "Like the Way I Do" by Melissa Etheridge which jumped from 48 to 31 somehow...really?

The awful "Nobody's Perfect" by Mike + the Mechanics climbed from 49 to 31 however on a better note "Last Frontier" by Jimmy Barnes climbed nine spots to 35 off it's debut last week.

New Order's having a "Fine Time" up nine to 37 with their latest single.

Re - Entries

There is one return to speak of this week with "Welcome to the Jungle" by Guns 'n' Roses back at 46

Losers

"Til I Love You" by Barbra Streisand and Don Johnson gets us started with the fallers this week as it stumbled ten places to 47. 

It wasn't a good week for 1927 as "That's When I Think of You" fell from 34 to 42 and "If I Could" fell out of the top ten down five to number 11.

"As Long as You Follow" by Fleetwood Mac is down five places to 35 and "Bad Medicine" by Bon Jovi swallowed a heap of bad medicine to slip from 32 to 39. 

Turns out "Sweet Child O' Mine" has gone sour on the chart for Guns 'n' Roses as it went south nine places to 33. 

The love has stopped being groovy for Phil Collins as "A Groovy Kind of Love" slipped from 17 to 23.

New Entries

Six new entries this week, starting with...

50. "Armaggedon It" by Def Leppard

The latest single from Def Leppard's album "Hysteria" with vocal delivery being described as "T Rex meets Eddie Cochran plus backing vocals" which kind of got me a little worried but as it turns out it's your pretty standard 80s hair metal song even if I think this particular brand of sound is getting rather washed out. It's fine enough even if I think the vocals really don't do much for me and I'm going to forget this in record time. 

49. "Let's Put The X in Sex" by KISS 

Ohh yes some shallow penetration into the bottom part of the top 50 with this song by Kiss that talks about putting the X in sex..not thrusting the X into sex but putting the x there even though the x is already there...okay bad sex jokes aside and the song starting out with Gene Simmons whispering 'Let's put the x in sex', this isn't all that good even with the cheeky vibe mostly because Simmons sounds like he got shot out of a cannon or just recently had sex before recording this song...also why does this sound more like a Bon Jovi song? Maybe somebody should have put the Kiss back in Kiss before they decided to want to put the X back in sex especially when they haven't hit first base yet and nobody is moist off this shit...next!

48. " Buffalo Stance" by Neneh Cherry

Well this is a song I was looking forward to covering, it comes from Swedish singer Neneh Cherry and is from her debut album "Raw Like Sushi" and I got to say this song absolutely earns it's swagger with the use of the sample and Cherry's attitude making it absolutely believeable that the buffalo stance is an attitude needed in order to surive in the inner city and elsewhere and yeah, I definitely believe it with Cherry's rapped verses and that sung hook which sounds absolutely excellent so yeah this is a damn great song, check it out.

45. "Missing You" by Chris De Burgh

Oh look the dude who recorded the boring "Lady In Red" is back with a new single from the album called "Flying Colours" and well...this song really is as bland as your white cotton bed sheets, its a pretty stereotypical love song where he has everything he needs except her and he misses her. I mean really this is pretty formulaic and not very interesting...at least Kiss had the benefit of hinting at sex...this is just a bland whisp of a song...next!

41. "Early in the Morning" by Robert Palmer

So Robert Palmer's "She Makes My Day" is actually a really solid song that I don't mind all that much which made me curious to hear how he would follow it up with this being a cover of a 1982 song from The Gap Band  and honestly I am not sure how I feel about this cover because while the vocal delivery sounds flat and like Palmer was recording this early in the morning, I do like the driving energy the production has courtesy of those synths and drums so I guess this one is a bit take it or leave it and in most cases I'd probably leave it.

38. "Real Gone Kid" by Deacon Blue

Highest new entry of the week belongs to a Scottish pop rock band and was written about a performance by Maria McKee that vocalist Ricky Ross saw once with the song being a tribute to McKee with "Real Gone Kid" referencing McKee's onstage performances. The song is the lead single from the album of the same name and I mostly like this! Yeah, it's nice to get a break from 80s synths for a nice pop rock song lead by a keyboard with some nice interplay between the vvocallists. Definitely would love to see this one become a hit, check it out!

However it's not getting best of the week because that's going to "Buffalo Stance" by Neneh Cherry...that song packs a punch. As for the worst, that's going to Kiss for "Let's Put the X in Sex" for being a blatant Bon Jovi knock off.  

ARIA Singles Chart Top 50 Top Ten/ Chart Review: 7th February

 So this was actually a pretty husy week even despite just one new entry this week and I was kind of expecting a slow week given there doesn't really appear to be too many big releases set to shake up the chart any time soon but anyway there were some shifts in the top ten just not at the very top where for a sixteenth week, "Stay" by The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber holds the number one spot thanks to streaming because sales have dropped this song lately.

"Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)" by Elton John and Dua Lipa held steady at number two while a song that was touted for a run at number one "abcdefu" by Gayle seems like it's run at the top is done...yeah it's got sales but streaming isn't anywhere near what it should be for a run at the top spot. 

Then there's the stubborn hold of "Heat Waves" by Glass Animals at number...can this song just magically somehow fuck off already?

Then there's the seven place gain for "Where Are You Now" by Lost Frequencies feat. Calium Scott...apparently people like this song enough for it to be a top five hit...uhh okay...

Streaming gains helped "We Don't Talk About Bruno" by The Cast of Encanto move up five places to number six, I suspext this is heading for the number one spot but we'll see.

Then we have "Shivers" and "Bad Habits" both by Ed Sheeran holding their places at seven and eight respectively. Ed's got a new single on the way from "=" called "The Joker and The Queen" with rumours that Taylor Swift is featured on a remix of the song.

Anyway all of that pushed "Industry Baby" by Lil Nas X feat. Jack Harlow down three places to number nine.

Joining the top ten for the first time and I am pissed to see this song here, "Down Under" by Luude feat Colin Hay up ro number ten. Why are we making this atrocious remix of a great song a thing?

Gains

The gains this week are on the disappointing side for one thing I am not sure why anyone wants junk like "Pushin' P" by Gunna anf Future feat Young Thug up fifteen spots to 21, seriously?

"Light Switch" by Charlie Puth is into the top twenty up four places to 20 but it also dragged "The Motto" by Tiesto feat. Ava Max up six to 25.

At least, "Lost" by Frank Ocean rose eight to 33 and "Oh My God" by Adele rebounded eight to 35. 

Re-Entries

The only re-entry this week is "Without You" by The Kid Laroi with Miley Cyrus at 50.

Losers

Not too mad that "Need to Know" by Doja Cat fell six places to 46 however The Wiggles did fall off their big debut hard as expected this week with "Elephant (Triple J Like A Version)" down a whopping thirty eight spots to 48 and I am really disappointed about that one!

:"Drivers License" by Olivia Rodrigo fell ten to 38, "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" by Lil Nas X slipped seven places to 36 and "On My Knees" by Rufus Du Sol down seven to 29. 

"Happier Than Ever" by Billie Eilish slipped six to 22. 

There were two songs that fell out of the top ten with "Good 4 U" by Olivia Rodrigo down five to 14 and "Do It To It" by Acraze feat. Cherish down five to 11.

Drop outs.

Just the two drop outs this week with "I Am Woman" by Emmy Meli and "Lots of Nothing" by Spacey Jane (Yes, I am disappointed by that latter drop out)

New Entries

Just the one new entry this week, let's look at...

44. "The Family Madrigal" by The Cast of Encanto

It was only a matter of time before we got another song from Encanto turn up on the chart and honestly I've become mostly ambivalent toward songs from Encanto mostly because they are fine but without the context of the film, they make very little sense even if they are catchy enough to catch on and this song kind of has the same issues as "We Don't Talk About Bruno" in terms of it having any kind of context outside the film but the song acts as an introduction to the Madrigal family who are the basis of the film. Again, it's catchy but I'm not sure I'll be coming back to it.

And that wraps up the week, next week could be an interesting one so we'll see when the chart updates on Friday at 5pm AEDST

Lookin' Fine '89. 5th February. LIke The Way I Do Fine Time at the Last Frontier

 So we've got plenty of movement on the chart this week including two songs that I reviewed last week breaking into the top ten so let's not waste anymore time and get past the boring bit because for yet another week, it's unfortunately "Kokomo" by the Beach Boys spending yet another week at number because Australia still likes unedifying dross at the top of their charts.

"Teardrops" bv Womack & Womack appears to be it's closest competition as it rose one spot to number two and I'd like it to challenge from number one sooner rather than later.

What isn't going to challenge for the top is "Especially for You" by Kylie Minogue and Jason Donovan as it finally got pushed back to number three and it's under pressure there because The Proclaimers continued their rise this week with "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" up three spots to number four and I fully expect the battles in the weeks ahead to get interesting. 

Then there's the one slot gain for "Rock and Roll Music" by Mental as Anything up to number five this week as it took advantage of the weakening of "If I Could" by 1927 which slipped one to number six.

Also weakening is "Handle with Care" by The Traveling Wilburys which skidded three spots to number seven.

Then we have first of two songs breaking into the top ten off their debuts last week with "You Got It" by Roy Orbison jumping ten places to number eight while "Tucker's Daughter" by Ian Moss had one of the biggest gains of the week rising from 37 to number nine this week and I am fine with both of these songs being here.

FInally falling one place this week is "She Makes My Day" by Robert Palmer to number ten.

Gains

So I already mentioned the gains for both Roy Orbison and Ian Moss this week, well...unfortunately "Orinoco Flow" by Enya for some reason is up from 20 to number 12 this week.

In much better news, "Orange Crush"  by R.E.M is up ten places to 28 and "Copperhead Road" by Steve Earle jumped 14 to hit 30 which is nice to see.\

"That's When I Think of You" by 1927 climbed from 41 to 34 while "As Long as You Follow" by Fleetwood Mac got a ten place jump to 35 and Rick Astley still has his dancing partner as "She Wants to Dance with Me" is up from 50 to 42. 

Losers

Well it's a busy one this week beginning with "Nobody's Perfect" by Mike + the Mechanics which thankfully fell to 49 off it's debut...thank goodness, that song still blows.

Then there's "Smooth Criminal" by Michael Jackson which dipped from 35 to 41...oh come on, this song deserves so much better than this, Australia.

One of the big hits of 1988, "Simply Irresistible" by Robert Palmer tumbled eleven spots to 40 while "When a Man Loves a  Woman" by Jimmy Barnes took a twelve place hit to 39.

"Cat Among the Pigeons" by Bros slid ten spots to 36 because people seem to have forgotten that song exists.

"Don't Need Love" by Diesel & The Injectors tumbled from 15 to 21 as it begins to fade naturally and finally, "Don't Worry, Be Happy" by Bobby McFerrin fell sx to 19

New Entries

Three new entries this week beginning with...

48. "LIke The Way I Do" by Melissa Etheridge

So this is the second single from Melissa Etheridge's self titled album released in 1988 and well given I'm a little mixed on Melissa Etheridge at best, I was wary of this and yeah while I get the anger at her lover hooking up with somebody else, I can't help but feel like there's a lack of anger or rage especially as it honestly feels a little by the numbers. Melissa's delivery has some passion but my god it kind of reads as jealousy given her ex lover has likely moved on so it gives this song a rather awkward vibe that I am not sure I want to revisit.

46. "Fine Time" by New Order

Next off the rank is the lead single from New Order's album "Technique" and was apparently inspired by one of the members having his car towed and remembering that he had to pay the fine. I will say this is a typically cheeky and fun New Order song that's got a pretty damn solid groove. It's not really my thing but objectively it's a pretty solid dance song even if the bleating lamb at the end does feel a little out of place. Check it out if you are curious...

44. "Last Frontier" by Jimmy Barnes 

Okay, so this seems rather random given "Freight Train Heart" was released in 1987 especially following a cover, kind of thought the roll out for that paerticular album was done but we got this and its pretty good. Yeah, it's got that tpical Jimmy Barnes vocals alone with same coursing rock energy that is so typical of Jimmy Barnes songs but what really solid the song for me was that guitar solo, it sounded fabulous as Barnes sings about people struggling to find hope and freedom as they struggle tto achieve whatever their dreams are its actually pretty intensely sad song.

And it's getting the best of the week...I genuinely enjoyed it. As for the worst? Ehh...nothing too bad this week but it's going to "Like the Way I Do" by Melissa Etheridge for just feeling awkward and kind of icky

Top Ten Best Hit Songs of 2021

Well now we get to the list that's always the hardest for me that being the top ten best hit songs of any given year...yeah I work from what makes the ARIA singles year end for the year but there's also combing through the list, finding the songs that ruled my year and than figuring out where each song fits on some subjective list for the sake of this blog and truth be told, I was sorely tempted to drop the whole idea of a top ten because really in 2021, there was A LOT of good music that made the ARIA year end for 2021..when I can pull a seolid 21 good to great songs out as contenders for this list and have headaches ordering then I guess even with how transitional popular music felt in terms of trends last year. 

Anyway let's get to the rules for this list.

1. A song can only make this list if it debuted on the year end for 2021 or is a 2020 year end song that's higher on the 2021 list

2. A new rule here due to the ARIA year end being constantly full of old songs so if a song is older than 2020 and debuting on the year end list for 2021 then it's eligible for honourable mention only as i don't think it's fair for older songs to make the top ten and I think the top ten should reflect the music released in 2021. 

3. This my list, my opinion so please don't abuse me in the comments.

So moving on to our six honourable mentions and right off the bat, it's time for controversy because...

"My Ex's Best Friend" by Machine Gun Kelly feat. Blackbear

Somewhere along the line it became cool to hate on Machine Gun Kelly and honestly...I've never ever felt that way toward him...yeah even for that awful collab with Camila Cabello back in 2017 and all the other douchebag things he has done, I've mostly been ambivalent toward him however this infectious slice of pop/rock wormed its way into my heart in 2020 thanks to MGK's album "Tickets to My Downfall" and I'm absolutely thrilled that this became a hit because this is a bewildered MGK trying to figure out his complicated feelings on relationships and rebound relationships...even Blackbear does better than usual here (he is the worst part of that new Avril Lavigne song) and the song is short enough so that the listener doesn't get sick of it. Love it!

"Leave Before You Love Me" by Marshmello feat. Jonas Brothers

Ohh, I know this one is also going to be controversial but this song kind of hits akin to "It Ain't Me" by Kygo and Selena Gomez in terms of artists I don't care for coming together to make a really good song and that's the case here with Marshmello finally producing a song where he gets out of his own way in the production booth and the Jonas Brothers do a really damn solid job of selling a song where they are warning this girl that she's going to fall in love and end up getting hurt if she doesn't leave the club now. Nice job by both acts.

"Montero (Call Me by Your Name)" by Lil Nas X

I think the controversy that surrounded this one with the music video and the shoes kind of made people forget that this song is actually pretty damn good, it's the moment that Lil Nas X completely shed his image as the guy who made that ubquitous 2019 meme song and told the public in no certain terms that he is more than taking that horse down Old Town Road injecting many LGBTIQIA+ themes into his debut full length album and this song is almost the centrepiece of that where Lil Nas X tells his lover that he doesn't want to be on the downlow with regard to his sexuality and also addresses the pressure he feels to represent the LGBTIQIA+ community in the music industry and that really takes a heck of a lot of guts to do and it's damn great song to boot. More Lil Nas X later on this list.

"Drivers License' by Olivia Rodrigo

Word of warning, you are going to be seeing plenty of Olivia Rodrigo on this list and that's mostly because I do think Sour is a really damn good album, yeah, its centred around her teenage heartbreak but it's not like its coming from a 25 year old woman who is five or six years past teenagerdom, Olivia is actually a teenagerr and this year put her emotions and energy into a song all about her excitement about finally getting her drivers license and being able to drive to see her boyfriend only he isn't there and is likely cheating on her which is something that angers and devastates Olivia because she's very clearly still in love with the asshole in question as evidenced by the line "I still fucking love you, babe", the only reason that it's not on the list proper is because there were a heap of really damn good songs that pushed above it.

"Deja Vu" by Olivia Rodrigo

The suspicion I have about this song is that people backed away from it because it sounded a little weird and s little too experimental coming from a teenager who had just released the massive break up ballad yet here's "Deja Vu" a slice of pop rock that had all these little quirks in the instrumentation as Olivia asks if her ex is having moments of deja vu when he takes his new girl out to do all things he used to do with Olivia, it's not quite angry but more wistful as Olivia remembers all that stuff she and the guy did together and hopes he does too...either way this song grew on me A LOT in 2021. Good stuff.

"Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac

The fact that this made the year end for the first time in 2021 is mindblowing to me however even if I didn't have my rule with regard to older songs on the year end in place, this still would have been only an honourable mention...yeah it's a damn great song and Stevie Nicks is an amazing performer however combine this song being on the singles chart all year along with the cover by Jolyon Petch and I got tired of the song pretty damn quick combine that with the fact that Fleetwood Mac have better songs than this in their cannon. I still love "Dreams" but boy, am I ready for a break from it.

Now to the list proper....

Number Ten

So before I saw the ARIA singles year end for 2021,  I was all set to put this guy's Billboard Hot 100 number one on this list, that was until the year end was released and I saw that this other song of his had made the year end and what a delight it is...

"Martin & Gina" by Polo G

I was shocked this made the ARIA year end so much so I screamed with shocked delight when I saw it as it didn't feel like that much of a hit but my god I am happy it's here. Polo G is one of the newer acts in hip hop along with Rod Wave that I really keep an eye on and let me tell you "Martin & Gina" is excellent mostly because it subverts the expectation that it's going to be another luxury brag rap where Polo G goes on about he can afford to spend thousands on buying his girlfriend jewellery and whatever the hell she wants but rather to rap about the ups and downs and give and take of their relationship over this really nicely textured guitar and while "Rapstar' was close to the list, I like to think "Martin & Gina" is the song that made Polo G one of the best up and coming rappers in hip hop.

Number Nine

2021 was the year I spent saying that SZA deserved so much better from her label and basically from everyone around her, when she releases songs like this one, can you blame me?

"Good Days" by SZA

2021 was the year that I got what makes SZA a compelling R'n'B artist, she's got such a wonderful command of her atmosphere to create a song that brings its own sonic world to life with it, it's a song that's just so gentle and relaxing that it makes you forget that world is in a pretty terrible state right now and then there's SZA who is seeking to have more good days and moving on from the bad things that happened in her past eg: bad relationship and letting go of the awful things that have happened to her in the past. It's just really vibey, inspiring song which is rare to find these days especially in the mainstream but I think this song got there for me. Can we get that new SZA album this year? It's about god damn freaking time and....SZA DESERVES BETTER!

Number Eight

So remember my worst list when I criticised Keith Urban's "One Too Many". Turns out he is appearing on the best list too...

"Love Songs Ain't for Us" by Amy Shark feat. Keith Urban

Okay, so this isn't fully on Keith Urban here, "Love Ain't For Us" is actually Amy Shark providing a really damn good vocal performance where the production on the vocals for once also works wonders plus it makes sense that this song is an Ed Sheeran co write given the lyrics of the song but the song does deserve it as the song is a bare bones ballad about how sometimes no love song describes feelings between two people even if the relationship sits at a crosspoint where they not friends or lovers but somewhere between. It's definitely one of those songs to be played toward the end of a school dance or party. Check this song out.

Number Seven

So I was all set to put Lil Nas X's most recent hit on this list but as that one missed the ARIA year end, I took a moment, relistened to this one and well...

"Industry Baby" by Lil Nas X feat. Jack Harlow

Let me say this, if Lil Nas X didn't have the bucket loads of charisma, a song like this doesn't work at all and that instrumentation is grand and actually fits in quite well with Lil Nas X clapping back at those who dare hate him especially after the controversy around the "Montero (Call Me By Your Name)" video and the shoes.and he does so brilliantly using his charisma to chop his haters down to appropriate sizes...you'd kind of hope the haters now realize that Lil Nas X will leverage their hate and turn it into hilarious promo for his music but then Jack Harlow shows up to deliver one his best verses of his career...his whole verse is just absolute gold

" don't clear up rumors (ayy), where's y'all sense of humor? (Ayy)I'm done makin' jokes 'cause they got old like baby boomers
Turned my haters to consumers, I make vets feel like they juniors (juniors)
Say your time is comin' soon, but just like Oklahoma (mmm)
Mine is comin' sooner (mmm), I'm just a late bloomer (mmm)
I didn't peak in high school, I'm still out here gettin' cuter (woo)
All these social networks and computers
Got these pussies walkin' 'round like they ain't losers"

It's damn brilliant and a sure sign that Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow will be well worth keeping around for a long time 

Number Six

So this next song is a 2020 song that thanks to Triple J's Hottest 100 and it's second place ranking behind "Heat Waves" by Glass Animals, it charted on the singles chart high enough and long enough to make the year end and that song is on this list...

"Booster Seat" by Spacey Jane

This was a song that put a smile on my face every time I heard it during 2021, it's the sort of song that you play while on a long drive on a freeway during summer with the windows down and that guitar that starts the song bringing this chill vibe even during the heat of summer with Spacey Jane singing about being in the booster seat of a car. 

It also helps that that chorus is one of the best of the year with a song that actually builds up into the chorus rather than dropping down which is something I don't hear enough of in modern music these days...the chorus is supposed to be the central part of a song...build up to it rather than build down. This is just as anthemic as 'Booster Seat" was last year. Definitely check this out. 

Number Five

The best way to describe Ed Sheeran's year last year was mixed, sure, he has two hit songs with both making ARIA"s year end but specifically to find the Ed Sheeran song making this list, you need to go back to the end of 2020 to find it and thus...

"Afterglow" by Ed Sheeran

I never cared for "Bad Habits" and while "Shivers"  did grow on me, it just didn't do enough to make this list (tough competition this year and being merely decent was not enough) but it was the paired back and folky "Afterglow" that hit the Ed Sheeran sweet spot for me this year, its the sort of quietly great song that was needed coming out of an awful year that made me feel better about a lot of things and gave me hope for the next year (that really only kind of turned into an almost carbon copy of 2020 with lockdowns etc) and while Ed Sheeran hasn't definitively explained what the song is about, some have determined that the song maybe a love song to his wife but for me, "Afterglow' became the song for letting go of the bad shit and moving forward with the good. Great song, Ed.

Number  Four

Well what's a 2021 year end best list without this song on it?...

"Leave the Door Open" by Silk Sonic

Some of you will be surprised at how low this is on my list but the truth is that I love other songs on "An Evening With Silk Sonic" just that little bit more however even with that this is still a damn fantastic song with Anderson Paak and Bruno Mars knowing what makes this sort of retro 70s soul go down smooth and easy with the audience and knowing the bounds of good taste with lyrics enticing this young woman into their home by leaving the door open for her should she decide to come over for a romantic evening...and yeah, given how good this song went down in 2021, I was up for it. 

Number Three 

So with the previous song and the next three songs, they were all automatic picks for this list for me and given I think this song will make the best hit songs lists for 2022 in the US, I'm glad I can add it to this list for 2021...

"Easy On Me" by Adele

So many people said upon hearing "Easy On Me" that it wasn't a lead single song and yet I'd argue that it's the perfect lead single especially given everything that has happened, this is Adele taking the decision to end her marriage and begging her ex and her son to go easy, she did what she had to do to find herself again as the love in her marriage had gone and she realized she and her ex were staying together for the sake of their son which didn't make Adele happy. What I love about this song is that it's just Adele's vocals, a piano and some strings...that's it...all ttat's left is Adele's incredible ability to knock a song like this out of the god damn park with her charisma. Fantastic song.

Number Two

So when I was formulating my plans for my 2020 year end best hit songs list this particular song was going to be my number one best hit for 2020 so colour me sad and disappointed when it didn't make the year end for that year but thankfully due to it's ridiculous longevity, it made the ARIA year end for 2021 and so...

"Levitating' by Dua Lipa

Yeah, the asshole that is Father Time kinf of did a bit of a number and the DaBaby feature and subsequent controversy over his big mouth kept this from the top spot with regard to me placing this  but if you strip away all that outside noise and focus on the original version of "Levitating" (which made the year end rather than the remix), it's still a damn GREAT pop song, it's got just enough of those 70s grooves but doesn't go the whole way to feel like a pastiche to the past and Dua Lipa has got that effortless charisma to make the song just sound like an absolute party. It's great fun and in a year like this one, this song was the relief I needed but there was one song that connected for me like nothing else in a year where things in the world stopped making sense so what could it be.

Number One

So let's talk about music made by teenage girls...more specifically pop/rock that dives more toward teenage angst something that Avril Lavigne and others cornered in the early part of this new mess of a millennium so bring on a year like 2021 where pop/rock and pop punk is making a return to the spotlight combine that with a teenage girl's messy relationship break up and you get this...

"Good 4 U" by Olivia Rodrigo

I never could understand the criticism of Olivia Rodrigo's writing her debut album about her relationship break up, after all she is writing about something she has lived through, worked through feelings on and is now pulling from the break up for her music which is absolutely what Taylor Swift and so many other artists before Olivia Rodrigo have done and 'Good 4 U" is a highlight on "SOUR" where Olviia manages to sound righteously sarcastic and angry even though she's losing her dignity over this douche moving on with another girl without caring about Olivia and making sure that she is okay. 

And it's that lack of care from her ex that sparks the undignified rage from Olivia that works so well against the guitars that I have missed in popular music for years and the drums do a lot here to help keep the song in balance. 

Oh yeah, this song features the best two seconds in pop music where Olivia yells "LIKE A DAMN SOCIOPATH" and for all of that...it's the best hit song of 2021,

ARIA Singles Top 50 Top Ten/Chart Review: 31st January: Lots Of Elephants Pushing Light Switch and P

 So this week the Triple J Hottest 100 made it's impact and really it wasn't as wild as I thought it was going to be but it did trigger some changes in our top ten so let's start there because we have a new and old number one with "Stay" by The Kid Laroi and Justin Bieber returning to the top spot for a fifteenth week mostly thanks to streaming that got boosted through the Hottest 100.

It pushed former number one "Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)" by Elton John and Dua Lipa back to number two as it couldn't go with "Stay" on streaming while the switch was also a body blow to "abcdefu" by Gayle which slipped back to number three...yeah it's sales are excellent but streaming hasn't matched the sales growth and I'm beginning to wonder it's run for number one is done at this point.

Holding steady at number four is "Heat Waves" by Glass Animals as it held off a challenge from "Industry Baby" by Lil Nas X and Jack Harlow who rode a wave of streaming thanks to Triple J and the Hottest 100 to bounce back up six places to number five.

Also rising is "Do It To It" by Acraze feat. Cherish jumped two to number six (who actually is listening to this? Seriously)

All of this pushed 'Shivers" back two places to seven and "Bad Habits" likewise to number eight both for Ed Sheeran.

The next two are courtesy of the Triple J Hottest 100 with "Good 4 U" by Olivia Rodrigo rebounding  seven places to number 9 and the highest new entry of the week coming from childrens group The Wiggles with "Elephant (Trple J Like A Version)' which entered at number ten thanks to sales and streaming...I don't expect this to stay in the top ten and the indication is that this will likely fall out of the top ten next week.

Gains

So let's look at what else gained big outside the top ten and there's "Happier Than Ever" by Billie Eilish which jumped 14 spots to number 16, "Drivers License" by Olivia Rodrigo up 22 to 28 and "Need to Know" by Doja Cat up 9 to 40...all three of these gains can be attributed to Triple J's Hottest 100

Re Entries

Just the one re entry this week with "On My Knees" by Rufus Du Sol back at 22 thanks to the Hottest 100. 

Losers

There were some heavy losses this week so I'm going to limit it to just the double digit losses because there were a lot of songs that took hits this week to keep this reasonably short so we start with "Moth to a Flame" by Swedish House Mafia and The Weeknd down 10 to number 38 (it really wasn't a good week for The Weeknd) then there's "Better Days" by Neiked and Mae Muller featuring Polo G skidding down 11 to number 35. 

"One Right Now" by Post Malone and The Weeknd slumped ten spots to 32. Post Malone recently annouced his new album called "Twelve Carat Toothache" is coming sometime this year. "Save Your Tears" by The Weeknd is crying down ten to 33 while "Sacrifice" by The Weeknd plunged 14 to number 27.

Drop Outs

And again there's more The Weeknd here with both "Take My Breath" and "Is There Someone Else?" gone, they took with them "Acapulco" by Jason DeRulo, "Overpass Graffiti" by Ed Sheeran (disappointing as I like that song) and "All Too Well 10 Minute version (Taylor's Version)" by Taylor Swift.

Honestly that last song had a pretty impressive run that shouldn't be sneezed at.

New Entries

We got four new rather eclectic entries this week and unfortunately we are getting off to a bad start because...

36. "Pushin' P" by Gunna & Future feat. Young Thug

No, I am not doing this. I am not going to even bother dignifying this absolute piece of trash trap song where you can absolutely tell nobody is trying and when Gunna claims that this girl is not a lesbian but a 'pesbian' which appears to be lazy effort to make his p (which stands for pussy by the way) work within the song but no much like that whole Gunna album, this is utter JUNK...next.

 

34. "Lots of Nothing" by Spacey Jane

Oh this is much better. Great to have Spacey Jane back on the charts and even better with a pretty good song as this song brings in guitar that sounds really breezy and is totally consistent with their previous output but I also really like the content of the song as well with the song about dealing with the parts of yourself that you don't like and how it can feel like you are seeing those traits as part of a whole other person which I actually think is pretty interesting in terms of psychology and I can actually connect to some of those feelings expressed in the song so yeah this is absolutely worth hearing, check it out if you are curious

24. "Light Switch" by Charlie Puth

Well, I am surprised it's taken this long for Charlie Puth to return to the charts given he has been releasing scattered singles since 2019 that haven't had any impact at but with this song being from his upcoming album "Charlie" so how is the song? I don't know tbh, I definitely don't hate but I'm not sure I love it either, there's a solid groove which I do like and a melody that works but I am not a massive fan of that somewhat whispered vocal delivery that Puth uses here as it doesn't match the song's energy, it's not bad but it's certainly not good either which is a bit worrying because of the four new entries this week, I suspect this is the only song that will stick around.

10. "Elephant (Triple J LIke A Version)" by The Wiggles

So this was voted the number one song on the Hottest 100...a cover of Tame Impala song by children's group The Wiggles which on paper really just shouldn't work AT ALL and yet...it somehow works better than it has any right to especially as they manage to sneak in a bit of "Fruit Salad" in the middle of the song which makes it all the more infectious and fun so yeah I'm happy this debuted so damn high.

However it's not getting the best of the week because I just like "Lots of Nothing" by Spacey Jane just that little bit more. Worst of the week falls out easy because that's going to "Pushin' P" by Gunna and Future feat. Young Thug for being the musical equivalent of junk.

Next week..I don't know because New Music Friday was a bit weird...I guess it might be the fallout of all of this but we'll find out when the chart updates on Friday at 5pm AEDST

Lookin' Fine '89. 29th January: Nobodys Tucker's Perfect Daughter with that Orinoco Flow

 So this week wasn't really all that interesting, the top half of the top ten stalled and our new entries are...well...you'll see however let's get on with the top ten where for yet another week, "Kokomo" by The Beach Boys remains at number one and unfortunately it's got a tight vice like grip on the top spot with strong sales.

People still haven't gotten past the Scott and Charlene wedding so "Especially For You" by Jason Donovan and Kylie Minogue remained at number two because it's not catching "Kokomo" on sales at all at this point.

Then there's "Teardrops" by Womack & Womack clinging to number three, The Traveling Wilburys at number four and "If I Could" by 1927 at number five.

As I predicted last week, Mental as Anything did take advantage of some weaker songs to rise two places to number six with "Rock and Roll Music"

The song with some consistent momentum is "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)' by The Proclaimers which rose three to number seven...it's going to be making a play for number one in a few weeks with the momentum it's got. 

It moved past "The Only Way is Up" returned to living up to it's name by jumping up one place to number eight but' it's coming under pressure from "She Makes My Day" by Robert Palmer which rose from 16 to number nine which is just wild to me!

Transvision Tramp hit the top ten up two places to number ten with "I Want Your Love"

Gains

I am pretty happy to see "Two Hearts" by Phil Collins jump eleven places to 16 and "Oange Crush" by R.E.M rise from 49 to 38 following it's debut last week but apart from these two there were no other major gains this week.

Re Entries

This week saw the return of  "Always With Me, Always With You" by Joe Satriani at number 47

Losers

Alright let's do what we normally do by starting down at 50 because there was a seven place drop there for Rick Astley's "SheWants toDance With Me". Daryl Braithwaite's "All I Do" slumped eleven to 49. 

Michael Jackson's "Smooth Criminal" is not having such a smooth ride on the charts as it slipped from 29 to 35 this week.

Then there's Kylie Minogue's "Je Ne Sais pas Pourquoi" which fell eight places to 34. 

"Sweet Child O' Mine" turning sour for Guns 'n' Roses down ten spots to 28 while Jimmy Barnes cover of "When a Man Loves a Woman" slumped seven to 27. Jason Donovan's 1988 hit "Nothing Can Divide Us" got divided nine places to 24.  

Bobby McFerrin's chipper "Don't Worry, Be Happy" started to do the Start Worry, Be Nervous because it tumbled from 7 to 14 this week while ?Put a Little Love in Your Heart" by Al Green and Annie Lennox fell five places to 11 and that's a surprise fall...didn't see that one coming...

 New Entriea

Four new entries this week, most of these in pop...starting with...

42. "Nobody's Perfect" by Mike + The Mechanics

I just looked at the song title and the artist involved and groaned...seriously...songs called "Nobody's Perfect" or "Human" have a habit of being obnoxiously insufferable however this song is taken from "Living Years" and is the follow up to the massive hit in 1988, "Living Years" Mike + The Mechanics  oh wow...this is incredibly annoying with the production on the verses with it sounding like somebody hitting glasses on the verse before it stops for a by the numbers hook about how none of us are perfect all of the time so in other words this is generic as all hell trash. 

37. "Tucker's Daughter" by Ian Moss

So here we have the debut solo single from former Cold Chisel vocalist and guitarist Ian Moss and features a co write from fellow former Cold Chisel member Don Walker on "Tuckers Daughter" with it being the lead single for Moss's debut album "Matchbook"

So how is the song? Honestly if there was a pop/rock song to completely sucker you in, it's this one with Moss telling the story of a farm labourer realizing that his employer's own daughter is attracted to him but he doesn't reciprocate those feelings and musically that guitar that brings you in and the hook is a monster, this is going to be massive this year. Damn good song, nice way to start that solo career

20. "Orinoco Flow" by Enya

I've been dreading this one mostly because I've never cared for the sort of somewhat not quite ethereal new age thing she's got going in her music but none the less this is a song from her second album "Watermark" so how is the song? I mean it's your stock standard Enya song where it takes googling to understand what she's singing before the hook launches into the repetitive 'sail away' otherwise this music that could cure insomnia...next!

18. "You Got It" by Roy Orbison

The late great Roy Orbison is back on the charts thanks to "You Got It" being the first single from his completed album "Mystery Girl" and I got to say this was really pretty quickly following Orbison's death in 1988 which kind of makes me worry about the quality of the song so how is it? 

Of course it's damn good! You really think I'd doubt a song written by Orbison, Jeff Lynne of ELO and Tom Petty now? It's this gorgeous upbeat guitar driven pop song that still holds dear to some of the trends of the 60s but that only serve to make the song endearing and when the song is basically Orbison throwing himself at the feet of this girl letting her know that if she ever wants anything, he will provide it for her and yeah this song just leaves you with a smile for days especially as the hook is incredibly catchy.

But it's not taking best of the week because "Tucker's Daughter" by Ian Moss is getting that. As for the worst...well that's going to "Nobody's Perfect" by Mike + The Mechanics.

ARIA Singles Top 50 Top Ten Chart Review. 24th January. Encanto's Bruno in Top Ten and Frank Ocean's back on the chart

 So after last week's chaos, the fall out this week felt busy but not to the point where it feels chaotic, want evidence of that? Look at our top ten where "Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)" by Elton John and Dua Lipa spent an eighth week at number one thanks to good sales and streaming however there might a challenge from an old rival soon...I'll explain in a bit.

"abcdefu" by GAYLE remains at number two and honestly I'm not sure about it's prospects of getting to number one, sure it's the sales leader this week but streaming hasn't really taken off for this song in the way that would propel it to the top spot because streaming is the thing both "Cold Heart (PNAU Remix)" and one other song we'll get to have over it.

Now this where the challenger for number one comes in because at number three is "Stay" by The Kid Laroi feat. Justin Bieber. Thanks to Triple J's Hottest 100 where this song is a contender for the number one spot on that countdown, it could get enough of a streaming boost to return to the top of the ARIA singles chart next week.

Still holding it's postion inside the top ten is 'Heat Waves" by Glass Animals at number four while "Shivers" by Ed Sheeran moved up one to number five pushing "Bad Habits" by Ed Sheeran down to number six.

Holding it's place this week is Adele's "Easy On Me" at number seven...I expect this fall out of the top ten in the weeks ahead. 

Moving back up to number eight is "Do It To It" by Acraze feat Cherish because junk like this somehow deserves to be in the top ten which probably could also be said of one of two new arrivals to the top ten..."Where Are You Now" by Lost Frequencies feat. Calum Scott up to places to number nine because it's got traction on streaming...lovely...not.

The second of our new arrivals to the top ten is "We Don't Talk About Bruno" by The Cast of Encanto...this song is gaining strength on streaming, I can only see it going higher.

Gains

Ugh. Almost EVERYTHING gained this week as The Weeknd's album bomb last week receded so I am going to going through the songs that gained 7 or more spots this week.

In great news this week, "Edamame" by bbno$ feat. Rich Brian climbed eight spots to 25 this week however I am not so thrilled "The Motto" by Tiesto and Ava Max climbed 16 places to 26 or that "We Run The Night" by Havana Brown rebounded nine places to 39. 

Then there's "Acapulco" by Jason Derulo up 10 places to 40...Joy..

Re Entries

There are seven re entries this week beginning with "Drivers License" by Olivia Rodrigo at number 50, "Need to Know" by Doja Cat at number 49, "Love Tonight" by Shouse gets more love back at 47, "Dreams" by Fleetwood Mac gets another return at 46, the excellent "Overpass Graffiti" by Ed Sheeran returns at 45 (I want to see this become a hit if that is at all possible) and "Oh My God" by Adele at number 36. 

The final re entry is courtesy of the song going viral on Tik Tok with "Lost" by Frank Ocean returning at number 32. It originally peaked at number 46 on the ARIA singles chart in 2013, it was a number five hit in New Zealand years ago. I'd honestly be okay with this is being the latest older song to become a hit.

Losers

So the biggest loser this week was The Weeknd with "Take My Breath" down 29 to 44 and the only surviving album track "Is There Somebody Else" down 15 to 33. The only other loser was "I Hate U" by SZA which slipped four places to 38...kind of disappointed by tha.

Drop Outs

So the rest of "Dawn FM" album tracks from The Weeknd that charted last week dropped out taking "Miserable Man" by David Kushner with it,

New Entries

No new entries this week so that wraps up this week's chart blog. Next week will likely be all about the impact of the Triple J Hottest 100 but we'll find out on Friday when ARIA updates the chart at 5pm