As Summer is coming to a fast end, I will reveal the top 50 songs I liked the most in the past 2 1/2 months. There are some surprises, but overall this is a good list I can assure you.
I will list you the reasons on why I selected these, and why some notables didn't make the cut. Also to let you know, Lady Gaga didn't make this list but was dangerously close..and neither did Ke$ha (whose Tik Tok and Your Love Is My Drug had impact, but just not enough to make it). But the 50 I chose are a wide variety of songs and styles from pop, rock, dance, country and maybe a bit of the christian music too. Get your jams ready, it starts now.
Many were surprised Mixi wasn't #1 and some were pretty surprised that Ashley Tisdale didn't take the top....but if you know your music, then you had to think Kings Of Leon was gonna take it with Use Somebody.
Now, to find out who made this year's top 50 for the Summer. KOL, Mixi, Angelica and Jazmin who made the top 10 on the year-end in 2009 didn't even make this Summer's cut. We might have Ashley somewhere, stay tuned.
PROS:
-Natasha is very experienced on my chart. Going back to 2005 with These Words, she has had a string of #1s on my countdown with most recent being her monster hit Pocketful Of Sunshine that was a top 10 endyear result in 2008.
-Touch is the first single from her 3rd album. This has picked up a lot of airplay in the last few weeks.
CONS:
-Because it's a recent release, she didn't get to do much damage on the chart in the Summer. No other real flaws here.
NOTES:You can't have Summer without a dance song from Natasha, and this is proof.
49. Shinedown "The Crow And The Butterfly"
PROS:
-They've got plenty of chart experience, and were #1 on VH1's countdown with Second Chance. This song was the 3rd from their Sound Of Madness album to chart on my weekly list.
CONS:
-Again, like Touch it's a recent entry into my list so it didn't do much damage.
NOTES:It's hard to top the success Second Chance and If You Only Knew had, if you can at least have good consistency, then you deserve to be here.
48. Rihanna "Rockstar 101"
PROS:
-It's a different sound from her previous hits, more edgy and rockish. She's had a few songs with pop/rock elements including Final Goodbye (from A Girl Like Me), Shut Up And Drive (from her 3rd CD which I forget, lol)...and now this song Rockstar 101 Ft. Slash. This was a moderate hit on my weekly chart, then rebounded after a few months.
-Rihanna continues a streak which she has at least 1 top 10 hit from each of her 4 CDs she's had.
CONS:
-Unfortunately, a big red light for me is that most of her songs lately have disappointed me. Rude Boy is an example, Russian Roulette disappointed, Hard was a flop, Rehab I was not impressed with, plus I didn't like Love The Way You Lie or Run This Town (the songs she's featured in). If she's gonna continue to be a quality artist for me, she needs to keep up the good songs going like Rockstar 101.
NOTES:She's been up and down on my chart.
47. Lifehouse "Halfway Gone"
PROS:
-This may be their strongest song to-date, which can be arguable. Likely to be on my year-end top 100. Yes it may seem like it's copying the All-American Rejects video for Move Along, but Lifehouse did it better I think.
-Singer Lauren DeMiranda makes a cameo. http://www.myspace.com/laurendemiranda
-They've made the countdown a lot of times since their entry in 2000-2001.
CONS:
-No real cons, just the fact that if it weren't for Orianthi, Carrie Underwood, KSM and Lights, Lifehouse would be dominant. They picked a bad time to have a great song, they were up against some real heavyweights.
NOTES:Lots of chart experience can only take you so far.
46. Stephanie Smith "Back To Innocence"
PROS:
-Stephanie Smith is a Christian pop/rock singer who has a lot of potential for a 25-year old looking to make the big time. You may recall a few years back she infected us with her harmony on Not Afraid. She came back with more edge and fire in this song Back To Innocence. Just watch the video to find out why.
-This dominated the early part of the year on my list, expect her to be on the year-end top 100. Her potential of making it big in the business is good. I see good things for her.
CONS:
-The stretch run on my chart in the Summer was not good for her. She struggled a bit, so it could hurt her chances. But crazier things have happened folks, so don't assume anything is signed, sealed and delivered.
-Lack of chart experience. Prior to Back To Innocence, she only made the chart once.
NOTES:Talented. Worth a listen.
We'll continue later today with 45-41 including Katy Perry teaming up with Snoop Dogg, and we get a lesson from Sara Bareilles on a King. Also later, where will Orianthi, Carrie, Lights and KSM wind up?
As we begin Part 2, let's look at some of the songs that didn't make the cut.
CLOSE CALLS
66. Katy Perry & Snoop Dogg - California Gurls
PROream pairing?
CON:GOT BORED OF IT SO FAST! lol.
65. Jason Derulo - In My Head
PRO:Young talent, promising future
CON:Got sick of it fast
64. Usher - OMG
PRO:Veteran of the music scene
CON:Got really sick of this fast
63. Ashley Tisdale - Crank It Up
PRO:Very experienced on the chart.
CONidn't like the song enough.
62. John Mayer - Half Of My Heart
PRO:Experienced on the chart.
CON:Released too late to make a long run in Summer.
61. Amie Miriello - Brand New
PRO:CT! Love her music
CON:None. Just didn't have a deep enough run into Summer.
NOW WE GET TO 45-41. This next song is one many were surprised actually made it, but just as equally surprised it's this low.
45. Travie McCoy & Bruno Mars "Billionaire"
PROS:
-This is the lead-off single from the Gym Class Heroes frontman. It's a fun upbeat song and a few of my friends have covered this, including singer Jenna Bryson.
CONS:
-I'm not really a fan of Travie. His version was OK, but not great.
NOTES:None.
44. Carrie Underwood "Temporary Home"
PROS:
-In a world where cheap-lame songs about money, bling, rims and girls remain king, and a dougie w/e the hell that is...Carrie breaks the trend with a heartfelt song called Temporary Home. This is the 2nd video from her 3rd album. You want to get this CD, she's that good and versatile.
-Very solid performer on the countdown, likely to be on the year-end a few times in a couple of months. She's that gifted.
CONS:
-When this song was charting, Cowboy Casanova was still red-hot and thus Temporary Home couldn't get much traction on my chart. Plus this song here should have gotten more airplay everywhere.
NOTES:Carrie is Amazing. Plain and simple.
43. Sara Bareilles "King Of Anything"
PROS:
-Sara has picked up some chart experience lately. You all remember her hit Love Song in 2008 when it hit #1 and finished #6 on the endchart in 2008, and she has remained solid since. Now here she is with a new song called King Of Anything. Lot of airplay right now.
-She is the ripe age of 30, should tell you that she has a lot of knowledge about the music biz.
CONS:
-Unfortunately, she doesn't have a lot of chart experience as it is. She's still learning the ropes.
NOTES:#2 on this week's VH1 countdown.
42. Kat Nestel "Crazy Over Here"
(I can't find a Youtube link for this, sorry) go to her Myspace to check it out at http://www.myspace.com/itskatsmusic
PROS:
-She is one of many American Idol hopefuls to make an impact on my chart in 2010. Lee Dewyze, Crystal Bowersox, Kat, Heather Todd, Stephanie Daulong, Samantha Musa, Chelsea Chandler, Tori Kelly, Katie Stevens, etc. She was very successful making it to #2 a number of times.
-Despite being chart inexperienced, she will likely make the top half of the year-end top 100. This is an addicting song you'll want to play. The voice draws you in, and her lyrics are good.
CONS:
-Chart experience. This was her first song to make the countdown so she doesn't boast a good resume. However, her potential and star qualities make up for it.
NOTES:For the record, she didn't make it to the top 24 on Idol 9.
41. Ashley Tisdale "Acting Out"
PROS:
-Lots of chart experience. She has had numerous hits on the countdown including a lot of #1s, especially in Be Good To Me and He Said She Said. (which hit #1 14 times on my bi-weekly countdown, that record since has been broken twice)
-No video, but she's known for her tracks. It's Life was a big hit, We'll Be Together and Who I Am also did well, Not Like That also did well despite not getting a lot of video play, and several others too.
-Consistency is the key. She's been charting for several years since Kiss The Girl back in 05-06. Since then, she's been on fire.
CONS:
-You know, if this had a video it'd be a monster hit on the chart.
NOTES:I LOVE ASH She was Artist Of The Year and Song Of The Year in 2007 and had the most talked about album according to the IDRL/MWC audience in 2009 with Guilty Pleasure.
That knocks down 10. Coming up from 40-36, we'll have a song from Frentik who is riding the Edge, and we'll also bring you an Aussie powerhouse not named Stephanie McIntosh. Who could that be? Plus we'll have Lights, Carrie, KSM, Orianthi, Threadspinner, Domenica and Muse still on the way. Keep it here.
We are 20% of the way through our countdown. Let's get right to it.
40. Orianthi "Shut Up And Kiss Me"
PROS:
-Let's face it, Orianthi to me is the clear-cut Best New Artist of 2010. It's not even close. None of the new artists this year have come anywhere close to her stats on my chart, and her talent is very good. This was her 2nd single off her album Believe. While this song wasn't as popular, it's still a great jam.
-Hit #1 in July on my weekly list, and stayed on top twice. This powerhouse Aussie is a rockstar plain and simple.
-Considering she's a first-time charter this year, she has so much potential.
CONS:
-If only this was as popular as According To You was. This song is WAY better than most of the songs on the Billboard hot 100, esp. that Dougie song.
NOTES:She played guitar/bass for Michael Jackson's concert film This Is It, if my memory is correct.
39. Paramore "The Only Exception"
PROS:
-This is about as slow of a song as it gets if you're a Paramore fan, maybe they had slower songs than this. Anyway, this song brought them back to prominent status on my weekly countdown. While I Caught Myself, Ignorance and Brick By Boring Brick failed to do well, The Only Exception made an impact.
-Hayley is still cute for a young age. The band has a bit of chart experience too.
CONS:
-This video is kinda average to a point. It's not really that memorable.
-Too many times up and down, one week it's rising a bunch and the next it takes a big dip. No consistency on the chart. It alternated up and down 15 or more spots for 18 consecutive shows. If you're looking for a song with consistency in staying in the front of the pack, this song is about as far away from that as it gets.
-As mentioned, it went up and down too many times. This song was always moving at least 7 spots every episode whether it was a gain or a drop.
NOTES:Crushcrushcrush is still the band's most successful song to date on here.
38. Frentik - The Edge
PROS:
-This band is becoming one of the more talked about groups to make the countdown, Frentik's frontwoman Emily Jalving AKA Emily Jaye. This song is their 2nd to make the countdown, the first being Stronger which will be shown later.
-Energetic song from an energetic singer.
CONS:
-This is a song you'll either really like or really not like. Not a lot of middle ground.
-Lack of chart experience.
NOTES:Check the band out at http://www.myspace.com/frentik
37. Stephanie Brownlee "Good Friend/Girlfriend"
PROS:
-The Aussies came in full force in 2010 to pick up the slack for the MIA Stephanie McIntosh. This was the 2nd single from her debut CD.
-While this song had its struggles on the chart early, Stephanie regained her form and eventually hit #4 on the chart.
CONS:
-Keep It Real kinda overshadowed this song's run to an extent. But you can never have enough talent right? Stephanie has the talent to make up for it.
-Lack of chart experience which is kinda like a broken record, but we had a lot of first-time charters in 2010.
NOTES:Between Brownlee, Smith and McIntosh, these 3 Stephanies have made quite a statement on the chart.
36. Fireflight "Desperate"
PROS:
-This band has very little chart experience, but they came back big with Desperate. It's a little different than their song Unbreakable. This song shows more aggression.
-They were in contention for my chart's Group Of The Year in 2008, they didn't win but they came close.
CONS:
-If you're not a fan of edgy rock music, this song is not for you.
NOTES:Unbreakable hit #1 in 2008, this song Desperate became the band's 2nd #1 hit, infact it hit #1 twice.
That wraps up 50-36. Next up from 35-31 we'll be taking a look at a band with no resume, yet the song is memorable. We also have a singer who lost a dear friend prior to her TV debut, and a singer who infected us with a hot dance song last year. Still to come, we have KSM, Orianthi, Carrie Underwood, Lights, and others.
Now I mentioned earlier that the Best New Artist race was not even close, infact I can prove you my point....well almost. OK maybe not, but still....you know where I'm getting at. Orianthi is the runaway Best New Artist of 2010. Stephanie Brownlee is a distant 2nd. Now if we're talking Best New Group, KSM takes the cake.
Also, we should mention that there have been some great songs to make my chart in 2010, none of them are from Beaver or Gaga (she just had to go through too much competition, as big as she is right now).
But what about Artist Of The Year and Group Of The Year? That's tough. You have to think Carrie Underwood and KSM are in the catbird positions to take these honors right? Not so fast. Lights and Orianthi are Carrie's biggest threats in AOTY, while maybe 15 bands are in the hunt for GOTY. KSM, Darling Parade, Fireflight, Lady Antebellum, Muse, Lifehouse, Bon Jovi, Theory Of A Deadman, even Bomshel from out of nowhere, etc. It's too close to call.
Let's get it going. 35-31 now, we'll get to one of the bands we mentioned,
35. Bon Jovi "Superman Tonight"
PROS:
-This band has more chart experience than any artist on the list, maybe even out of all the others combined. When they were making it big, most of the artists were in their diapers. Heck, when Living On A Prayer was a hit, Didi Benami wasn't even born yet.
-They are the oldest artist on here.
-The message in the video is nice.
CONS:
-You know, age can only get you so far. Who knows how much longer they'll be making music, so if you have not been to a show of theirs, make it worthwhile to go see one. They've been at it for like 25 years now almost.
NOTESon't ask me to count how many songs they've had chart. I lost count. They have won my chart's GOTY a couple times.
34. KSM "Don't Rain On My Parade"
PROS:
-Despite having no resume entering 2010, they made the most of their 1-year on the chart. Don't Rain On My Parade was like the stepping stone to their massive hit Read Between The Lines.
-Airplay is really good.
CONS:
-They disbanded just a few weeks ago Sucks I know. Maybe they'll reunite at some point, I will cross my fingers.
NOTES:Former member Sophia has also charted this year.
33. Elisa Schwartz "It Wasn't I / Like Lightning"
(NOTE:There's no vid for Like Lightning, but there was one for It Wasn't I. Get more Elisa at http://www.myspace.com/elisaschwartz and remember, she was known as Elisa Jordana before)
PROS:
-She's had a LOT of songs chart since 2008. I think maybe 12 to be honest, she comes at you with that fire.
-She was top 10 on the endchart in 2009 with Young Love.
CONS:
-Like Lightning had no video
-She's an acquired taste though. You'll either love her or hate her.
NOTES:She finished 9th on Redemption Song in 2008, the rest of the story you know by now. Mixi won, Angelica finished 2nd, Jazmin 3rd, etc.
32. Didi Benami "What Becomes Of The Brokenhearted"
PROS:
-Adversity. She handles adversity very well. If my memory serves me well, she lost a friend in Rebecca Joy Lear prior to the show (who also aspired to be a singer). Didi decided to follow the same dream Rebecca had.
-She was my favorite overall on the show as far as personality goes. It's a shame she was eliminated so soon She finished 10th on Idol 2010.
-She had 2 songs chart this year.
CONS:
-None. She has no flaws if you ask me. Although I would consider Lilly Scott or Janell Wheeler to be on the same level as Didi.
NOTES:She was on the Idol 2010 Summer Tour.
31. Bomshel "19 And Crazy"
PROS:
-The fans of my chart loved this the most for some reason, with a whopping total fancount of 17,324,296 cumulative total votes, 3.6 million more than 2nd place KSM - Read Between The Lines. The fans love it, I don't argue with that.
-They are contending for Best Group of 2010, but they have a long way to go to reach that mark.
-Talented team.
CONS:
-No chart experience. They're simply going on airplay alone.
Alright, that's all for 50-31. Coming up from 30-26 we have a few surprises. We will have an artist who we saw earlier on the countdown, we will be also showing two bands who made their chart debuts. Any guesses on who #1 will be? Cowboy Casanova? Read Between The Lines? Second Go? According To You? Someone else? Stay tuned.
Good evening, as we reach the halfway point we realize, what exactly are we in for? Why not just get to 30-26 now? We should mention that my countdown has certain standards to follow
1. You must not suck.
2. You must have talent.
3. You must be great.
4. You need a strong following.
5. No Justin Bieber allowed on my countdown, he has NO talent. Soulja Boy is not allowed either, because he has zero talent. Everyone else is fair game.
We have a bunch of first-timer charters this year in this set, yet we start with someone who's been on here for a long time. If you guessed Linkin Park, wrong answer. They didn't make the top 50 but maybe in the year-end they will.
30. Miley Cyrus "Can't Be Tamed"
PROS:
-She has chart experience and fan appeal.
CONS:
-There are a lot of downsides to this song. One is the fact the song wasn't very strong down the stretch.
-Fell off my weekly chart very fast, was on and off twice.
-Got sick of this faster than any song of hers I've heard yet.
-Maybe this video was a bit controversial? If you were a borderline fan of hers, maybe it changes? Who knows.
NOTES:Miley has not done well in living up to the success See You Again, The Climb and 7 Things had.
29. Frentik "Stronger"
(I know this isn't the Stronger clip most likely, but the song can be heard on http://www.myspace.com/frentik and I want you to check it out and not ignore it. Give it a chance )
PROS:
-This song had a lot of good points. The harmony, the vocals, the lyrics, they were good. It's a song you want to pop in to your player and jam out to it.
-Lots of potential, you could see a good video for this.
CONS:
-The one big downside is that you're sad to see the song end so fast. As in, you feel one minute you're listening to it, and the next it's ended. Maybe the song is that good? I love it.
NOTES:Frentik WILL be on the year-end countdown show as a performer/presenter. It has been confirmed.
28. Vedera "Satisfy"
PROS:
-They are an under the radar artist. You will want to know more about them. http://myspace.com/vedera
CONS:
-Not much consistency either, and like Paramore they were all over the place.
NOTES:Not much to report, except this is also better than most songs on the hot 100 currently.
27. Masque Of Death "Alive"
PROS:
-This is like an epic song, if you appreciate music a lot you will listen to this entire track which is almost 8 minutes long, but worth every second. It draws you in.
-Top 10 on the weekly countdown.
CONS:
-The fact it's a long song may be a turn-off for your average fan, but it depends on what music you like.
-Chart experience. They don't really have a huge amount of stats to boast, they had the 2nd fewest fancount with 3,219,260 votes out of the top 50 songs on the list, which is only 100,400 more than 50th which we haven't seen yet. Do you not realize what good music is? THIS IS GOOD MUSIC LOL.
NOTES:The last time a lengthy song charted, you go back to Metallica's All Nightmare Long. What qualifies as lengthy? Minimum of 6 minutes long.
26. Theory Of A Deadman "All Or Nothing"
PROS:
-Despite not having that much chart experience which surprises many, they have a lot of potential.
-Good storyline video, but you wonder what the message that's being sent is.
CONS:
-You think by now they have a lot of success, but they don't.
NOTES:They are from Canada, respect our northern neighbors.
All the songs you've seen so far are better than the crap that's on the hot 100 right now. Unfortunately, good talent goes unnoticed and crap gets love. I caught an interview with Drake earlier in tomorrow's upcoming countdown show, and we asked him what his take is on my chart v.s. the hot 100. You'd be surprised by his answer. We'll tell you tomorrow in that interview.
That will do it for today. Tomorrow we kick off the top 25. You will see 25-21 next and there will be a singer who struggled in his career but is making a name for himself, a couple of American Idols will showcase their stuff, and a band who took it to the house in a truck in their video.
GOOD MORNING. Today we kick off the top 25 of our countdown, and we find out what the other close calls were. Stay tuned for all the action.
Let's kick it off with 60-56.
CLOSE CALLS:
60. Tori Kelly - Dreams (I think that's the song)
PROS:Young talent, very bright future
CONS:None really
59. Mixi - I Had A Dream I Could Fly
PROS:Unique voice
CONS:Not a lot of airplay
58. Taylor Swift - Fifteen
PROS:None
CONS:Too late to make a deep run
57. Lights - The Listening
PROS:Solid beat
CONS:None
56. Bon Jovi - We Weren't Born To Follow
PROS:Great sound
CONS:None
Now the 2nd half begins. Here's #25.
25. Varlet (w/Lilly Scott) "High Heels / The Gun"
PROS:
-If you want someone who is truly an artist, look no further than this beautiful singer Lilly Scott. Her potential is so high. You can hear her music at http://www.myspace.com/varlet
-This did really well, hit #1 once but was very consistent.
-Airplay was pretty high, fancount was pretty good too at a robust 10th.
-Great voice.
CONS:
-None
NOTES:Lilly should've gone deeper on Idol.
24. Adam Lambert "What Do You Want From Me"
PROS:
-Overcoming obstacles. Apparently he went through some kind of controversy a while back, but now he's focused and coming at us with those hits.
-Lyrics. This song has pretty solid lyrics, he isn't someone you want to get on their bad side.
CONS:
-Started off very slow, then picked up steam. He just never got that push.
NOTES:If I Had You bombed badly.
23. Darling Parade "Lose You"
PROS:
-Great band. http://www.myspace.com/darlingparade
-The singer is very good, the band itself is good too. Very versatile, great sound.
-Lot of airplay and high fancount of 8th. The fans wanted to hear this more.
CONS:
-If only this had a video....it'd be a monster it.
NOTES:New song Change and another has been added to their playlist.
22. Muse "Uprising"
PROS:
-Good storyline video
-The song itself is epic. A lot of people wanted more of this song and band.
CONS:
-This is a pretty long song, you'll be tempted to turn it off if you don't like it during the first minute or two. Don't, it's a great song.
NOTES:They have a lot of chart experience.
21. Kris Allen "Live Like We're Dying"
PROS:
-Winner of Idol 8.
-Very good lyrics and song. The message behind it is pretty solid.
-Popular song and had good airplay. This hit #1 on the chart.
CONS:
-Should've had more buzz.
-Video seems more simple than it really is.
NOTES:4 American Idol winners have topped the chart. Kelly, Carrie, David C and Kris.
On the way with 20-16, we have the 2nd from a future queen of Country, we bring you another band up north and a Christian singer who gave us Energy a while back. And remember, we still have Orianthi, KSM, Carrie Underwood and Lights fighting for #1.
This top 20 is some sick stuff We have Carrie Underwood twice, and everyone else has 1 entry left. Waste no more time, let's get going.
20. Three Days Grace "The Good Life"
PROS:
-This band has had some great chart success over the years. They have a lot of experience on my lists. This was their 3rd or 4th song from their latest CD to chart.
-The song is kinda like on the same wavelength as some of their previous hits. Still good stuff.
CONS:
-This was expected to be #1, but didn't get it.
NOTES:I think they've had 9 or 10 hits on the countdown, if you include their collaboration with Apocalyptica.
19. Carrie Underwood "Undo It"
PROS:
-She has a LOT of chart experience. Third single from her latest CD.
-This got to #2 and is currently sitting at #8 on the weekly chart.
CONS:
-It's Carrie Underwood! She has no cons. Although you can say that this is not as strong as her other hits.
-3rd lowest votes on fancount with a mere 3,319,610 total. The audience was not entirely impressed by this song.
NOTES:Carrie has never finished in the top 10 on my year-end countdown. That streak is likely to end.
18. Joanna Beasley "Wishing Well"
PROS:
-While she lacks chart experience, she does have a few albums under her belt. This is the most popular song from her Patiently Waiting CD.
-Received 3rd most votes on fancount at 13,219,679 total votes. I guess you couldn't get enough of the girl who sang Energy.
CONS:
-It may sound like it's your typical AC pop/rock song, but it's still a good tune. Trust me.
NOTES:Energy finished top 20 in the year-end top 20 in 2008. Wishing Well is not likely to match that though.
17. Daughtry - Life After You
PROS:
-Since his appearance on American Idol, Daughtry has been probably the most successful male singer out of the Idols, maybe 2nd best overall next to Carrie Underwood.
-Chart experience. He's (Chris Daughtry) logged some good hits lately and had substantial runs. Finished 4th on Idol 5 for the record.
CONS:
-That being said, he has only had 1 #1 hit on my chart which is a surprise to many.
NOTES:September is their latest song to chart.
16. Train "Hey Soul Sister"
PROS:
-4th most fancount votes with 13,195,610 which is about 24,000 fewer than Joanna Beasley.
-Probably the biggest chart hit on billboard next to Lady Antebellum on this list.
-Chart experience. They have been a contender on my list for a long time. Their most notable hit has to be 2001's Drops Of Jupiter.
CONS:
-This failed to get anything going on my personal chart, but was good just about everywhere else.
NOTES:This was their first video to chart since Pat Monahan's solo effort a few years back. If It's Love sits #32 on the weekly list right now.
That's some good stuff there. We have Threadspinner, Domenica, Lady Antebellum, Stephanie Brownlee, Orianthi, Lights, Carrie Underwood, KSM and Janell Wheeler all on the way. But up next from 15-11, we'll give you The Script who hit #1 on the Vh1 countdown, we also have a band who made a statement with a one-shot strike and a former American Idol hopeful who got a bit edgy with her song. Plus we have a singer from the Latin side of the ledger, a band who showed us their pop/rock style a few years back but came back with an edge, and we have an artist nobody saw coming. Stay tuned, it will be hot!
We're coming down the home stretch! These were all strong songs from this point on. Still any guesses on #1? 3 people said that this next song should be #1, yet it winds up #15 on this list. Any idea who?
15. Melissa Otero "Phantom Of My Heart"
(NOTE:You can hear the original version on her page at http://www.myspace.com/melissamusicweb )
PROS:
-Airplay was substantially good. It's a rocking tune worth listening to. This video is the DJ version.
-Hit top 3 on my chart, managed a lengthy run on the list.
CONS:
-This had the fewest votes on fancount with 3,118,794 total votes. I guess you're not feeling the Latin sensation
-It is a pretty haunting song so if this kind of stuff turns you off, it's not worth a listen. But give it a try anyway.
NOTES:Her other hit was 10:40.
14. The Script "Breakeven"
PROS:
-This was a mainstay on VH1's top 20. Didn't do as much damage on my own chart, but good otherwise.
-Consistency in airplay was key. Maintained a top 50 spot on the airplay for 9 months, the most by a UK band since Snow Patrol.
CONS:
-Chart experience. Broken record I know.
-This didn't do a lot of damage on my own countdown, but I'm sure it did great on everyone else's lists.
NOTES:Hit #1 on the VH1 chart.
13. Everlife "What's Beautiful"
PROS:
-Their 3rd chart appearance, and they made it a good one.
-Hit #1 on airplay, on my countdown, and had a decent fancount turnout that reached 10,000,000 for the Summer. Never underestimate a band.
CONS:
-Notoriety. This song didn't get enough love. It's better than most of the songs out there right now.
NOTES:Find Yourself In You and I Could Get Used To This were their first 2 hits on the chart, both hit #1 in airplay too.
12. Kill Slowly "Let Go"
(Not sure if this is the correct song. Check their Myspace at http://www.myspace.com/officialkillslowly )
PROS:
-Under the radar. Nobody saw this band making a statement and they came out in full force. 7th most in fancount votes, 4th highest airplay, 3 times it hit #1 on my chart, and created a big buzz that lead to the band being nominated for my countdown's Best New Rock Band at the upcoming countdown awards show this Fall.
-Chart experience does not apply to this band. They had a one-shot strike effort and took the chart by storm. They are sitting #18 on my weekly chart to this day.
CONS:
-Unfortunately, that one-shot strike might be their undoing. I haven't heard any updates on them in a while.
NOTES:None, they are completely an unknown band to most people.
11. Kimberly Caldwell "Heart Like Mine"
PROS:
-Considering she was on Idol 7 years ago, you would think she would be rusty. But she came out strong and hit #1 on airplay and the countdown. This will no doubt be on my year-end chart.
-Wealth of music knowledge. She has interviewed some of the previous Idol contestants.
CONS:
-No chart experience. This was her first song to ever chart even though she made a name for herself on Idol season 2.
NOTES:Mess Of You is currently in rotation on my list.
The top 10 is anyone's guess. Still to come we have Domenica, Threadspinner, Lady Antebellum and KSM for the bands. They will take on Carrie Underwood, Stephanie Brownlee, Orianthi, Janell Wheeler and Lights for the soloists. But there's one artist that surprised us out of nowhere. Up next, we'll tell you that surprise song. Any guesses? We'll be back in a bit.
CLOSE CALLS:
55. Linkin Park "The Catalyst"
PROS:Epic song, chart experience
CONS:None
54. Halestorm "It's Not You"
PROS:Band is very talented.
CONS:Not a lot of chart experience.
53. Ke$ha "Tik Tok"
PROS:Party tune.
CONS:Can be overplayed fast.
52. Colbie Caillat "I Never Told You"
PROS:Good tune.
CONS:Not consistent on chart.
51. Jay-Z & Mr. Hudson "Young Forever"
PROS:Solid airplay, solid run.
CONS:Aside from Travie McCoy, this is the only hip hop artist to make the top 50 or close calls.
THE TOP 10!
10. Cockpit "White Flag"
PROS:
-Had a lengthy chart run that saw this rise all the way to the top 5 on my list.
-Good airplay, very consistent for most of their run.
-They have an edge. Their music can be heard at http://www.myspace.com/cockpit . If you like 3 Doors Down, Linkin Park and Muse, you'll like Cockpit.
CONS:
-I think if you look at it from a standpoint, their lack of chart experience is not what did them in. Stability is a key word here.
NOTES:This band has technically had 5 different members in it.
9. Threadspinner "Night Chorus"
PROS:
-5th most fancount votes, 5th most airplay. One of my favorite songs at the moment.
-Fantastic airplay and great consistency. This has been #1 on my weekly chart a whopping 11 times, 5 away from Mixi's record of 16.
-This video is wonderful, the singer's voice is also good too.
-It's not your typical rock song.
CONS:
-None. This song was meant to be a hit!
NOTES:The last time a band that made their chart debut and had amazing stats, you have to go back to Linkin Park's One Step Closer in 2000. One more nugget for you, Linkin Park had the best song of the year by a group/band that year. http://www.myspace.co/threadspinner
8. Stephanie Brownlee "Keep It Real"
PROS:
-This is the 2nd appearance and also the first single from Stephanie to make the countdown. This hit #1 fast, struggled a bit but remained consistent in the top 40 of my chart and airplay.
-Best Stephanie to chart since Stephanie McIntosh & Stephanie Smith, and there have been a lot of Aussies stepping up for McIntosh. Brownlee, Orianthi, Vanessa Amorosi, Delta Goodrem, The Veronicas, Brooke Fraser and Jasmine Rae for instance.
-This has a pop remix and I think this video is the original version. She is a Country singer if you're wondering.
CONS:
-Even though chart experience isn't good, she made up for it with solid effort.
NOTES:This girl is huge in Australia right now, she should crossover into the USA markets. I think she will blow everyone else out of the water. http://www.myspace.com/stephaniebrownlee
7. Janell Wheeler "I Like Me"
PROS:
-JWheels is the best American Idol 9 contestant on this list, and 2nd highest of all the Idol alumni. Singer of pop/country/soul.
-I Like Me hit #1 for 3 weeks and was top 10 in airplay for a total of 27 weeks.
-She also has a dancer background, in addition to playing the guitar.
-Finished 24th on Idol 9.
CONS:
-She should've advanced further on the show!
NOTES:Janell Wheeler has been an Artist To Watch on my chart for months now. You will want to know more about her, believe me. http://www.myspace.com/janellsworld
6. Lady Antebellum "Need You Now"
PROS:
-The only Country band on this list. They had the 8th most fancount votes, the 9th highest airplay, but also very successful on billboard and the VH1 countdown.
-This was their first video to chart and it made quite an impact, hitting #1 twice and staying in the airplay top 50 for the majority of 2010.
CONS:
-Considering what they were up against, they did the most they could do with this song.
NOTES:This is actually from their 2nd album so they're not really new to many people.
UP NEXT:The top 5! It's Lights "Second Go", Carrie Underwood "Cowboy Casanova", Domenica "Above Me", Orianthi "According To You" and KSM "Read Between The Lines" all battling it out for #1! With the exception of Domenica, it's a complete toss-up on who could be #1 between the other 4. It's the rookie v.s. the group v.s. the Canadian v.s. the Country princess....NEXT!
So the top 5 is On Tap, let's size up what's left.
Lights
-Lights has been making the chart smile since 2008 when The Last Thing On Your Mind first hit the airwaves. Then she had Drive My Soul, February Air, Ice, White, Savior, Perfect, The Listening and Second Go joins the list among others. She has a lot of Airplay under her belt and has totaled a lot of #1s under her belt on my countdown.
+Plus
-Usually when paired with a video, Lights does well. She finished 5th in 2008 with Drive My Soul, and also finished in the top 10 with February Air in 2009. She's likely to finish top 10 on the endchart for the 3rd consecutive year, that would break the record for longest top 10 streak by a Canadian singer which she shares right now with Sarah McClachlan, Avril Lavigne and Alanis Morrisette.
-She's had 3 #1 hits and 4 songs of hers hit #1 in airplay. To-date, she's logged in a combined 467.4M total fancount votes for all her songs combined.
-First Canadian since Avril Lavigne to have 3 #1 hits on my countdown.
-Minus
-Her album tracks have been somewhat stymied. Perfect (which is something in the direction of Sara Bareilles) didn't really do as well. Ice and White struggled early on. If she doesn't get off to a strong start, she usually never gets inside the top 20 at any point with a song of hers.
-Not enough appeal to the American public. The USA should be listening to her music because it's awesome.
-Reason To Like Her
-You will love her music videos and also the fun blog videos she does from time to time. Here's her video for Ice.
-I mentioned she has the fun blog videos, and this is one of the more interesting ones. We take you back to a while ago with her video blog #5.
-Skills:
-Singer-songwriter, Plays guitar, keyboard, keytar, toy lasers, comic character, and has a sidekick in Jeremy The Bug.
That's one side of the ledger, but there's 4 more to break down.
Seems like you have an special taste for women singers
4/5
White flag is my favorite, followed by Need you now
That's one way to look at it, but personally I think female singers are more talented than male singers for the most part. Just a thought I have there. There aren't a lot of solo male pop/rock singers out there aside from the ones that were on Idol. The strongest of the male contingent comes from the Country scene and they've all come close to making my chart, but just not good enough.
Orianthi
-If you put it in a way, Orianthi is very dangerous to beat. Nobody's been able to touch her as far as Best New Artist goes. She's blown everyone else away with her edgy music and her amazing determination. She's 2/2 on getting to #1 on the countdown and airplay. She's from Australia.
+Plus
-The runaway leader in Rookie Of The Year. While KSM and Stephanie Brownlee have put up a valiant effort, Orianthi has just been too strong. The last time an Aussie had consecutive #1 hits on my chart, you have to go back to Stephanie McIntosh. No other Aussie has had their first 2 singles hit #1 on my list.
-Airplay queen. According To You has racked up a massive amount of airplay and hit #1 4 times on my chart, and also was on top of my airplay list for a long time.
-She has connections to Michael Jackson. You may recall she was featured in his concert film This Is It. Sadly, Jackson passed away last year. The funny thing is if it weren't for This Is It, we'd be asking....'Orianthi who?'
-Minus
-While she has been dominant, her track record has been questioned by some people. A report says that she's only successful because of This Is It. That's not true. Orianthi is looking to prove she has the chops to make it big in the music business. She hit #2 on the VH1 top 20 countdown this year.
-Not quite a lot of appeal for her 2nd single. Some are quick to give up on a non-r&b/hip-hop/rap singer that quickly after one single.
-Reason To Like Her:
-She's only had 2 music videos, but she's got a lot of guitar skills. Check her shredding it
-Skills:
-Singer-songwriter, guitarist/bassist, Aussie powerhouse. She has so much potential.
We'll be previewing Domenica in the next segment, then we'll look at KSM and Carrie Underwood. Stay tuned for more breakdowns. We'll reveal the top 5 tonight during Big Brother 12.
Domenica
-This band is the most unknown out of the top 5. Domenica lead by Bekki will rock your socks off. http://www.myspace.com/domenicamusic They charged to the top of the countdown quickly and hit #1 on airplay fast too.
+Plus
-Under the radar. While the countdown audience knows them for Above Me, they have other hits too worth checking out. Go to their Myspace for a listen at the music.
-Hit #1 3 times with Above Me. Airplay is solid.
-Minus
-Lack of notoriety could hurt them.
:Reason To Like Them:
-They have other videos, like this one. Not a lot in their favor, but they do what they can.
-Skills:
-They all play instruments, and they are a solid band. Not much else.
Up next, it's KSM breakdown. And then we breakdown Carrie Underwood.