Billboard Hot 100 : 10/5/2013

[dajross6]

Roar is probably going to start posting sub 1m updates in the next week, simply because saturation has reached the point where it can't grow (exactly what erfrank said). She'll stay up there for quite awhile, but those thinking she could approach 230-250m are probably out of luck.

[Kris]

Looks like Wrecking Ball is about to lose out on #1.

[The Upper Hand]

'Work B**ch!' is headed for a lofty launch on next week's chart. And, while radio is excited about the track's potential, programmers concerned about the song's title and lyrics are playing an edited version

One more time, Britney Spears has caused a circus-like frenzy ahead of a new album.

"Work B**ch!" introduces Spears' eighth studio set, due Dec. 3. While the track is off to a fast start at radio, its title and lyrics are causing some programmers concern, leading to airplay for a label-issued lyrically-edited version.

Still, look for the track to storm the Billboard Hot 100 next week following its first full week of sales, streaming and airplay. (It debuts this week on Dance/Electronic Songs at No. 16 due largely to early airplay.) Industry sources forecast "Work" to sell 175,000 downloads by the end of the tracking week on Sunday (Sept. 22). Such a sales sum would likely lead to a top 20 Hot 100 bow, with a top 10 start a possibility depending on the song's finalized sales total, as well as its first-full week of airplay and streaming.

Check Billboard.com on Wednesday (25) for highlights of next week's Hot 100, including where "Work" will arrive.

This week, in addition to its entrance on Dance/Electronic Songs, "Work" enters Radio Songs at No. 69. It begins after slightly more than two days of airplay with 16 million audience impressions, according to Nielsen BDS. The song is in line to launch in the top 25 of the Pop Songs chart, highlights of which will post Monday (23) on Billboard.com. (Aiding its start, participating Clear Channel-owned chart reporters played "Work" hourly on Monday).

While BDS data backs that pop radio is clearly excited to spotlight a new Spears song, its lyrical content is causing PDS considerable thought. RCA Records has serviced stations with two versions: the original "Work B**ch!" and a seemingly safer "Work Work" edit. RCA executive VP/GM Joe Riccitelli says that so far, "It feels like a 50/50 split" as to what version stations are deciding to play.

Pop program directors back up Riccitelli's assessment.

"Britney, can you please put out a record out without the word 'bitch' in it?" pleads KHHM Sacramento, Calif., PD Pattie Moreno. "Please, can you help a girl out?"

Still, says Moreno, who's programming the "Work Work" edit, "Listeners are over-the-top excited about this song."

WPST Philadelphia is also playing the "Work Work" version. "We even got an official intro to play before the song with Britney saying 'Work Work,' " notes PD Dave McKay.

McKay recalls past songs like Meredith Brooks' 1997 No. 2 Hot 100 hit "Bitch" and Elton John's 1974 No. 4-peaking classic "The Bitch Is Back" and wonders if context plays a part in the song's acceptability on radio. It might be one thing for Brooks to self-deprecatingly refer to herself as the song's title, but another for Spears to use the term more accusatorily.

That it's pop radio also plays a factor. PDs are careful about content on a station that prides itself as one that mothers and daughters can listen to together. Conversely, at adult male-focused rock radio, for instance, Jet's "Cold Hard Bitch" or Godsmack's "Cryin' Like a Bitch!" aren't as jarring.

Not that all at pop radio are coming down on the side of caution.

WNOW New York PD Gillette is spinning the original version of "Work." "'Bitch' is not a dirty word," he says. "No complaints so far. Plus, it's a great dance track."

Ultimately, Gillette urges looking past the song's title to what he sees as a song with a valuable message.

"If you actually listen to the lyrics, it's motivational, even educational: there is no free lunch. If you want something, you have to work for it.

"So far, the listeners love it."

www.billboard.com/articles/news/5719311/britney-spears-work-ing-toward-top-20-hot-100-debut?utm_

[Au$tin]

175k...

One hundred... seventy-five... thousand...

...for Britney Spears...

O.

[Libra]

Sept 20, 2013 19:23:13 GMT -5 The Upper Hand said:

That it's pop radio also plays a factor. PDs are careful about content on a station that prides itself as one that mothers and daughters can listen to together. Conversely, at adult male-focused rock radio, for instance, Jet's "Cold Hard Bitch" or Godsmack's "Cryin' Like a Bitch!" aren't as jarring.

LOL! I get the "mother and daughter" angle, but just that it's pop radio is an argument that just doesn't hold water. Meredith Brooks's song was a #1 pop hit, and Elton's song hit #5 pop (R&R, and remember - 1974!).

[chartfreak]

^^They also explain why Meredith and Elton received airplay, but I don't really see a difference.

[Libra]

Well, yeah. Context being a factor I buy as reasonable. But just, "oh, it's pop radio"? No.

[Duca]

1. ROBIN THICKE – Blurred Lines f/Pharrell & T.I: 207.218 (-4.519)
2. KATY PERRY – Roar: 195.247 (+2.199)
3. JAY Z – Holy Grail f/Justin Timberlake: 153.032 (+1.244)
4. CAPITAL CITIES – Safe And Sound: 148.420 (+0.088)
5. DRAKE – Hold On We’re Going Home: 121.560 (+2.639)
6. LANA DEL REY – Summertime Sadness: 117.085 (+1.020)
7. LORDE – Royals: 115.712 (+2.336)
8. AVICII – Wake Me Up: 112.706 (+2.751)
9. MAROON 5 – Love Somebody: 104.283 (-2.945)
10. ZEDD – Clarity f/Foxes: 99.491 (-3.041)
11. IMAGINE DRAGONS – Radioactive: 91.209 (-1.978)
12. JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE – Mirrors: 85.467 (-0.921)
13. LADY GAGA – Applause: 82.275 (+2.818) ▲
14. MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS – Same Love f/Mary Lambert: 82.256 (-2.183) ▼
15. CALVIN HARRIS F/ELLIE GOULDING – I Need Your Love: 77.191 (-2.908) ▼
16. DAFT PUNK – Get Lucky: 76.636 (-0.787)
17. BRUNO MARS – Treasure: 75.417 (-1.897)
18. J. COLE – Crooked Smile f/TLC: 74.885 (-0.320) ▲
19. ANNA KENDRICK – Cups (Pitch Perfect’s When…: 74.655 (-2.066) ▼
20. PHILLIP PHILLIPS – Gone, Gone, Gone: 67.703 (-0.982)

JASON ALDEAN – Night Train: 64.565 (+0.539)
JUSTIN MOORE – Point At You: 62.657 (+0.940)
BILLY CURRINGTON – Hey Girl: 59.773 (+0.769)
TYLER FARR – Redneck Crazy: 57.044 (+0.569)
LUKE BRYAN – That’s My Kind Of Night: 56.126 (+0.317)
THOMAS RHETT – It Goes Like This: 54.661 (+0.966)
TAYLOR SWIFT – Everything Has …f/Ed Sheeran: 49.237 (+0.502)
PARAMORE – Still Into You: 46.472 (+0.661)
ROBIN THICKE – Give It 2 U f/Kendrick Lamar: 44.512 (+0.616)
PINK – True Love f/Lily Allen: 41.230 (+0.149)
BLAKE SHELTON – Mine Would Be You: 40.665 (+0.817)
CHRIS BROWN – Love More f/Nicki Minaj: 38.665 (+1.152)
EMINEM – Berzerk: 38.508 (-0.472)
MILEY CYRUS – Wrecking Ball: 33.060 (+2.950)
BRUNO MARS – Gorilla: 30.804 (+2.240)
BRITNEY SPEARS – Work Bitch: 30.536 (+3.444)
SELENA GOMEZ – Slow Down: 29.482 (+0.236)
IMAGINE DRAGONS – Demons: 26.220 (+0.936)
ONEREPUBLIC – Counting Stars: 22.598 (+0.680)
PASSENGER – Let Her Go: 18.746 (+0.252)
TEGAN & SARA – Closer: 18.023 (+0.594)
MACKLEMORE & RYAN LEWIS – White Walls f/ScHoolboy Q: 15.179 (+0.138)
BASTILLE – Pompeii: 9.257
ARIANA GRANDE – Right There f/Big Sean: 8.902 (+0.523)
RIHANNA – What Now: 3.095 (+0.457)
JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE – TKO: 2.344
KILLERS – Shot At The Night: 1.511 (+0.248)
KELLY ROWLAND – Gone f/Wiz Khalifa: 0.601 (+0.050)
DEMI LOVATO – Neon Lights: (-)

[slamina]

Not the best numbers for Brit Brit. :( Too bad. I enjoy the song.

Roar should be number one in airplay in a few days. Blurred Lines will be dethroned...finally!

[Rocky]

Indieplause slaying! :'( Coming for the fellow indie songs "Wake Me Up", "Royals" and "Summertime Sadness".

[jayhawk1117]

Wow 175k. I guess it will end up like Applause

[Daniel Collins]

If 'Roar' reached the 200M mark with 'Blurred Lines' still having 200M , would it be the first time in Mediabase that 2 songs is in 200M?

[Kris]

Sept 20, 2013 19:34:36 GMT -5 Au$tin said:

175k...

One hundred... seventy-five... thousand...

...for Britney Spears...

O.

In all honesty it's her worst single since.....ever. 

[when the pawn...]

A week from now, "Applause" should be #9

[Enigma.]

Sept 21, 2013 9:21:13 GMT -5 Kris said:

Sept 20, 2013 19:34:36 GMT -5 Au$tin said:

175k...

One hundred... seventy-five... thousand...

...for Britney Spears...

O.

In all honesty it's her worst single since.....ever. 

Fan of "Ooh La La" spotted? :O

[Kris]

Was Ohh La La a real single though.

[jgizzle89]

^Promoted to radio, released as a single on itunes...I'd say yes. No one seriously considered it a "Britney album single," but it was a single nonetheless.

[HolidayGuy]

LOL @ anyone even questioning whether an actual single was... a single. Not to mention the video release. I especially like the "It-was-made-for-a-kids'-movie" rationale. Soooooooooo? it's not even like it was for a G-rated movie.

By the way- I'm a fan of "Ooh La La." It didn't perform all that well, but ah well.

[tekkenguy]

I have a few questions:
-Where will "Dark Horse" debut?
-Where will "Lolly" debut?
-Where will "TKO" debut?
-Where will "The Fox" be next week?

[Kris]

Sept 21, 2013 11:37:59 GMT -5 tekkenguy said:

-Where will "The Fox" be next week?

Making a sound in the forest where no one can hear it.

[Deleted]

#16 on iTunes. Someone is listening

[Old-school 72]

Referring to the question of what is a real single....well that Britney Ooh la la was a actual physical cd single. I think everything that does not get released on a physical copy, whether it be cd single or 12 single should not be called a single anymore. These are clled tracks.

[Kris]

Sept 21, 2013 12:10:59 GMT -5 @2m said:

#16 on iTunes. Someone is listening

Foxes reproduce at a rapid rate. 

[Glove Slap]

Physical singles are irrelevant these days though, so the definition needs to be updated. If a song is being pushed, it's a single. It doesn't even have to be selected by the label technically, My Humps was picked by the public and radio and so it became a single.

Dark Horse and The Fox should be top 20 this week I think, especially since the latter made top 30 with only streaming.

[Deleted]

I personally prefer the definition - a 'single' is a song available for purchase.


But let's say that's wrong, what is a 'real single'?

Here is a list of criteria mentioned in current and past discussions hat I can think of:

Select all that apply:

1. Available for purchase
2. If it released to iTunes - must have the tag 'single' next to it
3. Has a video
4. Promoted to radio
5. If it is featured on a movie, must not have little blue creatures in it and rated at least PG
6. A youtube video that features the artist and not a fan-generated video that goes viral
7. If it goes to #1 and it is from a female pop singer, none of the above apply, it is a 'real single'.
8. Nothing from 'Glee' is a single


Anything else?

[HolidayGuy]

^ :)

In the digital age, it is tracks, but, yah, aside from being promoted, having a video, etc.- if a track is released to iTunes in standalone form, and not tied to an album, sure it's a single release. Not the same kind of release as one that's promoted, etc., but still a single.

[WolfSpear]

The key word now is "promotion"...

I think the definition of a "single" depends on the era. Airplay-only hits weren't singles in the 1990's, but by 2003 terms they all would have been.

[Deleted]

That puts too much emphasis on radio. Radio is less of an influence now than it has ever been

[Glove Slap]

Sept 21, 2013 14:08:21 GMT -5 WolfSpear said:

The key word now is "promotion"...

I think the definition of a "single" depends on the era. Airplay-only hits weren't singles in the 1990's, but by 2003 terms they all would have been.

I think at some point you just have to start using common sense. If you ask most people who were around in the mid-90s whether Don't Speak was a single, they'll probably say yes. An airplay only single yes, but it was still treated as a single in every way aside from the physical release.

[Deleted]

I think we may find, as evidenced by all the responses, there isn't a one size fits all definition that will make everyone happy.

Further clouding the picture is that in the chart we all follow, all 'singles' are 'singles'. They do not differentiate between, countdown singles, radio singles, you-tube singles, album track singles or any other non-single singles. If it is popular it will chart, regardless of how it was distributed to the music buying public