So, Charlie Puth hosted this week’s countdown in place of Spyder Harrison. Now, as for this week, I’ll say it was kinda of a mixed bag. While there were some good stuff (including our #1), there was also some bad things that happened. Also, this Monday we will be able to see the solar eclipse. I’m sure many of you are excited for this event! So with that being said, here are the songs dropping out this week:

• Camila Cabello – Crying In The Club (#43)
• Harry Styles – Sign Of The Times (#40)

The Countdown:
Last Weeks’ #1 Song: Imagine Dragons – Believer
45. Noah Cyrus – Stay Together (#44) [-1]
44. Steve Aoki featuring Louis Tomlinson – Just Hold On (#45) [+1]
43. Miley Cyrus – Malibu (#42) [-1]
42. Hailee Steinfield & Grey featuring Zedd – Starving (#41) [-1] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
41. DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber and Chance The Rapper – I’m The One (#36) [-5]
40. The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey – Closer (#38) [-2] [Spent 8 Weeks At #1] (Happy One Year!)
39. Julia Michaels – Issues (#39) [=]
38. Train – Play That Song (#37) [-1]
37. Hey Violet – Hoodie (DEBUT) [=]
36. Childish Gambino – Redbone (#27) [-9]
35. Selena Gomez – Bad Liar (#33) [-2]
34. Bruno Mars – That’s What I Like (#34) [=] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
33. P!NK – What About Us (DEBUT) [=]
32. DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller – Wild Thoughts (#15) [-17] (You’ve got to be kidding…)
31. Shawn Mendes – Mercy (#31) [=]
30. James Arthur – Say You Won’t Let Go (#29) [-1]
29. AJR – Weak (#23) [-6]
28. Halsey – Now Or Never (#19) [-9]
27. Hailee Steinfield – Most Girls (#11) [-16] (What the heck?!)
26. Linkin Park featuring Kiiara – Heavy (#25) [-1]
25. Julia Michaels – Uh Huh (#28) [+3]
24. Bruno Mars – Versace On The Floor (#24) [=]
23. Kesha – Praying (#35) [+12]
22. Lady Gaga – The Cure (#20) [-2]
21. Kygo featuring Selena Gomez – It Ain’t Me (#22) [+1]
20. Louis Tomlinson featuring Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals – Back To You (#26) [+6]
19. The Chainsmokers – Honest (#30) [+11]
18. All Time Low – Good Times (#14) [-4]
17. Calvin Harris featuring Pharrell and Katy Perry – Feels (#13) [-4]
16. Fall Out Boy – Champion (#18) [+2]
15. MAX featuring Gnash – Lights Down Low (#21) [+6]
14. Ed Sheeran – Castle On The Hill (#16) [+2] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
13. Demi Lovato – Sorry Not Sorry (#32) [+19]
12. Panic! At The Disco – L.A. Devotee (#10) [-2]
11. The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This (#5) [-6] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
10. Linkin Park – One More Light (#12) [+2]
9. Sam Hunt – Body Like A Back Road (#6) [-3]
8. Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee – Despacito (#3) [-5]
7. Ed Sheeran – Shape Of You (#8) [+1] [Spent 9 Weeks At #1]
6. Zedd featuring Alessia Cara – Stay (#7) [+1] [Spent 4 Weeks At #1]
5. Charlie Puth – Attention (#9) [+4]
4. Imagine Dragons – Believer (#1) [-3] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
3. Liam Payne – Strip That Down (#17) [+14]
2. Niall Horan – Slow Hands (#4) [+2]
1. Shawn Mendes – There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back (#2) [+1] [4th Week At #1]

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Justin Timberlake – Can’t Stop The Feeling (9th Of 10 Weeks At #1)

Biggest DRRRRRRROP!!! Of The Week: DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller – Wild Thoughts (-17) (……)

Biggest Jump Of The Week: Demi Lovato – Sorry Not Sorry (+19)

New Entrants
– Our first of two debuts this week comes from returning artist Hey Violet, this time with yet another new single titled Hoodie. I’m sure many of us didn’t expect this to make the countdown so soon. Now, I feel people will like this better, in part because the vocals aren’t as painful to the ears. I do kinda question the lyrics, though. We’ll see how long it lasts here.

– Our second and final debut comes from returning artist P!NK. What About Us is something that I can get into. While not quite as good as her other lead singles, this is a keeper. P!NK is one of those artists that almost never disappoints me with her music. Will this become another hit for her? We’ll have to wait and see. Overall, I’m enjoying this.

What About Blurbs
– As far as our exits go, Crying In The Club was getting less interesting, so I’m kinda happy about the departure. Sign Of The Times took an undeserved exit. It’s too bad it didn’t get popular like all the other songs from the members of One Direction.  So yeah, that song will be missed.

– Before introducing Stay Together, Charlie Puth mentioned that her favorite emoji was the one with the eyeroll. That’s pretty cool given that this emoji is very popular right now. On that note, I heard The Emoji Movie was not very good. I haven’t really seen the movie myself, but I probably won’t since I heard it got a lot of bad reviews.

– So, Closer has managed to officially last one year on the countdown! I would like to say thank you to the voters for making it happen this week!

– Before introducing Play That Song, Charlie Puth did mention that one of the members of Train was actually a guest star on CSI at one point. I’ll have to find the episode and see it for myself. It’s cool that when they’re not making music, they pursue other activities such as acting, charity work, etc.

– Before introducing That’s What I Like, Charlie Puth mentioned that one of Bruno Mars’s favorite foods is the chicken adobo, which comes from the Philippines. Though I do eat plenty of chicken (especially for dinner), I’ve never even heard of the chicken adobo, much less tried it. Someday, I’ll have to try and cook one of those. I’ll bet it tastes so good!

– Are you kidding me? Wild Thoughts took an insanely disappointing New-York-Giants-sized drop out of the Top 20 altogether and then all the way down to #32. It’s a shame that Hits 1 is going to underrate it like they did with I’m The One.

– Before introducing Say You Won’t Let Go, Charlie Puth mentioned that when James Arthur writes his songs, he thinks about his personal experiences. Writing about one’s experiences is a good idea for a song nowadays, especially if one wants to start a career in music.

– Dang! Most Girls also took a massive drop out of the Top 20. I’ve heard this quite a bit this week, so I’m surprised about this. Now, I don’t really mind it sticking it around as long as it doesn’t become the next Starving, but I’m hoping it recovers soon.

– Before introducing Honest, Charlie Puth mentioned that while The Chainsmokers were making music, their computer crashed and they had to start all over again. I’ve had many experiences myself when I was working on something important, and I had to start over for the same reason. But lo and behold, it turned out well for them as they became the artist they are today.

– All of our debuts from last week took some big jumps, with Sorry Not Sorry taking a New-York-Giants-sized jump this week into the Top 20. I have a slight feeling that Hits 1 is going to keep this around for a long while.

– So, Strip That Down has made its way into the Top 5. Unfortunately, I don’t find this song any better than some of the other One Direction songs. That’s just me, though. But if anything, I’ll take it over Body Like A Back Road any day.

– And finally, we come to our #1! It’s good to see There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back taking the top spot once again! I was expecting Despacito to take over this week with how much I’ve been hearing it lately (and the fact that’s it’s going after the record on Billboard). Still, I have no complaints about our #1 song at all.

Hit-Bound

Portugal, The Man – Feel It Still (DEBUT)
Halsey – Bad At Love
Andy Grammer – Give Love
Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato – No Promises
Imagine Dragons – Thunder
Sabrina Carpenter – Why (DEBUT)
Ed Sheeran – Galway Girl
Macklemore featuring Skylar Grey – Glorious
The All American Rejects – Sweat
Selena Gomez – Fetish (DEBUT)
Harry Styles – Two Ghosts
Rita Ora – Your Song
Zedd featuring Liam Payne – Get Low
The Revivalists – Wish I Knew You

– To kick off our debuts on Hit-Bound this week, we have more Selena Gomez once again, this time with her new single, Fetish. I pretty much explained in my previous post why I don’t like this song. Even though Hits 1 edited out Gucci Mane’s verse, it still not that good of a song. I’m sure she can do better.

– Next we have a song that is currently gaining steam at this moment, in the form of Feel It Still by Portugal, The Man. There’s nothing really I can say about this right now except I do think the songs is okay.

– Finally, we have Sabrina Carpenter with her single Why. Earlier this year, she had Thumbs which made the Hits 1 playlist, but never debuted on any weekend shows. While it’s not quite as good as her predecessor, I can get into this.

My Top 5 Hit-Bound Picks
1. Ed Sheeran – Galway Girl
2. Macklemore featuring Skylar Grey – Glorious
3. Halsey – Bad At Love
4. Imagine Dragons – Thunder
5. Zedd featuring Liam Payne – Get Low

Top 20 Review
0 – Awful:
20. Sam Hunt – Body Like A Back Road

1 – Bad:
19. MAX featuring Gnash – Lights Down Low
18. Liam Payne – Strip That Down

2 – Mediocre:
None!

3 – Decent:
17. Panic! At The Disco! – L.A. Devotee
16. Ed Sheeran – Shape Of You

4 – Good:
15. All Time Low – Good Times
14. The Chainsmokers – Honest
13. Linkin Park – One More Light

5 – Great:
12. Zedd featuring Alessia Cara – Stay
11. Imagine Dragons – Believer
10. Ed Sheeran – Castle On The Hill
9. Charlie Puth – Attention
8. Niall Horan – Slow Hands
7. Demi Lovato – Sorry Not Sorry
6. Fall Out Boy – Champion
5. Louis Tomlinson featuring Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals – Back To You
4. Calvin Harris featuring Pharrell and Katy Perry – Feels
3. Shawn Mendes – There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back
2. Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee – Despacito
1. The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This

Overall Grade: 80/100 (B-)

Throwback Pick Of The Week: Madonna – Like A Virgin (1984)

Most Missed Countdown Song: Taylor Swift – Shake It Off (#Happy3Years)

#1 Recommendation for Hits 1: Lights – Giants

Favorite Countdown Song This Week One Year Ago: Tie between Ariana Grande – Into You and Coldplay – Hymn For The Weekend

My Top 5 Picks
1. Kesha – Praying
2. The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay – Something Just Like This
3. Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee – Despacito
4. Shawn Mendes – There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back
5. DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller – Wild Thoughts

My Bottom 5 Picks
TIE: 1. Sam Hunt – Body Like A Back Road
TIE: 1. Julia Michaels – Uh Huh
3. Selena Gomez – Bad Liar
4. Train – Play That Song
5. MAX featuring Gnash – Lights Down Low

Songs That Debuted This Week One Year Ago:
Kenny Chesney featuring P!NK – Setting The World On Fire: This was definitely one of the better country songs out there than what we’re getting right now. While it wasn’t exactly one of my favorites, it was still an interesting collaboration that turned out well.
The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey – Closer: It was exactly one year ago that this song made its debut. It broke all kinds of records (on Billboard & streaming services). It’s their biggest hit of their career. I fell in love with the production & Halsey’s vocals. I’m very pleased that this became a hit!
Coldplay – Hymn For The Weekend: Ah, yes. Adrian’s #1 song of 2016, and for good reason. I absolutely love the production, and both vocals from Beyoncé & Chris Martin were excellent. Hits 1 did play the SeeB remix during its entire tenure, but it’s nothing compared to the original, which is a masterpiece. I’m glad Hits 1 treated it better, spending most of its tenure in the Top 10.