Hello, fam! Welcome to this year’s edition of the Halloweekend Countdown! Spooky things awaits us this weekend, so prepare to be frightened! Anyway, Kid Kelly hosted the countdown in place of Spyder Harrison, who apparently got sick. Poor Spyder. Hope he’s feeling better. Let’s get right into the spooky business of things, shall we? There are no songs leaving the countdown this week, so let’s go.

The Countdown:

Hello friends, and Happy (early) Halloween! Welcome to the spooky world of the American Top 40! What scary things await us on this week’s countdown, you ask? You’ll just have to read and find out for yourself! Let’s get right into the spooky business of things, shall we? Now, this week was much better than last week, in a way. Despite having an iffy class of entrants, our #1 definitely excites me. And we did get some activity, so I’ll take that. Now, with that being said, here are the songs leaving us this week:

• Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran [Spent 10 Weeks At #1]
  Last Week: #40 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 40

• Something Different by Why Don’t We
  Last Week: #35 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 4

The Countdown:
Last Week’s #1 Song: Strip That Down by Liam Payne featuring Quavo

40. Do Re Mi by Blackbear (DEBUT)
Last Week: N/A | # Of Weeks On Chart: 1

39. Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay [-1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
Last Week: #38 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 33

38. Why by Sabrina Carpenter [+1]
Last Week: #39 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 2

37. That’s What I Like by Bruno Mars [-1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
Last Week: #36 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 38

36. Rockstar by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage (DEBUT)
Last Week: N/A | # Of Weeks On Chart: 1

35. It Ain’t Me by Kygo featuring Selena Gomez [-1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
Last Week: #34 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 34

34. Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller [-11]
Last Week: #23 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 17

33. Now Or Never by Halsey [-1]
Last Week: #32 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 27

32. Know No Better by Major Lazer featuring Travis Scott, Camila Cabello, and Quavo [+1]
Last Week: #33 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 10

31. Bodak Yellow (Money Moves) by Cardi B. [+6]
Last Week: #37 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 2

30. Let Me Go by Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line and Watt [+1]
Last Week: #31 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 3

29. Body Like A Back Road by Sam Hunt [-2]
Last Week: #27 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 21

28. Perfect by Ed Sheeran [+2]
Last Week: #30 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 2

27. Love So Soft by Kelly Clarkson [+1]
Last Week: #28 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 4

26. Glorious by Macklemore featuring Skylar Grey [-6]
Last Week: #20 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 14

25. Stay by Zedd featuring Alessia Cara [-3] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
Last Week: #22 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 33

24. Lights Down Low by MAX featuring Gnash [+2]
Last Week: #26 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 8

23. Mi Gente by J. Balvin featuring Willy William [+2]
Last Week: #25 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 9

22. Havana by Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug [+7]
Last Week: #29 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 3

21. Despacito by Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee [-4] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
Last Week: #17 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 23

20. Friends by Justin Bieber featuring BloodPop® [-7]
Last Week: #13 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 8

19. New Rules by Dua Lipa [+2]
Last Week: #21 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 4

18. …Ready For It? by Taylor Swift [+1]
Last Week: #19 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 4

17. Thunder by Imagine Dragons [+7]
Last Week: #24 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 3

16. Bad At Love by Halsey [+2]
Last Week: #18 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 6

15. Believer by Imagine Dragons [-1]
Last Week: #14 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 23

14. Too Good At Goodbyes by Sam Smith [+2]
Last Week: #16 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 5

13. What About Us by P!NK [+2]
Last Week: #15 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 9

12. Praying by Kesha [=]
Last Week: #12 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 12

11. What Lovers Do by Maroon 5 featuring SZA [=]
Last Week: #11 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 6

10. There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back by Shawn Mendes [-3] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
Last Week: #7 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 24

9. Unforgettable by French Montana featuring Swae Lee [+1]
Last Week: #10 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 15

8. 1-800-273-8255 by Logic featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid [+1]
Last Week: #9 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 15

7. No Promises by Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato [-1]
Last Week: #6 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 21

6. Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato [+2]
Last Week: #8 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 11

5. Attention by Charlie Puth [-2] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
Last Week: #3 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 22

4. Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man [=]
Last Week: #4 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 10

3. Slow Hands by Niall Horan [-1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
Last Week: #2 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 22

2. Strip That Down by Liam Payne featuring Quavo [-1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
Last Week: #1 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 19

1. Look What You Made Me Do by Taylor Swift [+4] [FIRST WEEK AT #1!!!]
Last Week: #5 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 7

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Closer by The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey (3rd Of 7 Weeks At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller (-11)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: Tie between Havana by Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug & Thunder by Imagine Dragons (+7)

New Entrants
– Our first of two new entrants this week comes from Blackbear with the single Do Re Mi. To put it simply, I can’t say I’m a fan of this one. It’s basically him trying to be like Eminem and it just doesn’t work. Also, the production seems uninteresting, and I’m not sold on the lyrical content either. My opinion could change, but I doubt it. Here’s to hoping it leaves us soon.

– Blech. We have more Post Malone with the song I’m sure many you are expecting me to thrash big time. His new single is titled Rockstar, which features 21 Savage. I’ll admit, it’s better than the atrocious mess that is of Congratulations, but it’s still undesirable by any means. Now the production and the vocals are actually somewhat tolerable, hence why it’s not the worst rap song I’ve ever heard. But it’s the lyrical content that brings the song way down for me, much like all the other mainstream rap songs nowadays. I’m pretty pissed that this was #1 on Billboard for two weeks. And unfortunately, it doesn’t show any signs of slowing down anytime soon. I’m going to be honest here: why can’t we have artists like Lorde flood the charts instead? Or Rachel Platten, who had just recently released her new album Waves? Heck, I’d much rather have Meghan Trainor (or Meghan Meghans, as a certain someone I won’t name would call her) flood the charts just for one week. Anyway, I have a bad feeling it’s going to have a long stay here, so I’m preparing for the worst.

‘Cause This Is Thriller, Thriller Blurbs
– So, we had two exits this week, including the all-important one, and we’ll get to that in a bit. To start, we lost Something Different by Why Don’t We, which I had just started to grow into recently, but I knew it wouldn’t last long here. Then, there’s the all-important exit: Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran. That one had an incredible run on most charts, including this one, where it spent 10 weeks at the top. Although I do like some of his singles off of Divide better, it was good to see this one becoming his biggest hit of his career. While I know some people are rejoicing over its departure, I’m not one of them. Farewell, Shape Of You. Thank you for your time on this countdown. You will be missed.

– This is the third straight week in which Wild Thoughts took the biggest drop this week. Zoinks! Talk about a hard fall. Keep in mind that this was in the Top 10 earlier this month.

– I’m not too thrilled about the jump from Bodak Yellow (Money Moves). However, it’s nice to see Thunder jumping into the Top 20 this week. I would like to see that one in the Top 10 soon, which I’m sure it will given that it’s still gaining a lot of steam elsewhere and it’s showing no signs of slowing down anytime soon.

– Also, we have Havana making a big jump. Something tells me Camila Cabello may have her first hit as a solo artist. Personally, I’d be okay with it, since I’ve started to slightly grow into this song recently.

– So, if you haven’t heard, Justin Timberlake will be performing in Super Bowl LII. It’s been a while since he’s done one, back in 2004 when the infamous “wardrobe malfunction” occurred while performing with Janet Jackson. I wonder will he perform his new single, or just play his biggest hits? We don’t know yet. We’ll just have to wait and see.

– So, I just recently watched the music video for …Ready For It?, and I must say: it was pretty cool for the most part. I won’t really talk about it in detail, but it seems like Taylor Swift is stepping up her music video game big time. Now, I wonder will some of the other artists follow her path and at least try to make a cool music video like Taylor is doing right now? Only time will tell on that.

– I was thinking Feel It Still would have a shot at #1 this week, but that didn’t appear to be the case, as a certain artist has leapfrogged everyone else in the Top 5. I’m sure it’ll get there soon enough. Again, as I’ve said before, it’s nice to see indie songs of this caliber catching on to the audience.

– Speaking of which, we’ve come to our #1! Look What You Made Me Do by Taylor Swift has finally made it to the top spot! If I do say so myself, it’s quite an unusual, but stand-out track for her that at least got some recognition because hey, it’s Taylor Swift. I’m not sure how the rest of her album sounds yet as we have to wait two more weeks until it drops. Still, I’m definitely thrilled about that #1 this week!

Breakouts/On The Verge:

• Find You by Nick Jonas
• Young, Dumb, & Broke by Khalid
• He Like That by Fifth Harmony

My Bottom 5 Picks
TIE: 1. Body Like A Back Road by Sam Hunt
TIE: 1. Mi Gente by J. Balvin featuring Willy William
3. Know No Better by Major Lazer featuring Travis Scott, Camila Cabello, and Quavo
4. Bodak Yellow (Money Moves) by Cardi B.
5. Rockstar by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage

For my 20,000 Pageview Special, I’ve decided to share of list of my Top 10 Songs of 2016. Now, 2016 wasn’t really the best year for music in general, in part due to a lot of mediocre music being released. Still, that doesn’t mean I can’t find a good song worthy of being in my Top 10. Let’s get right into it, shall we? But first, here are some of the few honorable mentions I want to talk about:

TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Heathens
Taken from the Suicide Squad movie soundtrack, the blogging community had mixed opinions about this one. In fact, this was Graham’s most hated song of 2016. As for me, I beg to differ. This is a special kind of song for TWENTY ØNE PILØTS in general. In terms of the lyrical content, you can see that it talks about newcomers coming from different backgrounds. In fact, they wrote this song about their fan-base. This is another win for this band, and I wish we had more songs like this.

Adele – Send My Love (To Your New Lover)
I’ll admit, it’s not her best single off of 25. There were definitely some better single choices in the album than this one. Still, I can’t deny the fact that this is still good for what it is. Although the production may not seem like much, the rest of the song itself is a different story. Looking at the lyrical content, Adele shows that she is still a fantastic songwriter, and her vocals are still stellar, even when it’s not her best. Overall, she pleases my ears yet again with this one.

Lukas Graham – 7 Years
I’m going to ask you this one simple question: which would you rather listen to? A nonsensical rap song like Desiigner – Panda, or a boring song that tells a great story about a father & son relationship like this one? For me, I’m going to choose the latter. It’s sad that most people here in the blogging community don’t appreciate this just because they find it boring. I’ll admit, I wasn’t head over heels about this one at first, but I warmed up to it big time. Lukas Graham did a very nice job at making a good first impression as a band. Too bad this was their only hit in the states.

Coldplay featuring Beyoncé – Hymn For The Weekend
Adrian’s #1 song of 2016, and for a very good reason. This is an interesting collaboration that turned out well for both artists. The production is absolutely superb on all fronts. Both Chris Martin’s & Beyoncé’s vocals blend together very nicely. Actually, Beyoncé’s vocals are easily the best part about this song. I love how she opens the intro with the line, “Let me shoot across the sky”, along with the nature-like sounds in the background. Most radio stations played the SeeB remix at the time this became popular. While I do like the remix, it’s nothing compared to the original. I’m pretty pleased this became a hit for both artists.

Mike Posner – I Took A Pill In Ibiza
What? Were you guys expecting this to be in my Top 5 or something? Sorry to disappoint you, but I think differently. Anyway, this is probably one of my favorite comeback singles of 2016. It’s a huge step up from the bland and mediocre Cooler Than Me. He tells a story and he tells it really well. Mike Posner showcases his vocal talent with emotion, and the songwriting is amazing. The SeeB remix played on most radio stations made it even better than the original. Overall, this song is one of the few perfect examples of how to make a comeback in the music business.

Now, with all the honorable mentions out of the way, here is a list of my Top 10 Song of 2016 and my thoughts on the songs below. So, get ready:

10. P!NK – Just Like Fire
Taken from the Alice Through The Looking Glass movie soundtrack, this song was adored by the blogging community. They can explain it better than I can, but I’ll try to make it as simple as possible. While P!NK isn’t necessarily my go-to artist, at least she can make great music, and this is no exception. I absolutely love P!NK’s verses in this one, as well as both the chorus and the pre-chorus. Not too much else I can say about it, but I’m glad this became another huge hit for her, hitting the Top 10 on most charts in 2016.

9. Zara Larsson featuring MNEK – Never Forget You
Don’t you love it when a Swedish artist manages to get a hit in the states? That’s pretty much what happened with Zara Larsson when she released this song. It tells a story about being in a relationship in a way which one can never forget the other, even when he/she is alone. And I’m sure people can relate. I love how their vocals blend together. For both artists, they did really well at making a good first impression.

8. Demi Lovato – Confident
Ah, yes. The follow-up single to the amazing Cool For The Summer. The chorus in this one is just awesome, and I love how Demi can hit those high notes. As the title track says, there’s nothing wrong with being confident in yourself so long as you continue to do. The music video was pretty cool too, but I won’t get into it right now. While it doesn’t quite live up to its predecessor, this is still a keeper.

7. Adele – When We Were Young
It’s basically a lesser version of Hello, but I don’t care. This song is still amazing by any means. Many music critics called this one of the best songs of 2016. Unfortunately, the blogging community doesn’t feel the same way. I beg to differ. From her great vocals to the divine lyrical content, this is probably the best single off of 25. While I may still enjoy its predecessor, I may find this one to be even better.

6. TWENTY ØNE PILØTS – Stressed Out
After putting themselves on the radar with Tear In My Heart, the band decided to take advantage of that and release a follow-up late in 2015. I’ll make it simple: this is probably their best song they’ve released in my opinion. Although their vocals may not be necessarily the best, the biggest reason why I love this is the lyrical content, period. It tells a story about how when we were kids, we always played pretend, but today we’re always stressed out, as the song title says. It also has some cool lines, especially near the end of the bridge where they sing, “Used to dream of outer space, but now there laughing in my facing singing, ‘Wake up, you need to make money’, Yeah”. Tyler Joseph has proven to be a great songwriter. He shows that you can add cool lines and still come up with great lyrical content, unlike many artists who have tried and have failed mightily. *cough* AJR *cough*. Yeah, it’s definitely my favorite single off of Blurryface and I’m glad it was a huge success.

5. 5 Seconds Of Summer – Jet Black Heart
Come to think of it, there’s not really a whole lot to like about 5 Seconds Of Summer in general. They have some pretty good songs though (Hey Everybody!, Girls Talk Boys, Amnesia, etc.), so I’ll give them that. However, no song stands out to me more than Jet Black Heart. When this song came around, I was impressed. It talks about that special someone in our lives and that you still love them no matter what. This is song that not only is fun to listen to when going on a ride with friends, but it’s also something that people can relate to. It does have that classic rock vibe which we don’t really get to hear nowadays. That said, I wish this was a bigger hit elsewhere because this is fantastic.

4. The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey – Closer
If both Roses & Don’t Let Me Down were the start of chart success for The Chainsmokers, there was no doubt that they would end up having their biggest hit of their career at some point in time. And lo and behold, this is the one. This song nearly broke all kinds of records (both in streaming and on Billboard). What’s more interesting about it is the fact that we get to hear the vocals from Andrew Taggart himself. You don’t really hear those often in DJ collaborations. I love Halsey’s vocals as well. They blend together very well in this song. Plus, it helps that it has references to Blink-182. I do still enjoy this song so much, and I’m happy to see that this became their biggest hit of their career.

3. Ariana Grande – Into You
Ah, yes. The follow-up to the title track off of Dangerous Woman, and a epic one at that. For me, this is easily her best song she’s ever released by a landslide. I love how Ariana can try to be sultry and make it work, unlike some artists who are currently going that route nowadays. *cough* Selena Gomez *cough*. The production put together by producer Max Martin is near-flawless, and I absolutely love the lyrical content, especially when it has references to Mariah Carey’s 2008 single, Touch My Body. Speaking of which, I also love how Ariana channels her inner Mariah Carey in this one. Again, Ariana manages to impress me with her second single off of that album.

 

2. Ellie Goulding – Something In The Way You Move
Nowadays, it’s very rare to find an artist who continues to impress with each single they’ve released. Back in the day, artists such as Mariah Carey, Céline Dion, Britney Spears, Christina Aguilera, and Whitney Houston were many examples that come to mind. This decade, you have Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Rihanna, and Taylor Swift who have managed to impress me many times (though each had a few hiccups along the way, which were not to my liking). However, to me, there’s no artist that never fails to disappoint me than Ellie Goulding. Ever since she went into the spotlight with Lights, every single she has released has wowed me to the point where she’s now one of my favorite artists of the decade. Something In The Way You Move is no different. For me, it’s my third favorite single from her (only behind Lights and Love Me Like You Do). I absolutely LOVE both the chorus and the pre-chorus. Her vocals absolutely shine bright like a diamond (no reference to Rihanna). Not only that, but Ellie Goulding has also proven herself to be one of the best songwriters around when looking at the lyrical content of this song. Even though this wasn’t a bigger hit like I wanted it to be, I’m still love it no matter what. Thank you, Ellie Goulding, for making yet another amazing song.

1. Rachel Platten – Stand By You
Okay. Now I’m quite sure many of you did not expect this to be my #1 song of 2016. I had thought long and hard about what should I put as my #1, and I’ve decided that this song was worthy of getting the top spot on my list. It’s the follow-up to the awesome Fight Song, which was (and still is) a huge favorite of mine 2015. Now, as much as I really love its predecessor, I actually find this one to be superior. In fact, this song is basically EVERYTHING I LOVE about Rachel Platten as an artist. The chorus is probably the best thing I’ve ever heard in a long time. Rachel’s vocals absolutely shine in this one. It is also a huge step up in terms of the lyrical content, which is better written than even that of Fight Song. Yet, as much as I really love this song on its own, that’s not even the best of it. The best thing about this song is the music video. It may not seem like much, but she just looks absolutely stunning, and I love how she dances with the choir in the music video. I was overjoyed to see this being another hit for Rachel, what with it reaching #2 on the Hits 1 weekend countdown. Overall, Rachel Platten has managed to impress me yet again, and I’m hoping she continues to make music just like this, because this is absolutely divine across the board.

And that’s that! Those are my Top 10 best songs of 2016! You can share your thoughts about it in the comments below. It took a while, but I finally made this list. Again, thank you all for reading my blog and making my page special!

Hello, friends! I’m still working on my 20,000 Pageview Special. I’ve been busy all week, which is why I haven’t gotten it finished yet. I promise, I’ll get it posted sometime next week. This was another good week for the most part. Our #1 remained the same, and we got rid of one big piece of garbage. More on that later. And we got some activity going on, for better or worse. Now, before we get to the countdown, here are the exits:

• Zedd featuring Liam Payne – Get Low (#39)
• Selena Gomez – Fetish (#34) (Good Riddance)
• Panic! At The Disco – L.A. Devotee (#35)

The Countdown:

Hello, friends! This week…to put it easy, was kinda meh if I do say so myself. But I guess I’ll learn to put up with it. Although we had some decent activity, so I’ll give it that. So without further ado, here are the songs leaving us this week:

• Hoodie by Hey Violet
  Last Week: #39 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 3

• Two Ghosts by Harry Styles
  Last Week: #37 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 5

• Fetish by Selena Gomez featuring Gucci Mane
  Last Week: #24 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 9

The Countdown:
Last Week’s #1 Song: Slow Hands by Niall Horan

40. Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran [=] [Spent 10 Weeks At #1]
Last Week: #40 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 40

39. Why by Sabrina Carpenter (DEBUT)
Last Week: N/A | # Of Weeks On Chart: 1

38. Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay [=] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
Last Week: #38 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 32

37. Bodak Yellow (Money Moves) by Cardi B. (DEBUT)
Last Week: N/A | # Of Weeks On Chart: 1

36. That’s What I Like by Bruno Mars [-1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
Last Week: #35 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 37

35. Something Different by Why Don’t We [+1]
Last Week: #36 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 4

34. It Ain’t Me by Kygo featuring Selena Gomez [-1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
Last Week: #33 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 33

33. Know No Better by Major Lazer featuring Travis Scott, Camila Cabello, and Quavo [-5]
Last Week: #28 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 9

32. Now Or Never by Halsey [-1]
Last Week: #31 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 26

31. Let Me Go by Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line and Watt [+1]
Last Week: #32 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 2

30. Perfect by Ed Sheeran (DEBUT)
Last Week: N/A | # Of Weeks On Chart: 1

29. Havana by Camila Cabello featuring Yung Thug [+5]
Last Week: #34 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 2

28. Love So Soft by Kelly Clarkson [+1]
Last Week: #29 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 3

27. Body Like A Back Road by Sam Hunt [-1]
Last Week: #26 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 20

26. Lights Down Low by MAX featuring Gnash [+1]
Last Week: #27 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 7

25. Mi Gente by J. Balvin featuring Willy William [=]
Last Week: #25 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 8

24. Thunder by Imagine Dragons [+6]
Last Week: #30 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 2

23. Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller [-8]
Last Week: #15 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 16

22. Stay by Zedd featuring Alessia Cara [-3] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
Last Week: #19 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 32

21. New Rules by Dua Lipa [+2]
Last Week: #23 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 3

20. Glorious by Macklemore featuring Skylar Grey [+1]
Last Week: #21 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 13

19. …Ready For It? by Taylor Swift [+3]
Last Week: #22 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 3

18. Bad At Love by Halsey [+2]
Last Week: #20 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 5

17. Despacito by Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee [-1] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
Last Week: #16 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 22

16. Too Good At Goodbyes by Sam Smith [+2]
Last Week: #18 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 4

15. What About Us by P!NK [+2]
Last Week: #17 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 8

14. Believer by Imagine Dragons [-3]
Last Week: #11 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 22

13. Friends by Justin Bieber featuring BloodPop® [-1]
Last Week: #12 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 7

12. Praying by Kesha [+2]
Last Week: #14 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 11

11. What Lovers Do by Maroon 5 featuring SZA [+2]
Last Week: #13 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 5

10. Unforgettable by French Montana featuring Swae Lee [-2]
Last Week: #8 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 14

9. 1-800-273-8255 by Logic featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid [+1]
Last Week: #10 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 14

8. Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato [+1]
Last Week: #9 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 10

7. There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back by Shawn Mendes [-2] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
Last Week: #5 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 23

6. No Promises by Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato [+1]
Last Week: #7 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 20

5. Look What You Made Me Do by Taylor Swift [-1]
Last Week: #4 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 6

4. Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man [+2]
Last Week: #6 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 9

3. Attention by Charlie Puth [-1] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
Last Week: #2 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 21

2. Slow Hands by Niall Horan [-1] [Spent 2 Weeks At #1]
Last Week: #1 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 21

1. Strip That Down by Liam Payne featuring Quavo [+2] [1st Week At #1]
Last Week: #3 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 18

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Closer by The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey (2nd Of 7 Weeks At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller (-8)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: Thunder by Imagine Dragons (+6)

New Entrants
– To begin our new round of arrivals, we have Sabrina Carpenter making her second appearance on the AT40, in the form of Why. I pretty much talked about this one on the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown a few weeks ago. To recap, it’s not really an interesting song to say the least. She doesn’t really showcase her vocal talent very well, and the production is kinda meh all around. Overall, it’s just not all that good. Sorry.

– Next, we have more mediocre rap music once again. This time, we have Cardi B. making her debut with Bodak Yellow (Money Moves). Now, if I’m being honest, her vocals aren’t as bad as I thought it would be at first listen. They’re actually somewhat tolerable. The problem is the asinine lyrical content and the underwhelming production kills the song for me. I’m not too thrilled that it hit #1 on Billboard a while ago. We’ll see how far this goes on here.

– Our final debut comes from Ed Sheeran with his new single Perfect. This song is quite different compared to some of the other singles off of Divide. While it’s not the best single off of that album, it’s a nice slow ballad to say the least. He definitely showcases his vocal talent here. This is a nice song can I would recommend for a wedding. I’ll talk more about it later when it debuts on the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown.

Believe It Or Not, I’m Blurbing On Air
– We’ll talk about our exits first. To start, I’m thrilled to see Fetish depart from this countdown. Now, I’ll say this: Selena just needs to go back to making upbeat music, because whatever she’s doing right now isn’t working. And the public seems to agree, because this and its predecessor both flopped (and rightfully so). The other two exits I’m quite sad about. I’m not surprised Hoodie got the boot, given that the public isn’t too kind to Hey Violet’s music. Same with Two Ghosts, although he does have a new single in its stead, which I’ll talk about later this weekend.

– I’m not happy to see Strip That Down at #1 this week. But I shouldn’t be surprised given that it’s still near the top of the charts right now. Still, I’d rather have Slow Hands at the top for at least another week.

– Speaking of our #1, it doesn’t look like Look What You Made Me Do is going to get there as much as I hoped. I may have jinxed it when I said that it was going to spend a long time at that spot, in part because it’s Taylor Swift and this was #1 everywhere else.

– Meanwhile, we have Feel It Still in the Top 5. Something tells me this will hit #1 in the near future. Hopefully, it can dethrone Strip That Down within the next week.

– By no surprise, Thunder takes a big jump this week. Imagine Dragons are pretty much having a great year so far, what with Believer being a big hit and this one still gaining a lot of steam. It’s good to see this one catching on.

Breakouts/On The Verge:

• Rockstar by Post Malone featuring 21 Savage
• Do Re Mi by Blackbear
• Find You by Nick Jonas

My Bottom 5 Picks
TIE: 1. Body Like A Back Road by Sam Hunt
TIE: 1. Mi Gente by J. Balvin featuring Willy William
3. Know No Better by Major Lazer featuring Travis Scott, Camila Cabello, and Quavo
4. Bodak Yellow (Money Moves) by Cardi B.
5. Why by Sabrina Carpenter

Hello, friends! So, my blog has reached 20,000 Pageviews! Again, thanks to everyone who’s been reading my blog! I’ll try to come up with a special post sometime next week. This was an interesting week for the most part. We have a new #1, which I’m very thrilled about, and we have a song that I’ve been waiting for that just arrived on Hit-Bound! You’ll see what I’m talking about later. Before we get to this week’s fresh 45, here are the songs exiting the countdown this week:

• Hey Violet – Hoodie (#45)

The Countdown:

Hello, friends! I am happy to announce that my blog has reached 20,000 Pageviews! As always, thank you all for coming to my blog and sharing your thoughts about my posts. I mean, where has the time gone? It seems like yesterday I was new to the blogging community. I do plan on doing a special post, which should come within the next week or so. Now with that being said, here are the songs leaving us this week:

• Location by Khalid
  Last Week: #29 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 9

• I’m The One by DJ Khaled featuring Justin Bieber, Quavo, Chance The Rapper, and Lil’ Wayne
  Last Week: #26 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 21
  
  
• Feels by Calvin Harris featuring Pharrell, Katy Perry, and Big Sean
  Last Week: #19 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 13

The Countdown:
Last Week’s #1 Song: Slow Hands by Niall Horan

40. Shape Of You by Ed Sheeran [=] [Spent 10 Weeks At #1]
Last Week: #40 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 39

39. Hoodie by Hey Violet [=]
Last Week: #39 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 3

38. Something Just Like This by The Chainsmokers featuring Coldplay [-1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
Last Week: #37 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 31

37. Two Ghosts by Harry Styles [-1]
Last Week: #36 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 5

36. Something Different by Why Don’t We [+2]
Last Week: #38 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 3

35. That’s What I Like by Bruno Mars [-1] [Spent 3 Weeks At #1]
Last Week: #34 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 36

34. Havana by Camila Cabello featuring Young Thug (DEBUT)
Last Week: N/A | # Of Weeks On Chart: 1

33. It Ain’t Me by Kygo featuring Selena Gomez [-1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
Last Week: #32 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 32

32. Let Me Go by Hailee Steinfeld & Alesso featuring Florida Georgia Line and Watt (DEBUT)
Last Week: N/A | # Of Weeks On Chart: 1

31. Now Or Never by Halsey [-1]
Last Week: #30 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 25

30. Thunder by Imagine Dragons (DEBUT)
Last Week: N/A | # Of Weeks On Chart: 1

29. Love So Soft by Kelly Clarkson [+6]
Last Week: #35 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 2

28. Know No Better by Major Lazer featuring Travis Scott, Camila Cabello, and Quavo [+3]
Last Week: #31 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 8

27. Lights Down Low by MAX featuring Gnash [+1]
Last Week: #28 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 6

26. Body Like A Back Road by Sam Hunt [-3]
Last Week: #23 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 19

25. Mi Gente by J. Balvin featuring Willy William [+2]
Last Week: #27 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 7

24. Fetish by Selena Gomez featuring Gucci Mane [-4]
Last Week: #20 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 9

23. New Rules by Dua Lipa [+10]
Last Week: #33 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 2

22. …Ready For It? by Taylor Swift [+3]
Last Week: #25 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 2

21. Glorious by Macklemore featuring Skylar Grey [+1]
Last Week: #22 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 12

20. Bad At Love by Halsey [+1]
Last Week: #21 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 4

19. Stay by Zedd featuring Alessia Cara [-1] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
Last Week: #18 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 31

18. Too Good At Goodbyes by Sam Smith [+6]
Last Week: #24 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 3

17. What About Us by P!NK [=]
Last Week: #17 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 7

16. Despacito by Luis Fonsi featuring Justin Bieber and Daddy Yankee [-3] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
Last Week: #13 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 21

15. Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller [-5]
Last Week: #10 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 15

14. Praying by Kesha [=]
Last Week: #14 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 10

13. What Lovers Do by Maroon 5 featuring SZA [+2]
Last Week: #15 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 4

12. Friends by Justin Bieber featuring BloodPop® [=]
Last Week: #12 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 6

11. Believer by Imagine Dragons [-5]
Last Week: #6 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 21

10. 1-800-273-8255 by Logic featuring Alessia Cara and Khalid [+6]
Last Week: #16 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 13

9. Sorry Not Sorry by Demi Lovato [+2]
Last Week: #11 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 9

8. Unforgettable by French Montana featuring Swae Lee [+1]
Last Week: #9 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 13

7. No Promises by Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato [=]
Last Week: #7 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 19

6. Feel It Still by Portugal. The Man [+2]
Last Week: #8 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 8

5. There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back by Shawn Mendes [-1] [Spent 1 Week At #1]
Last Week: #4 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 22

4. Look What You Made Me Do by Taylor Swift [+1]
Last Week: #5 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 5

3. Strip That Down by Liam Payne featuring Quavo [=]
Last Week: #3 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 17

2. Attention by Charlie Puth [=] [Spent 5 Weeks At #1]
Last Week: #2 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 20

1. Slow Hands by Niall Horan [=] [2nd Week At #1]
Last Week: #1 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 20

#1 Song This Week One Year Ago: Closer by The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey (1st Of 7 Weeks At #1)

Biggest Fall Of The Week: Tie between Believer by Imagine Dragons and Wild Thoughts by DJ Khaled featuring Rihanna and Bryson Tiller (-5)

Biggest Rise Of The Week: New Rules by Dua Lipa (+10)

New Entrants
– To start our round of new debuts this week, we have more Camila Cabello, this time collaborating with Young Thug for her new single titled Havana. My reaction wasn’t good when I first heard this. Plus, I questioned this collaboration, which made me afraid of what I was getting into. With more listens, it’s not as bad as I thought it would be. Although Young Thug doesn’t contribute too much, at least Camila has improved on her vocals a bit, and the piano work is quite solid. We’ll see how far this gets.

– Not long after Hailee Steinfeld left the AT40 with Most Girls, she returns to the countdown with her successor, in the form of Let Me Go, which features Alesso, Florida Georgia Line, and Watt. I talked about this one last week when it debuted on the Hits 1 Weekend Countdown. But just to recap, it’s definitely a sweet song that talks about letting someone go and hoping somebody loves them. Hailee Steinfeld showcases her vocal talent more so than she did in Starving, especially in the chorus. It helps that her vocals blend together with that of Florida Georgia Line, who also makes a great contribution to the song. Here’s to hoping this one can be a hit because I’m in love with this solid track.

– As Believer continues to die out elsewhere, Imagine Dragons has a follow-up in its stead. Enter Thunder, their second single off of Evolve. Now, the American Top 40 was definitely late to the party with this one, what with it gaining a lot of steam since late last month because it was used in a commercial, and it shows no signs of slowing down anytime soon. Anyway, about this song, while it’s a little bit of a step down in terms of the production, everything else about this song is solid. I do love the chorus in this one, and I like the line “Lightning, then the thunder”, which pulls me in. When reading the lyrics, it talks about being a kid dreaming of doing better things in life, and it’s something that people can relate to in a way. Overall, I like this a lot more than I should, and I can see this doing well here.

I’ve Been Hoping, Someone Will Love You, Let Me Blurb
– For our exits, we have Location by Khalid, which I didn’t really like that much, so I have no complaints about its departure. As for the other two, I’m The One left sooner than I expected it to, especially from a pretty high position at #26. Although I was ready to move on from it and I won’t exactly be remembering this in the big picture, I thought it was going to stay for a little bit longer. But it was not meant to be. Finally, there’s Feels, which also left from a high position at #19. It’s really sad that people have moved on from Katy Perry in general, seeing as her album didn’t catch on and failed to produce many hits. Although Feels and her predecessor, Chained To The Rhythm, were respectable in their own rights, they didn’t become as big as some thought it would. Who knows what Katy Perry has something up her sleeve besides her future stint on the forthcoming American Idol reboot. Anyway, it was nice to have Feels around while it lasted. I can see myself putting this in My Top 45 Songs Of The Year. Good-bye, Feels. I will miss you.

– Last week’s debuts made some nice jumps, in particular Love So Soft and New Rules. When it comes to the former, it seems that the public is starting to catch on to Kelly Clarkson’s new soulful sound. The latter isn’t much of a surprise, though, and it’s nice to see Dua Lipa finally getting a respectable hit in the U.S.

– However, on the negative side, we have Mi Gente slowly rising up as it heads for the Top 20. This song just continues to get more irritating every time I hear it. It doesn’t help that it somehow managed to reach #3 on the Billboard Hot 100. I can’t believe we’re letting this Latin-based embarrassment of a song get this big when there are clearly better songs that deserve some recognition.

– While we’re on that subject, all of my Bottom 5 picks (in no order) are from #28-#24.

– On a more positive note, we have Too Good At Goodbyes making a big jump to the Top 20. As you can see, I have now fully warmed up to this song. And I’m sure people have, too, seeing as they miss Sam Smith so much.

– Also, the song which talks about suicide has been getting better for me with each listen. I’m kinda glad it’s also catching on to the public. It’s definitely a song people can relate to.

– Something tells me that Look What You Made Me Do will potentially become the next #1 song, because it’s experiencing a massive resurgence in radio spins. But hey, it’s Taylor Swift, so I won’t be surprised if it gets to #1 here within a couple of weeks, maybe even sooner.

Breakouts/On The Verge:

• Why by Sabrina Carpenter
• Bodak Yellow (Money Moves) by Cardi B.
• Perfect by Ed Sheeran

Hey there, friends! So as I mentioned yesterday in my introduction, there was a mass shooting in Las Vegas Sunday night which killed many people and injured many others. It really broke my heart into a million pieces after hearing this news. Again, my prayers go out to their families during this very difficult time. Let’s get to the countdown, shall we? I’ll say this, though: how about that! This week was quite a step up from last week.  Despite having the same mediocre #1, we have a much better class of entrants, and there was some good activity going on. With that being said, here are the songs dropping out this week:

• Hailee Steinfeld – Most Girls (#45)
• Andy Grammer – Give Love (#37)
• Bruno Mars – Versace On The Floor (#32)
• All Time Low – Good Times (#42)

The Countdown:

Hello, friends. This is the first countdown of October, and…unfortunately, I would like to begin my introduction on a very somber note. Our thoughts and prayers go out to the victims’ families during this difficult time when at least 59 people were killed and many more were injured in a shooting that occurred in Las Vegas this past Sunday, which is now THE WORST MASS SHOOTING IN U.S. HISTORY. Before we get to the American Top 40 this week, let’s take a moment of silence to remember the victims.

Now, let’s begin reviewing, shall we? Here are the songs dropping out this week:

• Castle On The Hill by Ed Sheeran
  Last Week: #36 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 22

• Redbone by Childish Gambino
  Last Week: #27 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 14

• Back To You by Louis Tomlinson featuring Bebe Rexha and Digital Farm Animals
  Last Week: #24 | # Of Weeks On Chart: 7