While 2020 may now be more than half over (and some would say thank you for that), it has been chock full of great music. Right now, my Top 5 on this new chart would seem to be untouchable for the next several weeks, though a couple of up-and-comers may change that.
I’ve often been asked why I don’t increase my chart to a Top 40 or a Top 50. You’re more than welcome to weigh in on this, but the BILLCS Top 30 is a chart of my current favourite songs, and that’s all there is to it. There’s no science to it at all. However the chart has been online for 22 years, so it is at least known in some music circles. If it’s meaningful for a new performer to be on someone’s chart at #40 then I can understand the interest. But it’s probably more meaningful if I’ve written about that song than if it appears on my chart. This blog is going into its 11th year online – over 2,400 posts about all kinds of pop music form its library!
So while Lady Gaga & Araina Grande’s “Rain On Me” (above) gets a 3rd appearance (6th week) at #1, and “Never Let Me Down” by VIZE and Tom Gregory (also above) holds at #2, I’ll throw this chart’s upper spotlight on Jessie Ware. Her sophisticated disco/dance album What’s Your Pleasure is one of my faves of the year. “Save A Kiss” (below) remains at #3, but the title track is now also a single so check it out, also below.
NYC-based singer/songwriter Victor Perry has one slew of new music still to come this year. His stunning and heartfelt ballad “What I Deserve” (above, from the excellent EP Rewind), climbs to #4 and is his biggest solo song to date on my chart. Victor has recently worked with two young Swedish producers, B3NTE and Behmer, to create a tantalizing cover of Modern Talking’s massive 80’s European hit “You’re My Heart, You’re My Soul”. My only complaint is that it’s sooo short at only 2:19, but that’s nothing that a good extended remix can’t remedy. Take a listen to this excellent cover choice, below.
I adore the overall theme of Greyson Chance’s “Dancing Next To Me”, which soars 11-5. It’s one of those songs that sits in your gut and gets stuck in your head for a long time.
Francesco Yates’ “Bad Decisions” (up 14-7, from his EP Superbad) becomes the Canadian singer’s second Top 10 on this chart, following his first hit “Better To Be Loved”, which reached #6 5 summers ago. Check out the top drawer song “Queen Street Blues”, also from the EP, below.
The third new entry in the Top 10 is also the Fastest Riser on the chart, which is holding at #1 in the UK for a second week. When dance music is large and in charge you have songs like “Rain On Me” and “Head & Heart” by Joel Corry & MNEK leading the way. “Head & Heart” flies up the chart 21-10.
Trivecta and Fagin’s electronic anthem “Leave It All Behind” cuts through the middle of the chart and moves up 19-14.
In addition to their current banger “Tragic” (featuring Amber Van Day, up 17-15), Dutch producers The Him mix it up with Yall, Royale Avenue and Jay Nebula in their new anthemic single “Believe”, below.
The remaining debuts from the last chart are stuck behind a lot of great songs and are unable to make bigger moves. Check out the fun video for The Prince Karma’s “Superstar” (22-19), above. You’ll see a snazzier video for “Naked” (26-21, below) which makes Jonas Blue and MAX look fabulous. and “Carry Me” (also below) by Canadian producer Dezza and starring veteran session vocalist Mike Schmid is definitely in it for the long run, rising 27-23.
I didn’t latch on to his biggest hit, the Grammy-nominated “Losing It”, until long after it had peaked. But I’ve been loving Aussie producer Fisher’s strut-worthy “Wanna Go Dancin'” since it came out as ‘the flip’ of his single “Freaks” a while back. “Wanna Go Dancin'” bows on the chart at #25. Did you all know that Paul Fisher was once one half of the well-respected production duo Cut Snake??
The masters are back! The Swiss duo Yello (Dieter Meier and Boris Blank) produced some of the most off-kilter, wacked out, fun dance music of the 80’s. They are most noted for “Oh Yeah”, the song that was prominently featured in the classic “Ferris Bueller’s Day Off”, and became a hit a few years after its initial release. But their other songs are innovative and unique: “Bostich”, “I Love You”, “Lost Again”, “The Race”, and “Goldrush I” among others. They have a new album coming soon called Point, their first release in almost three years. Check out their wizardry in the electronic nonsense called “Waba Duba” above. Whatever it may be about, it arrives on the chart at #27. It’s their first entry on my chart, though if I had one before 1998 they would have appeared many, many times.
UK singer/songwriter Jazz Mino returns to the chart at #28 with her thought-provoking lyrical pop with “Like A Drunk Girl”. She first charted two summers ago with “Misunderstand”, which reached #15. Yesterday I wrote about her new single “New Girlfriend”.
A reminder that the music from my chart and blog are featured regularly on the new online radio station Radio GTA. You can hear their Big 20 on Wednesday evenings with ‘The Musicman’ James Rogers and listen for songs from the chart too 🙂 Scroll down the station’s main page to listen to lots of variety from across the decades! I’m the new music consultant for the station so you can expect even more in 2020 🙂 You can start by joining Radio GTA’s new interactive Facebook group too!!
View the full BILLCS Top 30 right here! Click on the hyperlink on the song titles to hear the songs or watch the videos!
Listen to the BILLCS Top 30 Songs on Spotify! Click on this link to take you there, and follow me on Spotify: BILLCS Top 30 Songs
Check out and ‘like’ the BILLCS Music Projects Facebook page 🙂
Want to see what I’ve been listening to and charting for the past 22 years? Rummage through the BILLCS Top 30 Archive (where you can click on the link within) when you have a chance!!
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