To take a page out of “Rent”, the BILLCS Top 30 began as a Top 10 posted online regularly beginning on January 19, 1998 – when it will be 10,220 days and 14,726,578 minutes ago! Every other week, I enjoy sharing my own finds and how they fare in a Top 30 chart setting. There’s no formula, these are just my favourite songs of the moment. Songs can only stay on the chart for a maximum of 10 appearances (20 weeks) unless they are moving up the chart – and that itself has only happened once (hello, Adele’s “Rolling In The Deep”). Songs can re-enter but that hasn’t happened in years, so there are a handful that have spent more than 11 weeks non-consecutively. I’ve never charted an old song that has been revived, usually because I’ve made up my mind about it the first time it was released. And several indie artists have lengthy lists of songs that have appeared on the chart, just ask Bright Light Bright Light, Brandyn Burnette or Simon Curtis. As long as a song is “released” and can be “consumed” – for purchase, streaming on most platforms, free download – it is eligible to chart. Though it’s not a busy one, I hope you enjoy edition 735 to kick off 2026. The chart’s online archive is available at https://www.tinyurl.com/BILLCSTop30archive.
Here’s my first Top 10 from 28 years ago, including a 19 year old Usher’s first big hit and 4 by Canadians.
01 ANGEL Joée
02 BITTER SWEET SYMPHONY The Verve
03 YOU MAKE ME WANNA… Usher
04 EVERYTHING IS AUTOMATIC Matthew Good Band
05 FEEL SO GOOD Mase
06 THE MUMMERS DANCE Loreena McKennitt
07 BRIMFUL OF ASHA Cornershop
08 TRULY, MADLY, DEEPLY Savage Garden
09 TOUCH, PEEL & STAND Days of the New
10 THIS MOURNING Wide Mouth Mason
Check out information about my ONLINE RADIO SHOWS after the chart commentary below as they are directly tied in with this blog. As most of you know, I host 3 online radio shows – The Big 20 and two iterations of Your Weekend New Music Mix – and produce 2 online radio segments – my new music and retro picks of the week – that are all pre-recorded. The Big 20 and the picks of the week are happily being syndicated and you can find the current schedule for all at the bottom of the home page of this blog.
Reminder: Click on the photos to listen to the songs on Spotify.
Conan Gray’s heart-wrenching “Eleven Eleven”, an album track from Wishbone, continues from 2025 at #1 for a second appearance. I can’t wait to hear the songs from Wishbone in concert in February! The song finished at #13 on the BILLCS Top 90 Songs of 2025, but carrying over into 2026, it will also appear on this year’s list too. Will it hold for three appearances at #1? Find out in two weeks.
The Magician’s “Night to Night”, based around the refrain and hook of Baltimora’s “Tarzan Boy”, leaps 5-2 to challenge for #1.
Another carryover into the new year is Reigen’s Spanish language rave up “Quiero Bailar”, which climbs 4-3.
Will Swinton’s “Find a Way” has given us a taste of his latest music, and I definitely want to hear more! The song rises 6-4, becoming his second Top 5 entry after 2024’s “Harmless” (#2).
If you love Jessie Ware’s last releases, then check out Kelli-Leigh’s “Elevate”, which moves up 8-5 from her album Legacy.
“Guardian Angel” by Dimension and Karen Harding bounds into the Top 10, climbing 11-7 and becoming Karen’s 9th Top 10 entry. North American dance radio should not miss out on this one.
“The Boy I Almost Was”, the thought-provoking album track from Alexander Stewart’s What If album moves up 14-9, becoming his 4th Top 10 entry.
Our third Top 10 entry is the deep house track “Holding On” by producers MashBit, Luke Alexander and fellow Canadian sunsett. (who also provides the vocal).
The Fastest Riser on the chart is an earworm that you should not miss, “Gemini” by Stoke-on-Trent UK’s Jorge Wilson, which soars 19-13.
There’s not a whole lot of big movement in the lower half of the chart, and that usually means that next week will change for a lot of these songs. The two debuts from my last chart climb five notches, and they are “Perfectly” (above) by Grammy nominee FKA twigs (27-22) and “Indie Boyz” (below) by the Argentinian alternative women rock duo Pacifica (28-23).
Three out of four new entries on the chart are first appearances for the artists. We begin with “Ever After” by Toronto pop-rock singer/songwriter Mico with American-South Korean vocalist eaJ (pronounced “E.J.”). As the Highest Debut, it bows at #25.
Next is soulful retro-sounding Australian singer/songwriter Don West with “Night to Day” at #26 from his album Give Me All Your Love. I noticed that he played several dates in Europe and the U.S. last year, so hopefully he’ll play in Canada sometime in the near future.
Next is another Australian, Jordan Anthony, though he calls L.A. home these days. The 20 year old shines on his ballads, and the pensive “Hurt Me Sooner” at #27.
Winding up the debuts is the concurrently charting “Bad” by Philadelphia alternative duo N i G H T S at #28 from their EP of the same name. N i G H T S’ other recent release “Addicted” climbs 16-14. “Bad” becomes the sixth chart appearance by N i G H T S.
ONLINE RADIO SHOWS
You can hear me and many of my blog choices on this growing list of online radio stations and features!
Listen to The Big 20 from 10pm to Midnight EST on Wednesdays as “The Musicman” James Rogers and I bring you the latest in new songs. The show also repeats on Saturday evening at 6 pm EST.
My New Music Pick of the Week debuts each week on The Big 20. It airs more than 25 times during the week and you can view its schedule by clicking at the following link: Schedule.
On Saturdays and Sundays from 8pm to Midnight EST I bring you “Your Weekend New Music Mix”, four hours of commercial-free music from the 2000’s including many song choices from this blog.
My Retro Pick of the Week airs each week on Russ Horton’s “Top 40 Timeline”, Saturdays at 4pm EST. You can view its schedule by going to the lower right corner of the home page of this blog.
The 3D Variety Show by Planet Radio Canada
I’m featured Tuesdays between 7 and 7:30 pm EST with my Retro Pick of the Week on the live online radio show “The 3D Variety Show”, powered by www.xstreamrockradio.com with “The Musicman” James Rogers. I also join occasionally for looks at music from our past through some live segments.
Chicago’s Lake Online Radio now anchors Hunter Wilbur’s “Modern Hype” on Sundays at Midnight EST, which airs my New Music Pick of the Week. You can also hear the new music pick on Hunter’s other show Fridays at 8pm EST on “Hot Hits with Hunter” on UK station Dodge Radio.
For other details about all of the shows, such as dates and times of broadcasts, go to my home page and scroll down to the bottom right side! Schedules are updated regularly.
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