This post is coming to you later than usual from New York City, where I will see Harry Styles on Wednesday at Madison Square Garden. Despite visiting NYC more than 20 times, this will be my first show at MSG! Conveniently near where I am staying too!
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 all-Canadian The MAPL Tapes, and two iterations of Your Weekend New Music Mix – and produce The MAPL Tapes and 2 online radio segments – my new music and retro picks of the week – that are all pre-recorded. The MAPL Tapes, 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.
It’s hard to say when it’s going to stop but Sombr continues to be on a huge roll and gets his fifth #1 on my chart with the thoughtful “My Body Isn’t Ready” (above). But will this be more for one appearance? A certain “Mr. Record Label” by Scott Helman flew into the Top 5 two weeks ago and is now sitting at #2 (below). I may just have to be blindfolded to make my selection in two weeks, and we’ll see where the chips fall.
UK indie singer/songwriter HRVY has made one of the truly catchiest mid-tempo pop tracks of the year, and “lie to me” now moves up 5-4.
Two weeks ago, Canadian singer Alex Sampson attained a personal best on the chart when “Misery” landed in the Top 10. This week, the big Canadian radio hit, which is also on Billboard’s Canadian Hot 100, rises 8-5.
“Just Play the Music” (above) by Canadian performer Kinga and Swedish production legend StoneBridge leads the charge into the Top 10, moving up 11-7. Not to be outdone, Kinga’s latest single, the fierce high energy track “Pump” (below, in a radio mix by producers Luv Foundation (UK)) moves up 27-22.
Canadian-Persian singer Navan gets his second Top 10 entry with “C’est toi (Bidaram Kon)”, sung in both French and Farsi. It’s available on his album Kisses on the Moon. Navan also put on an engaging concert performance in Toronto a few weeks back that was a multilingual, multi-cultural love fest.
Never would I have thought that in 2026 Madonna would have the Fastest Riser on the chart. The fun “Danceteria” leaps 18-9. It’s her first Top 10 entry since “4 Minutes” (with Justin Timberlake) reached #4 in 2008.
Nick Fiorucci and Joée move up 12-10 with their faithful cover of When in Rome’s 1987 classic “The Promise”. It’s Joée’s first Top 10 entry since 2002 and sixth overall.
The collaboration of Two Friends and iann dior is making short work of the chart as “fire escape” zips up the chart, 21-14.
Montreal singer/songwriter Rêve’s insanely catchy “Devour” is headed to the Top 10 but on this chart it sails 24-16. It’s from her forthcoming second album Delusions of Grandeur.
The most offbeat record on the chart is L.A. indie artist Ian Cobiella’s expressive “Have I Been Good to You”, which climbs 23-17 from his EP All I Have to Give. It’s a delightful and memorable fusion of pop, electronic, and swinging Latin flavours (the singer is of Cuban and Bolivian heritage).
The last time Australia’s Natalie Imbruglia appeared on the chart it was in March 2002 for two appearances with “Wrong Impression”. Her latest single from her album Algorithm called “Just Drive” (which sounds like she has been listening a lot to Robyn) has already passed the peak of that song and climbs 25-20. Her biggest hit, the classic “Torn”, just preceded the creation of the chart in January 1998, but was definitely one of my favourites of 1997.
A couple of our recent friends from Italy are also off to solid starts on the chart. Lia Lefay’s wacky and enjoyably retro “Champagne Trouble” (above – You Tube video link only till it returns to Spotify) glides 26-21, while producer BeatmartHz climbs 29-24 with the tribal-sounding euro-house of his instrumental “Layla” (below). The song is also BeatmartHz’s first entry since 2017, when his collaboration with DJ Mirko B – who happened to write and produce “Champagne Trouble” – called “Bomber” got to #17.
British producer WH0 has the Highest of the two debuts with “Who Can Dance” at #26. This song transcends two generations of dance music by sampling the strings arrangement from Carrie Lucas’ 1979 disco smash “Dance with Me”, which became better known as the melodic refrain in Armand van Helden’s 1999 UK #1 “U Don’t Know Me”.
Making his chart debut is double Juno Award winning Canadian artist Cameron Whitcomb with the biggest Canadian hit at radio right now, “Kingdom of Fear”. The song also ranks #3 on Billboard’s Canadian Hot 100. This one took a while for me to warm up to, but the energy in it is unmistakable.
ONLINE RADIO SHOWS
You can hear me and many of my blog choices on this growing list of online radio stations and features!
The MAPL Tapes offers the best of Canadian music past and present, and can be heard Mondays at 6pm EST as well as on six other stations between Monday and Sunday.
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 New Music Pick of the Week is played both days at 10pm ET, and airs several times during the week on other stations. You can view its schedule by clicking at the following link: Schedule.
The 3D Variety Show by Planet Radio Canada (returning Tuesday September 22)
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.
The Retro Pick of the Week also airs on at 12:25 pm ET on Tuesdays on KPHR.
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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