Taylor Swift (3) - Week of February 16, 2013

Quite possibly the most bizarre guest-host for the countdown ever this past weekend….Al Roker!  Before we get on to this week’s Fresh 45, here’s a list of all the songs we’re saying good-bye to this week.

• Flo Rida - I Cry

The Countdown: 

1. Taylor Swift - I Knew You Were Trouble (#1) [Third Week at #1]

2. Macklemore Ft. Ryan Lewis - Thrift Shop (#12)

3. Lumineers - Ho Hey (#2)

4. Swedish House Mafia - Don't You Worry Child (#8)

5. Maroon 5 - One More Night (#44)

6. Bruno Mars - Locked Out of Heaven (#33)

7. Phil Phillips - Home (#9)

8. Ke$ha - Die Young (#3)

9. Imagine Dragons - It's Time (RE-ENTRY)

10. will.i.am Ft Britney Spears - Scream and Shout (#6)

11. Kelly Clarkson - Catch My Breath (#7)

12. Olly Murs - Troublemaker (#13)

13. Pink - Try (#5)

14. Nelly - Hey Porsche (#10)

15. Of Monsters and Men - Little Talks (#11)

16. One Direction - Kiss You (#19)

17. Fall Out Boy - My Songs Know What You Did In the Dark (Light 'em Up) (#28)

18. Justin Timberlake Ft. Jay-Z - Suit and Tie (#14)

19. Ke$ha - C'mon (#24)

20. Hot Chelle Rae - Hung Up (#30)

21. Skylar Grey Ft. Eminem - C'mon Let Me Ride (#20)

22. The Script Ft. will.i.am - Hall of Fame (#4)

23. Calvin Harris Ft. Florence Welch - Sweet Nothing (#18)

24. Passion Pit - Take a Walk (#21)

25. Cher Lloyd - With Ur Love (#37)

26. fun. - Carry On (#35)

27. Redfoo - Bring Out the Bottles (#16)

28. Britt Nicole - Gold (#27)

29. Maroon 5 - Daylight (#15)

30. Little Mix - Wings (#39)

31. Paper Route - You and I (#25)

32. Owl City Ft. Carly Rae Jepsen - Good Time (#34)

33. Neon Trees Ft. Kaskade - Lessons In Love (#23)

34. Bruno Mars – When I Was Your Man (#42)

35. One Direction - Live While We're Young (#41)

36. Emeli Sande - Next to Me (#38)

37. Justin Bieber Ft. Nicki Minaj - Beauty and a Beat (#26)

38. fun. - Some Nights (#17)

39. Alicia Keys - Girl on Fire (#29)

40. Maroon 5 feat. Wiz Khalifa- Payphone (#32)

41. Pitbull - Don't Stop The Party (#31)

42. The Ready Set - Give Me Your Hand (#43)

43. Sam and the Womp - Bom Bom (#22)

44. JTX - Seven Day Weekend (#40)

45. Carly Rae Jepsen- Call Me Maybe (#45)

Biggest DDDDRRRROOOOPPP!!!!!....of the week: Tie between fun. – Some Nights and Sam and the Womp – Bom Bom (-21)

Biggest Jump of the Week: Maroon 5 – One More Night (+39)

There isn’t any new music to discuss this week, but plenty of moving and shaking on our list of familiar 45 songs……

Blurbgistics

- The heavy airplay of Imagine Dragons – It’s Time during the week did not escape my notice following getting kicked off the countdown the previous weekend, and sure enough, it’s back for a 2nd farewell tour…..and it’s all the way up at #9.  Guess it was too soon to let go….

- The biggest story this week is the ascension of Macklemore Ft. Ryan Lewis – Thrift Shop to the #2 spot.  Unlike the rest of the random rotating cast of recent #2s, I could actually see this one having a shot at taking over the top spot from Taylor Swift.  Ummm…..now, please.

- Not all the news this week was quite so rosy.  For some reason, Bruno Mars – Locked Out of Heaven and Maroon 5 – One More Night ascended from the dregs of the countdown rankings to the Top 10.  I hope that this technical difficulty is fixed before next week’s countdown.

- Another thing that did not escape my notice is the heavy airplay of Hit-Bound songs over the course of the past week.  There may not have been anything new this week, but I’d expect some turnover a-comin’.

- I want to apologize for something that I mentioned last week, as I was mistaken.  I had declared Little Mix – Wings as the worst new entrant from last week, but it has not yet reached instant-station-change status, whereas Bruno Mars – When I Was Your Man absolutely has, further evidence that catchy-but-potentially-obnoxious should always triumph over boring.  Sorry for the egregious error, everyone.

- I have to confess my disappointment with the countdown thus far in 2013.  There have been very few game changers and a plethora of mediocrity.  I’m really hoping for some out-of-nowhere help to fix things, but it’s been difficult to keep my radio tuned to Hits-1 these past few weeks.

Editor’s Picks – Top 5 Songs

1) Ke$ha – C’mon

2) Passion Pit – Take a Walk

3) Kelly Clarkson – Catch My Breath

4) Macklemore Ft. Ryan Lewis – Thrift Shop

5) I dunno….Imagine Dragons – It’s Time???  Who gives a damn…..