At #12 on this week’s Billboard Hot 100 we have the second appearance of Morgan Wallen. His ‘Lies Lies Lies’ peaked at #7 before falling out of the Top Ten. It says a lot about the recent surge in country music on this chart that this song’s performance could be viewed as a bit of a disappointment.
‘Lies Lies Lies’ is the first single from an upcoming Wallen album. It’s a traditional booze-soaked heartbreak song dressed up in the modern production that has made Wallen a major crossover success.
Singer-songwriter Chappell Roan sits at #11 on the latest Billboard Hot 100 chart with ‘Good Luck, Babe!,’ her breakthrough single. I don’t know if this track has the wide popularity to be the Song of the Summer, but it may well be the song of the year.
‘Good Luck, Babe!’ is aimed at a closeted woman who flees a lesbian relationship to hide in the more accepted confines of a straight one. It’s emotionally raw but incredibly catchy, with an alt-pop chorus so slick and sweet I want to listen to it on repeat.
We have two repeats on this week’s Hot 100 at #8 and #9: Teddy Swims’ ‘Lose Control’ and Benson Boone’s ‘Beautiful Things,’ respectively. Both have been kicking around the Top Ten for at least a few months.
At #10 is Eminem with ‘Houdini,’ the first single from his new album The Death of Slim Shady (Coup de Grâce). This song is a throwback to his turn-of-the-millennium heyday, opening with an interpolation of his 2000 hit ‘Without Me.’
I owe Hozier an apology. Six years ago, I included him in a series I did on future one-hit wonders. I figured ‘Take Me to Church’ would be the only Top 40 single of his career.
That prediction held up pretty well for five years. His next 15 singles failed to crack the Hot 100. Then he managed to break into the Top 40 with ‘Northern Attitude,’ a collaboration with Noah Kahan. Still not exactly “hit” status.
The week of August 1, 1964, found The Beatles atop the Billboard Hot 100 with ‘A Hard Day’s Night.’ This was the fifth of seven #1s the Fab Four would have in a one-year period.
The runner-up that week was a song that was in the top spot the previous week, looking down at The Beatles at #2. The Four Seasons’ ‘Rag Doll,’ a pop/doo-wop classic, gave the band their fourth chart-topper.
Meet Me In Montauk 