Week Ending March 17, 2013. Songs: The Great Chart Robbery Of 2013

โ€œThrift Shopโ€ by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz is #1 on Hot Digital Songs for the 10th straight week. Itโ€™s #1 on the all-genre Radio Songs chart for the second week. Under the old chart formula, that would make the genial hip-hop smash a virtual lock for the #1 spot on the Hot 100. But under the new formula, which gives great (and I would contend excessive) weight to YouTube streaming data, it ranks #2 for the fifth straight week, behind Baauerโ€™s โ€œHarlem Shake.โ€ That viral phenomenon is #6 on Hot Digital Songs and has yet to crack the 75-song Radio Songs chart. (Given that its total radio audience shrank by 9% this week, it probably never will crack the Radio Songs chart.)

โ€œHarlem Shakeโ€ makes up for its deficits in sales and radio airplay by holding at #1 on the Streaming Songs chart for the fifth week. But even here it is losing its mojo. Its total streams drop by 42% this week, from 48 million to 28 million. (By comparison, the streaming total for โ€œThrift Shopโ€ is 9.5 million, which represents a gain of 4% compared to last week.)

The streaming total for โ€œHarlem Shakeโ€ has been shrinking every week since it debuted, from 103 million to 98 million to 54 million to 48 million to 24 million.

Billboardโ€™s Gary Trust reports that, in terms of overall Hot 100 points, โ€œHarlem Shakeโ€ has a 29% lead over โ€œThrift Shopโ€ this week. But thatโ€™s down from a 103% lead last week.

This tells us four things. 1. โ€œThrift Shopโ€ may return to #1 on the Hot 100 next week (though it will also have to contend with Bruno Marsโ€™ new smash). 2. Billboard should seriously consider whether it thinks โ€œThrift Shopโ€ should have spent the last five weeks at #2. Maybe its run at #1 should have been interrupted for a couple of weeks, when the โ€œHarlem Shakeโ€ phenomenon was at its peak, but this sustained shut-out seems excessive. 3. Billboard probably should have had a longer trial run period, to get the new chart mix just right. 4. Itโ€™s to Billboardโ€™s credit that it is being so transparent about the numbers behind the numbers. It's not trying to hide anything.

โ€œThrift Shopโ€ is the first song to top the digital sales chart for 10 weeks since the Black Eyed Peasโ€™ โ€œI Gotta Feelingโ€ in 2009. Itโ€™s the first song to remain #1 on that chart for 10 consecutive weeks since the Peasโ€™ previous hit, โ€œBoom Boom Pow.โ€

โ€œThrift Shopโ€ is just the fourth song in the history of the Hot Digital Songs chart (which dates back to October 2004), to log 10 or more weeks at #1. โ€œLowโ€ by Flo Rida featuring T-Pain spent 13 weeks on top in 2007-2008. The two Peas hits each had 10 weeks on top. (Notably, those three earlier hits also spent 10 or more weeks at #1 on the Hot 100. By contrast, โ€œThrift Shopโ€ has spent just four weeks at #1 so far.)

โ€œThrift Shopโ€ tops Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs for the 10th week. Thatโ€™s the longest run by a white artist since Robin Thickeโ€™s โ€œLost Without Uโ€ topped the chart for 11 weeks in 2007.

โ€œHarlem Shakeโ€ has now spent as many weeks at #1 on the Hot 100 as another New York-inspired song, โ€œEmpire State Of Mindโ€ by Jay-Z featuring Alicia Keys. โ€œHarlem Shakeโ€ is also #1 on Dance/Electronic Songs for the fifth week.

Bruno Marsโ€™

โ€œWhen I Was Your Manโ€ holds at #3 for the fourth straight week. Itโ€™s closing in on his 2011 hit "It Will Rain,โ€ which logged five weeks at #3. But โ€œWhen I Was Your Manโ€ will probably climb higher. It zooms from #7 to #2 on Radio Songs and it holds at #2 on Hot Digital Songs for the third straight week. Assuming that โ€œHarlem Shakeโ€ will continue to fall apart, Marsโ€™ latest should move up next week.

โ€œSuit & Tieโ€ by Justin Timberlake featuring Jay-Z rebounds from #5 to #4. This equals the songโ€™s highest ranking to date. In addition, Timberlakeโ€™s โ€œMirrorsโ€ rebounds from #77 to #25 in its fifth week. This nearly equals its #24 debut. โ€œMirrorsโ€ is already in the top 10 on Hot Digital Songs. Digital sales rank: #8 (121K). โ€œMirrorsโ€ holds at #1 for the third week on The Official U.K. Singles Chart. Itโ€™s Timberlakeโ€™s second hit to have multiple weeks at #1 in the U.K. Madonnaโ€™s โ€œ4 Minutes,โ€ on which he was featured, had four weeks on top in 2008.

Timberlakeโ€™s The 20/20 Experience will enter The Billboard 200 at #1 next week with sales in the 800K range.

โ€œJust Give Me A Reasonโ€ by P!nk featuring Nate Ruess jumps from #18 to #9. Itโ€™s the third top 10 hit from P!nkโ€™s former #1 album The Truth About Love. It follows โ€œBlow Me (One Last Kiss)โ€ and โ€œTry.โ€ The Truth About Love is P!nkโ€™s first album to spawn three top 10 hits since 2002โ€™s Missundazstood, which spawned โ€œGet The Party Started,โ€ โ€œDonโ€™t Let Me Get Meโ€ and โ€œJust Like A Pill.โ€ Not coincidentally, The Truth About Love has also logged the most weeks in the top 10 on The Billboard 200 (eight) of any P!nk album since Missundazstood (23).

Nate Ruess is starting to know how Adam Levine must have felt in 2011. The fun. front-man has two songs in this weekโ€™s top 30. As noted, P!nkโ€™s โ€œJust Give Me A Reason,โ€ on which he is featured, jumps from #18 to #9. Also, fun.โ€™s latest hit, โ€œCarry On,โ€ jumps from #29 to #26. (The latter song has already climbed as high as #20.)

For 23 consecutive weeks in 2011 and early 2012, Levine had two songs in the top 20: Gym Class Heroesโ€™ โ€œStereo Hearts,โ€ on which he was featured, and Maroon 5โ€™s โ€œMoves Like Jaggerโ€ (featuring Christina Aguilera). For a remarkable 15 of those weeks, both songs were in the top 10.

Here's the low-down on this week's top 10 songs.

The Top Five: Baauerโ€™s โ€œHarlem Shakeโ€ holds at #1 in its fifth week on the chart. Digital sales rank: #6 (145K)โ€ฆโ€œThrift Shopโ€ by Macklemore & Ryan Lewis featuring Wanz holds at #2 for the fifth week in its 24th week on the chart. This is its 13th week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #1 (270K)โ€ฆ Bruno Marsโ€™ โ€œWhen I Was Your Manโ€ holds at #3 for the fourth week in its 13th week on the chart. This is its sixth week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #2 (230K)โ€ฆโ€œSuit & Tieโ€ by Justin Timberlake featuring Jay-Z rebounds from #5 to #4 in its 10th week on the chart. This equals its highest ranking to date. This is its seventh week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #4 (201K)โ€ฆโ€œStayโ€ by Rihanna featuring Mikky Ekko dips from #4 to #5 in its sixth week on the chart. The song has climbed as high as #3. This is its fifth week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #3 (222K).

The Second Five: Drakeโ€™s โ€œStarted From The Bottomโ€ rebounds from #7 to #6 in its sixth week on the chart. This is its fifth week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #9 (118K)โ€ฆTaylor Swiftโ€™s โ€œI Knew You Were Trouble.โ€ dips from #6 to #7 in its 22nd week on the chart. This is its 15th week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #14 (75K)โ€ฆโ€œScream & Shoutโ€ by will.i.am featuring Britney Spears holds at #8 for the second week its 16th week on the chart. This is its 11th week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #12 (88K)โ€ฆ โ€œJust Give Me A Reasonโ€ by P!nk featuring Nate Ruess jumps from #18 to #9 in its fifth week. Digital sales rank: #5 (171K). This is P!nkโ€™s 14th top 10 hit; Ruessโ€™ third (counting fun. hits)โ€ฆโ€œLove Meโ€ by Lil Wayne featuring Drake and Future dips from #9 to #10 in its ninth week on the chart. This is its third week in the top 10. Digital sales rank: #13 (85K).

Bruno Marsโ€™ โ€œLocked Out Of Heavenโ€ drops from #10 to #13, ending a 20-week run in the top 10.

โ€œFeel This Momentโ€ by Pitbull featuring Christina Aguilera jumps from #13 to # 11 in its eighth week. Itโ€™s vying to become Pitbullโ€™s eighth top 10 hit; Aguileraโ€™s 10th. Digital sales rank: #7 (136K)โ€ฆImagine Dragonsโ€™ โ€œRadioactiveโ€ dips from #17 to #18 in its 29th week. Digital sales rank: #10 (102K)โ€ฆDemi Lovatoโ€™s โ€œHeart Attackโ€ jumps from #22 to #19 in its third week.

Blake Sheltonโ€™s โ€œSure Be Cool If You Didโ€ jumps from #25 to #24 in its 10th week. The song logs its fourth week at #1 on Hot Country Songs. Thatโ€™s the longest run at #1 for a hit by a male solo artist since Sheltonโ€™s 2011 hit โ€œHoney Beeโ€ spent four weeks on top.

Icona Popโ€™s โ€œI Love Itโ€ leaps from #54 to #34 in its seventh weekโ€ฆLady Antebellumโ€™s โ€œDowntownโ€ jumps from #42 to #35 in its sixth weekโ€ฆFall Out Boyโ€™s โ€œMy Songs Know What You Did In The Dark (Light Em Up)โ€ rebounds from #47 to #36 in its sixth week. The song has already climbed as high as #26โ€ฆโ€œBadโ€ by Wale featuring Tiara Thomas jumps from #45 to #38 in its fifth weekโ€ฆDarius Ruckerโ€™s โ€œWagon Wheelโ€ jumps from #56 to #47 in its sixth week.

Museโ€™s

โ€œMadnessโ€ re-enters the chart at #53. This represents a new peak for the song, which originally peaked at #56. The song has sold 906K copies in 30 weeks.

Krewellaโ€™s โ€œAliveโ€ jumps from #68 to #57 in its fifth weekโ€ฆPhillip Phillipsโ€™ โ€œGone, Gone, Goneโ€ leaps from #100 to #59 in the wake of Phillipsโ€™ homecoming performance of the song on American Idolโ€ฆโ€œPower Tripโ€ by J. Cole featuring Miguel jumps from #70 to #60 in its fifth weekโ€ฆTaylor Swiftโ€™s โ€œ22โ€ re-enters the chart at #64. The song has already climbed to #44. The song has sold 512K copies in 21 weeksโ€ฆ2 Chainzโ€™s โ€œIโ€™m Differentโ€ drops from #61 to #65 in its 18th week. The song tops the 1 million mark in digital sales this weekโ€ฆTamar Braxtonโ€™s โ€œLove And Warโ€ jumps from #80 to #72 in its eighth weekโ€ฆ โ€œShow Outโ€ by Juicy J featuring Big Sean and Young Jeezy jumps from #98 to #75 in its second week.

โ€œFreaksโ€ by French Montana featuring Nicki Minaj is the weekโ€™s highest new entry at #77. Itโ€™s from the rapperโ€™s album, Excuse My French, which is due May 21โ€ฆKelly Rowlandโ€™s โ€œKisses Down Lowโ€ jumps from #96 to #80 in its second weekโ€ฆThe Band Perryโ€™s โ€œDONE.โ€ is the weekโ€™s second highest new entry at #87. The song is from the trioโ€™s second album, Pioneer, which is due April 2. โ€œBetter Dig Two,โ€ the albumโ€™s lead single, spent two weeks at #1 on Hot Country Songs and reached #28 on the Hot 100.

โ€œSo Many Girlsโ€ by DJ Drama featuring Wale, Tyga & Roscoe Dash debuts at #90. The song is from the hip-hopperโ€™s current album Quality Street Musicโ€ฆJason Aldeanโ€™s โ€œ1994โ€ debuts at #93. Itโ€™s from his current album Night Train. The song, a tribute to Joe Diffie, references eight of Diffieโ€™s hits, including the #1 country hits โ€œThird Rock From The Sunโ€ and โ€œPickup Man.โ€

Maroon 5โ€™s

โ€œOne More Nightโ€ tops the 4 million mark in digital sales this week. Itโ€™s the groupโ€™s third song to reach this plateau, following โ€œMoves Like Jaggerโ€ (featuring Christina Aguilera, 5,998,000) and โ€œPayphoneโ€ (featuring Wiz Khalifa, 5,037,000).

Rascal Flattsโ€™ 2006 hit โ€œLife Is A Highwayโ€ tops the 3 million mark. Itโ€™s the 10th country song to reach 3 million; the fourth by a duo or group. Among country duo/group hits, it trails Lady Antebellumโ€™s โ€œNeed You Nowโ€ (6,073,000), The Band Perryโ€™s โ€œIf I Die Youngโ€ (4,518,000) and Zac Brown Bandโ€™s โ€œChicken Friedโ€ (4,518,000). Tom Cochraneโ€™s original version of โ€œLife Is A Highwayโ€ reached #6 on the Hot 100 in 1992. Rascal Flattsโ€™ version, which it recorded for the animated movie Cars, reached #7 on the Hot 100 and #18 on Hot Country Songs.

Reba McEntire

has surpassed Dolly Parton as the top female artist in the history of Billboardโ€™s Hot Country Songs chart. Thatโ€™s the big news from the eighth edition of Joel Whitburnโ€™s Hot Country Songs 1944-2012. Eddy Arnold continues as the top male artist (and top artist overall). Alabama continues as the top group. Brooks & Dunn continues as the top duo. Taylor Swift enters Whitburnโ€™s listing of the top 300 country hit-makers at #101. The heart of the 512-page book is a listing by artist of every song to crack the country chart from January 1944 to December 2012. The book lists nearly 20,000 hits and nearly 2,600 artists. For more information, check out Joelโ€™s website: www.recordresearch.com.