Walk The Moon holds the top spot over a fairly quiet top twenty, punctuated by jumps from The Script and The Veronicas at its bottom end. There’s plenty of activity further down on the chart, however, led by top-fifty debuts from Lianne La Havas, Wet, and Jarryd James. R5 also scores the week’s biggest mover by jumping 74-48 with “Let’s Not Be Alone Tonight.” Additional debuts in the second half of the chart include newcomers Young Brother and firekid, as well as new entries by Alabama Shakes, Bleachers, and Passenger.

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2012 has brought a lot of new music for me to discover and enjoy, from a multitude of genres and artists. This year marked a conscious shift in my tastes from typical teenage pop/rock to an expansion that included practically all genres, from folk and blues to hip-hop and R&B. There’s a whole lot of great music out there, and being open to all different types and artists has allowed me to discover many more gems than I have in previous years. This year alone, I listened to at least 100 new albums and EPs from veterans and beginners alike, finding many new artists to champion and new music to put on my ever-expanding playlists. Many of these new discoveries were rewarding, with some of my favorite releases of 2012 coming from artists who were completely unknown to me beforehand. This week, I’m sharing fifty of my favorite albums of the year, with the hope that you will find something new to discover and enjoy as well as the year comes to a close. The list kicks off today with albums #50 through #41.

Continue reading “Kurt’s Favorite Albums of 2012: #50–41”

Two collaborations move into the top ten: Maroon 5 and Christina Aguilera’s “Moves Like Jagger” and Jason Aldean and Kelly Clarkson’s “Don’t You Wanna Stay.” The Script’s “Nothing” continues to rebound now that it’s an official single, jumping another ten spots up to #13. Danny Gokey’s “Second Hand Heart” debuts at #35, the highest of six new entries (plus a re-entry from Sara Bareilles).

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Adele and The Script maintain their positions in the top two, with P!nk’s “Perfect” ascending to #3. Rascal Flatts and Natasha Bedingfield make a top-ten achievement look “Easy” as they move into the #10 spot, with a big mover from Florence + The Machine just below. Neon Trees has the highest debut at #31 with “1983.”

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