Grantland

bill withers

Resize Font: A- A+

GRADING THE CHARTS

Grading This Week's Top Smooth Jazz Songs

By Molly Lambert at

Jazz fans, like sports fans, are known for their intense enthusiasm and competitive obsession with insider knowledge (also: players, collectibles, authenticity). I love jazz, because like so many people I have a dad who loves jazz (hi, dad!), although he goes in for the way out-there stuff. This chart represents a tiny fraction of one style of music, as charts often do. It should be called the Smooth Jazz chart because that's really what it is. Not that there's anything wrong with smooth jazz. I have recently been especially enjoying L.A.'s Smooth AC radio station 94.7 The Wave ("Southern California's place to relax ... and unwind" — even the corporate slogan is relaxing). Here are the Top 10 songs from this week's Billboard Jazz chart.

1. Paul Hardcastle, "Easy Come Easy Go"

1.
The Grand Vizier of smooth jazz soundscapes. This is less wet than the Rainforest, but nice and chilly nonetheless. Keeping customers calm during long phone holds is an art. I wish my last name were Hardcastle.
Best YouTube comment: "Paul… BBQ... my wife... and a bottle of wine... spells succes!!!ÿ" [sic] — rogerjazzray
Grade: B

Top Stories

MOST POPULAR

  1. Kanye West's 'Yeezus' and fatherhood
  2. Bill Barnwell on the teams that still have holes in their rosters
  3. The life and stalled career of 'Menace II Society' star Tyrin Turner, 20 years later
  4. Jonah Keri ranks the MLB teams
  5. Rename the Washington Redskins