Some have asked me how I come up with my Weekly Top 30 lists – i.e., what my song rankings are based on, and how and why I include the songs that I do. Well, it’s simple: it’s basically a list of my 30 current favorite songs for each week. If I had my own radio station, these are the songs I’d play most, along with favorite older songs, of course. I’m a big fan of alternative rock, dream rock, pop-rock and synthpop, so my lists are strongly influenced by the Billboard Alternative and Adult Alternative Airplay charts. I also write about and like to promote indie artists as much as possible, many of whom are putting out outstanding music, so each week I try to include at least 10 songs I really like by indie artists and bands.

It’s not often that a song that reaches #1 on the Billboard Hot 100 also tops my chart, as a lot of them are crap, but every once in a while a great pop song comes along that I also love, such as last year’s “Drivers License”, “Levitating” and “Leave the Door Open”. Harry Styles‘ “As It Was” is another such hit song, now in its third week at #1 on the Hot 100, and #1 for a second week on my chart. The Black Keys‘ “Wild Child” closes in at #2, while Florence + the Machine‘s gorgeous “My Love” rises to #4. Entering the top 10 are songs by two indie artists I’ve come to really like: “Sleep” by Brooklyn four-piece Gooseberry, who just released their wonderful EP Broken Dance, and the achingly beautiful “Chasing Trains” by British singer-songwriter HULLAH. The lone debut this week is “Animal” by British rock group Partisan, a long-time favorite band of mine.

1. AS IT WAS – Harry Styles (1)
2. WILD CHILD – The Black Keys (3)
3. DECEPTION – Hannah Reem & Noodle Beard (2)
4. MY LOVE – Florence + the Machine (6)
5. LOVE BRAND NEW – Bob Moses (5)
6. WHAT, ME WORRY? – Portugal. The Man (4)
7. BLACK SUMMER – Red Hot Chili Peppers (7)
8. BROKEN HORSES – Brandi Carlile (8)
9. SLEEP – Gooseberry (11)
10. CHASING TRAINS – HULLAH (12)
11. WILD – Spoon (13)
12. BROKEN HEARTS – Ships Have Sailed (9)
13. GIVE A LITTLE LOVIN’ – Jamie Alimorad (10)
14. I LOVE YOU – Fontaines D.C. (17)
15. LA CIENEGA – Chief Springs (18)
16. ON MY KNEES – RÜFÜS DU SOL (19)
17. THE HURT WITHIN – Holy Coves (20)
18. VIRGINIA (WIND IN THE NIGHT) – The Head and the Heart (21)
19. DISTANCE – Mount Famine (22)
20. BLOODRUSH – The Amazons (23)
21. A LITTLE BIT OF LOVE – Weezer (24)
22. 2am – Foals (25)
23. JUST LIKE ALWAYS – Oli Barton & the Movement with Maella (14)
24. I’LL CALL YOU MINE – girl in red (15)
25. CHEER UP BABY – Inhaler (16)
26. SHUT OFF THE LIGHTS – Bastille (27)
27. MIRACLE MILE – Head Noise (28)
28. SYNCHRONIZE – Milky Chance (29)
29. THAT’S WHERE I AM – Maggie Rogers (30)
30. ANIMAL – Partisan (N)