VOA常速英语:Top 5 Countdown for Week Ending July 20

We're counting down the five most popular songs in the Billboard Magazine Hot 100 pop singles chart, for the week ending July 20, 2013.
These are known as the "dog days" of summer in the United States, when temperatures soar and nobody wants to move quickly. The hit list follows suit, as four of our top five tracks simply stay put. The exception comes in fifth place, where Florida Georgia Line and Nelly decide to re-appear - jumping a slot, with "Cruise" featuring Nelly. This song has never gone above fourth place on the Hot 100 chart - however, it did top the Billboard Country Singles chart while selling nearly five million downloads.

Holding in fourth place is Imagine Dragons with its four million-seller "Radioactive".
 
Lead singer Dan Reynolds recently suffered an on-stage accident. He broke two bones in his right hand two months ago after punching a drum onstage. Dave just got the cast off before the band performed last weekend at Britain’s T In The Park Festival.
Another week, another third-place showing for Miley Cyrus' "We Can’t Stop".
 
Frustrating no doubt, since her Hot 100 high-water mark came in 2009, when "Party In
 
The U.S.A." peaked at number two. Speaking of that song: more than 700 fans this month petitioned the White House to adopt it as the new United States national anthem, replacing "The Star-Spangled Banner." That number must grow to 100,000 petitioners before August 1 - or it won’t be considered.
 
Daft Punk and Pharrell Williams remain within sight of the prize this week, but it’s still a no-go: "Get Lucky" stays in second place. Nile Rodgers, who plays guitar on that track, says the French duo will help him complete some unfinished songs from his old group, Chic. Nile will perform an August 19 charity concert in New York - but says Daft Punk will definitely not join him.
Once again, Pharrell Williams occupies the top two slots on the Hot 100 - he spends a fifth week at number one as a special guest on Robin Thicke’s "Blurred Lines." Robin is married to his teenage sweetheart, actress Paula Patton - and says she approved the risqué video for "Blurred Lines", which features semi-nude women.
 
We'll return in one week with another winning lineup.