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[ThePensmith]

Hello everyone, it's Friday and time once again to take a look at my personal top 20 for this week. Mark Ronson and Lykke Li notched up their sixth week at number one last week. But with lots of big new competition this week from Now United, Noel Gallagher's High Flying Birds and Katy Perry amongst others to contend with, is their time at the top finally at an end? Here's your answer...

THEPENSMITH'S TOP 20 SINGLES CHART
Week ending 7th June 2019
© AM LIMITED 2019

1. (HNE) NOW UNITED - Paraná / Beautiful Life
2. (1) MARK RONSON FEAT. LYKKE LI - Late Night Feelings
3. (2) CRAIG DAVID - When You Know What Love Is
4. (5) KYGO FEAT. RITA ORA - Carry On
5. (4) AVICII FEAT. ALOE BLACC - SOS
6. (NE) NOEL GALLAGHER'S HIGH FLYING BIRDS - Black Star Dancing
7. (6) FOUR OF DIAMONDS - Walk Away
8. (3) CHERYL - Let You
9. (NE) KATY PERRY - Never Really Over
10. (NE) LIGHTHOUSE FAMILY - Light On

11. (8) THE VERONICAS - Think Of Me
12. (9) SHAWN MENDES - If I Can't Have You
13. (NE) LOUISE - Small Talk
14. (7) SHAKESPEAR'S SISTER - All the Queen's Horses
15. (10) P!NK FEAT. KHALID - Hurts 2B Human
16. (11) PAIGE CAVELL - Predators and Monsters
17. (NE) BBMAK - Bullet Train
18. (12) OLLY MURS - Feel The Same
19. (13) JONAS BROTHERS - Sucker
20. (15) KYLIE MINOGUE - New York City


Compiled from my own personal listening in the last seven days across streaming, digital and physical formats.


KEY

(1) - last week's position
(HNE) - highest new entry
(NE) - new entry
(RE) - re-entry

CHART COMMENTARY



Thirteen records go down, one goes up, no non movers, and six brand new entries. It doesn't take Poirot to work out what that means, does it? For even though 'Late Night Feelings' has advanced to the top of my year to date chart this week, on my weekly personal chart it finally relinquishes pole position for Mark Ronson and Lykke Li after six weeks on top. And so for the first time in over a month, my personal chart pays host to a brand new number one single.

Since they made their debut almost a year ago, the multi membered and multi national Now United have steadily grown in stature to become one of the most exciting new pop bands around. Every single they have released so far has been a top 5 hit on my chart, with their third single, 'All Day' of course, going all the way to the top at the very start of this year when it was some way into a chart run it had begun back in November the previous year.



'Beautiful Life' had been pencilled in as their next single since April, and was actually due out a few weeks ago, but was delayed. Now teamed in a double-a-side with their brand new, carnival inspired and sunny sounding 'Paraná', success continues today as they notch up their second number one hit with consummate ease, making them the first artist in 2019 to notch up two number one hits on my chart. Interestingly, 'All Day' is now gaining new exposure, as no sooner was their last single 'How We Do It' the centre of an ad campaign with Pepsi, then their first chart topper finds itself soundtracking a new series of Rexona (or Sure as it's known in the UK) deodorant adverts.

Onto our second biggest new hit of the week then, for which we dip out the top 5 (where Avicii/Aloe Blacc and Kygo/Rita Ora engage in a game of chart swapsies) and land at #6. With Britpop legends Oasis, Noel Gallagher had five number ones on my personal chart. A handful of his songs with his band High Flying Birds have made my top 40 since - biggest of all before today being 'Holy Mountain' which got to #8 in October 2017.



Today, the lead title track from their new EP 'Black Star Dancing' surpasses even that to become Noel's biggest hit away from his former band so far. A most enlightening record, it's certainly the - dare we say - danciest sounding thing he's committed his name to, almost evocative of his top 10 hit nearly 20 years ago with The Chemical Brothers on their 'Let Forever Be' which hit the same position.

2017 was when we last heard from Katy Perry, although her last album, 'Witness', was something of a commercial disappointment on both sides of the Atlantic, and even its biggest single on my chart 'Chained to the Rhythm' only made it as far as #16 just over two years ago. She has since subsequently taken a sabbatical from the industry, but returns this week with new single 'Never Really Over', which blasts into my top 10 at a respectable #9.



Lighthouse Family, meanwhile, continue their successful comeback as they notch up their second consecutive top 10 hit from forthcoming new album 'Blue Sky In Your Head' this week, with 'Light On' entering at #10. It follows up their last single, 'My Salvation', which made #5 back in March.



Louise's first single in fifteen years, 'Stretch' was a major disappointment when it peaked and debuted at #19 on my chart back in March. 'Small Talk', the second single to be lifted from her forthcoming new album 'Heavy Love', does at least make a six place improvement on that this week by debuting at #13, but it's still a far cry from the top 10 status she used to command with a brand new release.



Speaking of names from the past though, for our final new entry this week we welcome back a band who've been on hiatus for even longer than Louise has. Comprising Ste, Mark and Christian, BBMak were an unusual band for their time when they were first launched in 1999 - namely, they played their own instruments and wrote their own songs. It took two releases and cracking America - unheard for a British pop band of that time - before 'Back Here' finally crowned them with a top 5 hit on my chart back in February 2001.



Another top 10 hit followed in 'Still On Your Side', followed by a lesser starred top 40 followup with 'Out Of My Heart' in October 2002, which was effectively their swansong. Now though, they return today with 'Bullet Train', the first single from their first new studio album in sixteen years, due for release in August, and notch up their third top 20 hit in the process, entering at #17. Even if it's a one week wonder, it seems cruel to deny this a moment in the sun.

FLASHBACK TOP 10

Your chance to see how my personal top 10 was looking on this week in the last 20 years. This week in 1999: S Club 7 smash in at the top with their very first single, plus classic hits from Madonna, Baz Luhrmann and Shania Twain




1. (HNE) S CLUB 7 - Bring It All Back



2. (NE) MADONNA - Beautiful Stranger
3. (1) BAZ LUHRMANN - Everybody's Free (To Wear Sunscreen)
4. (4) SHANIA TWAIN - That Don't Impress Me Much
5. (2) SHANKS & BIGFOOT - Sweet Like Chocolate
6. (3) THE CHEMICAL BROTHERS - Hey Boy Hey Girl
7. (9) BACKSTREET BOYS - I Want It That Way
8. (5) THE WISEGUYS - Ooh La La
9. (6) CHICANE FEAT. MAIRE BRENNAN OF CLANNAD - Saltwater
10. (7) SIXPENCE NONE THE RICHER - Kiss Me