Printable Version of Topic

Click here to view this topic in its original format

BuzzJack Music Forum _ UK Charts _ 10 Years Ago Today...

Posted by: paulgilb Dec 16 2017, 06:33 PM

The singles chart announced 10 years ago today (16/12/2007, week ending 22/12/2007) featured what has to be one of the most "WTF" #1s all of time. It was actually a Tesco exclusive - only available either from Tesco stores or from Tesco Direct. However, as it was widely displayed throughout Tesco stores, it picked up a lot of 'impulse' purchases (this was partly the reason for the huge sales of singles in the late 1990s), leading to the song being #1 despite most of us being unaware the track even existed at the start of the week.

Curiously, Eva Cassidy's previous highest-charting single was her version of Over The Rainbow, a song which was also covered in the 1990s by Israel Kamakawiwoʻole as a medley with What A Wonderful World (the same medley was also a #11 hit for Cliff Richard in 2001). Spookily, both Eva Cassidy and Israel Kamakawiwoʻole died in the 1990s in their 30s.

The song had a very short chart run: 1-2-14-53. Surprisingly, its week at #1 was not its highest-selling week - it increased its sales in Week 2, but was knocked off #1 by Leon Jackson.

The full top 40 plus selected others:

1 (-) Eva Cassidy & Katie Melua – What A Wonderful World
2 (1) Leona Lewis – Bleeding Love
3 (10) Soulja Boy Tell’Em – Crank That (Soulja Boy)
4 (8) Mariah Carey – All I Want For Christmas Is You
5 (3) Girls Aloud – Call The Shots
6 (4) Timbaland pts OneRepublic – Apologize
7 (5) Take That – Rule The World
8 (12) Pogues ft Kirsty MacColl – Fairytale Of New York
9 (2) T2 ft Jodie Aysha – Heartbroken
10 (16) Cascada – What Hurts The Most
11 (7) Mark Ronson ft Amy Winehouse – Valerie
12 (6) Alicia Keys – No One
13 (9) Shayne Ward – Breathless
14 (23) Wham! – Last Christmas
15 (14) Sugababes – About You Now
16 (27) Wizzard – I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday
17 (15) Westlife – Home
18 (11) Kylie Minogue – 2 Hearts
19 (re) Michael Buble – Lost
20 (-) Shaun The Sheep – Life’s A Treat
21 (25) Andy Williams – It’s The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year
22 (37) Slade – Merry Xmas Everybody
23 (33) Shakin’ Stevens – Merry Christmas Everyone
24 (19) Rihanna ft Ne-Yo – Hate That I Love You
25 (22) Nickelback – Rockstar
26 (26) Sugababes – Change
27 (38) Band Aid – Do They Know It’s Christmas
28 (46) Amy MacDonald – This Is The Life
29 (24) Hoosiers – Goodbye Mr A
30 (17) Bloc Party – Flux
31 (18) Freemasons ft Bailey Tzuke – Uninvited
32 (-) Stereophonics – My Friends
33 (53) Scouting For Girls – Elvis Ain’t Dead
34 (28) Craig David – Hot Stuff (Let’s Dance)
35 (51) Chris Rea – Driving Home For Christmas
36 (31) 50 Cent ft Justin Timberlake & Timbaland – Ayo Technology
37 (68) Rihanna – Don’t Stop The Music
38 (50) Rihanna ft Jay-Z – Umbrella
39 (-) Foals – Balloons
40 (60) John & Yoko & Plastic Ono Band – Happy Xmas (War Is Over)

43 (44) Killers – Don’t Shoot Me Santa
45 (re) Michael Buble – Home
46 (-) Amy Winehouse – Love Is A Losing Game
47 (re) Led Zeppelin – Stairway To Heaven
48 (61) Bing Crosby – White Christmas
50 (72) David Guetta ft Cozi – Baby When The Light
51 (-) Crowded House – Pour Le Monde
57 (69) Newton Faulkner – Teardrop
58 (70) Kate Nash – Pumpkin Soup
61 (re) Boney M – Mary’s Boy Child/Oh My Lord
62 (-) Filo & Peri ft Eric Lumiere – Anthem
64 (71) Perry Como – It’s Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas
65 (-) Elton John – Step Into Christmas
68 (re) Booty Luv – Some Kinda Rush
70 (re) Paul McCartney – Wonderful Christmastime
72 (re) Jona Lewie – Stop The Cavalry
73 (-) Jack Penate – Have I Been A Fool

2007 was the first year that all downloads could chart regardless of physical release, meaning that the Christmas songs returned to chart for the first time in many years (although Pogues and Slade had charted in 2005 and 2006 respectively due to physical re-issues). Mariah Carey was the highest at #4, but the Pogues overtook her on Xmas week (a situation that would be repeated in subsequent years), also peaking at #4 (both would peak at #12 the following Christmas).

#25 was falling for the second week in a row - however, after Christmas it would climb and eventually reach #2.

Posted by: Robbie Dec 16 2017, 06:49 PM

One of the more forgotten number 1s.

Alan Jones' Music Week Chart Analysis article for 10 years ago told of a much healthier time for albums though even then a decline in year on year sales had set in...

QUOTE
Album sales reach new 2007 high

12:42 | Monday December 17, 2007

The good news is that album sales last week increased for the eighth time in a row, and reached a new 2007 high for the fifth week on the bounce.

The bad news is that, at 6,347,634, sales were over a million down on the same week last year (7,362,658), and even further below record week 50 sales of 7,665,901 set in 2005. They were last lower in the corresponding week in 1998, when 5,372,061 albums were sold.

The week’s biggest seller, Spirit by Leona Lewis, sold 228,504 copies – the second best tally it has recorded since release five weeks ago. It’s also the second biggest weekly sale of the year, just beating the Arctic Monkeys’ Favourite Worst Nightmare’s opening week’s sales of 227,922. Topping the compilation chart for the fourth week in a row, Now That’s What I Call Music! 68 sold 182,185 copies.

Spirit becomes the fifth fastest million seller in the UK, and the fastest by a woman, trailing only Be Here Now by Oasis, which raced to the target in just 11 days.

Lewis’ album was the second to sell a million copies in 2007, following Amy Winehouse’s Back To Black, which has sold 1,431,970 copies this year in its original single CD edition, and a further 120,323 copies in its deluxe 2CD edition. With first album Frank returning year-to-date sales of 304,147, it’s safe to say Amy Winehouse will sell more than 2m. albums in 2007.

Mika’s debut album, Life In Cartoon Motion, was released 40 weeks before Leona Lewis’ Spirit but sold its millionth copy a day later. Life In Cartoon Motion debuted at number one in February.

Two other albums sold more than 100,000 copies last week – Westlife’s Back Home found 118,311 buyers and Michael Buble’s Call Me Irresponsible raced to 107,676 sales. In the same week last year, seven albums recorded six figure sales, while 11 albums made the grade in 2005.

While Leona Lewis continues atop the album chart, her Bleeding Love finally loosens its grip on the singles chart title after seven weeks, slipping 1-2 with sales down just 6.3% at 27,744.

Instead, Eva Cassidy and Katie Melua’s What A Wonderful World takes pole position on first week sales of 56,114.

What A Wonderful World is a charity single benefiting The British Red Cross, and is the first ever number one to be available via only one retailer – specifically the Tesco supermarket chain, which has exclusive rights to both the physical and download version of the song.

Cassidy is the 13th artist to achieve a posthumous number one, thanks to the newly-created duet version of What A Wonderful World, on which she is paired with Katie Melua. Originally a number one hit for Louis Armstrong in 1968, it is the 33rd song to top the chart in more than one version.

Driven by downloads of seasonal titles, singles sales also pepped up last week, improving 7.1% to 1,776,484. That’s their third highest figure for 2007.

This is the first Christmas in which singles available only as downloads have been eligible to chart, and it has had a massive effect on seasonal titles, with 10 in the Top 40, 17 in the Top 75 and 44 in the Top 200 – all record tallies. Top of the list is Mariah Carey’s All I Want For Christmas Is You, which jumps 8-4 this week, with sales up a further 46.4% at 19,453. Meanwhile, entering the Top 40 for the very first time, Driving Home For Christmas gives Chris Rea his 13th Top 40 hit.

Posted by: ChristmasEve201 Dec 17 2017, 11:32 AM

Yeh Katie seemed to take advantage of the xmas Tesco market in a market where cd single sales were falling(apart from the usual xmas week releases). I thoroughly enjoyed this no1 tbh, quite seasonal before the XF nonsense came out.

This was a big change over era in the chart with all downloads all included and the potential for hits that rose and developed up the chart to a peak with Rockstar being the perfect example of before the record companies freaked out in a Cowellesque way and demanded control to hold back releases once again between 2009-2015.

Thankfully streaming has put a stop to that nonsense for a while again!

Posted by: The Hit Parade Dec 17 2017, 02:10 PM

Coincidentally, this was the chart I chose to showcase over on Usenet this week, so if you happen to want a Spotify playlist of it, here's one I made earlier: https://open.spotify.com/user/nowthats/playlist/6V3vohW1LNRIubk8dMrNOm

Of course 'Rockstar' wouldn't have been a held-back release anyway, as it was from an album that came out in 2005.

Posted by: ___∆___ Dec 17 2017, 07:44 PM

I remember when the Katie/Eva single was released - it was a Tesco only exclusive and was heavily pushed with standalone units displaying it in stores and also displayed at every checkout hence why it quickly faded.

Posted by: Jester Dec 17 2017, 09:42 PM

Shame Leona couldn’t have held on for another week. Thought this at the time.

Posted by: ChristmasEve201 Dec 17 2017, 10:05 PM

Why did you think that? It had 7 weeks already by that stage.

Posted by: SantaDalek32 Dec 17 2017, 11:56 PM


Goodbye Mr A, Flux and Balloons ;D

All excellent songs.
"There's a hole in your logic. You who know all the answers. Woah-oh-oh-oh"
"We fly balloons in this fuel called love"
"We were hoping for some romance. All we found was more despair"



Also, LOL at the beginning of the Crank That music video where the boys were singing the chorus and their dad was like "What the heck is Soulja Boy?". My first exposure to the song was on a SpongeBob AMV on YouTube.

Posted by: ChristmasEve201 Dec 17 2017, 11:58 PM

Balloons is a classic for me now!!

Posted by: ChristmasEve201 Dec 18 2017, 12:28 AM

Just a reminder it was this week thirty years ago Fairytale of New York entered the top 10 for the first time!

Posted by: Doctor Blind Dec 18 2017, 11:08 PM

QUOTE(ChristmasEve201 @ Dec 17 2017, 11:58 PM) *
Balloons is a classic for me now!!


I bought it on CD and 7" this week back in 2007 from the large HMV in Oxford St (no longer there) - it was my Christmas chart #1 for 2007. I think I also bought The Black Arts' "Christmas Number One" on vinyl which sadly failed to chart.

Oh and Malcolm Middleton was championed at the time for Christmas #1 (We're All Going To Die) available as download-only and got to a respectable #31 in Christmas week.

Posted by: Houdini Dec 18 2017, 11:17 PM

I can't believe Crank That is 10 years old now!

Posted by: ChristmasEve201 Dec 18 2017, 11:28 PM

QUOTE(Doctor Blind @ Dec 18 2017, 11:08 PM) *
I bought it on CD and 7" this week back in 2007 from the large HMV in Oxford St (no longer there) - it was my Christmas chart #1 for 2007. I think I also bought The Black Arts' "Christmas Number One" on vinyl which sadly failed to chart.

Oh and Malcolm Middleton was championed at the time for Christmas #1 (We're All Going To Die) available as download-only and got to a respectable #31 in Christmas week.


I remember Malcolm Middleton getting tipped at the time. Unfort I was only able to get Balloons on cd single at the time. Hope we hear new material from the band in 2018!

Posted by: SantaDalek32 Dec 19 2017, 10:21 AM

QUOTE(Doctor Blind @ Dec 18 2017, 11:08 PM) *
I bought it on CD and 7" this week back in 2007 from the large HMV in Oxford St (no longer there) - it was my Christmas chart #1 for 2007. I think I also bought The Black Arts' "Christmas Number One" on vinyl which sadly failed to chart.



There was also a etched 12" release of Balloons. Also, that Black Arts vinyl has to be a green one. Black Box Recorder + Art Brut
The Foals singles I own are Miami 7" [Part 1] and Rain/Daffodils [Record Store Day exclusive 7"]


Posted by: Doctor Blind Dec 19 2017, 10:38 AM

QUOTE(SantaDalek32 @ Dec 19 2017, 10:21 AM) *
There was also a etched 12" release of Balloons. Also, that Black Arts vinyl has to be a green one. Black Box Recorder + Art Brut
The Foals singles I own are Miami 7" [Part 1] and Rain/Daffodils [Record Store Day exclusive 7"]



Just searched it out - you're right! How did you know?

I've got Miami and This Orient on 7" and all of the 2007/8 singles on CD single.

Posted by: Lenny Dec 19 2017, 11:16 AM

Loved the charts back in these days. That was a real shock number 1 that week, especially to dethrone such a monster hit. Shaun The Sheep at 20, I don't remember that at all laugh.gif

Posted by: AcerBen Dec 19 2017, 07:51 PM

That was so weird wasn't it? I wonder whether CD singles could pick up sales now if they were sold for £1 or something in a prominent position.

Posted by: Robbie Dec 19 2017, 08:40 PM

QUOTE(AcerBen @ Dec 19 2017, 07:51 PM) *
That was so weird wasn't it? I wonder whether CD singles could pick up sales now if they were sold for £1 or something in a prominent position.
Would they sell in sufficient quantities to make it a worthwile exercise? There's a generation of music consumers growing up who have not got into the habit of buying physical product. Plus at £1 a time a CD single would be such a loss leader that unless that could help drive album sales (not streams) by changing consumption habits of teenagers in general record companies would not likely be interested.

Posted by: JosephCarey Dec 19 2017, 08:47 PM

QUOTE(AcerBen @ Dec 19 2017, 07:51 PM) *
That was so weird wasn't it? I wonder whether CD singles could pick up sales now if they were sold for £1 or something in a prominent position.

It wasn't all that long ago that The Neales made the top 40 almost entirely on CD singles! Two weeks in the top 40 nonetheless. I think it can definitely happen, although it's probably more sensible to target at the older generation.

Posted by: ChristmasEve201 Dec 19 2017, 09:44 PM

Yeh the thing with Cd singles is that people buy them as keep sales and rarely listen to them. Younger people wouldn't take the time to play it!

Posted by: Lenny Dec 20 2017, 12:12 AM

I spent far too much money on CDs (singles and albums) that I simply never listened to. I have boxes and boxes of them and don't know what to do with them!

Posted by: ChristmasEve201 Dec 20 2017, 12:26 AM

Same here but I am quite proud of them even if I don't play them - they are a collection!

Posted by: Lenny Dec 20 2017, 12:27 AM

QUOTE(ChristmasEve201 @ Dec 20 2017, 12:26 AM) *
Same here but I am quite proud of them even if I don't play them - they are a collection!

Haha, this is true. Well I did like to get a proper, crisp, highest quality rip of the song off of the CD back in the day - that was refreshing. But nowadays the quality of downloaded tracks is so much higher than it was. Still, I will buy the odd retro track on CD single if I can't find it to stream - the one CD single I've bought this year was Chef "Chocolate Salty Balls (PS I Love You)" laugh.gif

Posted by: ChristmasEve201 Dec 20 2017, 12:31 AM

Where do you even get them from these days - just Amazon?

I mainly get vinyl and the odd vinyl single in charity shops!

Posted by: Lenny Dec 20 2017, 12:32 AM

QUOTE(ChristmasEve201 @ Dec 20 2017, 12:31 AM) *
Where do you even get them from these days - just Amazon?

I mainly get vinyl and the odd vinyl single in charity shops!

Yeah Amazon, pre-owned. Really I should start putting all of my old CD singles on there. Wonder if I have any rare ones. Actually just remembered I picked up a couple of those Elvis re-issues back in 2005, wonder what they're worth now, or even where they are in my collection ohmy.gif

Posted by: ChristmasEve201 Dec 20 2017, 12:34 AM

I got the George Michael one of December Song with an envelope which could be a collectible in 2009 I think it was?

Posted by: AcerBen Dec 20 2017, 07:27 PM

QUOTE(Robbie @ Dec 19 2017, 09:40 PM) *
Would they sell in sufficient quantities to make it a worthwile exercise? There's a generation of music consumers growing up who have not got into the habit of buying physical product. Plus at £1 a time a CD single would be such a loss leader that unless that could help drive album sales (not streams) by changing consumption habits of teenagers in general record companies would not likely be interested.


Oh yes I agree it would be daft to do it, but it'd be fascinating to see whether people would buy them

Posted by: ChristmasEve201 Dec 20 2017, 08:55 PM

Think there's less in HMV and the likes now too which effects sales!

Powered by Invision Power Board
© Invision Power Services