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[ThePensmith]

Hello everyone - welcome to this week's personal top 20 from yours truly, slightly later than billed as I was feeling a bit ill all weekend. Rest assured I'll be posting the chart again in its normal slot on Friday afternoon. Has P!nk hung on at the top for a third week, have Jonas Brothers or Alphabeat smashed in at the top with their comeback tracks, or has George Ezra nabbed himself his fourth number one single inside a year? Let's find out...

THEPENSMITH'S TOP 20 SINGLES CHART
Week ending 15th March 2019
© AM LIMITED 2019

1. (HNE) GEORGE EZRA - Pretty Shining People
2. (1) P!NK - Walk Me Home
3. (NE) JONAS BROTHERS - Sucker
4. (2) NOW UNITED FEAT. BADSHAH - How We Do It
5. (NE) ALPHABEAT - Shadows
6. (3) EMMA BUNTON - Baby Please Don't Stop
7. (4) RAK-SU - Into It
8. (7) MABEL - Don't Call Me Up
9. (5) JULIA MICHAELS FEAT. NIALL HORAN - What A Time
10. (8) ELLIE GOULDING - Flux

11. (6) BUSTED - Radio
12. (9) LSD - Mountains
13. (18) DIDO - Give You Up
14. (10) MARINA & THE DIAMONDS - Handmade Heaven
15. (NE) DENNIS LLOYD - Never Go Back
16. (11) TAKE THAT - Everlasting
17. (12) FOUR OF DIAMONDS - Blind
18. (13) JACK & JACK - Daydreaming
19. (14) WESTLIFE - Hello My Love
20. (NE) BANANARAMA - Stuff Like That

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



The deserving winner of Best British Male at last month's Brits, George Ezra has even more to celebrate this week, as 'Pretty Shining People' follows his last three singles from the 'Staying At Tamara's' album to become his fourth number one single on my chart. It's exactly a year since 'Paradise' started that run of chart toppers on its fifth week, but crucially this is the first of his number ones to debut at the top - all the others climbed there when they were some way into their chart runs. George is now also the first artist since Bruno Mars in 2011 to have at least four consecutive number ones over a twelve month period, and the first artist since McFly in 2006 to lift four number ones from the same studio album.



Number one for the last fortnight, P!nk's 'Walk Me Home' fails for now to become the first record this year to spend more than two weeks at the summit, and dips to #2, meaning that 'Pretty Shining People' is the eighth brand new number one on my personal chart in 2019. Compare that with this time last year, when only four records had taken turns at the top, and the rate of turnover is undoubtedly on the increase. Having four records in a row that just spent a week at number one in January - only two of which are among my top 10 for the year so far - possibly has something to do with that.

The new record that enters at #3 this week is a surprising one. Kevin aside, US fraternal ex-Disney stars Jonas Brothers have had more success charting as solo or supergroup entities in the last few years - Joe with DNCE, who hit the top in April 2016 with 'Cake By The Ocean', and Nick, who made #2 with solo debut 'Jealous' in April 2015. Now reconvened after a well publicised familial tiff with their first new material for six years, 'Sucker' has had a huge reaction online on both sides of the Atlantic, which probably explains this instant top 3 hit that now leapfrogs their debut 'SOS' (#4 in June 2008) to become their biggest single yet.



The top 5 is rounded off by another new hit, and it's a hearty welcome back to Danish wonky pop merchants Alphabeat. The first of their three number one singles they opened their career on my chart with was achieved just over 11 years to the week a fortnight ago, when 'Fascination' smashed in at the top, '10,000 Nights' and 'Boyfriend' following it there over the course of 2008. They were last on my chart seven years ago when 'Vacation' made a career low of #8 in April 2012, but they return with a #5 entry for 'Shadows' this week - all told their best performing single since 'Hole In My Heart' made #4 in February 2010.



Dennis Lloyd climbed over a period of nine weeks before peaking at #2 with his debut single 'Nevermind' last August. Things appear to be taking off a little slower on the basis of the #15 entry this week for its followup, 'Never Go Back' - and I'd be surprised if it does advance any further than this as it's half the record his last one was.



Seven weeks after 'Dance Music', the first single from their soon to be released new album 'In Stereo' entered and peaked at #16, Bananarama enjoy a second consecutive top 20 hit this week, with 'Stuff Like That' entering at #20. And finally, the release and success of Dido's new album 'Still On My Mind' this week has given a shot in the arm to its current single 'Give You Up'. Now on its sixth week, the single rebounds five places to this week's #13.



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 2010: Gabriella Cilmi scores her third number one, plus classic hits from JLS, Cheryl and Tinie Tempah



1. (HNE) GABRIELLA CILMI - On A Mission



2. (2) TINIE TEMPAH - Pass Out
3. (1) JLS - One Shot
4. (NE) CHERYL COLE - Parachute
5. (4) ELLIE GOULDING - Starry Eyed
6. (NE) GOLDFRAPP - Rocket
7. (3) JASON DERULO - In My Head
8. (9) BOYZONE - Gave It All Away
9. (5) OWL CITY - Fireflies
10. (6) RIHANNA - Rude Boy

This post has been edited by ThePensmith: 19th March 2019, 09:25 AM