Hello all! I did post some of my personal charts on here years ago when I joined but it didn't last long. I've been keeping my own written ones since 1999, when I was 9 or 10 years old (almost 20 years ago) but never felt ready to post them properly until now.

 

Here's the first one for this week. I plan to do this along with weekly commentary a la Music Week, would love to know your thoughts.

 

THEPENSMITH'S TOP 20 SINGLES CHART

Week ending 24th August 2018

© AM LIMITED 2018

 

1. (2) ALL SAINTS - After All

2. (HNE) SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR - Love Is You

3. (1) GEORGE EZRA - Shotgun

4. (9) DENNIS LLOYD - Nevermind

5. (3) WARD THOMAS - Lie Like Me

6. (4) CLAIRE RICHARDS - On My Own

7. (NE) THE SHIRES - Echo

8. (5) NIALL HORAN - Finally Free

9. (6) GABRIELLE - Thank You

10. (7) DANNY JONES - Is This Still Love

 

 

11. (NE) LENNY KRAVITZ - 5 More Days Til' Summer

12. (8) NOW UNITED - Summer In The City

13. (9) FOUR OF DIAMONDS FEAT. BURNA BOY - Name On It

14. (10) JONAS BLUE FEAT. JACK & JACK - Rise

15. (NE) LOUIS YORK FEAT. THE SHINDELLAS - No Regrets

16. (11) CHEAT CODES & LITTLE MIX - Only You

17. (12) ALL SAINTS - Love Lasts Forever

18. (NE) RUTHANNE - Liquid

19. (16) JESS GLYNNE - I'll Be There

20. (NE) CHRISTINE AND THE QUEENS - 5 Dollars

 

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

 

CHART COMMENTARY

 

 

With no less than six new entries, two climbers and no non-movers in my top 20 this week, all this can only mean that George Ezra has vacated the number one position again this week after a further five weeks to add to his first two weeks at the summit with 'Shotgun'. Back at the end of June, his reign was temporarily halted at the hands of World Cup mania and 'Three Lions'.

 

Taking his place at the top this week as he falls again to #3 are All Saints, as the 90s girl group legends climb one place to #1 in their fourth week with 'After All', the second single from their current album 'Testament'. The track is one of several on their new release that has been produced by one of their great collaborators William Orbit.

 

 

After their first single from the album 'Love Lasts Forever' (still inside my top 20 at #17 this week) spent four weeks locked at #2 in June behind - you guessed it - 'Shotgun', it is now their fifth number one in a career spanning two decades on my personal chart, meaning they ease past Little Mix (4), but are behind Sugababes (6), The Saturdays (10) and Girls Aloud (13) as the girl group with the most number ones to date in my personal chart history.

 

Their other chart toppers to date? 'Pure Shores' (two weeks in February 2000, also the biggest single of that year in my personal end of year chart), 'Black Coffee' (two weeks in October 2000), 'Rock Steady' (one week in November 2006) and 'One Strike' (three weeks in March 2016). They also have the unique distinction of being the only girl group to top my personal charts in the 00s and the current decade.

 

The honours for the biggest new hit of the week on my personal chart goes to a lady with an equally long career thus far. It's 18 years to the week since Sophie Ellis-Bextor had her first number one on my personal chart as lead vocalist on Spiller's club classic 'Groovejet (If This Ain't Love)'. The Salsoul disco number that track sampled - Carol Williams' 'Love Is You' - has now been covered by her for her new album 'The Song Diaries', a collection of reworked orchestral style versions of her biggest hits. It makes its debut at #2 as her 19th top 20 hit on my personal chart this week, thus for now narrowly failing to achieve the unique distinction of topping the chart with a sampled and covered form of a previous recording by another artist.

 

Dennis Lloyd's slow burning 'Nevermind' moved into my top 10 last week on its ninth week, and now advances five places to its highest position yet of #4 this week. Only rivalled by fellow top 10 occupants Ward Thomas (who fall two places to #5 this week) as the most popular country and folk act from the UK, Chrissie and Ben, aka The Shires, score their second top 10 hit on my personal chart to date, entering at #7 with 'Echo'. It follows on from the #6 peak achieved by 'Guilty' back in April, and is the second single from their third album 'Accidentally on Purpose'.

 

Just missing out on my top 10 this week is Lenny Kravitz. Although oddly timed as the summer holidays enter their final week or two for most people, '5 More Days Till Summer' is his biggest hit on my personal chart since 'Fly Away' topped the chart almost 20 years ago in February 1999. Louis York, the New York based duo of Grammy winning songwriters Claude Kelly and Chuck Harmony, enter at #15 with 'No Regrets' this week. It's their fourth top 20 hit since they debuted with 'Clair Huxtable' three years ago, but second to feature the all female vocal soul group The Shindellas, following 'What Christmas Means To Me' which they featured on when it debuted and peaked at #13 last December.

 

Songwriter for the likes of Niall Horan, JoJo and Britney Spears, RuthAnne Cunningham - known mononymly as RuthAnne - debuted at #7 back in May with her first single 'Take My Place'. The follow-up, 'Liquid', arrives eleven places lower at #18 this week. Christine & The Queens has confirmed this week that her long awaited new album 'Chris' will be released next month. '5 Dollars' follows the #12 success of its first single 'Girlfriend' back in June by debuting at #20, but it has a way to go to best the #8 peak of her first single 'Tilted' from almost two years ago.

Hey there Alex :hi:

 

Welcome to the personal charts forum! So impressive that you've kept up your chart for so long :o I started mine in 2011 at the age of 13 and have lots of gaps in it but I'm trying to keep it up each week nowadays haha. Anyway, my favourite song in your chart this week is the lovely '5 dollars' by Christine and the Queens! Brilliant to have the confirmation of the album coming next month - can't wait for it!

 

Great stuff ^_^

Hiya :hi:

 

 

1. (2) ALL SAINTS - After All

2. (HNE) SOPHIE ELLIS-BEXTOR - Love Is You I want some murder om the dancefloor era Sophie back.

3. (1) GEORGE EZRA - Shotgun

6. (4) CLAIRE RICHARDS - On My Own This is actually rather good.

7. (NE) THE SHIRES - Echo

9. (6) GABRIELLE - Thank You

10. (7) DANNY JONES - Is This Still Love

14. (10) JONAS BLUE FEAT. JACK & JACK - Rise

16. (11) CHEAT CODES & LITTLE MIX - Only You I went off this way quicker than I thought I would.

17. (12) ALL SAINTS - Love Lasts Forever :wub:

19. (16) JESS GLYNNE - I'll Be There This is good but her new one is glorious! Jess is quickly becoming one of my faves :wub:

20. (NE) CHRISTINE AND THE QUEENS - 5 Dollars

 

Fantastic chart :jump:

:hi: Alex PenSmith,

 

Welcome to the PersonalChart Forum !!

 

 

Great no 1 from All Saints.

Love Niall Horan and your highest new entry Sophie Ellis Baxter!