BuzzJack
BuzzJack - We Entertain You

Welcome Guest ( Log In | Register )

Drake's reign at the top of the chart goes on
Drake gets an eighth week at the top of the singles chart with God's Plan. The Greatest Showman soundtrack too the singles chart for a tenth week.

Drake and The Greatest Showman continue their runs at the top of the singles and albums charts respectively.

When the first chart update of the week was published on Monday there was a glimmer of hope that Drake’s run at number one was set to come to an end. However, for reasons that remain unexplained, streaming data is always provided to the Official Charts company a day later than sales data. Therefore, the update was missing one day of streaming data (of the three days of the chart week to that point) and God’s Plan continued to be the most streamed song of the week, It was therefore no surprise when Drake reclaimed top spot later in the week and even less of a surprise when it finished at number one for an eighth week.

Rudimental and co. therefore spend a sixth week at number two. A six-week run at number two without ever topping the chart would always be considered unlucky. To do so when being the best-selling song for every one of those weeks just rubs salt into the wound for These Days.

Portugal. The Man climb into the top three for the first time as Feel It Still climbs one place to number three. Marshmello and Anne-Marie also climb one place, to number four, with Friends. Those two songs knock Dua Lipa’s IDGAF down to number five.

As soon as the Official Charts Company (OCC) decided to include streams in their calculations for the charts it was inevitable that they would have to change the rules a number of times. When it was purely a sales based chart, things were reasonably simple. There were rules to prevent cheating but the basic principle was “a sale is a sale is a sale”.

The inclusion of streaming meant that the definition of a sale had to change. Initially the OCC decreed that 100 streams should be the equivalent of one sale (subject to restrictions to prevent people streaming a song non-stop all week). As streams became more dominant that was changed to 150 streams per sale.

That change still didn’t really work as songs still hung around in the chart for months, To add to the OCC’s problems there was also the issue of multiple songs from an album entering the single chart. That problem reached its peak just over a year ago when every track from Ed Sheeran’s ÷ album was in the top twenty of the singles chart. In response, the OCC changed the rules again. They restricted the number of songs allowed in the chart at any one time by an artist to three and also said that long-running songs whose sales were in decline would need to be streamed 300 times to register on sale.

The latter change soon led to a song - Luis Fonsi’s Despacito - being both the best selling and most streamed song of the week without being number one. This was, not surprisingly, seen by many people as absurd. This week the combination of the adjustable ratio and the three song limit produced another slightly farcical outcome.

While the Greatest Showman soundtrack has been crushing all opposition in the albums chart, a number of individual songs have been accumulating enough “sales” to reach the singles chart but only three of them have been allowed to be included in the official chart. Two of those songs have now satisfied the requirements for their streams to be downgraded. Meanwhile, other songs from the album may have satisfied one of the criteria - declining sales for three weeks - but have not satisfied the other one - at least ten weeks in the chart - for the simple reason that they have not qualified for the chart. Therefore, those songs are still subject to the standard ratio of 150 streams representing one sale.

The result of that is all too predictable. The two songs that have been in the chart for ten weeks - Rewrite The Stars and The Greatest Show - have fallen behind two other songs. Therefore, the two “old” songs drop out of the top 100 altogether (from numbers 22 and 23 last week) and the other two appear as new entries.

A Million Dreams enters at number 2 with Never Enough at number 24 so they have pretty much taken over where the other two left off. The lead vocals on A Million Dreams are by Ziv Zaifman whose parents missed a trick by not spelling his name with an X, it could have been pronounced the same way but he could also have been known as fourteen which was his age until earlier this month. Hugh Jackman and Michelle Williams also receive a credit.

Never Enough is sung by Loren Allred although the character (Jenny Lind, A Swedish opera singer) is played by Swede Rebecca Ferguson (not the English singer of the same name). There is nothing new in a professional singer providing a voice for an actor with less singing talent. While Mark Lester played Oliver in the musical of that name, his voice was replaced with that of Kathe Green for the songs.

This Is Me remains by far the most popular song from The Greatest Showman. It is back u one place to number six.

Years & Years enjoyed major success with their first album Communion. The album itself spent two weeks at number one in the summer of 2015 after they had topped the singles chart with King earlier that year. They haven’t rushed to put out a second album with singer Olly Alexander taking time out to front a highly-acclaimed documentary on his experiences growing up as a gay teenager. This week the band get their first top forty new entry in over two-and-a-half years as Sanctify lands at number 25. The only other song with the word Sanctify in the title was Simple Minds’ Sanctify Yourself which reached number ten in 1986.

Girl band M.O. made their chart debut in 2016 and have had to get used to people comparing them with Danish singer MØ. They get their second top forty hit this week with Bad Vibe at number 27. The song also provides Mr Eazi with his third top forty hit and Lotto Boya - a duo from Birmingham - with their first.

Ed Sheeran’s Supermarket Flowers re-enters at number 32. Perhaps people who felt guilty at forgetting to get their mother anything for Mothering Sunday streamed this song instead. No expense spent.

The Greatest Showman soundtrack continues to be the greatest album in terms of weekly sales as it stretches its run at the top to ten weeks. Only one album, Adele’s 21, has had a longer unbroken run at the top of the chart in the 21st century. The last album to get exactly ten weeks at the top was Dire Straits’ Brothers In Arms back in 1986. That came after two runs of two weeks at the summit the previous year.

Ed Sheeran’s ÷ climbs back up to number two. UB40’s A Real Labour Of Love falls to number three.

Once again the new entries in the albums chart include a number of offerings from veteran acts, led by metal band Judas Priest who have been going for nearly fifty years. Bassist Ian Hill and drummer Scott Travis survive from the original line-up but, not surprisingly, there have been a few changes over the years. They enter at number five with Firepower, their eighteenth studio album. It is their first appearance in the top ten since British Steel reached number four in 1980.

This week does at least see a high-charting new album from a younger artist in the form of Calum Scott. He had a big hit with his version of dancing On My Own in 2016 (after performing it on Britain’s Got Talent) but has been absent from the top forty since then. He enters the albums chart for the first time with his debut set Only Human at number four.

Editors were one of a number of bands to emerge in the mid-noughties who had clearly heard at least one joy Division album. They released excellent singles such as Munich and Blood before releasing their debut album The Back Room in 2005.The album initially only reached number thirteen but reached number two the following January. The next two albums, An End Has A Start (2007) and In This Light And On This Evening (2009) both topped the chart while the subsequent two albums finished lower in the top ten. Album number six, Violence, enters at number six.

It was noted last week that many of the artists entering the albums chart made their chart debut before a lot of the artists in the singles chart were born. This week we have an album by an artist who died long before many of the current artists were born. Jimi Hendrix, widely regarded as one of the greatest rock guitarists of all time, died in September 1970. Two months later he had a number one single with Voodoo Chile (pronounced the way it looks, not like the country). Inevitably, there has been a steady string of releases in the years since his death and now we have another one. Both Sides Of The Sky enters at number eight. It includes a version of the Joni Mitchell composition Woodstock which was a hit for Matthews Southern Comfort in 1970.

Myles Kennedy has released many albums as a member of various bands including Alter Bridge. Now, at the age of 48, he has released a solo album, Year Of The Tiger, and it enters at number twelve.

There is sometimes little apparent logic in people’s names and Logic himself provides an example. His legal name is Sir Robert Hall even though, as an American, that he is not an official knight. He has chosen an equally odd name for his latest album which is called Bobby Tarantino II despite him having never released an album called Bobby Tarantino. Nonetheless, it enters at number thirteen.

Anyone wanting an example of how the singles chart has changed in recent years could do a lot worse than looking at the chart career of Talking Heads. It is hard to see songs such as Once In A Lifetime, Road To Nowhere and And She Was reaching the top forty in 2018. Their singer David Byrne had his first top forty solo album in 1992 (having previously charted with an album with producer Brian Eno). He just sneaked into the top forty again in 2012 with a collaboration with St Vincent. Now he makes it again as a solo artist after a 37-year wait as American Utopia enters at number sixteen. It can be assumed that the title is not a serious reference to his own country at this time.

Young Fathers’ debut album Dead cannot be said to have set the charts alight. It failed to chart when it was released in January 2014 before finally making it to number 35 when it won the Mercury Prize at the end of the year. The follow-up, White Men Are Black Men Too, reached number nineteen, but only in their native Scotland. In the UK it reached number 41. This week they return to the top forty with Cocoa Sugar at number 28.

Canterbury band Moose Blood made their chart debut in 2016 when their second album Blush reached number ten. Until now that has been their one and only week in the top 100 of either chart. This week they finally get to double their tally of chart weeks as I Don’t Think I Can Do This Any More enters at number 32.

By the time Nathaniel Rateliff made his chart debut in 2015 at the age of 36, somebody with a similar name had become a lot more famous than Rateliff will ever be by playing the part of a wizard in a popular series of films. Still, if it’s any consolation he now has two more top forty albums than Daniel Radcliffe as Tearing At The Seams enters at number 33.

Abba Gold puts in another appearance in the top forty at number 31. Whitney Houston’s Ultimate Collection re-enters at number 37 and the Moana soundtrack returns at number 40.
Published on: 2018-03-16 by BuzzJack.com Suedehead2 || 481965 Views
Comments (5)
 
Popchartfreak
16 Mar 2018 - 20:19
BuzzJack Legend
Group: Moderator
Posts: 22,637
Member No.: 17,376
Joined: 18 Jul 2012 - 10:05
   No Gallery Pics

Streaming is a total farce. 8 weeks for a nothing song that hardly anyone is aware of. At least in the olden days long-running songs had the decency to get on your nerves from over-familiarity. Without even trying I have heard the track all the way through no more than twice cos it isn't on TV, radio stations I listen to, in pubs, shops, or even over-hearing it on someone else's headphones....

Still, ne-er mind eh, glass half-full laugh.gif

20 years from it will be Rudimental that is remembered fondly.

Lotto Boya..? Presumably not related to Austin Powers baddy Alotta Ffagina..? I'm sorry I can't help what pops into my mind when faced with a silly name!
 Top
Suedehead2
16 Mar 2018 - 20:25
BuzzJack Legend
Group: Veteran
Posts: 36,560
Member No.: 3,272
Joined: 13 Apr 2007 - 19:10
   No Gallery Pics

Yes, I think people will look back at the list of number ones over the last fe years with a sense of puzzlement. I think finding someone who could hum or sing a Drake number one could be a struggle.
 Top
Popchartfreak
16 Mar 2018 - 20:28
BuzzJack Legend
Group: Moderator
Posts: 22,637
Member No.: 17,376
Joined: 18 Jul 2012 - 10:05
   No Gallery Pics

oh yes, just one of those "would you believe" moments....

At the time of Laura Branigan's hit Gloria, back in the 80's would you have put money on that song being joined in the Singles sales chart by Ken Dodd's Happiness and Led Zep's Immigrant Song in 2018. I pretty much would have taken that bet as being this side of hell freezing over....

 Top
danG
17 Mar 2018 - 12:04
...
Group: Chart Mod
Posts: 74,319
Member No.: 11,746
Joined: 30 Aug 2010 - 7:52
   No Gallery Pics

QUOTE
There is sometimes little apparent logic in people’s names and Logic himself provides an example. His legal name is Sir Robert Hall even though, as an American, that he is not an official knight. He has chosen an equally odd name for his latest album which is called Bobby Tarantino II despite him having never released an album called Bobby Tarantino. Nonetheless, it enters at number thirteen.

He did, in 2016. tongue.gif
 Top
Suedehead2
18 Mar 2018 - 9:37
BuzzJack Legend
Group: Veteran
Posts: 36,560
Member No.: 3,272
Joined: 13 Apr 2007 - 19:10
   No Gallery Pics

Oh, I missed that sad.gif
 Top
Add Comment

   

 
Live iTunes Top 10
1 Beyoncé
TEXAS HOLD 'EM
2 Mark Knopfler & Mark Knopfler's Guitar Heroes
Going Home (Theme From Local Hero)
3 Teddy Swims
Lose Control
4 V
FRI(END)S
5 Benson Boone
Beautiful Things
6 V
FRI(END)S (Sped Up)
7 V
FRI(END)S (Slowed Down)
8 V
FRI(END)S (Instrumental)
9 Calvin Harris & Rag'n'Bone Man
Lovers In A Past Life
10 Noah Kahan
Stick Season

338 USERS ONLINE IN THE PAST 30 MINUTES
287 guests and 51 members.




Gallery Pictures
Dua Lipa - Radical Optimism  Good Times (Bradley & Jon) Teardrops 
The Show: The Encore Training Season single cover Bring the House Down 


Copyright © 2006 - 2020 BuzzJack.com

About | Contact | Advertise | Privacy Policy | Terms of Service