It's a 21st for Rein Me In as The Reytons climb the album pinnacle

It's a 21st for Rein Me In as The Reytons climb the album pinnacle

Boosted by all the media articles, the record-breaking keeps on going for Rein Me In with a 21st non-consecutive week on top of the single-track chart, and that 6 months total for Sam Fender and Olivia Dean is looking increasingly likely week on week. That the only serious contender continues to be the World Cup song after the competition has ended underlines how difficult other tracks find it to get the ball in the back of the net. Dai Dai sticks at 2 for Shakira and Burna Boy still clear of two contenders for runner-up in Movin' To The Sun at 4 (HUGEL, Imael Angel & Ultra Nate would make a great number one!) and Choosin' Texas at 3 again - the fixture ruling the US Charts has only 2 or 3 tracks ahead of Ella Langley's for total weeks on top there. That leaves Olivia Rodrigo's Stupid Song at 5 again. 

The highest new entry is trying to do its' best to hang onto a top 10 slot with varieties of purchase options - I've download the 59p radio mix version - but falls short of the top 5, but it's still great to see Madonna and Kylie Minogue revamping one of the best tracks off Confessions II in Love Sensation, giving Her Madgeness 3 top 40 tracks off an album, something she's not done since 2008's Hard Candy, and not to mention her 2nd top 10 of the 2020's and first top 10 as lead act since 2009 and her 61st top 10. Phew! Princess Kylie has her second of 2026 including the XMAS hangover from number one. Madonna is on 42 years of hits and Kylie a mere 38 years and 37 top 10's. I guarantee most people in the Eighties would not have put any money on that happening, and not even me. Well, maybe a pound on Madonna in 1989 on long-odds. 

Sienna Spiro climbs to a new peak of 7 with Great Expectation, Silva Bumpa keep that gradual climb ongoing as On 2nite sneaks in to the top 10 at 10. Stella Lefty (upper case name ignored here) goes back up to a new peak of 9 with the sweet Boston. I like to imagine it's about the town in my old stomping ground Lincolnshire, but the accent isn't quite right. 'Iyah Bostun! 'Iyah Lincun! Ey yup Nework! 

Malcolm Todd hangs his earrings up at 15, Temper City are up to 24 with Self Aware, and Tame Impala's Loser is up to a new peak of 14, great to see, and Alyssa Grace is up another few spots at 18 with Bloodstream. At 28 Ella Langley's Be Her at last breaks into the top 40 after 19 weeks of trying, a great song and record that one, and her 2nd top 40. Alex Warren has yet another new track debuting at 39 with Rescuer, he's been bunging 'em out at pace but Ordinary is still refusing to vacate the 40. This is his 10th top 40 since Carry You Home in 2024.

Ella and Alex are not the only ones getting a second top 40 this week as HUGEL joins the club, with SOLTO (FR) on board - more shouty text please! - new at 34 with Jamaican (Bam Bam), and Steve Lacy is in at 23 with oh yeah? Chalk Spiderman: Brand New Day up for a second hit on top of Tame Impala. US musician Steve had a number 8 hit in 2022 with Bad Habit, so this is his 2nd top 40 in an Indie-style that seem to be getting better at cracking the charts. I like it! 

Sabrina Carpenter gets an anniversary vinyl boost to add to the swarm of oldies clogging up the chart 2 and a half years after first topping, with the fab Espresso back in at 26. I love seeing a classic oldie returning to the chart after years away. 2 years is the same as never leaving the chart though, and it's like getting nostalgic for that minty bar of chocolate you enjoyed a few weeks back. 

A sprinkling of a new peak for Audrey Hobert (Sue Me) at 29 among a sea of perma-charters, the award for this week's "Surely It's Out The Chart Now!" trophy is given to Midnight Sun, Zara Larsson for indirectly costing us 45 quid winnings in a pub quiz Monday cos I couldnt remember the title from the 2 lines of lyrics quoted from it. Doh! Brain-freeze is a terrible thing...

Over in albums, it's a comfortable new entry at 1 for The Reyton's new album A Love Letter To A Broken Town, that is presumably home-town Rotherham, which I've been acquainted with over the years, along with Sheffield. The band have charted 2 EP's, a live album, and this is their 2nd studio number one from 4 in 5 years. I'm guessing a lot of the sales are from fans following their huge live gig at Clifton Park in 2024 playing to 20,000. 

FLO is nearest new runner-up at 5, with Therapy At The Club, the British Girl Group's previous album peaked at 3 (Access All Areas), and is pipped to 2 by Essential Michael Jackson, Olivia Rodrigo still seeming pretty sad at 3, and Ariana's Petal wilting already at 4. Role Model is another all caps singer, as is all the vogue these days, the US singer-songwriter is from Maine, not traditionally a deep well of famous male singers, and Chuck Timely & The Hourglass is the first of his 3 albums to crack the UK top 10 at 6, though he's been making more waves in the US for the last couple of years since his first album under his current name in 2022. 

There's a rush of new albums from little-known acts scattered throughout the top 40, starting with Overmono dropping in at 12 on Pure Devotion, Welsh brothers Tom & Ed Russell brand of electronic music previously peaked at 11 in 2023 with Good Lies.

Kylie Minogue has brought out a batch of vinyl editions of several albums this week, one of them, X, has not previously been available in that format and duly enters the highest at 26. The other 3 fall short of the 40. Man/Woman/Chainsaw sound like a Rock Band, that'll be cos they are, the London schoolchum collective chart with their second album Cannonball at 33. 

Liverpool band Keyside debut at 38 with their eponymous album, having only  previously dropped EP's, and have a buzz for their brand of jangle-indie-pop going on. Sounds promising! 

Finally a quick shout-out to Electric Callboy who just fell short of the top 40 at 62, annoyingly, with TANZNEID - the shouty hardcore-punk-ish German band have a fun sense of humour and appeared at Download this summer - my nieces and nephews were there - and Ive bought a couple of fun singles with The Offspring and Babymetal.

That should be all from me for a bit, if my calendar-keeping is correct, as Suedey has a welcome return next week, raging wildfires across the nation permitting - it currently takes up to 2 hours to get from Poole to Southampton via back-roads after the New Forest caught fire and the main dual carriageway is still closed until at least next Thursday. Simon is near the seaside though so fingers-crossed all will be well. Yay!