007 Chart Commentary

X Factor Finalists claim the new #1 single with You Are Not Alone

No surprises to find that this week's brand new chart topper is this year's X-Factor Finalists. Last year, all 12 of the X-Factor Finalists got together to record a charity cover of Mariah Carey's Hero and subsequently topped the chart with very good sales. Now a year later, 2009's finalists have done the same with proceeds going to Great Ormond Street Hospital. This time it is Michael Jackson's #1 ballad hit You Are Not Alone that is covered with similar results.

Jason Derulo - Whatcha Say enters at #3

US singer songwriter Jason DeRulo has been massive over the other side of the pond with his hit single Whatcha Say, now it becomes an instant top 3 hit as he debuts here in the UK. The song takes a sample from Hide & Seek by multi-talented UK singer songwriter Imogen Heap. Imogen has never had a top 40 hit in this country, despite releasing several critically acclaimed albums and singles over the years.

Alesha Dixon - To Love Again enters at #15

Not much more action in the top 10, so on to the highest top 20 new entry of the week. A certain former Mis-Teeq singer and Strictly Come Dancing winner, now judge scores herself another top 20 hit. This is Alesha Dixon's 5th solo top 20 hit in total and continues the trend of alternating between ballads and uptempo single releases. She was last seen in the charts with #13 hit Let's Get Excited and her biggest hit remains Breathe Slow which hit #3, biggest Mis-Teeq was Scandalous which hit #2.

Florence & The Machine - You've Got The Love climbs to #16

This week Florence Welsh and her machine get their second top 20 hit as the cover of The Source/Candi Staton's You've Got The Love climbs to #16 following physical release. This seems to have done well on physical format which is rather unusual in this day & age.

Peter Kay's All Star Band - The Official BBC Children In Need Medley enters at #18

It is time now for this year's Children In Need single and subsequent entry to the singles chart. Comedian Peter Kay has of course been heavily involved in this event in the past, famously directing the video for Tony Christie's Amarillo and turning into a massive hit all over again. This year, Mr Kay has put together a video of popular animated characters and used a medley of 7 different songs (Can You Feel It, Don't Stop, Jai Ho, Tubthumping, Never Forget, Hay Jude and One Day Like This) with artwork resembling that of The Beatles Sgt Pepper. The result is a new entry at #18, however this is only on 2 day's worth of sales so #1 next week is a very strong possibility.

50 Cent feat Neyo - Baby By Me enters at #23

US rapper 50 Cent gets another hit this week, in collaboration with fellow US star NeYo as Baby By Me enters at #23. This is fiddy's 9th top 30 hit since his debut In Da Club hit #3 in 2002, his biggest hit still remains the 2007 #2 hit Ayo Technology with Justin Timerlake and Timbaland. Baby By Me is the first single to be taken from his album Before I Self Destruct which was also released this week.

Shakira - Did It Again enters at #26

Look Shakira just Did It Again ... that is enter the top 40 with her forthcoming new single! Following her X-Factor performance of this track, she now follows the top 5 single She Wolf with another top 30 hit. This is her 9th UK top 40 hit, including her 2 chart topping collaborations Hips Don't Lie (with Wyclef) and Beautiful Liar (with Beyonce).

Taken By Trees - Sweet Child O' Mine enters at #38

Female act Taken By Trees enter at #38 with a rather unique cover of the Guns & Roses classic Sweet Child O' Mine, following its use in a TV advert.

Agnes - I Need You Now enters at #40

Swedish singer Agnes Carlson this week scores a 2nd top 40 hit, if only just. This of course follows up her massive top 5 hit Release Me but somewhat struggles to match that success, we will wait to see how her forthcoming album does.

This week's non-hits!

Little Boots new single rather surprisingly fails to make top 10, I guess she hasn't felt the Earthquake! James Morrison's new single is another flop as Get To You does not get to the top 40 this week. Welsh band Stereophonics used to be chart regulars, however once again they fail to make the top 40 with lead single Innocent. Lily Allen misses out for now with Who'd Have Known, despite a recent performance with Take That.

Leona Lewis tops the album charts this week

To the surprise of few, a certain Leona Lewis tops the albums listings with her second album Echo, echoing the success of Spirit. Legendary UK rock band Queen debut at #3 with another hits compilation entitled Absolute Greatest, Queen still have the biggest sales for a Greatest Hits album ever. Hip hop act N-Dubz enter at #6 with their second album Against All Odds, beating the #11 peak of their debut Uncle B. Will Young enters at #9 with his album of Hits, the only Pop Idol/X-Factor star to release a retrospective (bar Girls Aloud). There are a few established acts who enter slightly lower than expected - Stereophonics at #11 still keeping calm, Ronan at #16 with his Winter Songs, 50 Cent at #22 before he blows himself up and Norah Jones at #24 experiencing The Fall of her chart positions!

Personal opinion of 007!

I really did not like last year's Hero cover and I like this years MJ cover even less from the X-Factor lot, but it's all for a good cause so I'd say they deserve to be #1 this week. I don't like Jason DeRulo's song at all, however I do love the song it samples from Imogen Heap and think she deserves to have a hit or 2. Alesha's new song is OK but not a patch on Breathe Slow, same for Shakira's new one - good but not as good as She Wolf. I hate 50 Cent and wish he'd hurry up and self destruct to be honest, I find his music offensive and tuneless. However I absolutely love the new Stereophonics tune and am gutted that it didn't make top 40. I think Leona's album is brilliant and fully deserves it's #1 debut, so many different good tracks. I also love Robbie's new album and hope it can somehow manage to get to #1 in the future.

Next week's potential hits

Next week sees the full release of Peter Kay's Children In Need single which could well claim the #1. There are also major new releases from the likes of Susan Boyle, Rihanna, Mariah Carey and Lady Gaga. New albums are due from Susan Boyle, Rihanna, Mariah Carey and many more.