Peter Kay and friends remain at #1 this week

So then no change at the top of either singles or albums chart this week, as Peter Kay’s high physical sales continue for his Children In Need Medley of songs. Mr Kay and his animated friends keep Rihanna at #2, as she loses out with her game of Russian Roulette after her X-Factor performance. Rihanna has been unlucky on 3 other occasions also, being beaten by Gnarls Barkley, McFly and X Factor Finalists (2008).

 

Alicia Keys – Doesn’t Mean Anything enters at #8

This week’s highest new entry goes to another act who performed on the X-Factor last weekend, US singer songwriter Alicia Keys. Alicia Augello Cook made her debut in 2001 with the #3 hit Fallin’, her biggest hit in this country thus far. She has had 7 previous top 40 hits, however this is only her third single to make the top 10 but it doesn’t mean anything at all! Alicia performed a medley of this, Empire State Of Mind (which is back up to #11 for Jay Z) and No One (which re-entered the top 75).

 

Timbaland feat Nelly Furtado & So Shy – Morning After Dark enters at #9

US producer, singer and rapper Timothy Zachery Mosley, better known as Timbaland, first started his career in 1996 producing and contributing to songs for Ludacris, Jay Z, Beck, Aaliyah and Tweet amongst others. He made his first successful lead artist album Shock Value, which shocked many people into buying it. That spawned 5 hits singles – the 2 #1s Give It To Me and The Way I Are, and Apologise and Scream. Now he returns to the top 10 with the lead single from his upcoming Shock Value II album, Morning After Dark debuts at #9. Nelly Furtado again appears alongside him and thus clocks up her 9th top 10 hit, French singer So Shy also features.

 

Cheryl Cole feat Will I Am – 3 Words reenters at #25

Upon release of Cheryl Cole’s debut solo album, the title track 3 Words entered the charts at #26 then dropped out 3 week’s later. This week as promotion kicks in for the single it re-enters at #xx, looking very likely to go top 10 at least in the coming weeks.

 

30 Seconds To Mars – Kings & Queens enters at #28

US rockers 30 Seconds To Mars formed in 1998 fronted by Hollywood actor Jared Leto, but does not use his actor status to promote the band. They released their first album in 2002 with little commercial success until 2006 when they scored 2 top 40 hits The Kill (#28) and From Yesterday (#37), from their second album. Now they release the first single to be taken from album #3 as Kings & Queens enters at #28 this week as their joint biggest hit.

 

N-Dubz feat Mr Hudson – Playing With Fire enters at #32

Hip hop act N-Dubz score a second hit from their current album, Playing with Fire is a collaboration with Mr Hudson and gives the 2 acts another top 40 hit this week. This is another that is several weeks from release and thus can be expected to climb over the next few weeks.

 

2 festive classics re-enter this week : Mariah Carey at #29 and Pogues/Kirsty MacColl at #31

Well you certainly know that Christmas is on its way when the seasonal favourites start to re-enter the charts. As has been the case for the past few years, Mariah Carey and the Pogues both lead the way. All I Want For Christmas Is You originally made #2 in 1994 and made #4 again after the download rules came into force in 2007, then peaked at #12 last year. Pogues & Kirsty McColl’s Fairytale Of New York was originally a #2 hit in 1987, has re-entered the charts for the last 4 years peaking at #3, #6, #4 then #12. This makes 2009 the 5th consecutive year that the song has charted in the UK.

 

Lily Allen – Who’d Have Known enters at #39

Lily Allen gets another top 40 hit this week with her latest single but if it doesn’t climb next week is set to become her smallest ever, well Who’d Have Known eh? This is Lily’s 8th single release (9 if you include the #8 hit Oh My God, alongside Mark Ronson) and only the second to miss top 20. Her biggest hits still remain 2006 debut Smile and this year’s The Fear which both topped the charts.

 

Near misses!

Amongst the this week’s tracks not making the top 40 is Muse with Undisclosed Desires, the first single to miss out since their debut. Prodigy fully released Invaders Must Die as a single but miss the top 40 for the first time ever in their career. Ian Brown misses out with his new single Just Like You, as do rockers Pearl Jam with their new single. Taio Cruz becomes the third artist this year to follow up a #1 with a top 40 miss, with No Other One.

 

Susan Boyle stays at #1 in the album charts

Little surprise then that I Dreamed A Dream by Susan Boyle stays at #1 still selling in massive quantities, ahead of both Westlife and Take That. Of the 2 it is Westlife who debut at #2 this week with their 10th album, all of which have gone top 3 in the UK. Take That debut at #3 with The Circus Live, yep you’ve guessed it … it is a live album from The Circus tour! The Coldstream Guards debut at #13 with their album Heroes and opera singer Andrea Bocelli debuts at #18 with My Christmas … what it says on the tin!

 

Personal opinion of Mr Bond!

Whilst I am happy to see Peter Kay remain at #1 for Children In Need, I would have liked to see Rihanna get #1 with Russian Roulette as that is a very good song indeed. I love the new Alicia Keys song and am glad to see it debut high up. Same can’t be said for Timbaland’s new song, it just sounds too generic and too similar to his other stuff. However I hate 50 Cent’s new song even more and just think it’s so wrong in many ways! Chipmunk’s songs get better for me, this new one is quite listenable even if it does sound like I Gotta Feeling. 3 Words is ok but nothing special, not a patch on the brilliant Fight For This Love. I’m glad to see some of the festive favourites re-enter again, Mariah and the Pogues are certainly amongst my favourite xmas songs. Love Lily Allen’s new song and didn’t realize how much it sounds like Shine until I saw her perform it alongside Take That, still deserves much higher.

Good read ^_^