Rage Against The Machine – Killing In The Name becomes this year’s xmas #1

In one of the closest and most interesting battles for Christmas #1 in many years, the perhaps rather surprising winner is Rage Against The Machine. This all started off when a Facebook campaign was launched to encourage people to download Killing In The Name as a protest at Simon Cowell’s monopoly on the festive #1. So following massive publicity, people have downloaded the track in their masses and as such succeeded in getting a non X-Factor Christmas #1 for the first time since Band Aid 20 did it in 2004. Killing In The Name originally peaked at #25 in 1992 when first released and considering how deliberately non-commercial RATM’s sound is, to have achieved such massive sales is phenomenal whether or not you like the song itself.

 

Joe McElderry – The Climb enters at #2

Joe McElderry is of course this year’s winner of a certain TV talent show called The X-Factor! In the previous 4 years, each winner’s song has gone to #1 for Christmas as meticulously planned by Mr Cowell and his team! In 2004, Steve Brookstein was beaten by Band Aid 20 only to rise to #1 in the new year with his cover of Against All Odds. Then came Shayne Ward with That’s My Goal, followed by Leona Lewis with A Moment Like This and Leon Jackson When You Believe. Last year of course saw Alexandra Burke top the charts with her version of Hallelujah, so what of this year’s song by Joe McElderry. The song chosen for him was The Climb, first sung by Miley Cyrus reaching #11 in May this year for the Disney star. Miley’s version re-enters this week at #31 by the way.

 

3 Oh! 3 feat Katy Perry – Starstrukk enters at #5

Behind Lady Gaga at #3 and Peter Kay at #4 is a very high new entry for Colorado based group 3 Oh 3, named after the area code for their home town. The band scored their debut hit in July with Don’t Trust Me which peaked at #21 but hung around for a while. Now however they are Starstrukk, as they have none other than Katy Perry on backing vocals. The song becomes an instant top 5 smash with a #5 new entry.

Robbie Williams – You Know Me climbs to #6 and Cheryl Cole feat Will I Am – 3 Words climbs to #7

There are 2 climbers into this week’s top 10 from the top 20 last week, following his X-Factor performance Robbie Williams gets another top 10 hit with You Know Me. Following her TV show last week, Cheryl Cole’s new single gets her a second solo top 10 as 3 Words shoots up to #7.

 

Journey – Don’t Stop Believing re-enters at #9

Here is a song with a very long and interesting journey to the top 10! Don’t Stop Believing was first released back in 1982 and peaked at a lowly #62, but has since been regarded as a classic song and has re-entered the charts several times. Most recently the track came back after being performed on X-Factor by Joe, and now after the final reaches a top 10 peak. This means it has taken 28 years to reach this #9 peak, not bad going eh!

 

George Michael – December Song enters at #14

And now for the return of UK singer songwriter George Michael with his festive offering entitled December Song. George Michael first found fame as half of 1980’s duo Wham who had 9 top 10 hits including million selling Last Christmas (which has dropped out of the top 40 this week). George then went on to have massive solo success with a total of 30 top 40 hits, including #1s Careless Whisper, A Different Corner, 5 Live EP, Jesus To A Child and Fast Love. Now he gets another top 20 hit with a song he originally released last year but did not chart due to it being offered as a free download.

 

Leona Lewis – Stop Crying Your Heart Out enters at #29

X-Factor winner Leona Lewis gets herself another new entry with her cover of the Oasis song Stop Crying Your Heart Out. This was originally a #2 hit for Oasis in 2002 from their 5th studio album Heathen Chemistry. Leona Lewis recorded a cover of the track and can be found on her current album Echo, following her X-Factor performance it enters at #29.

 

Queen & The Muppets – Bohemian Rhapsody enters at #32

Now for the comedy record of the week! The Muppets are a group of puppet characters created by Jim Henson, appearing on The Muppet Show and Sesame Street amongst other shows. They have also invaded the music charts in the past, most notably with Halfway Down The Stairs in 1977. Now they team up with Queen to do a tongue-in-cheek cover of their classic Bohemian Rhapsody, a twice million selling single. This also comes complete with a very popular video on You Tube. It would have been funny to see this get #1 instead!

 

Alexandra Burke – Broken Heals enters at #36

X-Factor winner (I wonder how many times that has been mentioned in this commentary) Alexandra Burke gets a third hit as her new single Broken Heals starts off at #36. She also performed Bad Boys as part of a medley on the show and as such sees that track rise to #22 this week.

 

Pet Shop Boys – Christmas EP enters at #40

Chart veterans the Pet Shop Boys make a return to the top 40 this week, with a new EP simply entitled Christmas. It contains 5 tracks, the first being a re-recorded version of their 1997 tracks It Doesn’t Often Snow At Christmas (previously a fan club only download). Also featured is album track All Around The World and covers of Madness My Girl and Coldplay Viva La Vida. The result is a #40 new entry and their very first single to miss the top 30, unless you count a remix of DJ Culture in 1991.Their last top 10 hit came in 2006 I’m With Stupid, 21 in total since West End Girls in 1985.

 

Near misses!

Some of the singles to be lost in the xmas rush include Mini Viva whose second single I Wish flops. Vampire Weekend once more fail to hit big with new single Cousins, as does Britain’s Got Talent star Hollie Steele. Michael Buble may still be going strong with his album and last single, however Hold On misses out on a top 40 place for now. Of course, several classic Christmas songs are around but only 2 inside the top 40 this week … it seems everyone already has them.

 

Susan Boyle is xmas #1 in the albums

Unsurprisingly SuBo holds on for a 4th wek at the summit of the album charts with I Dreamed A Dream, comfortably ahead of the rest. Michael Buble climbs back up to #2 with Crazy Love ahead of Black Eyed Peas and Lady Gaga in the top 3. The highest and only significant new entry goes to Alicia Keys with her Element Of Freedom.

 

Personal opinion

Whilst I am happy to see something challenge and break the X-Factor monopoly of xmas #1s, this song has to be one of the worst songs I have ever had the misfortune to hear! Frankly I’d have preferred The Muppets to be #1 and I think that’s cringe-worthy. I certainly don’t think The Climb was the best choice of song for Joe to sing, I didn’t even like Miley doing it originally. The song has good lrics but it is such a lame and boring piece of dirge, so for that reason I’m glad that Rage actually got there instead. I quite like Starstrukk and think Katy Perry makes the song really, surprised that it was this big though. I do rather like 3 Words now by Cheryl & Will, it is very different and not your usual bland / pop / R&B rubbish. I am gutted that the Pet Shop Boys could only make #40 with one of the best original xmas songs to come out (ok it is 12 years old but it’s new to most people), saw them live and they were great! I really like George Michael’s festive offering as well and think it deserved top 10 at least, I was impressed with his X-Factor performance. I love Leona’s cover of Stop Crying Your Heart Out and also rather like Broken Heals by Alexandra Burke. All very positive bar for the top 2!

Edited December 21, 200915 yr by loudjamesbond

Good read

 

To be fair, I don't think Vampire Weekend were released this week... not digitally at least.

Good read

 

To be fair, I don't think Vampire Weekend were released this week... not digitally at least.

I couldn't find the single on iTunes a couple days ago so I don't think it is available yet.

I couldn't find the single on iTunes a couple days ago so I don't think it is available yet.

OK thanks it must have been put back or something then! :rolleyes:

Edited December 21, 200915 yr by loudjamesbond

ROD STEWART - THE 12th ACT TO REACH 1000 UK ALBUM WEEKS

 

THE TOP 12 UK ALBUM CHART ACTS (BY WEEKS ON CHART)

 

Earlier in 2009, he was in 11th place, on 983 Weeks, but ABBA over-took him,

& rose to 11. Then they reached 1000 Weeks. Now he's reached 1000 Weeks,

& looks set to rise to No.11 again soon, as he has 2 Albums in the Top 75, &

ABBA have none.....

 

(2009 Weeks - since W/E 10th January - in Brackets)

 

(To W/E 26th December 2009)

 

1) Queen - 1426 (5)

2) The Beatles - 1355 (46)

3) Elvis Presley - 1333 (0)

4) U2 - 1238 (49)

5) Michael Jackson - 1177 (149)

6) Madonna - 1148 (13)

7) Dire Straits - 1146 (0)

8) Simon & Garfunkel - 1135 (7)

9) David Bowie - 1026 (0)

10) Elton John - 1013 (0)

11) ABBA - 1002 (45)

12) Rod Stewart - 1000 (17)

Edited December 22, 200915 yr by zeus555

ROD STEWART - THE 12th ACT TO REACH 1000 UK ALBUM WEEKS

 

THE TOP 12 UK ALBUM CHART ACTS (BY WEEKS ON CHART)

 

Earlier in 2009, he was in 11th place, on 988 Weeks, but ABBA over-took him,

& rose to 11. Then they reached 1000 Weeks. Now he's reached 1000 Weeks,

& looks set to rise to No.11 again soon, as he has 2 Albums in the Top 75, &

ABBA have none.....

 

(2009 Weeks - since W/E 10th January - in Brackets)

 

(To W/E 26th December 2009)

 

1) Queen - 1426 (5)

2) The Beatles - 1355 (46)

3) Elvis Presley - 1333 (0)

4) U2 - 1238 (49)

5) Michael Jackson - 1177 (149)

6) Madonna - 1148 (13)

7) Dire Straits - 1146 (0)

8) Simon & Garfunkel - 1135 (7)

9) David Bowie - 1026 (0)

10) Elton John - 1013 (0)

11) ABBA - 1002 (45)

12) Rod Stewart - 1000 (17)

ABBA The Movie is on television on Christmas Day. It's on Channel Five though so nobody will watch it :P