Scouting For Girls – This Ain’t A Love Song enters at #1

This commentary covers the last fortnight as there was little action last week (and I was away). More action at the top end of the charts this week, and something of a surprise to many. Scouting For Girls are a 3-piece indie-pop band who scored 3 long running top 10 hits in 2008 with She’s so Lovely, Elvis Ain’t Dead and Heartbeat, as well as a top 40 hit twice with It’s Not About You. Now the band make a triumphant return with the first single to be taken from their second album, This Ain’t A Love Song debuts at the very top by a comfortable margin too. This is not to be confused with Bon Jovi’s hit of the same name!

 

Plan B – She Said enters at #3

Lady Gaga & Beyonce hang up their Telephone after a 2 week connection with #1. This week’s second highest new entry at #3 belongs to rapper turned singer Ben Drew, better known as Plan B. Plan B already has 2 #9 hits under his belt, first as a featured artist on Chase & Status End Credits then on his very own Stay Too Long … which didn’t. Now all goes according to plan as She Said debuts at #3 as a true breakthrough hit.

 

Delirious? – History Makers enters at #4

Well I never saw this coming, a top 5 entry from Christian rock group Delirious? (yes the ? is correct) as they become history makers by scoring their biggest hit ever. The band first formed in 1992 under the name of Cutting Edge Band as a worship band for a youth outreach event. Then in 1996 Delirious? formed properly, made #20 then #36 with best seller Deeper then peaked at #16 with highest peaking See The Star. The band have now split up, however there has been an online campaign to get a Christian song into the top 40 in time for Easter, which has proved a huge success. History Makers was originally a track on the first Delirious? album and now becomes their 7th top 40 hit in at #4.

 

Usher feat Will I Am – OMG climbs to #8

Last week’s highest new entry and only one into the top 20 came from US superstar Usher who this week rises to #8 … OMG Usher is in the top 10! This is perhaps surprising as last single flopped and this new track has had very little airplay prior to this week. Usher has had 3 #1 singles in the UK – You Make Me Wanna from his 1998 debut album, Yeah and Burn both from 2004. He was last seen in the charts in 2008 with huge #4 hit Love In This Club and #25 hit Moving Mountains. There is another track called OMG due for release shortly, that one is by Sabrina Washington.

 

Timbaland feat Justin Timberlake – Carry Out climbs to #16

Timbaland gets his third top 20 hit to be taken from his Shock Value II album, in the shape of Carry Out which features Justin Timberlake. Like Nelly Furtado and Katy Perry, JT has recently been collaborating with other artists rather than appearing on his own material, which has proved very successful in most cases. Timbaland has had 2 #1s Give It To Me and the grammatically challenged The Way I Are as well as #3 Apologize and #6 Morning After Dark and If We Ever Meet Again, which is still top 20.

 

David Guetta feat Kid Cudi – Memories climbs to #30

David Guetta entered the top 40 last week and climbs to the top 30 this week, with single #4 to be lifted from his latest album One Love. This follows massive #1s When Love Takes Over (with Kelly Rowland) and Sexy Bitch (with Akon) as well as flop single One Love which has Estelle on vocals. Memories is Kid Cudi’s second appearance following huge #2 hit Day & Night alongside rapper Crookers.

 

Florence & The Machine – Dog Days Are Over climbs to #34

Florence & The Machine finally made the top 30 with Dog Days Are Over after an appearance on Jools Holland’s Hottenanny at the start of this year. Now the track is due to get a full release shortly and has scraped back into the top 40 last week and now climbs to #34.

 

This week’s also rans

Scottish indie pop singer Alex Gardner is keen to let us know that he is not mad, but just misses out on a top 40 entry. Sarah Phillips released a tribute to her mother who is dying of cancer, her cover of Paolo Nutini’s Autumn just missed the top 40 last week. As did dance act Audio Bullys with their new track Only Man, same for Craig David and Boy George with their newbies. Robbie Williams missed out once again, even the boost of Sports Relief was not enough to help Morning Sun into the top 40. Arctic Monkeys miss out with their new single My Propeller, as does Mr Hudson with Anyone But Him and 30 Seconds to Mars as they declare war.

 

Boyzone stay at #1 in the albums

Last week Boyzone reclaimed the #1 spot in the albums chart with Brother and stay there this week, following an ITV special tribute to Stephen Gately. Last week, Justin Bieber re-released his first album under the name of My Worlds and entered a place higher at #3, where he remains this week. Laura Marling get her best position yet of #4 with I Speak Because I Can, this week dropping to #18. Goldfrapp went Head First into #6 with their new album last week, tumbling to #24 this week. Paul Rodgers gets a #10 new entry with his retrospective covering his work with Free and Bad Company combined. Madonna enters the top 20 this week with her live album from the Sticky & Sweet tour. Craig David also enters at #13 with his 5th album Signed Sealed Delivered, outpeaking his last by 5 places.

 

Personal opinion

I am pleasantly surprised to see Scouting For Girls get #1 with This Ain’t A Love Song, I have always liked their previous stuff and this is not much different but still rather good. I really like She Said by Plan B as it is a little bit different to much of the stuff around just now. I have always rather liked Delirious and their music, History Maker has always been a favourite of mine … good to see them get the recognition they deserve. I don’t care too much for Usher’s OMG nothing great really, same can be said for Timbaland’s Carry Out as well.

 

Crookers are an Italian DJ duo - Kid Cudi was the rapper on Day 'N' Nite.

 

Good read