The British presence on Billboard's Hot 100 chart increases this week to its highest level so far this century, writes Alan Jones, with seven charting singles wholly by UK artists and a US/UK collaboration all climbing or holding steady.

 

Leader of the Britpack, James Blunt holds at number three with You're Beautiful, and re-enters the chart at number 66 with Goodbye My Lover. Gorillaz also have two concurrent hits courtesy of Feel Good Inc, which pulses 44-43 on its 44th week on the list, while a resurgent Dare re-enters at number 96. Both Goodbye My Lover and Dare had previous false starts, peaking at 100 and 87 respectively a few weeks ago. Coldplay's Talk, which also pottered around a few weeks ago peaking at number 86, re-enters the list at number 99.

 

Meanwhile, Natasha Bedingfield's Unwritten surges 10-7 to beat the number eight peak it reached a fortnight ago, and KT Tunstall makes her Hot 100 debut with Black Horse & The Cherry Tree entering at number 91.

 

Completing the octet, Sting's Always On Your Side duet with Sheryl Crow, which debuted last week at number 35, improves a couple of notches to number 33.

 

There's plenty of good news for UK artists on the Top 200 album chart. Predictably, James Blunt leads the way there too, with his appearance on The Oprah Winfrey Show helping Back To Bedlam to charge 9-2 with sales up 142% week-on-week to 161,326. The album's cumulative sales soar past the million mark, with sales to date of 1,011,098.

 

Blunt is kept off top spot by rapper Juvenile, whose new album Reality Check sold 174,857 copies to take pole position from Ne-Yo, who dips 1-5 with In My own Words.

 

Joining Blunt in the Top 10, former Pink Floyd star David Gilmour debuts at number six with On An Island, which sold 95,696 copies. Neither of Gilmour's previous solo albums made the Top 20, with his self-titled 1978 album reaching number 29, and 1984 follow-up About Face peaking at number 32.

 

Van Morrison claims his 39th chart album with Pay The Devil debuting at number 26 on sales of 31,717. It's the fourth highest charting album of his career, and also provides his first ever entry on the Country Chart, where it debuts at number seven.

 

As airplay for introductory single Black Horse & The Cherry Tree increases, KT Tunstall's Eye To The Telescope enjoys its best week yet, climbing 52-40, with sales up 33% at 23,958. Cumulative sales for the album, released five weeks ago, are 113,680.

 

Natasha Bedingfield's album Unwritten has been higher - it debuted and peaked at number 26 - but the current Top 10 success of the title track helps the album jump 55-47, with sales of 22,421 taking its cume to 359,273.

 

Bolstering the British presence still further, Mogwai's Mr Beast debuts at number 128 with 8,154 sales, while Goldfrapp make their first ever appearance on the chart with Supernature entering at number 138 with 7,341 sales.

 

Still doing well, the Arctic Monkeys dip 39-52 (18,354 sales) with Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not; Gorillaz glide 56-63 with Demon Dayz (16,324); Coldplay are off 74-81 with X&Y (12,282); Belle & Sebastian bounce 165-157 with Life Pursuit (6,584); and Beth Orton falls 135-163 with Comfort Of Strangers (6,435).

 

 

Credit: MW

WOW!!! We really are making waves here! :cheer:

 

Blunt might actually have the Number 1 album there too soon! That would be both of the top selling UK albums of 2005, umber 1s in the USA!

WOW!!! We really are making waves here! :cheer:

 

Blunt might actually have the Number 1 album there too soon! That would be both of the top selling UK albums of 2005, umber 1s in the USA!

What was the other one? :huh:

What was the other one? :huh:

 

Coldplay - X&Y

 

Sold 2 million here last year, and was Number 1 in the USA :)

Coldplay - X&Y

 

Sold 2 million here last year, and was Number 1 in the USA :)

Oh yeah, I forgot about Coldplay :)

Oh yeah, I forgot about Coldplay :)

 

:o Never forget Coldplay!