X Factor Finalists 2010 - Heroes enters at #1

So it is 3 years in a row now for the X Factor, as the charity single release by this year's finalists enters straight in at #1. This is following on from 2008's group cover of Mariah Carey's Hero and 2009's group cover of Michael Jackson's You Are Not Alone. This year's song choice to cover is Heroes, a 1977 hit for David Bowie which could only make #24 depite being one of Mr Bowie's many iconic songs. They have Ellie Goulding (#2 this week) and Nicole Scherzinger to contend with next week.

 

Olly Murs - Thinking Of Me enters at #4

A second successive top 5 hit then for last year's X-Factor runner up Olly Murs, following an X-Factor performance and lots of other promotion during the week. This is following hot on the heals of his #1 debut Please Don't Let Me Go. That has re-entered this week at #39 as a result of this new release and the Now 77 compilation album, the latter is responsible for several tracks rebounding this week. Olly's debut self titled album is due for release next week and could make a decent impact.

 

Rihanna feat Drake - What's My Name climbs to #10

This week Rihanna gets herself a 15th UK top 10 hit in total as her forthcoming second single from Loud leaps up to #10. This is a collaboration with Drake and marks his highest chart placing and first top 10 hit in the UK, with only Find Your Love making the top 40 up until now. I would expect this to be a top 5 hit in the weeks to come, just how far it will get depends on the competition. Her name is Robyn Rihanna Fenty and his is Aubery Drake Graham, not sure which one is having identity issues there!

 

Jessie J - Do It Like A Dude enters at #25

London based singer songwriter Jessica Cornish or Jessie J gets her debut UK hit this week as new single Do It Like A Dude enters at #25. Jessie co-wrote the Miley Cyrus hit Party In The USA and has also written for Justin Timberlake, Chris Brown and Christina Aguilera. Jessie J appeared on Later With Jools Holland recently and performed forthcoming single Price Tag, both tracks come from her forthcoming debut album Who You Are.

 

Brett Domino - Gillian McKeith enters at #30

Brett Domino is the alter-ego of 24 year old musician Rob J Madin, as Brett Domino he is known as a bit of a You Tube celebrity for his comedy videos. Most of these videos are essentially comedy covers or medleys of well known songs such as Bad Romance and Beat It, as well as the hits of Justin Timberlake and Ellie Goulding. One of these to get a full release is not a cover but more of a comedy song about I'm A Celebrity contestant Gillian McKeith, containing lines such as "Oh Gilly, why u bein' so silly?" and "maybe it's because you look a bit like a goose"!

 

Usher - More enters at #33

US singer Usher gives us more this week as he scores a third top 40 hit this year with a new entry at #33, expected to rise further on the lead up to full release. More is now Usher's 16th UK top 40 hit, including 4 #1's - 1997's You Make Me Wanna, 2004's Yeah and Burn and OMG earlier this year.

 

Gorillaz feat Daley - Doncamatic enters at #37

Animated band Gorillaz make their return to the top 40 singles chart this week as Docamatic enters at #37. This is a track taken from the forthcoming reissue of Damon & co's third album Plastic Beach, the 3 previous singles from the album have failed to chart. They scored a huge #4 hit with debut Clint Eastwood in 2001, then #6 with 19-2000 and some other minor hits. In 2005, they scored a trio of top 10 hits with #2 Feel Good Inc, #1 Dare and #6 Dirty Harry. Doncamatic features vocals from Manchester based soul singer Daley and marks Gorillaz 9th top 40 hit in total.

 

Take That stay at the top of the album chart

This week's album chart saw a battle of the "boy" bands, with Take That holding steady at the top after selling over 1/2 million last week, after 2 weeks it is now the year's 4th biggest seller. JLS come in at #2 with their second album Outta This World, featuring their 2 #1s from this year The Club Is Alive and Love You More. In at #3 is Westlife with their 10th studio album Gravity, maintaining their 100% strike rate of top 3 albums. Opera star Russell Watson gets his second top 20 entry in as many weeks as his 8th studio album La Voce enters at #13, maintaining his 100% strike rate for top 20 albums. My Chemical Romance's 4th studio album enters at 14 entitled Danger Days: The True Lives of the Fabulous Killjoys, featuring top 30 hit Na Na Na. Rapper Kanye West reveals his Beatuiful, Dark, Twisted Fantasy as his 5th album becomes his lowest charting yet, in at #16. Other new entries outside of the top 20 include Nicki Minaj, Josh Groban and Daniel O'Donnell.

 

Personal opinion of me!

I really am not getting into this new cover of Bowie's Heroes, it sucks all the life out of the original but it is for charity so good on them I guess! I absolutely love this new song from Olly Murs, it is very catchy even if it does sound a bit like his first one. Not too keen on Rihanna and Drake's What's My Name, but it may grow on me yet so I'm giving it time. Same for Jessie J, bit of a grower me thinks! Brett Domino's Gillian McKeith is quite funny but thankfully I don't see it becoming a hige hit. I quite like Gorillaz new single Doncamatic, not quite as good as Dare or Feel Good Inc though. I really like Kylie's new one Better Than Today, it's better than Get Outta My Way but still by no means her best song for me.

'Heroes' is the 5th Song written, (or co-written),

by David Bowie, to go to No.1 in the UK. The 4th

was 'Let's Dance', way back in April 1983.

 

The current No.1, is the first Bowie Chart Topper,

that he isn't performing on.

 

DAVID BOWIE SONGS THAT WERE UK No.1 HITS

 

(Weeks At No.1 In Brackets)

 

1) SPACE ODDITY - DAVID BOWIE (2 Weeks) (1975) ***

2) ASHES TO ASHES - DAVID BOWIE (2 Weeks) (1980)

3) UNDER PRESSURE - QUEEN & DAVID BOWIE (2 Weeks) (1981)

4) LET’S DANCE - DAVID BOWIE (3 Weeks) (1983)

5) HEROES - X FACTOR FINALISTS 2010 (1 Week) (2010)

 

NOTES

 

*** = Originally a No.5 Hit in 1969

 

These are the Bowie Songs that he either wrote, or co-wrote.

That’s why I’ve not included ‘Dancing In The Street’, his

No.1 with Mick Jagger. (4 Weeks - 1985). That was a Cover

of a Martha & The Vandellas Tamla Motown Single. (1964).

 

I think you're far too kind towards the X Factor single. "It's for charity" is not a sufficient excuse to inflict such an appalling mess on the public.