CHART COMMENTARY from JAMES MASTERTON

27/08/06

 

from uk.launch

 

Oh my this is a good feeling. Something new to talk about at the top at long, long last. Yes, I think we can say with some confidence that today marks the end of Shakira's long reign at the top as 'Hips Don't Lie' is finally replaced by a brand new single.

 

Just over three years since she first topped the pile as a solo artist with 'Crazy In Love', Beyonce Knowles soars to the top of the UK charts once again with brand new single 'Deja Vu'. Taken from her forthcoming and long awaited second solo album, the single shows that her formula and thus her ability to have transatlantic hits remains as strong as ever, the single being a sparky brass punctuated R&B workout, complete with the almost obligatory hip-hop guest star. Said guest star is none other than friend to the world Jay-Z who proves to be something of a talisman for Beyonce, having also provided guest vocals on 'Crazy In Love' back in 2003. For Beyonce this is effectively her fourth Number One single with her two solo hits sitting nicely alongside the Destiny's Child hits 'Independent Women Part 1' and 'Survivor' which topped the chart in 2000 and 2001 respectively. This is actually the second week on the chart for 'Deja Vu', the single having entered last week at Number 21 on downloads. It thus becomes the second single since the rules were changed back in the spring to vault from outside the Top 10 to the Number One slot, and in the process becomes only the 8th single in chart history to climb to Number One from outside the Top 20. The 21-1 rise of the single is equal to that of 'Hey Jude' by The Beatles and '(Just Like) Starting Over' by John Lennon.

 

The all-time record for leaps to Number One was set fairly early in the life of the chart, Elvis Presley soaring 27-1 with 'Surrender' in 1961. The record stood until 1982 when 'Happy Talk' by Captain Sensible leaped 33-1 and was further broken in 2001 when 'Hey Baby' by DJ Otzi climbed 45-1. With current chart rules allowing the staggered release of singles formats to contribute to their chart behaviour, I wouldn't be too surprised if it turns out we don't have to wait another 15 years for it to be broken again.

 

Meanwhile it is proving hard for anything else to penetrate the Top 10 for the moment and one or two longer standing hits are taking advantage to improve their own positions. The most notable rise is the one that contributes to the trend-bucking chart performance of Snow Patrol's 'Chasing Cars'. Having penetrated the Top 10 for the first time a fortnight ago when it rose to Number 10, the single fell back slightly last week but now gains a second (or should that be third) wind to climb 12-7 to give the haunting single a brand new chart peak. In truth this sustained success is nothing less than the single deserves. Their debut Top 40 hit 'Run' may still be the one Snow Patrol track that sticks in the mind but 'Chasing Cars', complete with its wall of sound climax looks set to replace it as their career high point to date.

 

Just below a similar yo-yo performance is in progress for the Rogue Traders and 'Voodoo Child'. The Elvis Costello inspired elecropop single first entered the chart two months ago and this week re-enters the Top 10 at Number 9 having dropped to Number 11 last week. Its only other spell outside the Top 10 came in its first chart week when the single entered at Number 18 on downloads.

 

The biggest chart climber of the week arrives at Number 11 with the arrival in the Top 40 of 'Hey Kid' by Matt Willis. It is the second solo single from the former Busted man, the followup to 'Up All Night' which hit Number 7 back in June. His debut solo album isn't scheduled for release until November and the hope was that this second standalone single would continue to establish him as a serious rock act with an appeal beyond his well established teen following. The fact that for the moment the single hasn't reached the Top 10, even after making just Number 61 on downloads last week, will be a thorn in the side of his label.

 

Meanwhile the highest new entry of the week is the single which will in all probability restrict Beyonce and Jay-Z to a solitary week at the top. It has been almost three years since Justin Timberlake last had a solo hit single, his contributions since being restricted to low key appearances on other people's records. Now it is time for pubehead to restake his claim as the coolest man on the planet. He's done so with a single which instantly establishes a brand new concept in attractiveness, that of the 'Sexyback' and which flies into the chart at Number 13 on the strength of download sales alone. I confess I'm still waiting for the track to grow on me, the single being a typically idiosyncratic Timbaland production that sacrifices what little melody the track possessed in the first place and drowning Justin's vocals in a fuzz of distortion. Still if nothing else it is danceable to the max which was probably the point and as his last solo hit 'Senorita' proved back in 2003, Justin Timberlake isn't afraid of releasing the most unconventional tracks possible as singles. Needless to say as the first of the big new superstar releases of the autumn, 'Sexyback' is all but assured a Top 3 placing next week and if it gives him his first ever Number One single I for one won't be all that shocked.

 

Four places below comes Morrissey who lands the second highest new entry on the chart with 'In The Future When All's Well'. No real shocks here in terms of sound and chart performance, the single being after all the third single to be lifted from the 'Ringleader Of The Tormentors' album. His performance at the V festival last week notwithstanding, the single has the dubious honour of becoming his smallest hit since his 2004 comeback, his worst singles chart performance since 'Satan Rejected My Soul' hit a lowly Number 39 back in January 1998.

 

Also new, although via a 65-20 rise as the single hits the shops, are Keane with 'Crystal Ball'. The single is the second one proper to be taken from their second album 'Under The Iron Sea' and the followup to 'Is It Any Wonder' which hit Number 3 in June. They can be forgiven for finding the chart position of the single frustrating. For all the talk about how the second album dealt with darker themes than the first, this single hurtles along in an upbeat enough manner with their trademark tinkling instrumentation and the soaring sounds of Tom Chaplin's voice all present and correct. Compared to past chart runs however Number 20 is pretty poor, their only other single to date to miss the Top 10 being 'This Is The Last Time', the fourth single from 'Hopes And Fears' which only reached Number 18 in December 2004.

 

Now just what was it about 2003 that means it now resonates in the chart this week? First there was Beyonce who this week has her biggest solo hit for three years, then there is Justin Timberlake, last seen as a solo artist three years ago. Now comes Stacie Orrico whose last run of hits began almost exactly 36 months ago. A former Christian teen star, the girl from Seattle was launched into the mainstream music world with the release of her second album in 2003. The result was an international hit single 'Stuck' which performed adequately enough on these shores, peaking at Number 9. Three more singles followed, all with diminishing returns and then silence - until today. Her new single 'I'm Not Missing You' is a pretty enough pop track although one which maybe lacks the kind of killer hook which would give it greater hit potential. After landing outside the Top 75 on downloads this week the single leaps to Number 22 but this I suspect is as good as it is going to get. Worthy of further note is the strange way her new album is being marketed. 'Beautiful Awakening' will hit shops here (and indeed across Europe) this week however her US label has taken the bizarre step of holding off on its release, citing competition from the likes of Justin and Beyonce et al. So when can you get hold of it in her home country? January 2007.

 

 

 

CHART COMMENTARY from JAMES MASTERTON

27/08/06

 

It thus becomes the second single since the rules were changed back in the spring to vault from outside the Top 10 to the Number One slot

Hate to be pedantic, but isn't it the third? (Ne-yo So Sick, Lily Allen Smile)

Hate to be pedantic, but isn't it the third? (Ne-yo So Sick, Lily Allen Smile)

 

James Masterton rarely has an issue without getting at least something wrong :lol:

Hate to be pedantic, but isn't it the third? (Ne-yo So Sick, Lily Allen Smile)

 

 

Well if its 9 I'm missing one,

 

1961 Elvis Presley – Surrender 27-1

1968 The Beatles – Hey Jude 21-1

1980 John Lennon – (Just Like) Starting Over 21-1

1982 Captain Sensible – Happy Talk 33-1

2001 Riu Da Silva feat. Cassandra - Touch Me 128-1*

2001 DJ Otzi – Hey Baby 45-1

2002 Westlife - Unbreakable 198-1*

2006 Ne-Yo – So Sick 18-1

2006 Lily Allen – Smile 13-1

2006 Beyonce feat. Jay-Z – Dèjá Vu 21-1

 

*Outside top 75, so technically its not classified as a new entry in the top 75 chart, which makes it 8

Well if its 9 I'm missing one,

 

1961 Elvis Presley – Surrender 27-1

1968 The Beatles – Hey Jude 21-1

1980 John Lennon – (Just Like) Starting Over 21-1

1982 Captain Sensible – Happy Talk 33-1

2001 DJ Otzi – Hey Baby 45-1

2006 Ne-Yo – So Sick 18-1

2006 Lily Allen – Smile 13-1

2006 Beyonce feat. Jay-Z 21-1

 

In 2002, Westlife's 'Invincible' was leaked a week early, giving it a chart position of 198. Next week it jumped to number 1. :rofl:

In 2002, Westlife's 'Invincible' was leaked a week early, giving it a chart position of 198. Next week it jumped to number 1. :rofl:

 

 

Aha :lol: that's my missing one

Well if its 9 I'm missing one,

 

1961 Elvis Presley – Surrender 27-1

1968 The Beatles – Hey Jude 21-1

1980 John Lennon – (Just Like) Starting Over 21-1

1982 Captain Sensible – Happy Talk 33-1

2001 DJ Otzi – Hey Baby 45-1

2002 Westlife - Unbreakable 198-1*

2006 Ne-Yo – So Sick 18-1

2006 Lily Allen – Smile 13-1

2006 Beyonce feat. Jay-Z – Dèjá Vu 21-1

 

*Outside top 75, so technically its not classified as a new entry in the top 75 chart, which makes it 8

I also remember Rui Da Silva's "Touch Me" climbing something like 128-1 from leaked sales in 2001 (the same week as the Steps 72-2 saga).

 

I was referring to it being three songs since the new rules were brought in, but good to see the full list regardless.

there have been quite a few #1s that climbed to #1 from inside the top 200, but from outside the top 75, but as this part of the chart isn't recognised by Music Week and Guinness Hit Singles, the climbs aren't recognised.

 

There were 3 consecutive #1s at one point where this climb happened:

 

Heaven - DJ Sammy 191-1

Unbreakable - Westlife 196-1

Dirrty - Christina Aguilera 156-1

 

Other examples include:

 

Touch Me - Rui Da Silva 128-1

 

(the top 3 that week were all big climbers, steps at #2, up from #72 and Fragma at #3 from #152)

 

Do They Know It's Christmas - Band Aid 20 144-1

 

the latter would have charted higher and was in the midweeks top 75 at one stage but the label asked for sales to be excluded.

 

You Got A Friend - McFly 145-1

 

Mandy - Westlife 200-1 (the record jump)

 

 

 

I also remember Rui Da Silva's "Touch Me" climbing something like 128-1 from leaked sales in 2001 (the same week as the Steps 72-2 saga).

 

I was referring to it being three songs since the new rules were brought in, but good to see the full list regardless.

 

Goes and adds it to the list :D

 

Revamped to add other additions with a bit of help from Robbie, so far the list looks like this :lol:

 

1961 Elvis Presley – Surrender 27-1

1968 The Beatles – Hey Jude 21-1

1980 John Lennon – (Just Like) Starting Over 21-1

1982 Captain Sensible – Happy Talk 33-1

2001 Rui Da Silva feat. Cassandra – Touch Me 128-1*

2001 DJ Otzi – Hey Baby 45-1

2002 DJ Sammy featuring Yanou & Do – Heaven 191-1*

2002 Westlife – Unbreakable 196-1*

2002 Christina Aguilera – Dirrty 156-1*

2004 Band Aid 20 – Do They Know Its Xmas 144-1*

2005 McFly – You’ve Got A Friend 145-1*

2005 Westlife – Mandy 200-1*

2006 Ne-Yo – So Sick 18-1

2006 Lily Allen – Smile 13-1

2006 Beyonce feat. Jay-Z – Dèjá Vu 21-1

 

* Ones in bold, are not recognised by Music Week and Guinness Book of Hit Singles, there could be more, for all I know.

 

I'm assuming Justin Timberlake will be added to the above list next week, if he climbs to #1

Christina Aguilera's 'Beautiful' "jumped" 71-1 in 2003, although it had a different catalogue number when it charted on import sales alone in the first week.

Revamped to add other additions with a bit of help from Robbie, so far the list looks like this :lol:

 

1961 Elvis Presley – Surrender 27-1

1968 The Beatles – Hey Jude 21-1

1980 John Lennon – (Just Like) Starting Over 21-1

1982 Captain Sensible – Happy Talk 33-1

2001 Rui Da Silva feat. Cassandra – Touch Me 128-1*

2001 DJ Otzi – Hey Baby 45-1

2002 DJ Sammy featuring Yanou & Do – Heaven 191-1*

2002 Westlife – Unbreakable 196-1*

2002 Christina Aguilera – Dirrty 156-1*

2004 Band Aid 20 – Do They Know Its Xmas 144-1*

2005 McFly – You’ve Got A Friend 145-1*

2005 Westlife – Mandy 200-1*

2006 Ne-Yo – So Sick 18-1

2006 Lily Allen – Smile 13-1

2006 Beyonce feat. Jay-Z – Dèjá Vu 21-1

 

* Ones in bold, are not recognised by Music Week and Guinness Book of Hit Singles, there could be more, for all I know.

 

I'm assuming Justin Timberlake will be added to the above list next week, if he climbs to #1

 

the others:

 

26 to 1 - musical youth - pass the dutchie

22 to 1 - shaky - green door

19 - 1 amen corner - if paradise is half as nice

Ben e king - stand by me

Osmonds - love me for a reason

Are You Lonesome tonight

Last week, I dunno why, I couldn't reply to JM's commentary thread but it had an error. He said David Guetta's "Love Don't Let Me Go" originally reached #19, but it was "Just A Little More Love". LDLMG only made to #46.

Last week, I dunno why, I couldn't reply to JM's commentary thread but it had an error. He said David Guetta's "Love Don't Let Me Go" originally reached #19, but it was "Just A Little More Love". LDLMG only made to #46.

Yeah, I've just had a look at it and he must have confused the titles when he was referring to Guetta's biggest hit.