312. "Mercy" Duffy (4 weeks)

 

Reached #1: 2 March 2008

UK Chart Peak: #1

 

Aimee Ann Duffy became the first Welsh artist to top my chart with "Mercy" which was one of the global smashes of 2008. It was #1 in the UK, Ireland, Austria, Germany, Norway, Switzerland, Greece and Venezuela.

 

"Mercy" was actually one of the last songs to be finished for the "Rockferry album". Co-writer Steve Booker also penned hits for John Newman, Jessie J. and Sugababes.

 

Edited November 5, 201410 yr by N-S

313. "Better in time / Footprints in the sand" Leona Lewis (2 weeks)

 

Reached #1: 30 March 2008

UK Chart Peak: #2

 

The double A-side follow up to "Bleeding love" gave Leona her second #1 in my chart. This would be the last #1 double A-side single in my chart, since from 2009 onwards, every position in my chart can only be given to one single song.

 

By suggesting the idea of a song based on popular allegorical poem "Footprints", Simon Cowell got a songwriting credit in "Footprints in the sand".

 

Edited November 5, 201410 yr by N-S

314. "4 minutes" Madonna feat. Justin Timberlake and Timbaland (2 weeks)

 

Reached #1: 13 April 2008

UK Chart Peak: #2

 

Madonna chalked her sixth #1 hit in my chart with the first single from her "Hard Candy" album. By guest starring in the track, Justin Timberlake and Timbaland got respectively their first and third credited #1 as well.

 

The song topped the charts in the UK, Australia, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Norway, Romania, Spain, Switzerland and Venezuela.

 

Edited November 5, 201410 yr by N-S

315. "Built to last" Mêlée (2 weeks)

 

Reached #1: 27 April 2008

UK Chart Peak: #57

 

Orange County band Mêlée had their only significant hit in Europe with the lovely "Built to last".

 

Their only other hit in my chart was follow-up single "Immitation" that hit #3.

 

Edited November 5, 201410 yr by N-S

316. "Fascination" Alphabeat (7 weeks)

 

Reached #1: 11 May 2008

UK Chart Peak: #6

 

In a year of surprise #1s in my chart, Danish band Alphabeat were responsable for the biggest surprise, as their debut single "Fascination" not only was the #1 song in my 2008 year-end chart, it equaled the record for most weeks at #1 set by Rihanna's "Unfaithful".

 

The song was used in Coca-Cola TV adverts in Germany, Belgium and Turkey.

 

Edited November 5, 201410 yr by N-S

317. "Closer" Ne-Yo (1 week)

 

Reached #1: 29 June 2008

UK Chart Peak: #1

 

Ne-Yo scored his first #1 with Closer as a singer. He had a previous #1 as a songwriter with Rihanna's "Unfaithful".

 

Edited November 5, 201410 yr by N-S

318. "Viva la vida" Coldplay (1 week)

 

Reached #1: 6 July 2008

UK Chart Peak: #1

 

"Viva la vida" was Coldplay's second #1 in my chart and their first US #1. It also topped the charts in the UK and Poland.

 

It won the Grammy for Song Of The Year in 2009. It has since been used in various sporting events, like as the celebrational goal song in the 2012 UEFA Champions League final.

 

Edited November 5, 201410 yr by N-S

319. "Vem cá (Dá-me o teu mundo outra vez)" TT feat. Nuno Guerreiro (1 week)

 

Reached #1: 13 July 2008

 

Tiago Teixeira a.k.a. TT burst into the scene in 2007 as the new Portuguese r&b star. His third single "Vem Cá" gave him a #1 in my chart.

 

Edited November 5, 201410 yr by N-S

320. "Into the nightlife" Cyndi Lauper (2 weeks)

 

Reached #1: 20 July 2008

UK Chart Peak: #168

 

Yet another surprise #1 of 2008! Cyndi Lauper had only entered my chart before with "(Hey Now) Girls just wanna have fun" (#29 in 1995) but her 2008 "Bring ya to the brink" had so many great tracks and put her back on the map for me. I was hooked on "Into the nightlife" from the first listen and it shot to #1 in my chart.

 

She followed it up with two top 30 hits "Set your heart" and "Echo".

 

Edited November 5, 201410 yr by N-S

321. "I'm yours" Jason Mraz (2 weeks)

 

Reached #1: 3 August 2008

UK Chart Peak: #11

 

Some songs need some warming up. "I'm yours" entered my chart at #16 and spent the next seven weeks hopping up and down the charts hitting as high as #13 and as low as #33 until it shot from #18 to #1.

 

The song spent 76 weeks at the US top 100, a record at the time. It topped the charts in France, Norway, New Zealand, Sweden and Israel.

 

Edited April 7, 201510 yr by N-S

322. "Love is noise" The Verve (1 week)

 

Reached #1: 17 August 2008

UK Chart Peak: #4

 

One more suprise #1! The Verve reformed in 2008 for the album "Forth" and their comeback single gave them a second #1 in my chart, almost eleven years after their first. "Love is noise" was #1 in Ireland.

 

323. "I kissed a girl" Katy Perry (2 weeks)

 

Reached #1: 24 August 2008

UK Chart Peak: #1

 

Katy Perry scored her first global hit with the ultimate anthem to girl-on-girl mouth experimentation. It was #1 in the UK, the USA, Australia, Austria, Flemish Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Germany, Ireland, Italy, New Zealand, Norway, Sweden and Switzerland.

 

In Brazil, a middle-school teacher was banned for using this song in a class activity, claiming it was promoting homossexualism and alcohol to kids ages 12 to 14.

 

324. "Boyfriend" Alphabeat (3 weeks)

 

Reached #1: 7 September 2008

UK Chart Peak: #15

 

After the massive #1 "Fascination", follow-up single "10000 nights" only reached #16 in my chart but third single "Boyfriend" lead them back to the topspot.

 

This song is reportedly inspired by a Swedish film depicting a teenage lesbian romance.

 

325. "So what" P!nk (1 week)

 

Reached #1: 28 September 2008

UK Chart Peak: #1

 

P!nk's song about the period when she was separated from husband Carey Hart became her fourth overall #1 in my chart. It's one of her most successful singles, having hit #1 in the UK, USA, Australia, Austria, Canada, Germany, Ireland, Israel, New Zealand and Switzerland.

 

The song won the MTV EMA award for Most Addictive Track in 2008.

 

Edited November 6, 201410 yr by N-S

326. "Sex on fire" Kings Of Leon (2 weeks)

 

Reached #1: 5 October 2008

UK Chart Peak: #1

 

Having previously entered my chart only once ("Molly's chamber", #26 in 2004), Kings Of Leon scored a massive hit with "Sex on fire", topping not only my chart but also the lists in the UK, Ireland, Finland and Australia. It won the 2008 Grammy Award for Best Rock Performance by Duo or Group.

 

Tina Cousins had a minor hit in a few European countries with her 2010 cover of the song. Beyoncé and Westlife (!) have also performed it live.

 

327. "In my place" Ana Free (1 week)

 

Reached #1: 19 October 2008

 

 

Ana Gomes Ferreira a.k.a. Ana Free was the first Portuguese YouTube star, with over three million subscribers worldwide. "In my place" was her first official single, used in a mobile internet ad campaign.

 

Ana Free has been living and performing in between Portugal, London and New York. She has opened concerts for Shakira and James Morrison.

 

Edited November 6, 201410 yr by N-S

328. "Miss independent" Ne-Yo (2 weeks)

 

Reached #1: 26 October 2008

UK Chart Peak: #6

 

Ne-Yo scored his second back-to-back #1 with "Miss independent", which earned him two Grammys.

 

The video includes appearances by Gabrielle Union, Keri Hilson and Trey Songz.

 

329. "Hot n cold" Katy Perry (1 week)

 

Reached #1: 9 November 2008

UK Chart Peak: #4

 

Katy Perry proved that her saphic debut hit was no one-time fluke, as the follow-up single "Hot n cold" topped my chart beating new entries that week by Beyoncé, Britney Spears and Leona Lewis.

 

A #1 hit in Austria, Wallon Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Germany, Norway and Switzerland, the song has since been used in TV shows like Masterchef Australia and films like The Proposal and The Ugly Truth.

 

330. "Womanizer" Britney Spears (1 week)

 

Reached #1: 16 November 2008

UK Chart Peak: #3

 

Just one year before amongst a tidal wave of scandals, everybody was considering Britney Spears as good as gone but against all odds, she came back with a vengeance in 2008. In the process she scored her first #1 in my chart in four years and her 11th overall, thus establishing herself as the artist with most #1's in my chart. It topped the charts in Flemish Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, France, Israel, Norway, Sweden and the USA.

 

Lily Allen, Franz Ferdinand, Girls Aloud, Ladyhawke and All American Rejects have covered "Womanizer".

 

 

 

 

 

331. "Rain on your parade" Duffy (3 weeks)

 

Reached #1: 23 November 2008

UK Chart Peak: #15

 

One of the new tracks from the deluxe edition of the "Rockferry" album, "Rain on your parade" became Duffy's second #1 hit. It was originally written as one of the possible themes for the James Bond movie "Quantum of Solace".

 

Whereas Duffy chalked four top 10 hit in my chart in 2008, she has since entered my chart only once when 2010's "Well well well" hit #16.