From OCC

 

http://c0903002.cdn.cloudfiles.rackspacecloud.com/12308-debutno1_420x250.jpg

 

By Lauren Kreisler and Rob Copsey

 

Breakthrough acts such as Kiesza, Ella Henderson, Sam Smith, Sigma and Mr Probz have helped turn 2014 into the year of the debut chart smash, according to Official Charts Company data.

 

A grand total of 14 singles entered the Official Singles Chart at Number 1 in 2014 by acts who had never previously graced the Official Chart Top 40. It was also the year in which the Number 1 changed the most number of times since 2000 with 38 different chart-toppers.

 

It was 20 years ago when pop newcomer Whigfield put an end to Love Is All Around by Wet Wet Wet’s famous 15-week residency atop the Official Singles Chart, taking over at the summit with her debut single, Saturday Night. In doing so, she became the first debut act in history to enter the chart at Number 1 with her debut release.

 

Since then, the advent of music downloading (which often sees newly available songs chart lower down the Official Singles Chart as album tracks), the addition of audio streams to the chart formula in summer 2014 and the growth of the collaboration (with many acts making their first chart appearances as guests on other artists' singles) means the nature and definition of the debut hit has changed.

 

 

But that doesn't mask the achievement of debut artists in 2014, with a huge number of acts taking the top spot in their first week of their Top 40 debut - starting with Sam Smith's first solo outing, Money On My Mind* in February, followed by Route 94 Ft Jess Glynne's My Love in March and the likes of Manchester four-piece Rixton in July. (*While Sam Smith was guest vocalist on 2013 Number 1 La La La by Naughty Boy, Money On My Mind was the breakthrough vocalist's first release as a featured artist.)

 

Mr Probz was responsible for the biggest-selling debut single of the year with 815,000 copies sold, while the fastest-selling debut of the year came courtesy of Canadian songstress Kiesza - Hideaway shifted a tidy 136,000 copies in its first week on sale back in April. Meanwhile, Ella Henderson snatched the title of biggest and fastest-selling British debut of the year, clearing 132,000 downloads in Ghost’s week of release (744,000 in total year to date) and went on to become the UK’s biggest selling song of the summer.

 

 

It is not just debut singles that have done the business in 2014; Sam Smith, who went straight in at Number 1 with Money On Mind, has also gone on to become one of British music’s finest new exports, as sales of his debut album In The Lonely Hour this month smashed 1 million in both the UK and US.



 

With 38 different songs gracing the Number 1 slot this year, 2014 has also seen the highest volume of Number 1s since the year 2000 when 43 tracks made it all the way to pop’s most prestigious position.

 

The full list of All the Official Chart debuts of 2014 that entered at Number 1 are:

 

• Money On My Mind – Sam Smith

• My Love – Route 94 FT Jess Glynne

• Tsunami (Jump) – Dvbbs & Borgeous/Tinie Tempah

• She Looks So Perfect – 5 Seconds Of Summer

• Nobody To Love – Sigma

• Hideaway – Kiesza

• Waves – Mr Probz

• I Wanna Feel – Secondcity

• Ghost – Ella Henderson

• Gecko (Overdrive) – Oliver Heldens & Becky Hill

• Problem – Ariana Grande FT Iggy Azalea [Top 40 debut]

• Me And My Broken Heart – Rixton

• Prayer In C – Lilly Wood & Robin Schulz

• Wake Me Up – Gareth Malone’s All Star Choir

May Be errors, you know how the OCC are.

Not sure if Sam Smith and Ariana Grande really count..

Didn't Ariana Grande release quite a few singles before 'Problem' that didn't make the chart? (I know it mentions that, but still..)

And I thought Sam Smith's debut single as a lead artist was 'Lay Me Down'. Or do we just ignore that one?

 

Seems a bit of a muddled list, but interesting nonetheless. It's a shame 'Rude' didn't enter at number one - that would add another to the list.

Didn't Ben Haenow sell more first week than Ella and he's also not on the list of debutants at #1? Didn't the OCC publish an article saying it was second fastest selling of the year behind band aid? Guess they have discounted charity singles.

Edited December 31, 201410 yr by torresgirl

Not sure if Sam Smith and Ariana Grande really count..

Didn't Ariana Grande release quite a few singles before 'Problem' that didn't make the chart? (I know it mentions that, but still..)

And I thought Sam Smith's debut single as a lead artist was 'Lay Me Down'. Or do we just ignore that one?

'Lay Me Down' entered the Top 75 (don't know if it charted below beforehand) the same week 'Money On My Mind' debuted to it Sam's appearance is justified.

 

Ariana's appearance is kind of cheating. On a different note it is an achievement of sorts to have 8 Top 200 charting songs before entering the Top 40 the first time at #1.

Did Nirvana by Sam not chart in Oct 2013?

Did Nirvana by Sam not chart in Oct 2013?

 

Not in the toop 75 from what I can see. But he did chart with "Latch" and "La La La" , the latter being a huge #1 hit and surely should exempt Sam from the list. :P

 

I assume they are only talking about lead artists rather than features, otherwise "Rather Be (feat. Jess Glynne)" by Clean Bandit would be on the list?

Did Nirvana by Sam not chart in Oct 2013?

 

Peaked at #82, it probably would have been easily top 75 were its sales combined with the EP (despite being the title track, EP sales went towards 'Safe With Me' instead, so that also charted the previous week at #86). 'Money On My Mind' and 'Lay Me Down' were therefore simultaneously his first top 75 appearances as lead artist.

 

This list clearly is based on lead artists only (and also top 40 hits only as specifically pointed out with Ariana Grande) - that doesn't excuse the omission of Ben Haenow though! :P And if they include Gareth Malone's All Star Choir then Band Aid 30 should be there as well.

Not in the toop 75 from what I can see. But he did chart with "Latch" and "La La La" , the latter being a huge #1 hit and surely should exempt Sam from the list. :P

 

I assume they are only talking about lead artists rather than features, otherwise "Rather Be (feat. Jess Glynne)" by Clean Bandit would be on the list?

 

Latch and La La La were not Sam's own singles so that's why he is included here - he was not a lead artist. That is also why Rather Be doesn't count for Jess Glynne, yes :P

 

I guess Band Aid 30 isn't considered a debut hit like Gareth Malone's All Star Choir because there have been previous Band Aid tracks, it's a bit of a sticky one and I personally wouldn't have included either, it's a different case to an artist's actual debut.

I guess Band Aid 30 isn't considered a debut hit like Gareth Malone's All Star Choir because there have been previous Band Aid tracks, it's a bit of a sticky one and I personally wouldn't have included either, it's a different case to an artist's actual debut.

 

Gareth Malone had a previous hit (a #1 at that) as well. These sort of one-off ensembles shouldn't really count to lists like this at all but if they're going to include one they should include both I'd say.

 

I was about to point out that Nico & Vinz are missing too but then saw this is only counting debuts at #1 - Nico & Vinz and Meghan Trainor would both have been on this list if it weren't for their early releases to streaming services then. MAGIC! of course still wouldn't have been, as they were still #2 on their first week on sale.

Some great "new" artists this last year :cheer:

 

Sigma, Robin Schulz, Tove Lo, Ariana, Heldens, Rixton, Ella Henderson, (sort of) Charli XCX and Iggy, Neon Jungle (not counting Trouble last year in 2013)

 

Sorry MKTO etc. only counting the more successful/anti-one hit wonders :(

Edited January 1, 201510 yr by SPINNING ADAM