1st January 2017

 

It's George Michael entering at 1, following his tragically sudden and too-young death. In a year of shocking deaths of classic fave pop stars, most notably David Bowie and Prince, George's is up there for me, I've been a fan for 20 years, pretty much since day one and A Different Corner was his most perfect, most heart-breaking and most tender and beautiful. It made me cry at the time and still does, as it returns over 30 years on for a 5th week on top. His 90's great Fastlove also enters at 12, but there are loads of Wham! and George tracks lower down, and waiting outside the 75 to enter, as soon as a space emerges (I don't want to go back to a Top 100, it's too much hard work!).

 

Just to make it harder, Rick Parfitt also died over Christmas, Quo have long been a rock biz under-appreciated fun rock band - that's why they lasted for 50 years! Plenty of Quo tracks could have charted, but George takes priority, so it's the very best tracks only, led by 1986 gem In The Army Now, and forgotten goodie Rain from 1976. My chart is becoming increasingly sad, as there's also Greg Lake, Bobby Vee and Leonard Cohen in the chart as losses from 2016.

 

In new music, no new entries at all. Not one. Garbage grab that top 10 for 20 years of 'em, Imagine Dragons have a big climb with the Passengers movie song, and Barry Gibb takes his span of top 20 hits to an unbeatable 48 years and 4 months, being as the Bee Gees featured in my first chart, his new solo track is pretty and tuneful. Highest climber is Little Mix and Charlie Puth, just outside the 40 thanks to the oldies.

 

 

 

 

1 NEW 1 1 A DIFFERENT CORNER George Michael 170000

2 1 1 8 WHEN YOU KNOW Robbie Williams 1305000

3 2 2 6 SECRETS The Weeknd featuring Tears For Fears 600000

4 5 4 3 WE STAY TOGETHER Kaiser Chiefs featuring Sarah Thomson 129000

5 3 3 6 I FEEL IT COMING The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk 309400

6 6 6 6 MAKE ME (CRY) Noah Cyrus featuring Labrinth 249750

7 4 4 11 CLOSER The Chainsmokers featuring Halsey 377350

8 7 3 7 REDBONE Childish Gambino 369400

9 8 8 5 NEVER GIVE UP Sia 221000

10 12 10 8 MAGNETISED Garbage 165100

 

 

11 15 6 9 ROCKABYE Clean Bandit featuring Sean Paul & Anne-Marie 318450

12 NEW 12 1 FASTLOVE George Michael 35000

13 40 13 2 LEVITATE Imagine Dragons 49000

14 14 5 8 BRUCE LEE Robbie Williams 352000

15 10 10 8 ONE DAY I’LL FLY AWAY Vaults 175500

16 35 16 3 STAR CROSSED LOVERS Barry Gibb 46900

17 17 2 16 GO! M83 featuring Mai Lan 852000

18 18 18 5 ON WHAT YOU’RE ON Busted 82500

19 23 14 10 BREATHING UNDERWATER Emeli Sande 181650

20 24 20 10 RUN TO HIM Bobby Vee 152900

 

21 21 1 16 HURTS Emeli Sande 1174500

22 25 22 9 1000 NIGHTS Frenship 129200

23 9 2 4 I BELIEVE IN FATHER CHRISTMAS Greg Lake 294259

24 26 24 3 A CHRISTMAS WE DESERVE ABC 47500

25 29 25 5 IT’S HAPPENING AGAIN Agnes Obel 72450

26 13 10 8 ONLY HEAVEN Coldcut featuring Roots Manuva 191100

27 39 27 4 WANTED MORE Betsy 46900

28 20 20 6 EVERYBODY’S FREE (TO FEEL GOOD) Kylie Minogue 104700

29 30 29 5 ALONE Alan Walker 61200

30 NEW 30 1 PRAYING FOR TIME George Michael 18000

 

31 11 11 5 CHRISTMAS WRAPPING The Waitresses 104900

32 32 32 5 STARVING Hailey Steinfeld featuring Zedd and Grey 55600

33 33 33 8 DAMN Red Rosamond 97600

34 NEW 34 1 IN THE ARMY NOW Status Quo 17600

35 37 35 2 GOOD MORNING Grouplove 34800

36 22 9 14 HUMAN Rag’n’Bone Man 280400

37 19 19 8 FIND ME Sigma featuring Birdy 148900

38 38 38 5 I FEEL SO BAD Kungs featuring Ephemerals 63850

39 27 27 8 CLOSER TO LIFE Atella x Froder 111400

40 45 40 7 GREGORY’S THEME Basto 72150

 

****************************

 

41 34 1 10 KNOWING ME KNOWING YOU Abba 800100

42 28 1 15 HOUSE OF CARDS Red Sky July 1006500

43 42 1 18 FIRST TIME HE KISSED A BOY Kadie Elder 1092950

44 44 6 13 STARBOY The Weeknd featuring Daft Punk 336050

45 49 45 8 FIRST WE TAKE MANHATTAN Leonard Cohen 70050

46 65 46 2 OOPS Little Mix featuring Charlie Puth 19750

47 31 19 8 EARTH NOT ABOVE Haelos 142500

48 50 17 8 SEXUAL NEIKED featuring Dyo 128850

49 43 4 15 CAN’T LET GO, JUNO Kishi Bashi 446000

50 36 7 7 WATER UNDER THE BRIDGE Adele 187400

 

51 NEW 51 1 RAIN Status Quo 11750

52 53 52 8 GHOST Jeremy Messersmith 49000

53 41 23 9 SYMMETRY OF TWO HEARTS Bright Light Bright Light featuring Elton John 136600

54 56 54 3 SHED A LIGHT Robin Schulz & David Guetta featuring Cheat Codes 32000

55 58 55 5 SO GOOD Louisa Johnson 41400

56 NEW 56 1 JESUS TO A CHILD George Michael 10600

57 NEW 57 1 CARELESS WHISPER George Michael 10400

58 NEW 58 1 CLUB TROPICANA Wham! 10200

59 59 59 5 WEIGHT IN GOLD Gallant 38600

60 55 11 11 SAY IT (CLEAN BANDIT REMIX) Flume featuring Tove Lo 196800

 

61 NEW 61 1 FAITH George Michael 7500

62 71 62 5 AFTER THE AFTERPARTY Charlie XCX featuring Lil Yachty 29600

63 NEW 63 1 EVERYTHING SHE WANTS Wham! 7200

64 62 5 17 NEVER EVER Royksopp featuring Susanne Sundfor 407100

65 69 65 3 I DON’T WANNA LIVE FOREVER ZAYN and Taylor Swift 17000

66 NEW 66 1 I’M YOUR MAN Wham! 6800

67 NEW 67 1 PICTURES OF MATCHSTICK MEN Status Quo 6600

68 NEW 68 1 OUTSIDE George Michael 6400

69 72 69 8 OH, PRETTY WOMAN Roy Orbison 33900

70 NEW 70 1 WHATEVER YOU WANT Status Quo 6000

 

71 70 1 38 WICHITA LINEMAN Glen Campbell 731400

72 68 6 21 HER (LOVING YOU) GLADES 488150

73 NEW 73 1 FATHER FIGURE George Michael 5400

74 74 1 33 OTRA ERA Javiera Mena 870450

75 NEW 75 1 DOWN DOWN Status Quo 5000

 

DROP OUTS

16 12 4 ONE MORE SLEEP Leona Lewis 91500

46 46 7 ALGA Ignea 63850

47 6 14 YOU’RE THE ONE Kathy Kirby 290900

48 17 8 SUNRISE (HERE I AM) Ratty 131300

51 8 9 THE LOVE INSIDE THE LOVE ABC 274050

52 6 11 RIVER RUNS DRY Scavenger Hunt 306250

54 48 7 MAZE Aria 63700

57 18 9 GISELE Jean-Michel Jarre featuring Sebastien Teller 150700

60 60 5 AT CHRISTMAS Kylie Minogue 26600

61 17 13 THE HEAVY ENTERTAINMENT SHOW Robbie Williams 180200

63 63 9 TAKE GOOD CARE OF MY BABY Bobby Vee 44100

64 4 14 ODE TO MY NEXT LIFE Kishi Bashi 378550

66 66 6 STEREO Courage My Love 22200

67 67 1 GLAD ALL OVER The Dave Clark 5 6600

73 8 20 BRICK ENGLAND Jean-Michel Jarre featuring Pet Shop Boys 341800

75 2 16 FAMILIAR Agnes Obel 624700

Hi John

 

Good to see George Michael at number 1. A Different Corner is a beautiful song really. :P Shocked that George Michael's boyfriend says his Twitter account was hacked. :o

3 fantastic male singers died last year. :(

Listening to Levitate now and I 'm enjoying it. I think Imagine Dragons deserve more success than they have.

September Song was top 40 here weeks ago?

 

Happy New Year :P

Hi John

 

Good to see George Michael at number 1. A Different Corner is a beautiful song really. :P Shocked that George Michael's boyfriend says his Twitter account was hacked. :o

3 fantastic male singers died last year. :(

Listening to Levitate now and I 'm enjoying it. I think Imagine Dragons deserve more success than they have.

September Song was top 40 here weeks ago?

 

Happy New Year :P

 

Hi Jason,

 

Yes, if George's Twitter account was hacked one almost suspects the press to grab some more front page muckraking headlines :(

 

I always like Imagine Dragons, so I'm hoping this one catches on (but I doubt it!). September Song never quite made my 40, but I did buy it and still play it. Maybe it will re-enter now it's charting :cheer: :lol:

 

Thanks n Happy New Year!

 

john