24th November 2019

 

It's 3 weeks on top for the gorgeous One Shy Morning as the late George Michael gets his biggest charting hit since 2002 when his Human League sampling Shoot The Dog topped my charts. The highest new entry is actually the oldest Northern Soul track to chart for me, a mere 54 years old and a debut for what is considered to be a key track for the Northern Soul scene - those too young to know, it was an early 70's scene based around Wigan featuring largely US soul-dance tracks, and unusually was heavily male-centric with athletic prowess being a thing. This track was withdrawn by Frank before release, the masters destroyed, after an argument with Motown owner Berry Gordy. Demand built, and it finally came out in the UK in 1979. On Saturday it featured in a great dance routine on Strictly Come Dancing, and has bounded into the itunes sales chart as a result.

 

 

Coldplay add to their top 10's, and Bob Dylan is new at 52. Actually he's not, he hasn't recorded anything I've liked since the Traveling Wilburys, which at least shows consistency over decades, but he is the title of the follow-up to Fall Out Boy's chart-topping single. At 60 it's a cover of an REO Speedwagon 80's rockballad - I always preferred Keep On Loving You which topped my charts in 1981, but have to say the new cover by Bastille and an orchestra shows Can't Fight This Feeling is actually a pretty strong song too. Sounds like a christmas smash to me. At least in a chart where sales count rather than background playlists.

 

Sam Smith covers Donna Summer. That takes a lot of nerve, given the groundbreaking brilliance of the original, a record which literally can't be improved on, one which blew my mind the first moment I heard it, an instant number one that sounded like it had dropped out of the 21st century somehow back in 1977. Sam gets away with it though, thanks to that great voice, and the sheer relief that it's not the usual whining dollop of dreariness that has dominated since La La La.

 

Sabrina Carpenter raises her thumbs again after a couple of years off the chart, The Makemakes make it 2 in a row, Robbie Williams gets the first actual new christmas record of 2019 into my chart, thereby extending his run to 23 years solo, Stormzy gets only his 2nd chart entry, and Harry Styles gets his 2nd of the year with a slice of Watermelon, Sugar. Don't call me Sugar, Harry!

 

1 1 1 4 ONE SHY MORNING Amon Tobin 625000

2 2 1 6 YOU AND ME AS ONE Sigma & Jack Savoretti 690100

3 10 3 3 THIS IS HOW (WE WANT YOU TO GET HIGH) George Michael 134100

4 3 3 4 DON’T START NOW Dua Lipa 205400

5 5 5 4 TOMIE GHOST DATA 143200

6 4 4 7 LIGHTS UP Harry Styles 315400

7 7 1 13 NOBODY ELSE The S.L.P. 900400

8 NEW 8 1 DO I LOVE YOU (INDEED I DO) Frank Wilson 48000

9 13 9 5 ORPHANS Coldplay 133100

10 11 10 10 DON’T CALL ME ANGEL (CHARLIE’S ANGELS) Ariana Grande, Miley Cyrus & Lana Del Ray 206500

 

11 8 2 9 MOUNTAINS Bjorn Olav Edvardson & Arcteec 499600

12 6 3 7 FROM OUT OF NOWHERE Jeff Lynne’s ELO 367400

13 12 8 8 ECHOES Lola Marsh 239500

14 9 9 8 TURN ME ON Riton & Oliver Heldens featuring Vula 212700

15 17 15 9 HERE COMES THE SUN The Beatles 176400

16 18 16 4 NO PLACE RUFUS DU SOL 72900

17 16 1 11 DEAR FUTURE SELF (HANDS UP) Fall Out Boy featuring Wyclef Jean 817000

18 19 18 5 AN OPEN MIND Pet Shop Boys 97700

19 27 19 3 MONSTERS James Blunt 46800

20 14 6 9 YOU. Lucy Daydream 309000

 

21 15 9 7 LONELY Noah Cyrus 241950

22 20 1 17 I TRANCE Agnes 1570500

23 26 23 4 TRAMPOLINE SHAED featuring ZAYN 73950

24 31 24 5 SYMPHONY OF YOU Pete Tong & HERO featuring Boy George 59100

25 21 15 8 DREAMS OF YOU Icarus featuring Rae Morris 163400

26 29 26 5 NO BOUNDARIES Pet Shop Boys 72600

27 32 27 9 COME AND GET IT (STUDIO DEMO) The Beatles 129200

28 22 16 9 ABOUT YOU Otto Knows 157550

29 38 29 5 MY SILVER LINING First Aid Kit 76400

30 30 4 13 THE BEACH The Makemakes 456350

 

31 35 31 5 ARABESQUE Coldplay 70650

32 36 32 7 RED IS THE WAY Paige Cavell & Xenomania 88250

33 24 24 8 ALL OF US PNAU featuring Ollie Gabriel 119600

34 37 34 5 FREEDOM Rayelle 58800

35 47 19 8 NICE TO MEET YA Niall Horan 136050

36 28 1 11 DREAMLAND Pet Shop Boys featuring Years & Years 786450

37 23 20 9 FEEL LOVE Feed Me featuring Rosie Doonan 125300

38 45 38 4 INTERNATIONAL WOMAN OF LEISURE La Roux 49300

39 39 14 12 REALLY DON’T LIKE U Tove Lo featuring Kylie Minogue 188400

40 33 9 11 SANREMO Mika 276350

 

41 34 34 5 EVERY ONE OF US Rick Astley 75300

42 44 42 7 GOOD LUCK Broken Bells 70700

43 67 43 4 YOUNGER Jonas Blue & HRVY 29500

44 51 44 4 WHAT YOU WAITING FOR? Gwen Stefani 45200

45 66 45 3 STACK IT UP Liam Payne featuring A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie 24400

46 40 2 16 NO GOODBYE Paul Kalkbrenner featuring Chiara Hunter 731400

47 70 47 4 THE TRUTH James Blunt 28300

48 25 4 11 STRANGE Celeste 379500

49 63 49 4 WILD ROSES Of Monsters And Men 30300

50 54 50 5 I AM Club Yoko 50400

 

51 57 51 4 GLORYBOX Portishead 34150

52 NEW 52 1 BOB DYLAN Fall Out Boy 11500

53 46 46 5 EATING ME UP Four Of Diamonds 47150

54 42 42 5 FAITH Galantis & Dolly Parton featuring Mr Probz 51350

55 56 55 4 PUMP IT UP Endor 34000

56 64 56 3 STONE Collard featuring Bakar 23300

57 61 57 4 IT MIGHT BE TIME Tame Impala 30500

58 52 40 8 GO The Black Keys 85650

59 41 6 13 COLD James Blunt 315000

60 NEW 60 1 CAN’T FIGHT THIS FEELING Bastille featuring Contemporary London Orchestra 10000

 

61 71 61 2 MAI TAIS Train & Skylar Grey 13300

62 59 5 14 BIRD SONG Lene Lovich 406800

63 43 30 7 LOVER Taylor Swift 92900

64 50 21 12 INSTANTANE Paradis 166850

65 73 65 2 BEAUTIFUL GHOSTS Taylor Swift 12400

66 78 66 2 EVERYTHING I WANT Billie Eilish 11200

67 68 67 3 STAY HAPPY AU/RA 17200

68 NEW 68 1 I FEEL LOVE Sam Smith 6400

69 NEW 69 1 THUMBS Sabrina Carpenter 6200

70 60 1 28 FREE TO GO Seeb & Highasakite 1675500

 

71 NEW 71 1 HEYO The Makemakes 5800

72 77 72 2 SWIMMERS Zero 7 featuring Jem Cooke 10200

73 49 5 13 40 DAYS PJ Brennan 254350

74 62 1 15 THE SUN ALWAYS SHINES ON TV a-ha 699750

75 NEW 75 1 TIME FOR CHANGE Robbie Williams 5000

76 76 76 2 I’LL BE HOME FOR CHRISTMAS Doris Day 9600

77 79 77 2 JUMP AROUND House Of Pain 8800

78 NEW 78 1 OWN IT Stormzy featuring Ed Sheeran & Burna Boy 4400

79 NEW 79 1 WATERMELON SUGAR Harry Styles 4200

80 NEW 80 1 CAN I KEEP YOU Efisio Cross 4000

 

 

DROP OUTS

48 33 6 NOW THAT I’VE FOUND YOU Liam Gallagher 78300

53 25 5 RIGHT ON! (890650) Silicone Soul featuring Louise Clare Marshall 79700

55 13 13 THE GREATEST Lana Del Ray 240200

58 18 12 WE GOT THAT COOL Yves V featuring Afrojack & Icona Pop 176400

65 65 5 LOSE CONTROL Meduza, Becky Hill & GOODBOYS 30000

69 56 6 SWEET CHILD Simply Red 48500

72 22 8 WHY DON’T YOU JUST CALL ME Antony & Cleopatra 104100

74 74 3 AVEM (THE AVIATION THEME) Alan Walker 14000

75 75 3 WOMAN IN LOVE Barbra Streisand 13000

80 80 1 BURNING THE HEATHER Pet Shop Boys 4000

Hi John,

 

Great :wub: to see George Michael Top 3 :yahoo:

In Holland the record has already been flopped after 3 weeks in the Tipparade :angry: !

Hope they will give it a seconds chance.

 

Great to see the Donna Summer cover by Sam Smith, the Motown track by Frank Wilson and the Christmas entry from Robbie Williams :wub:

 

Hi John,

 

Great :wub: to see George Michael Top 3 :yahoo:

In Holland the record has already been flopped after 3 weeks in the Tipparade :angry: !

Hope they will give it a seconds chance.

 

Great to see the Donna Summer cover by Sam Smith, the Motown track by Frank Wilson and the Christmas entry from Robbie Williams :wub:

 

Hi Sven :)

 

You may like the George Michael chart news in a minute :lol: I'd hoped the film Last Christmas would have boosted George in albums and singles, but it's not been a massive boost yet. I think a movie about him would work better...

 

Cheers!

 

John B-)