UK Top 80 Singles weekending 4th December 2005

 

1 (New) Stickwitu – Pussycat Dolls

2 (New) Let There Be Love - Oasis

3 (1) Hung Up – Madonna

4 (2) You Raise Me Up - Westlife

5 (3) My Humps – Black Eyed Peas

6 (4) No Worries – Simon Webbe

7 (New) Because Of You – Kelly Clarkson

8 (New) Albion - Babyshambles

9 (5) Biology – Girls Aloud

10 (6) Dirty Harry - Gorillaz

11 (New) If It’s Lovin’ That You Want - Rihanna

12 (New) Ever Blazin’ – Sean Paul

13 (8) Bet You Look Good On The Dance Floor – Arctic Monkeys

14 (9) Don’t Love You Now More (I’m Sorry) – Craig David

15 (10) Your Body – Tom Novy

16 (11) Window Shopper – 50 Cent

17 (12) Don’t Cha – Pussycat Dolls

18 (New) Area – The Futureheads

19 (7) A Night To Remember – Liberty X

20 (16) Tripping – Robbie Williams

21 (15) Push The Button - Sugababes

22 (13) Switch It On – Will Young

23 (14) One Way Ticket – The Darkness

24 (20) Bad Day – Daniel Powter

25 (19) Can I Have It Like That – Pharrell ft Gwen Stefani

26 (18) Ticket Outta Loserville – Son Of Dork

27 (24) Love Generation – Bob Sinclar

28 (23) Lighters Up – Lil’ Kim

29 (33) Dare - Gorillaz

30 (New) Not Now – Blink 182

31 (31) Gold Digger – Kanye West ft Jamie Foxx

32 (New) Mind Trick – Jamie Cullum

33 (29) We Be Burnin’ – Sean Paul

34 (New) Hospital Food – David Gray

35 (New) Hoppipolla – Sigur Ros

36 (41) You’re Beautiful – James Blunt

37 (21) The Denial Twist – The White Stripes

38 (34) Wake Up – Hilary Duff

39 (42) You Are My Sister – Anthony & The Johnsons ft Boy George

40 (40) Doctor Pressure – Mylo vs Miami Sound Machine

41 (37) Behind These Hazel Eyes – Kelly Clarkson

42 (38) Modern Way – Kaiser Chiefs

43 (46) Fix You - Coldplay

44 (17) Rewind - Stereophonics

45 (26) R ‘n’ B – Goldie Lookin’ Chain

46 (47) Suddenly I See – K T Tunstall

47 (35) Ai No Corrida – Uniting Nations

48 (43) Nine Million Bicycles – Katie Melua

49 (New) Africa Unite – Bob Marley & The Wailers

50 (32) Resolve – Foo Fighters

51 (25) Ghostfaced Killer – Dead 60’s

52 (90) Do They Know It’s Christmas? – Band Aid 20

53 (57) I Predict A Riot/Sink That Ship – Kaiser Chiefs

54 (New) Positivity – Stevie Wonder

55 (27) Twisted Transistor - Korn

56 (65) Since U Been Gone – Kelly Clarkson

57 (22) Jenny Wren – Paul McCartney

58 (New) Wonderful Life – Tina Cousins

59 (54) High – James Blunt

60 (28) Ever Fallen In Love – Various Artists

61 (68) Feel Good Inc - Gorillaz

62 (39) Jesus Of Surburbia – Green Day

63 (67) Insomnia 2005 - Faithless

64 (New) Tarred & Feathered - Dogs

65 (80) The Importance Of Being Idle - Oasis

66 (53) King Of The Mountain – Kate Bush

67 (49) We Laughed – Rosetta Life ft Billy Bragg

68 (30) Mercy Me – Alkaline Trio

69 (58) Lay Your Hands – Simon Webbe

70 (52) I’m Not Okay (I Promise) – My Chemical Romance

71 (66) Do You Want To – Franz Ferdinand

72 (76) Pon De Replay - Rihanna

73 (78) I Like The Way - Bodyrockers

74 (50) Baby Goodbye – Friday Hill

75 (44) Hoodie – Lady Sovereign

76 (79) Outta Control – 50 Cent ft Mobb Deep

77 (63) Home/Song For You – Michael Buble

78 (59) Wake Up – Arcade Fire

79 (64) Get Your Number/Shake It Off – Mariah Carey

80 (55) Hypnotize – System Of A Down

 

 

UK Top 80 Albums weekending 4th December 2005

 

1 (New) Curtain Call: The Hits - Eminem

2 (4) Intensive Care – Robbie Williams

3 (1) Confessions On A Dance Floor - Madonna

4 (3) Never Forget: The Ultimate Collection – Take That

5 (5) Face To Face - Westlife

6 (New) G4 & Friends – G4

7 (6) Ancora – Il Divo

8 (10) Demon Days - Gorillaz

9 (7) Breakaway – Kelly Clarkson

10 (14) Back To Bedlam – James Blunt

11 (New) One Way Ticket To Hell and Back – The Darkness

12 (2) Keep On – Will Young

13 (28) PCD – Pussycat Dolls

14 (12) Piece By Piece – Katie Melua

15 (9) The Ultimate Collection - Eurythmics

16 (8) Amarantine - Enya

17 (20) Monkey Business – Black Eyed Peas

18 (13) Employment – Kaiser Chiefs

19 (21) Eye To The Telescope – K T Tunstall

20 (16) Retrospectacle - Supertramp

21 (22) Taller In More Ways - Sugababes

22 (17) Greatest Hits – Mariah Carey

23 (19) Pieces Of A Dream - Anastacia

24 (18) Living A Dream – Katherine Jenkins

25 (27) X and Y - Coldplay

26 (15) Bullet In A Bible – Green Day

27 (23) Their Law: The Singles 1990-2005 – The Prodigy

28 (26) Life In Slow Motion – David Gray

29 (30) Anthology – Bryan Adams

30 (29) Sanctuary – Simon Webbe

31 (24) Thanks For The Memory: Great American Songbook Vol. IV – Rod Stewart

32 (New) The Choirboys – The Choirboys

33 (32) Guilty Too – Barbra Streisand

34 (25) Aerial – Kate Bush

35 (31) Private Investigations – Mark Knopfler & Dire Straits

36 (33) Greatest Hits – Blink 182

37 (34) Truly Madly Completely: The Best Of – Savage Garden

38 (37) Inbetween Dreams – Jack Johnson

39 (New) The Very Best Of - Slade

40 (40) Music – Michael Ball

41 (38) Hitstory – Elvis Presley

42 (46) Simple Gifts – Bryn Terfel

43 (50) Ring Of Fire: The Legend Of – Johnny Cash

44 (54) You Could Have It So Much Better – Franz Ferdinand

45 (11) Hypnotize – System Of A Down

46 (36) Sing The Number 1’s – Foster & Allen

47 (51) Don’t Believe The Truth - Oasis

48 (39) The Story Goes – Craig David

49 (New) Santa Sings – Santa Claus

50 (43) The Very Best Of – Michael Bolton

51 (New) Love Songs – The Bee Gees

52 (New) Aria: The Album – Andrea Bocelli

53 (44) It’s Time – Michael Buble

54 (42) Daniel Powter – Daniel Powter

55 (57) The War Of The Worlds – Jeff Wayne

56 (41) Get Rich Or Die Tryin’ - OST

57 (53) Forever Faithless: The Greatest Hits - Faithless

58 (52) Late Registration – Kanye West

59 (45) The Emancipation Of Mimi – Mariah Carey

60 (48) The Best Of Vol.1 & 2 – UB40

61 (56) Swinging The Blues Dancing The Ska – Jools Holland & His R ‘n’ B Orchestra

62 (49) No.1’s – Destiny’s Child

63 (61) Wonderland - McFly

64 (35) Welcome To Loserville – Son Of Dork

65 (65) Greatest Hits - Blondie

66 (59) Magic Numbers – Magic Numbers

67 (New) Under Cover – Ozzy Osbourne

68 (58) The Platinum Collection – Cliff Richard

69 (55) Africa Unite: The Singles Collection – Bob Marley & The Wailers

70 (71) In Your Honour – Foo Fighters

71 (63) American Idiot – Green Day

72 (60) Simplified – Simply Red

73 (74) Catching Tales – Jamie Cullum

74 (84) Working Class Hero: The Definitive – John Lennon

75 (178) The Definitive Collection – Stevie Wonder

76 (72) The Trinity – Sean Paul

77 (73) Stars Of CCTV – Hard-Fi

78 (68) Supernature - Goldfrapp

79 (67) Gold – Barry White

80 (47) Down In Albion - Babyshambles

 

 

CHART COMMENTARY from JAMES MASTERTON

05/12/05

 

from uk.launch

 

So go on then, hands up who was surprised? Early reports indicated that two records were in contention to replace Madonna at Number One this week, those same early reports suggesting that one particular track held a lead over the other. As it turns out it was a lead that simply could not be sustained.

 

Thus the winners in this particular chart battle, and winners by a larger margin than many were expecting, are the Pussycat Dolls who open their chart account with two consecutive Number One hits, new single 'Stickwitu' stepping nicely into the shoes of first single 'Don't Cha' (which is still selling strongly and this week merely dips 12-17 on its 13th week on release). This is enough to make them the first American group to have two Number One hits in the same calendar year since the Fugees did a double back in 1996 (although honourable mention must go to Destiny's Child who had two chart-toppers within a 12 month period in 2000 and 2001). That's the good news. The bad news comes if you haven't actually heard the new single yet. Now 'Don't Cha' had its critics (I was one of them) but it certainly had its merits, a slinky yet infectious slice of stripped down R&B and funk bolstered by Busta Rhymes' rap with effortlessly dovetailed with the main melody. After repeated listens it was hard not to conclude that it was damn good. In an ordinary world the Pussycat Dolls would have followed it up with something similar, just to hammer home what their music was all about. Sadly for us their primary market is of course America so they simply had to go with what would sell the best. Thus 'Stickwitu' is like being drowned in a sugar avalanche, the single a sickly sweet dose of Mariah Carey-esque balladry which suffers badly from the group being packed with girls chosen primarily for their looks rather than their singing talents. I'm breaking my own rules by rubbishing the Number One single here (plenty of people must like it after all) but I feel cheated. 'Don't Cha' made me expect something different, something intriguing or even maybe slightly novel. Instead we get four minutes of insipid balladry. Doesn't anyone else feel slightly let down here?

 

So what of the single that was first Number One but then ultimately wasn't. That happens to be 'Let There Be Love' by Oasis which had it maintained its early week lead would have given the group three straight Number One hits for the first time in their career. Ah well, another Top 3 hit is nothing to be miserable about and this acoustic ballad is another fine addition to their songbook and further proof that 'Don't Believe The Truth' is the first Oasis album for some years to have avoided being labeled "disappointing" by the end of its first year on release. Indeed their last two albums have now produced an impressive run of hits and 'Let There Be Love' ranks as their sixth straight Top 3 single, a run stretching back to the release of 'The Hindu Times' back in April 2002. The slow start they experienced to their chart career back in the 1990s means that they don't have a completely unblemished record of chart success but nonetheless they haven't missed the Top 5, never mind the Top 10 since the summer of 1994.

 

The third biggest hit of the week becomes the third Top 10 hit this year for Kelly Clarkson. Her legions of fans will perhaps be frustrated that even in this, her big breakthrough year in the UK, she still hasn't managed a Top 3 single, July's 'Since U Been Gone' being her best performance to date, peaking at Number 5. Because it is simply that time of year, 'Because Of You' is Kelly in full on power ballad mode - but before you shrug your shoulders and move on, consider that a strong ballad in the hands of someone who can actually tear the walls down with her singing voice is actually a joy to experience. The three biggest new hits of the week are all seasonally-inclined ballads. Sad in a way that the smallest one happens to be the best of them.

 

At Number 8 is the reminder that Pete Doherty also makes records in between his love/hate/love/hate/hate/hate/hate/love/love/hate relationship with both the press and Kate Moss. 'Albion' is the third Top 10 single to be lifted from Babyshambles' 'Down In Albion' album. If you've read or heard anything about Doherty you will be either of the opinion that he is a worthless junkie or a misunderstood musical genius. I doubt anything I can say will swing people one way or the other.

 

Rihanna just misses out on a place in the Top 10 this week, new single 'If It's Lovin' That You Want' nipping in at Number 11 as the followup to the summertime smash 'Pon De Replay'. Sadly the truth is that had it still been summer the new single would have been just as massive, a fun lilting breakbeated calypso track filled with sunshine and happiness. Listening to it on a grey December morning just sounds completely wrong somehow.

 

Funnily enough one place behind is a man who also had a big Number 2 hit back in September (two weeks after Rihanna in fact). Sean Paul has something of a pyromania theme going on here, following up 'We Be Burnin' (which is still selling, down at Number 33 this week) with 'Ever Blazin'. Sadly his chances of continuing the theme look slim as album 'The Trinity' doesn't appear to contain any other long form tracks on a combustible theme - unless you count 'Temperature'.

 

The final new Top 20 hit of the week slides in at Number 18 in the shape of 'Area' from the Futureheads. The Jam-alikes first hit the Top 10 back in March with 'Hounds Of Love', following up with a re-release of first single 'Decent Days And Nights' in May which bizarrely matched the Number 26 peak of the original. 'Area' is a brand new track, not available on their self-titled debut album which spawned their first singles. That actually makes this Number 18 entry point rather disappointing.

 

Still if you want disappointing, then you just have to check out what has happened to three acts at the bottom end of the Top 40. Blink 182, having announced their parting of the ways at the start of the year watch what may well be their farewell single 'Not Now' limp in at Number 30, Jamie Cullum finds that the purchasing power of Michael Parkinson's fans isn't enough to give him anything more than a Number 32 hit with 'Mind Trick' whilst David Gray follows up the Number 8 hit 'The One I Love' with Number 34 entry 'Hospital Food' - although given he's sold a bazillion albums this year already he isn't exactly going to be crying into his presents this Christmas.

Sales Report from Music Week

 

Although not released until last Friday (2nd), Eminem's Curtain Call - The Hits debuts at number one on sales of 112,915, earning the hip-hop star his fourth solo number one, writes Alan Jones.

 

Street date violations meant the album had actually sold 4,938 copies before its official release date but it would still have debuted at number one if those were discounted.

 

It's the second time in little more than a year that Eminem has topped the chart with an album on release for only two days. In November 2004, Encore sold 122,459 copies in the same timeframe to top the list. Whether or not, as hinted, it's Eminem's last album, Curtain Call - primarily a hits set, with a handful of new tracks - raises to four his haul of number one solo albums, and he also played a leading role in D12's D12 World, which topped the chart in May 2004.

 

Only four other hip-hop albums have ever topped the chart, the Beastie Boys' Hello Nasty, Wu Tang Forever by the Wu Tang Clan, A Grand Don't Come For Free by The Streets, and The Massacre by 50 Cent - though rap also played a big supporting role in some number one R&B albums, notably Akon's Trouble and Usher's Confessions.

 

Immediately behind Eminem, the next five albums all sold in similar quantities, with Robbie Williams (102,669 sales), taking runners-up position ahead of Madonna (99,982), Take That (98,513), Westlife (97,690) and G4 (97,100).

 

G4's second album, G4 & Friends, topped the chart on midweek sales flashes but the 'popera' quartet - runners-up in last year's X Factor competition - were eventually passed by several rivals, and the album debuts at number six. Their self-titled debut album sold 244,671 copies to debut at number one in March, after its release was timed to coincide with the Mother's D ay market. It has so far sold 557,541 copies, whereas X Factor winner Steve Brookstein's album Heart & Soul has sold just 101,032 copies.

 

For the last two weeks she has had the number one single and album, this week she has neither but Madonna must be happy with the ways things have gone so far for latest single, Hung Up, and album, Confessions On A Dance Floor. The single sold a further 31,511 copies last week to take its four week cume to 236,865, more than any Madonna single since Music (389,775) in 2000, while Confessions' three week total jumps to 428,161, easily eclipsing last album American Life's 326,921 cume.

 

A fortnight after first single One Way Ticket peaked at number eight, Darkness' second album One Way Ticket To Hell...And Back debuts at number 11. Although that's well down on the number two debut of the band's first album, Permission To Land, which topped the chart seven weeks later, One Way Ticket's first week sales of 67,605 are significantly higher than its predecessor's opening tally of 40,469, which was achieved in July 2003. Permission To Land's biggest weekly sale (89,477) earned it only a number 10 ranking in December 2003.

 

The only album likely to sell 2m copies in 2005, and a cert to top the year-end list, James Blunt's Back To Bedlam debut rebounds 14-10, with its sales rocketing 76.3% to 68,833. With four weeks of 2005 left, it has sold 1,798,454 copies this year, on top of the 4,750 copies it sold in 11 weeks of release in 2004. Blunt's nearest rivals in the 2005 sales stakes, Coldplay fall further behind with their X&Y album, which sold 40,325 copies last week to take its year-to-date sales to 1,676,544.

 

Aside from Madonna, Will Young, Enya and Kate Bush's latest efforts, every album in the Top 40 increased its sales as the Christmas present buying season got into full swing.

 

Overall, album sales last week rocketed by 28.8% to 5,537,721. Artist albums enjoyed a 31.1% increase in sales to 4,283,116, while compilations were 21.5% up at 1,254,805.

 

Compared to the same week last year, overall album sales were either up 16.7% or down 7.7%, depending on your point of view. Last week was nominally Week 48 of the year, and in that week in 2004 there were 4,770,616 albums sold - but 2004 was a 53 week year, so 2005 started later, and Week 48 of this year is only a day away from being an exact match for Week 49 of 2004, when sales were a more robust 6,000,795.

 

Either way, last week's artist album sales were by far the best of the year. The worst week of 2005 was Week 20, when only 1,580,326 artist albums were sold. That week only the top 19 sold more than 10,000, and the number 75 album sold 2,553 copies. Last week, 71 artist albums sold more than 10,000 and those 2,553 sales were good enough only for 149th position - but the biggest selling album overall was once again a compilation, namely Now That's What I Call Music! 62.

Dipping 17.2% from its first week frame, Now! 62 sold 235,274 copies last week to take its 13 day sales tally to 519,638 and remain top of the compilation album chart. That means its a whopping 39.4% ahead of last year's Christmas Now! album - Now! 59 - at the same stage, and 8.5% in front of Now! 56's 2003 pace.

 

The rapid expansion of the album market last weekly comprehensively overshadowed the singles market but four new debuts to the Top 10 in the latter chart helped sales to jump 16.6% to 1,004,293.

 

Pussycat Dolls debut in pole position with StickWitU 12 weeks after their first single Don't Cha did likewise. StickWitU sold 43,989 copies last week to earn its stripes - about half of Don't Cha's first week sales of 85,021 - and spurs a massive 137% expansion in sales of the Las Vegas act's debut album PCD, which sold 59,787 copies last week, and jumps 28-13. Although the album debuted higher - at number eight - that's its best sales week to date, and increase its 12 week tally to 225,708.

 

On course for their first ever sequence of three consecutive number ones when new single Let There Be Love topped initial midweek sales flashes, Oasis have to settle for a number two placing for the song, which eventually sold 36,744 copies. Oasis' 22nd hit, it's their sixth number two, and third single from current album Don't Believe The Truth, following the chart-topping Lyla and The Importance Of Being Idle. The album enjoys a 44.2% increase in sales week-on-week to 17,979, taking its 27 week cume to 717,949.

 

Kelly Clarkson bags her third straight Top 10 hit from sophomore album Breakaway this week, as Because Of You debuts sweetly at number seven on sales of 13,475 - and for good measure, the album itself surges past the 500,000 sales mark. Despite slipping 7-9, Breakaway sold a best yet 69,756 copies last week, an increase of 20.8%, pushing its cume to 540,256. It ranks 19th on the year-to-date chart, and is also home to the hits Since U Been Gone (number five) and Behind These Hazel Eyes (number nine).

 

Namechecking some of England's less glamorous towns like Digbeth, Mansfield and Oldham, all of which earn their first mention in a Top 40 hit, Albion by Babyshambles debuts this week at number eight on sales of 12,542. It's Pete Doherty's group's third straight Top 10 hit following Killamangiro (number eight) and F**k Forever (number four). Despite their success with singles, the band's debut album, Down In Albion - which entered the chart a fortnight ago - has performed very poorly. Making its debut at a respctable number 10 on sales of 36,920, it dived to number 47 last week, with sales off 63.5% at 13,464, and now slumps to number 80, with 8,938 sales, a further 33.6% dip.

 

By contrast with Babyshambles, his number one albums sell in multi-platinum quantities, but major hit singles are not David Gray's forte, and his latest - Hospital Food - is no exception, debuting at a fairly sickly number 34 this week on sales of 2,436. Only two of Gray's eight singles have breached the Top 10, including last single The One I Love, which reached number eight in September. It and Hospital Food are the first two singles from Gray's latest album Life In Slow Motion, which has sold 452,476 copies in 12 weeks, including 36,866 last week.