JLS re-entering the top 20 too! I didn’t know acts celebrated 15th anniversaries. :o

 

Artists and record labels celebrate the opening of a carrier bag if it means getting some extra sales :lol:

I don't think that's true - these are the peak positions for Last Christmas since 2016:

 

2016 - 7

2017 - 2

2018 - 3

2019 - 3

2020 - 1

2021 - 2

2022 - 1

2023 - 1

 

For comparison, Mariah's peaks are:

 

2016 - 5

2017 - 2

2018 - 2

2019 - 2

2020 - 1

2021 - 3

2022 - 1

2023 - 2

 

So it's pretty much always been neck and neck between them since 2017!

 

I don’t think the peak positions give the full story as Wham! always peak later.

 

Year end positions:

2019 Mariah #84 Wham! #95

2020 Mariah #53 Wham! #60

2021 Mariah #37 Wham! #34

2022 Mariah #36 Wham! #35

2023 Mariah #29 Wham! #18

 

Unfortunately we don’t have pre 2019 year end positions for them as they were outside the Top 100 but I’m sure Mariah was well ahead in 2017 and 2018.

 

So they’ve both been trending upwards but Wham! at a faster rate. And it doesn’t feel to me like a long term trend like that can be explained by George’s death in 2016.

Wham's surge is surely more a product of increased love for the 80s in the past decade/Mariah fatigue?

I’ve researched the Wham! V Mariah thing extensively. Yes, George’s death and the subsequent 2017 high profile campaign to get it to number 1 was the initial momentum behind the resurgence of ‘Last Christmas’ but it has been growing relative to AIWFCIY ever since then. There are so many reasons behind this - possibly another is the increased awareness of ‘Last Christmas’ in the US influencing playlists.

 

Even though Mariah is doing slightly better relative to ‘Last Christmas’ compared with last year, the same is not the case in the US or globally where ‘Last Christmas’ has slashed the lead of AIWFCIY.

 

Looking at the second Monday in November on Spotify, as overall these were comparable, this is how Mariah’s lead has changed from 2023 to 2024

 

Global: 224,000 -> 125,000

USA: 119,00 -> 45,500

 

Music Week Top 40 Sales Flash

 

Singles

 

01 Gracie Abrams - That's So True (30,723)

02 Gigi Perez - Sailor Song (24,131)

03 ROSÉ & Bruno Mars - APT. (18,951)

04 Chappell Roan - HOT TO GO! (13,741)

05 Teddy Swims - The Door (12,684)

 

08 Billie Eilish - WILDFLOWER

09 Teddy Swims - Bad Dreams

 

12 Billie Eilish - BIRDS OF A FEATHER

13 Myles Smith - Nice to Meet You

16 The Weeknd & Playboi Carti - Timeless

18 Sabrina Carpenter - Espresso

19 Benson Boone - Beautiful Things

 

21 Paris Paloma - Labour

23 Teddy Swims - Lose Control

24 Myles Smith - Stargazing

27 Linkin Park - The Emptiness Machine

28 Hozier - Too Sweet

29 cassö, RAYE & D-Block Europe - Prada

30 Noah Kahan - Stick Season

 

32 Gracie Abrams - Close to You

34 The Kid LAROI - NIGHTS LIKE THIS

35 BL3SS & CamrinWatson feat. bbyclose - Kisses

37 Mariah Carey - All I Want For Christmas Is You

38 Dasha - Austin (Boots Stop Workin')

39 Chrystal - The Days

40 Morgan Wallen - Love Somebody

 

++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++

 

Albums (Top 100)

 

01 Alfie Boe & Michael Ball - Together At Home (11,233) [10,421 physicals, 698 downloads, 114 streaming]

02 Sabrina Carpenter - Short n' Sweet (8,041)

03 Massive Wagons - Earth to Grace (7,244)

04 The Cure - Songs of a Lost World (6,780)

05 Chappell Roan - The Rise and Fall of a Midwest Princess (4,936)

 

07 Elton John - Diamonds

 

13 Primal Scream - Come Ahead

17 Nathan Evans - 1994

 

25 JLS - JLS

26 Fimiguerrero, Len & Lancey Foux - CONGLOMERATE

 

34 Eminem - Curtain Call 2

39 Teddy Swims - I've Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1)

40 George Michael - Twenty Five

Sales yet to surface, MW being very slow this week!

And as I say that, sales now in x

Wham no sign yet

Do really need boring stick season climb old tied need go dust bin long with two sweet and Austin to old song choking life out singles chart

Hot to go down 2.34%. It's gonna be close

 

Speaking of close, #1 for albums might come down to the wire

Another new peak for 'HOT TO GO!' (a record equalling 13th in the Top 40) looks assured, so it could be off to ACR after three climbs.

 

At least that would probably be the end of the "Jack Saunders is hot to go" jingle on the Chart Show every week :lol:

Well it is now the season of the sticks so makes sense that Stick Season is climbing a little bit again

Who’s record what Hot to Go be equalling for new peaks?

 

Wham! must be #41, I expect they’ll make it by Friday.

 

Great hold by the Cure! What did Coldplay do week 2 for comparison?

Oof could be close in the albums!

Who’s record what Hot to Go be equalling for new peaks?

 

Wham! must be #41, I expect they’ll make it by Friday.

 

Great hold by the Cure! What did Coldplay do week 2 for comparison?

 

At Wednesday, they were on 7242. Finished 9693

08 Billie Eilish - WILDFLOWER

12 Billie Eilish - BIRDS OF A FEATHER

 

Let's go WILDFLOWER :wub:

BIRDS rebound also.

Sabrina did less than 14k on albums last week - think Ball & Boe will beat that, but it'll be close.

Who’s record what Hot to Go be equalling for new peaks?

 

Wham! must be #41, I expect they’ll make it by Friday.

 

Great hold by the Cure! What did Coldplay do week 2 for comparison?

'Heat Waves'... and Coldplay did 9.7k

KSI or Bed Chem to stop The Door from going top 5

I don't think KSI will overtake. 'Bed Chem' or Billie maybe, depending how far off they are.

'Close To You' set for a new peak too!

Wonder if Nights Like This could at least repeak this week