10th May 2026

It's a second number one in a row for Hot Chocolate as Brother Louie improves considerably on it's original 1973 top 10 peak by becoming their 8th chart-topper, the soul classic being a slow burner for me as the years go by. In many ways parts of the world has changed so the lyrics arent quite so relevant in 2026 - but in some places they still are, and it is at least a useful historical reminder of what life was like for some. The highest new entry at 4 is Hot Chocolate's first hit Love Is Life, former chart-topper the last time it returned as an oldie, while You'll Always Be A Friend leaps to 7 for a second top 10 run as Hot Choc dominate half the top 10. I still love them, and the late Tony Wilson's era.

The Osmonds peak at 2 on a second oldie run with One Bad Apple, Marshmello get another top 3, and Portugal. The Man a first top 3, and The Lightning Seeds' 1999 number 2 is back at 5, after my choosing it for a Retro song contest. One of their top 5 tracks for sure and great video. From the same contest, Four Jacks A Jill finally debut Master Jack, a song on 16 Big Hits (of 1968) my dad bought in Singapore in early 1970 at my urging - so many classics and this song I didn't know, but it had hit in Australia where the album was imported from. Very sweet, and I now finally have an excuse to chart it 56 years late! Other entries I loved are the Theme from The Onedin Line - I wasnt especially a fan in very early 1972, but 54 years on my tastes have changed. My mum loved the TV show, me not so much, but the long form of the single edit is lovely and in at 62.

Still on oldies from the contest, Marsha Hunt's 1973 track Oh No! The Beast Day is new to me, and it's great showtune funk while at 95 Buzzcocks finally chart What Do I Get, one that didnt get much airplay at the time as an early Punk track. From the Michael Jackson album of the film, I'll Be There is back for a third run, first hitting the top in 1971, in at 73, and in a sparse week for new stuff Charlotte MacInnes is the highest debut at 85, on Struck, Chaka Khan gets a Sia song gift, and they debut with an untypically-sounding Chaka debut her first in 4 years since her top 10 Woman Like Me, and a chart span of 51 years. That leaves Tom Speight, who I saw in concert, and bought 4 album CD's of his stuff since 2016, we chatted, he signed the CD's and he did the first track off his latest album amid joining us on the floor with his guitar (standing gig). Buzzing is said track at 91.

1 2 1 2 BROTHER LOUIE - Hot Chocolate featuring Alexis Korner 285000

2 3 2 3 ONE BAD APPLE - The Osmonds 207400

3 4 3 7 PHOENIX - Marshmello x Portugal. The Man 237950

4 NEW 4 1 LOVE IS LIFE - Hot Chocolate 65000

5 NEW 5 1 LIFE'S TOO SHORT - The Lightning Seeds 60000

6 5 1 6 CLICK CLACK SYMPHONY - RAYE featuring Hans Zimmer 635100

7 30 7 2 YOU'LL ALWAYS BE A FRIEND - Hot Chocolate 68000

8 1 1 2 I BELIEVE (IN LOVE) - Hot Chocolate 218000

9 10 9 2 EMMA - Hot Chocolate 87000

10 12 10 6 SUGAR - Simien & Akon 132150

11 9 5 13 DRIVE SAFE - Myles Smith & Niall Horan 431600

12 16 12 8 5:00 AM - Michael Schulte 135050

13 11 1 13 LUCKY AGAIN - Lykke Li 746400

14 8 8 10 WHY DON'T YOU - Squeeze 187450

15 6 2 8 YOU'RE A SUPERSTAR - Take That 456700

16 7 5 11 VERTIGO - AVALAN ROKSTON 424400

17 23 17 4 CHUCK THE MONEY - Stephen Sanchez 71100

18 19 8 13 HOMEWRECKER - sombr 312800

19 27 19 3 LOVE CONTROLLER - Demi Lovato 49300

20 NEW 20 1 MASTER JACK - Four Jacks And A Jill 20000

21 20 20 6 STAY - Leony & Calum Scott 87350

22 13 13 11 TO LOVE SOMEBODY - Holly Humberstone 191900

23 15 4 10 AMERICAN GIRLS - Harry Styles 346500

24 25 24 10 WHEN YOU ARE A KING - White Plains 120350

25 18 1 13 DON'T WANT YOUR LOVE - Illenium & Ellie Goulding 747250

26 31 26 6 CARRY ON - Jungle 80750

27 33 27 5 HOT DAMN - Dadi Freyr 64600

28 17 15 7 CALIFORNIA - Jessie J 134700

29 14 10 7 SIGN OF THE TIMES - Harry Styles 142550

30 21 17 10 UNIVERSAL SOLDIER - Depeche Mode 161800

31 40 31 4 THEME FROM 'HARRY'S GAME' - Clannad 53600

32 29 13 23 DRACULA - Tame Impala 380850

33 38 33 4 I FEEL SO FREE - Madonna 51000

34 35 34 5 BEAUTY PAGEANT - Holly Humberstone 61700

35 32 1 22 FREE LOVE - Cast 1379800

36 51 36 3 FOCU 'RANNI - ROSALIA 36500

37 24 1 11 I CAN'T WAIT - Bob Sinclar & Kiesza 828300

38 45 38 4 FIRST LIGHT - Lana Del Ray 47800

39 44 39 5 THERE WAS SUN - Nothing But Thieves 42950

40 43 40 3 MR KNOW IT ALL - Teddy Swims 35500

41 28 1 22 RELIQUIA - ROSALIA 1246800

42 42 1 31 LOTUS - Rose Gray 1499850

43 26 7 11 PRAYER - David Guetta, Kiko & Olivier Giacomotto 347400

44 57 44 2 RUMOURS - Hot Chocolate 23650

45 37 37 6 STAY WITH ME TILL DAWN - Judie Tzuke 78950

46 22 1 11 THE IMMIGRANT - Neil Sedaka 654250

47 39 1 16 APERTURE - Harry Styles 1004800

48 52 48 5 UP OUT & GONE - Ne-Yo 41000

49 41 37 7 BE HER - Ella Langley 83500

50 53 50 3 IN MY ROOM - Linda Ronstadt 29050

51 59 51 5 BE WITH YOU - Muse 39050

52 36 10 11 RIDE - Jessie Ware 259900

53 50 13 14 STARLIGHT - Cannons 214450

54 78 54 2 YOU COULD'VE BEEN A LADY - Hot Chocolate 15600

55 34 34 7 GET WHAT YOU GIVE - Scouting For Girls 80850

56 67 56 3 JOKE ABOUT DIVORCE - Blossoms 22200

57 66 57 3 FREE TO LOVE - Duran Duran featuring Nile Rodgers 22400

58 77 58 2 NEVER CAN SAY GOODBYE - The Jackson 5 15000

59 80 59 2 CAN'T SIT STILL - Lainey Wilson 14200

60 63 60 5 UNDEFEATED CHAMPION - Melanie C 30600

61 68 61 7 LOVE IN EXILE - Charlie Puth featuring Michael McDonald & Kenny Loggins 40300

62 NEW 62 1 THEME FROM THE ONEDIN LINE (SPARTACUS: ADAGIO OF SPARTACUS AND PHRYGIA) - Vienna Philharmonic & Aram Khachaturian 7400

63 48 32 10 NEW RELIGION - Bebe Rexha & Faithless 115050

64 54 54 8 HELL ON EARTH - Squeeze 62500

65 65 4 26 YOUR LAST SONG - The Lottery Winners 861400

66 47 24 11 THESE NIGHTS - Cannons 128000

67 56 37 11 FEVER DREAM - Alex Warren 128450

68 73 68 3 DO I LOVE YOU - The Ronettes 16200

69 69 69 6 TOUCH BY AN ANGEL - Maxi Priest 29600

70 64 1 21 TELL ME THERE'S A HEAVEN - Chris Rea 1225950

71 71 1 48 GOD ONLY KNOWS - The Beach Boys 1321550

72 76 72 3 YOU CAME YOU SAW YOU CONQUERED - The Ronettes 13600

73 NEW 73 1 I'LL BE THERE - The Jackson 5 5400

74 85 74 3 F***ED UP - Reverend and The Makers featuring Robbie Williams 11800

75 79 75 2 COME BACK TO ME - Haircut 100 9200

76 72 1 34 SECRETS - Miley Cyrus featuring Lindsey Buckingham and Mick Fleetwood 1437050

77 60 20 11 LOST - almost monday 163050

78 89 78 2 FLOWERS - Blue 6600

79 81 79 3 DROP DEAD - Olivia Rodrigo 12000

80 82 80 3 LITTLE MORE TIME - Niall Horan 11400

81 74 74 3 SLEDGEHAMMER - Peter Gabriel 13200

82 55 15 13 FEELS LIKE HEAVEN - Loreen 208350

83 NEW 83 1 OH NO! NOT THE BEAST DAY - Marsha Hunt 3400

84 62 37 8 JUST WORDS - Midge Ure 76600

85 NEW 85 1 STRUCK - Charlotte MacInnes 3000

86 58 35 9 SAVE ME TONIGHT - Jennifer Lopez & David Guetta 99500

87 92 87 2 WE GO BACK - Keith Urban featuring Michael McDonald 4400

88 87 87 2 ELECTRIC CIRCUS - Nelly Furtado, Boi 1da & Canada Soccer 7000

89 91 89 2 BRING YOUR LOVE - Madonna & Sabrina Carpenter 4100

90 95 90 2 (THE BEST PART OF) BREAKIN' UP - The Ronettes 3500

91 NEW 91 1 BUZZING - Tom Speight 1900

92 70 70 6 HOUSE TOUR - Sabrina Carpenter 28200

93 NEW 93 1 CHAKZILLA - Chaka Khan featuring Sia 1700

94 94 83 4 GOOD NEWS - Mari Wilson 9600

95 NEW 95 1 WHAT DO I GET? - Buzzcocks 1500

DROP OUTS

46 6 12 VINCENT - Don McLean 208450

49 3 10 LAUGHTER IN THE RAIN - Neil Sedaka 440400

61 6 10 BAD BLOOD - Neil Sedaka featuring Elton John 225550

75 25 8 CLUB SONG - The Pussycat Dolls 104500

83 33 10 REIN ME IN - Sam Fender & Olivia Dean 93050

84 38 10 SLEEPLESS IN A HOTEL ROOM - Luke Combs 109550

86 8 12 MCARTHUR - HARDY, Morgan Wallen, Tim McGraw, Eric Church 258050

88 36 12 I DON'T UNDERSTAND - MT Jones 122700

90 76 6 KICK OUT THE JAMS - Suzi Quatro featuring Alice Cooper 25400

93 39 14 READY - CMAT 115350

Hi John,

nice to see some more Hot Chocolate songs ... and nice to see "Struck" entering your charts.

Hi there John!

Nice to see "5am", "Chuck The Money", "Carry On", "I Feel So Free", "Beauty Pageant", "I Feel So Free", "Beauty Pageant", "First Light", "Mr Know It All"; "Be With You", "Free To Love", "Undefeated Champion", "Drop Dead", "Little More Time" and "Bring Your Love" and the debuts for "Ill Be There" and "Struck".

Great chart!
Take care.