Welsh female singer Duffy has seen her second single, Mercy, debut at No.1 this week on downloads alone leaving midweek chart toppers Nickelback adding to the list of ‘almost a No.1 single’.

 

Duffy is 23 years old and hails from Gywnedd, Wales. She came 2nd in the BBC’s Sound of 2008 poll, beaten by fellow new British female singer Adele. Her recent single Chasing Pavements couldn’t quite make it to the top, stalling at No.2 for three weeks. Mercy is Duffy’s second single after Rockferry which was released last November originally failing to make the UK top 100. However it has managed to peak at No.45 in recent weeks thanks to increased download sales and is at No.46 this week. Mercy is undoubtedly influenced by the 1960s, not too far away from something Lulu might have released in that era. It is the fifth single to reach No.1 on downloads alone after Gnarls Barkley’s Crazy, Mika’s Grace Kelly, Rihanna’s Umbrella and Sugababes’ About You Now. What makes it all the more impressive is the fact that the single is not physically released for another two weeks.

 

It had looked as if Canadian rockers Nickelback were about to score their first UK No.1 single from the early midweek reports but as it stands they have to settle for a second week at No.2 with their single Rockstar which has now been in the official UK top 75 for eighteen weeks moving 64-58-45-34-20-21-19-22-25-25-15-8-4-6-3-3-2-2 so far. Had it managed to climb to the top it would have broken a record held jointly by Jennifer Rush and Celine Dion regarding the longest time taken to get to No.1. But with Duffy in the way and more big new releases on the horizon, it looks like its chances of No.1 have all but vanished now. Still, it’s not a bad result for the fifth single from an album that came out in 2005.

 

After five long weeks at the top, Sweden’s Basshunter falls past Nickelback to No.3 this week on its 7th week on the chart. Five weeks at the top is however far more than anyone could have expected for the eurodance track. Climbing to No.5 after its physical release last week, British pop singer David Jordan goes one better this week, rising to No.4 with the infectious Sun Goes Down. Adele’s Chasing Pavements is down two places to No.5 after five weeks in the top five moving 2-2-2-3-5 so far. Rihanna’s Don’t Stop The Music is also down two places to No.6 this week on what is now its 6th week between No.4 and No.6.

 

The next new entry is from UK garage act H ‘Two’ O feat Platnum. Garage music went out of fashion after its glory period of 1999-2001 where acts such as Artful Dodger, DJ Pied Piper and Shanks & Bigfoot regularly scored huge hits. T2’s recent No.2 hit Heartbroken appears to have catapulted the genre back to the mainstream and What’s It Gonna Be is one of a few big forthcoming garage anthems, the next being Delinquent’s My Destiny, due for release next month. The track itself has been around for a few years but dance label Hard2Beat, have given the track a lick of paint, increased the tempo a little and sent it into the top ten at No.7 on downloads alone where it is certain to progress to the top three next week after the physical single is released on Monday.

 

Kelly Rowland slides two places to No.8 with Work which is on its fourth week in the top ten while two singles that were expected to be far bigger round off the top ten this week. The Feeling’s I Thought It Was Over was released physically last Monday and climbs only three places to No.9 as a result. It is however the fourth top ten hit for the band, all of which have peaked between No.7 and No.10. Dance act Goldfrapp’s more mellow approach has not worked perhaps as successfully as they might have hoped as A & E moves up eight places to No.10 after its physical release. It is their third UK top ten single but the first two singles from the duo’s last album both went higher. Therefore in the top ten this week there is an impressive six Brits, 1 Canadian, 1 Barbadian, 1 Swede and an American. It can only be a good thing that our top ten is dominated by homegrown acts in the week of the Brit Awards 2008.

 

The next new entry is from American rock group OneRepublic. Their first appearance in the UK chart was as the featured act on the huge Timbaland single Apologize which only recently left the top ten after a thirteen week run. Stop & Stare is their first UK single as the main artist and its No.11 entry on downloads alone suggests that this song will be huge over the next few weeks. Fellow American act Paramore have the next interesting movement. Misery Business was the first single to be taken from the rock act’s second album Riot and originally peaked at No.31 last June. The song gained a cult following and many fans demanded a re-release. Indeed, the track has done a lot better second time around and this week surges forty places from No.57 last week to this week’s No.17.

 

Kylie Minogue continues to reach a new peak almost every week with Wow, the second single from X and this week it jumps up a further two places to No.18 ahead of its physical release on Monday. It has moved 32-28-43-29-27-26-22-20 in the last two months and it should add to the Australian singer’s tally of top ten hits next week when its release coincides with a schedule performance of the track at this week’s Brits ceremony. The aforementioned Apologize by Timbaland and One Republic is the next climber, back up two places to No.20 this week while fellow long runner Valerie by Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse also moves back up two places to No.22. Alicia Keys’ No One has been her longest serving hit to date and has so far spent sixteen weeks in the top forty, jumping back up a place to No.24 this week.

 

It’s a good week for American rock acts it would seem as the next new entry is from Simple Plan. The band have never had a UK top 40 hit before but When I’m Gone is new at No.26 this week following a simultaneous physical and digital release. Timbaland’s second single of the week is Scream which features Nicole Scherzinger and Keri Hilson. After debuting at No.36 last week, the fourth single from Shock Value jumps eight places to No.28 this week. Utah Saints are a British dance act that were most popular in the early 1990s when their first three singles all reached the top ten in the UK. Their most successful hit was Something Good which peaked at No.4 in summer 1992 and that track is back into the UK chart at No.31 this week on downloads alone thanks to some new remixes. Rounding off the top 40 is Low by Flo Rida feat T-Pain, two American rappers who have been at the top of the US Billboard chart for the last two months. The track surges to No.40 from No.68 last week and is sure to be a huge hit in the coming weeks.

 

This week’s album chart is indeed static at the top as Jack Johnson keeps the No.1 spot for a second week with Sleep Through The Static. Nickelback match their No.2 single this week as its parent album All The Right Reasons climbs a place from No.3 last week. Michael Jackson’s Thriller is the biggest selling album ever in the world and has been re-released with new tracks and remixes this week to celebrate its 25th anniversary. The new package debuts at No.3. Adele slides two places with her former No.1 album 19 while former Smiths singer Morrissey has the second highest new entry at No.5 with his Greatest Hits collection. Michael Buble gets a Valentine’s Day related surge back to No.6 with Call Me Irresponsible which was in the top three over Christmas while Amy MacDonald continues to gather sales of This Is The Life which climbs back up two places this week to No.7. Scouting For Girls are down to No.8 with their self titled former No.1 album while Mika’s former chart topper Life In Cartoon Motion is back to the top ten yet again this week at No.9. British indie act One Night Only round off the top ten with a new entry at No.10 with Starting A Fire.

 

Duffy will be looking to keep her pole position next week and all signs point to a long run at No.1 for Mercy. However, Basshunter has been gathering up a large amount of physical sales in recent weeks and H ‘Two’ O will surely benefit from them too. What’s It Gonna Be is released tomorrow and will undoubtedly climb into the top three and could even challenge Duffy for No.1 if its physical sales are good enough. Nickelback’s contention for the top would seem to be over but Rockstar’s consistent sales should keep it high next week. Other physically released singles that are bound to make an impact on next week’s chart are due from Craig David, Kylie Minogue, Mark Ronson and Out Of Office.

Nice commentary. I thought you weren't around this afternoon when you were one of the many missing from the chart thread, but you pop up as always :)

I was at work until 5.30, so didn't get online until about 6.45 so I missed the entire chart :rofl:

Oh poor you, but don't worry, Fearne & Reggie were so annoying.

Mercy is Duffy’s second single after Rockferry which was released last November originally failing to make the UK top 100.

 

I didn't realise it was her second single :ph34r:

 

Thanks for another great read.

 

Looking forward to see how Craig David fairs next week.

I didn't realise it was her second single :ph34r:

 

A lot of people don't know that. Also, Adele's Chasing Pavements is her second single as Hometown Glory was released late last year, but it was not eligible to chart as it was only available on vinyl.

A lot of people don't know that. Also, Adele's Chasing Pavements is her second single as Hometown Glory was released late last year, but it was not eligible to chart as it was only available on vinyl.

 

 

I didn't know that either :o

That's why I love this site so.

Thanks.

I didn't know that either :o

That's why I love this site so.

Thanks.

 

No problem. I actually learnt that off Feann and Reggie on the chart show about two weeks ago. :P

One slight error

 

Sugababes - All About Me entered the chart at #35, its physical release boosted it to #1

One slight error

 

Sugababes - All About Me entered the chart at #35, its physical release boosted it to #1

 

Don't you mean About You Now ? :lol:

One slight error

 

Sugababes - All About Me entered the chart at #35, its physical release boosted it to #1

 

Sugababes have never charted with a song called All About Me. They did however reach #1 on downloads alone with About You Now (which had entered at #35 due to a re-mix being available initially).

 

And Simple Plan are Canadian, not American.

I don't know if you think this is worth mentioning or even makes any difference but just in case, its been mentioned in the "WOW" topics a few times now and unsuprisngly its blaring off the page on Kylie.com - your talk about the "physical" release of WOW today imo as if the download "officially" has already been released - IT HASN'T (the past few wks chart position has been people dl the "unpackaged" album trk ALONE).

 

Both the physical and download are getting released together today.

 

Thanks.

Edited February 18, 200817 yr by ima

One slight error

 

Sugababes - All About Me entered the chart at #35, its physical release boosted it to #1

No, the release of the official digital download boosted it to #1, having charted at #35 on the downloads of a remix version. The physical came after a week at the top.

One slight error

 

Sugababes - All About Me entered the chart at #35, its physical release boosted it to #1

The week the "Sugababes" got to No1, it was made all the more extraordinary because their song was still on downloads, and it beat the physical release by "Shayne Ward" (his double A-Side, I think). Wasn't he begging fans (by way of his website) to buy his single and make him No 1?

Sugababes have never charted with a song called All About Me. They did however reach #1 on downloads alone with About You Now (which had entered at #35 due to a re-mix being available initially).

 

And Simple Plan are Canadian, not American.

 

French Canadian actually :P I should have done my research properly on sunday :lol:

I don't know if you think this is worth mentioning or even makes any difference but just in case, its been mentioned in the "WOW" topics a few times now and unsuprisngly its blaring off the page on Kylie.com - your talk about the "physical" release of WOW today imo as if the download "officially" has already been released - IT HASN'T (the past few wks chart position has been people dl the "unpackaged" album trk ALONE).

 

Both the physical and download are getting released together today.

 

Thanks.

 

I don't think it makes too much difference...the video version and track one on the CD single is the same as the album version anyway

 

besides, loads of songs have got to the top ten as a cherry picked album track before an official release (or without one at all) e.g. Nelly Furtado-Say It Right, Kanye West-Homecoming, Timbaland-Apologize & The Way I Are, Take That-Shine etc...