Gooddeltas Chart Commentary

Posted April 20, 200817 yr

Madonna scores her 13th No.1 preventing Estelle from a 5th week in control

4 Minutes, Madonna’s collaboration with Justin Timberlake and Timbaland has climbed to the top spot on its 5th week inside the top ten to top the chart on download sales alone. Estelle’s American Boy, a duet with Kanye West, slides to No.2 after topping the UK chart for 4 weeks, while Konk, the second long player by Brighton based indie band The Kooks, gives them their first No.1 album.

1. Madonna feat. Justin Timberlake - 4 Minutes (4)

After spending the past four weeks hovering 7-5-8-4, 4 Minutes, the first single to be taken from the queen of pop’s new album Hard Candy, climbs three places to top the UK chart this week and duly provides her with her 13th UK No.1 single. It is her fifth of this decade following American Pie, Music, Hung Up and Sorry but the first of those not to enter at the top. It is perhaps fitting that a song which takes a few listens to grow on most people should take over a month to top the chart and it is impressive that it has managed this feat on downloads alone, though its predecessors Duffy and Estelle also topped the charts before releasing their physical formats, showing that it is starting to become the norm now and that a truly popular song does not need a physical release to capture the hearts and wallets of the British public.

2. Estelle feat. Kanye West - American Boy (1)

So after a four week run at the top, Estelle’s American Boy, by far her biggest ever hit single in the UK, slides a place to No.2. Its one place slip rather ruins the oddity that would have occurred of having three consecutive five week chart toppers but 2008 is still the slowest start to the year since 1992 in terms of No.1 singles. That year only saw twelve No.1’s in total and at this rate 2008 could end up with a similarly low turnover at the top. The single has now soared past silver status in the UK (200,000 sales) and should end up in the top ten of the year at the end of 2008. Quite a turnaround for a singer who was written off in 2004.

3. Sam Sparro - Black & Gold (2)

Having just edged out Flo-Rida to take the No.2 spot last week, Australian singer Sam Sparro is down this week with his sultry electro song Black & Gold but his album is expected to make waves when released on April 28th. It’s rare for solo Australian male singers to have success internationally though many female singers from down under achieve this feat, which may explain the reason why he is now based in London having lived in the US.

4. Flo-Rida feat. T-Pain - Low (3)

Still doing incredibly well, US rapper T-Pain’s former homeland ten week chart topper Low spends a fourth week in the top five on our shores and a seventh week inside the top ten. The song is hurtling towards silver status here and he is poised to capitalise on the success of this single with his next single Elevator which features Timbaland, due out in the next few months. T-Pain seems to be everywhere at the moment and his next scheduled appearance is on the new single by female rapper Lil’ Mama. His other recent collaborations include acts ranging from US singer Mariah Carey to Ukrainian singer Ruslana.

5. September - Cry For You (9)

Swedish singer September stormed into the top ten last week with a song that was a hit in her country years ago. Following its physical release, the dance song progresses further this week and is the third huge hit for the Hard2Beat record label who already have two of the year’s top ten biggest selling singles, H ‘Two’ O’s What’s It Gonna Be and Basshunter’s Now You’re Gone. She hasn’t quite emulated the chart topping success of Basshunter and Robyn so far but with the biggest success of some singles coming after its physical release, the song cannot be written off yet.

6. Usher feat. Young Jeezy - Love In This Club (14)

Climbing into the top ten for the first time as the video continues to help Usher’s slow but steady progress, Love In This Club, the electro ballad and the first single from Usher since 2005 is his biggest hit since 2004’s Confessions Part II/My Boo. With the physical release of the single due on April 28th, it is likely that the single will climb into the top five next week and then into the top three the week after. Whether it will follow You Make Me Wanna, Yeah! And Burn to the top spot in the UK remains to be seen.

7. Mariah Carey - Touch My Body (5)

Showing some stability, US diva Mariah Carey’s Touch My Body spends a third week in the top ten this week though it slides to No.5 from No.1 across the pond. The singer has had some good news however with the huge success of her new album E=MC2. The album has become her first UK top three album in over ten years eclipsing the No.7 peak of her 2005 album The Emancipation Of Mimi and truly cementing a remarkable comeback for a singer who was written off after her Glitter project failed in 2001. The album is likely to sell over half a million copies in its first week in her home country, a figure which will be aided by an American Idol performance earlier in the week.

8. Duffy – Mercy (6)

Duffy continues to sell well and Mercy is now the UK’s biggest selling single of 2008 passing Basshunter in the last couple of weeks. The Welsh soul singer topped the chart for five weeks earlier in the year and refuses to drop down the chart very quickly with a single that is starting to achieve worldwide domination now. Her debut album Rockferry leaves the top spot this week for the second time but like the single, it is the UK’s biggest seller of 2008 marking an incredible four months for a singer who came 2nd in many ‘hopes for 2008’ lists behind fellow soul singer Adele who has achieved half the success of her rival.

9. The Last Shadow Puppets - The Age Of The Understatement (24)

The side project of Arctic Monkeys singer Alex Turner and Miles Kane from The Rascals, The Last Shadow Puppets debut single soars into the top ten following its physical release with the b-sides also selling in significant quantities as separate entities. The duo’s debut album, which has the same name as the single, is due out on Monday and is expected to ease to No.1 next week following positive reviews so far.

10. The Kooks - Always Where I Need To Be (7)

British indie band The Kooks’ biggest ever UK hit slides this week but their second album Konk expectedly goes straight in at No.1 this week. The album has had mixed reviews with many critics calling this single the highlight of the album, and whether the album can spawn any more hit singles remains to be seen. Their debut album Inside In/Inside Out passed a million sales and generated six UK top forty singles.

Other notable movers and shakers in the top 40:

14. Scouting For Girls - Heartbeat (19)

Following the pattern that we have come to expect from the singles of Scouting For Girls, the piano pop song Heartbeat climbs ever closer to the top ten despite its physical release last week only lifting the song as far as No.19. The British pop trio’s last two singles, She’s So Lovely and Elvis Ain’t Dead also reached their peak after their physical release. Though they have been criticised for their singles sounding similar, radio seems to love them and though their album initially got off to a slow start when released late last year, the album is one of the top five best selling albums of 2008.

15. Britney Spears - Break The Ice (23)

Following its physical release, Break The Ice, the third single from Britney Spears’ current album Blackout climbs into the top twenty but is her lowest peaking single to date. Whether the single can go any higher is highly unlikely now but with Britney unable to star in a video for the single or do any promotion for it perhaps the single deserves to miss the top ten. In the grand scheme of things however, it is perhaps unfair because the single is arguably far better than her only other two to miss the UK top ten, Don’t Let Me Be The Last To Know (2001) and I Love Rock & Roll (2002).

18. Will.I.Am Feat. Cheryl Cole - Heartbreaker (29)

The Black Eyed Peas member’s second solo single is still charting on downloads this week and climbs into the top twenty this week for the first time. The song is currently charting as a Cheryl Cole-less album version and with the single version, which features the Girls Aloud member, yet to be released to download outlets, the song is almost certain to progress in the next few weeks. Once again, the fact that the song is more of a grower rather than an instant song is being reflected in its chart run and the song, like Madonna’s, could yet be a UK chart topper.

25. Goldfrapp - Happiness (89)

The second single from British dance duo Goldfrapp's current album Seventh Tree, Happiness, reaches the top forty for the first time this week. The song, the follow up to the top ten hit A & E, had not been performing that well on downloads but shoots into the top 30 this week following its physical release, proving that despite their growing insignificance, physicals can still significantly impact the chart fortunes of acts with large fan bases who are always keen to hear b-sides and remixes.

29. Kanye West feat. Dwele - Flashing Lights (41)

After missing out on the opportunity of a super hit with Homecoming which reached No.9 with no physical release or video (though a video has just been released now), Kanye's physical release of Flashing Lights, the fourth single to be taken from the No.1 album Graduation, lifts it into the UK top forty for the first time this week. Kanye has of course been No.1 in the UK for the past four weeks as the credited guest vocalist on Estelle's American Boy.

31. Cahill feat. Nikki Belle - Trippin' On You (37)

With the physical release of this track scheduled for Monday, dance act Cahill with the help of Nikki Belle, climb a few places with a song which may have been a bigger hit if its release was held back until the summer. Nevertheless, it’s the sole UK top forty hit this week for Blackburn based dance label All Around The World with Scooter's heavily hyped new single The Question Is What Is The Question missing the chart this week despite a simultaneous physical and download release. The song should progress further next week but whether its physical release will have the power to lift it into the top 20 is another matter.

34. Gabriella Cilmi - Sweet About Me (45)

Australian, British based pop/soul singer Gabriella Cilmi's debut single Sweet About Me recently topped the charts in her homeland but limped out of the top forty here after a solitary week at No.38. After three weeks of hovering just outside, the Xenomania penned single, which frankly deserves far better than it has had so far, re-enters the chart this week at a new peak position thanks to featuring prominently in the new Sure deodorant TV advert. To progress much further it will need to pick up more radio and TV airplay but a new UK peak is at least a consolation for Gabriella, even if the song stops here.

35. MGMT - Time To Pretend (137)

American indie rock duo MGMT are the latest act to benefit from a single featuring in the popular Channel 4 teen drama Skins. Following the top forty re-entry of Adele’s Hometown Glory last week, Time To Pretend was actually released as a single a few weeks ago but just missed out on a top forty placing, peaking at No.49. It had fallen as far as No.137 up until last week, but the single now seems to have a new lease of life. With Adele's reinvigorated chart success only lasting seven days however, MGMT will be lucky to still be in the top forty this time next week.

39. Nelly feat Fergie – Party People (77)

US rapper Nelly makes his comeback with a ‘club banger’ which features Black Eyed Peas singer Fergie. Nelly has been one of the most successful acts of this decade in the UK and the US and has already topped our chart three times. Dilemma (2002), My Place/Flap Your Wings (2004) and Over And Over (2005) were all UK chart toppers, with Dilemma, the Kelly Rowland duet selling over three quarters of a million copies here. He also featured on Nasty Girl, the No.1 single for Notorious B.I.G in 2006. Party People has entered the top forty on downloads alone and should be yet another top ten hit for the rapper in the coming weeks.

40. Britney Spears - Piece Of Me (42)

Last week's No.42, its up a couple of places for the second single in the chart this week by Britney Spears. The song, which peaked at No.2 in January was the second release from Blackout and features Swedish singer Robyn on backing vocals. It is of course her second most prolific chart hit of all time spending its 15th week in the top forty in total this week. Her longest running top 40 hit was her legendary debut single ...Baby One More Time that spent 18 weeks in the UK top 40 selling almost 1.5 million copies in the process.

Next weeks chart

With Madonna finally releasing the physical formats of 4 Minutes on Monday, she is a near certainty to stay at the top of the singles chart for a second week. Estelle, Sam Sparro, Usher and Will.I.Am will all be battling it out once again for top positions while other singles that are released physically on Monday that could make an impact on next week’s chart are due from Adele, Cahill feat Nikki Belle, The Feeling, The Hoosiers and Wombats. Also watch out for a huge download entry from Wiley's Wearing My Rolex which should be safely in the top ten this time next week. The Kooks are unlikely to spend a second week at the top of the album chart as the only notable new album out next week, The Age Of The Understatement by The Last Shadow Puppets, should easily debut at No.1 next Sunday.