Barbados born singer Rihanna is mirroring the success of Umbrella from exactly a year ago as her current single, the ballad Take A Bow, has remained at No.1 in the UK for a second week ahead of The Ting Tings and a climber from Duffy. Usher has scored his 3rd UK No.1 album with Here I Stand, which replaces The Ting Tings after just one week.

 

The battle for the top spot has been a lot less close this week with Rihanna’s Take A Bow building a clear lead towards the end of the week. The first single to be taken from the new tracks on Rihanna’s re-issued Good Girl Gone Bad album, which is out on Monday, Take A Bow has now moved 2-1-1 on its three weeks in the UK chart. It is the fifth hit in total from the era with Umbrella (#1), Shut Up & Drive (#5), Hate That I Love You (#15) and Don’t Stop The Music (#4) being the four hits from the original version of the album, a former UK chart topper itself.

 

Once again then The Ting Tings have had to settle for No.2 with the infectious track That’s Not My Name. In contrast to Rihanna, The Ting Tings have moved 1-2-2 on their first three weeks on the chart. Duffy’s new single Warwick Avenue moves up four places to an impressive new peak of No.3, which has been boosted by its physical release. It’s the second top three hit for the Welsh singer following the huge success of her last single Mercy, a five week No.1 single and the biggest seller of the year so far, shifting over 400,000 copies so far. Warwick Avenue, like Mercy, sounds like a lost 60s soul classic and it will no doubt help to sell many more thousands of copies of her debut album Rockferry, also the biggest seller of the year in the UK.

 

Madonna and Justin Timberlake’s former No.1 single 4 Minutes falls just a place to No.4 this week, clocking up its eleventh week in the top ten this week. To correct a mistake I made last week, 4 Minutes is now exclusively Madonna’s longest running top ten single of her career; 2005’s Hung Up was the previous longest runner when it spent ten weeks in the top ten. Unlucky Will.I.Am and Cheryl Cole slide a place to No.5 with Heartbreaker having spent the last three weeks stuck at No.4. It is the sixth week in the top ten for the single which has moved 8-8-4-4-4-5 in the last six weeks.

 

Sam Sparro’s Black & Gold is still lingering about but falls a place to No.6 this week. The Australian singer’s debut UK single has now spent ten weeks in the UK top ten moving 4-4-2-3-2-2-3-6-5-6 and selling over a quarter of a million copies. It has some way to go to become 2008’s biggest selling No.2 though. Nickelback’s Rockstar has sold almost 400,000 copies in 2008 alone. Now on its fourth week on the UK chart, American singer Ne-Yo’s new single Closer leaps into the top ten for the first time, rising five places to No.7, still on download sales alone with the physical single not due out until June 23rd. Closer has moved 22-24-12-7 in its four weeks inside the UK top forty.

 

Another American R&B star appears at No.8 as Usher’s Love In This Club is a non-mover. The single has been a relatively successful comeback for the superstar spending seven weeks in the UK top ten and topping the charts in his homeland upon its digital release. September’s dance hit Cry For You is still hanging on in the top ten and stays at No.9 this week. It is the eighth week in the top ten for the song which has yo-yoed 9-5-5-6-7-10-9-9 so far in its UK chart career. UK rapper Wiley rounds up the top ten with his former No.2 single Wearing My Rolex, which slides four places to No.10 this week. This week’s UK top ten therefore features three Brits, a Barbadian, an Australian, a Swede, three American acts and one British/American collaboration.

 

Just outside the top ten is where more future hits are starting to emerge this week. But first, Flo Rida’s former UK No.2 single Low refuses to go away and leaps back up a place to No.12 this week. Gabriella Cilmi’s Sweet About Me looks increasingly like becoming a deservedly massive hit as each week passes. The Australian teenager’s Xenomania produced debut single has had an eccentric chart run, moving 68-50-38-42-42-45-34-27-20-23-19-18-14 on its thirteen weeks inside the UK top seventy five. The song continues to be heard on the Sure deodorant advert and airplay and video play is rising again now. The physical version of the single will be re-issued on Monday and may even help the song into the top ten for the first time in seven days time. It has already been a huge No.1 hit for the singer in her home country.

 

Californian singer Sara Bareilles jumps up to another new peak of No.15 this week with Love Song. The US top five hit is starting to make waves across the world now. With its physical release due on Monday, Sara will be looking to climb into the top ten this time next week but may just be a bit too far away. Blanket radio support for the song though should ensure that it hangs around for a while. Sara’s debut album Little Voice, which also had top ten success in America, is due out in the UK on June 16th.

 

Danish pop band Alphabeat release their debut album, This Is Alphabeat on Monday. Ten Thousand Nights, a retitled version of the Danish single 10,000 Nights Of Thunder, jumps up from No.23 to No.16 following its physical release but is still ten places away from the No.6 peak of debut UK single Fascination, which is infact still lingering around in the UK chart sliding just a couple of places to No.24 this week. The success of these two singles may result in a top ten UK album for the six piece this time next week.

 

Chris Brown’s new single Forever makes an instant impression on the chart this week, debuting at No.17 on downloads alone. The single is released physically on June 16th but should easily be a UK top ten hit before then, and will probably eclipse the number eight peak of the US singer’s last hit With You in the next few weeks. Forever is taken from a repackaged version of Chris’ current album Exclusive which is due out in the UK on June 23rd and will also feature the singles With You, Kiss Kiss and Wall To Wall.

 

Taio Cruz can only progress one place upwards to No.18 with his new single I Can Be, despite being physically released this week. The British singer’s last single Come On Girl was a top five hit earlier in the year. His album Departure benefits though and returns to the UK top forty at No.40 this week. Paul Weller has had a successful solo career in the UK and his new single, Have You Made Up Your Mind/Echoes goes straight in at No.19 this week, with sales largely made up of physical copies. It is the first release to be taken from his new album 22 Dreams which has been well received by critics and could give the former lead singer of The Jam and The Style Council a third solo UK No.1 album next week.

 

Scottish band The Fratellis have an almost minimal benefit from the physical release of their comeback single Mistress Mabel, proving even the growing insignificance of physical singles to an indie audience. The band’s first single from their comeback album Here We Stand, it creeps up four places to No.23 this week and could be regarded as a flop comeback for the group. The same applies to Liverpudlian band The Zutons who do even worse after their physical release, inching up just two places to No.26 with comeback single Always Right Behind You.

 

The under performance of these two singles could be for a variety of reasons; a lack of airplay and TV support, the dwindling success of physical singles, poor comeback singles, or just wrong timing. Dance and R&B are the dominant genres in the UK at the moment and almost all indie releases are going unnoticed in the current chart climate, either entering high and plummeting quickly (Last Shadow Puppets, The Kooks, Pigeon Detectives) or in the case of many indie and rock releases now, just not getting anywhere in the first place.

 

Britain’s Got Talent has been by far the most watched TV show in the UK this week and the eventual winner, 14 year old break dancer George Sampson, has propelled a 2005 top twenty single back to the chart this week. British dance act Mint Royale’s biggest hit to date is the 2000 No.15 hit Don’t Falter which featured singer turned presenter Lauren Laverne on vocals. Their 2005 dance re-jig of the classic song Singin’ In The Rain was a minor No.20 hit when first released but re-enters at No.28 this week thanks to George Sampson using the song for his impressive dance routine. The song has been doing big business on iTunes and could well be in contention for the No.1 spot this time next week, proving the huge and important impact of downloads on the chart, giving a second lease of life to a long physically deleted single and truly reflecting the current public tastes.

 

The Ting Tings debut at No.29 this week with their next single Shut Up & Let Me Go. The single was at No.49 last week but makes its first top forty impression this week. The song is featured in the latest iPod commercial, which has bought it moderate success in the US in the last few weeks too. Fall Out Boy continue their slow climb up the chart with their Michael Jackson cover Beat It. The download only single jumps a further place to No.29 this week. German dance act Snap! continue to benefit from its use on the current advert for Drench bottled water. The 1992 No.1 single is up four places to No.32 this week. Emerging UK rock act Go: Audio score their first top forty hit this week with their first official single Made Up Stories. It enters the top forty at No.33 following its physical release.

 

OneRepublic have failed to make an impression on the top forty yet with their new single Say (All I Need) with former single, the No.4 hit Stop & Stare, still clearly overshadowing it. That single is back up three places to No.37 this week, while Say (All I Need), out physically on Monday, does not look like it will come anywhere near the success of its predecessors Apologize and Stop & Stare, so far peaking at No.69, its current position. American indie-rock act Vampire Weekend achieve their first UK top forty hit this week. Oxford Comma jumps six places to No.38 this week.

 

There’s yet another new UK No.1 album this week as Usher’s fourth UK album Here I Stand is the third successive chart topper for the American rapper following the success of 2001’s 8701 and 2004’s Confessions. Duffy’s Rockferry inches back up a place to No.2 on its thirteenth week in the top five while Neil Diamond’s Home Before Dark slides just one place to No.3 this week. Last week’s chart topper by The Ting Tings slides to No.4 while The Pigeon Detectives enter at No.5 with their second album This Is An Emergency. Scooter are down two places with their current album, the fomer No.1 Jumping All Over The World while Austria’s Cistercian Monks climb two places to No.7 with their unexpected hit album, Chant – Music For Paradise. Pendulum’s In Silico drops three places to No.8, Neil Diamond’s Best Of is down a place to No.9 and Beth Rowley’s Little Dreamer falls four places to No.10 this week.

 

Next week’s chart could see Rihanna score a third week in control with the only notable physical release coming from Sara Bareilles. Other anticipated singles that are physically released on Monday include Elbow, Lil’ Wayne, Morrissey, Mystery Jets, OneRepublic and REM but none of these will threaten the top ten. Instead we should look increasingly to downloads to find the hits of tomorrow and it looks as if Mint Royale, Chris Brown, Ne-Yo, Gabriella Cilmi, Duffy and The Ting Tings will be joining Rihanna in the fight for No.1 in seven days time. There are a clutch of new albums out on Monday which will make it near impossible for Usher to remain in control for a second week. Alphabeat, The Zutons, Paul Weller, Alanis Morissette, Rihanna, Radiohead, Royworld and Disturbed amongst others should all make varying impressions on the chart in seven says time.

Im very sad at the lack of impact Say (All I Need) is having on the chart :( It deserves to be Top 5 at least, if not Top 10 :cry:

 

If it goes Top 5 by sudden resurgence or something then it will probably be the biggest shock of the year for me lol but looks like it aint gonna happen lol but nevermind coz Alphabeat are gonna keep me happy next week with their Debut :w00t:

Im very sad at the lack of impact Say (All I Need) is having on the chart :( It deserves to be Top 5 at least, if not Top 10 :cry:

 

If it goes Top 5 by sudden resurgence or something then it will probably be the biggest shock of the year for me lol but looks like it aint gonna happen lol but nevermind coz Alphabeat are gonna keep me happy next week with their Debut :w00t:

 

it is rather odd, as its much better than Stop & Stare in my opinion...I don't think its had much airplay though has it!?! I see low top 40 at the very very highest for it next week

 

I too can't wait for Alphabeat :cheer:

Excellent write up, Rich :D

cheers Jester :D

Good as always - Great read!

Again great! I never knew Alanis Morissette hadn't been properly released this week, so it might not be an ultra flop...

cheers Harve :D Alanis should so alright with her album, probably not the single though

The Zutons are suffering from a lack of airplay? Aren't they number 6 on the radio airplay chart? They are constantly played on the country's most popular radio stations: Radio 2 and Radio 1. (I realise that the commentary author doesn't listen to Radio 2 based on previous comments concerning lack of airplay for Poison Prince.)

 

Dance and R&B are the dominant genres in the UK at the moment? Perhaps on the singles chart, but it sure doesn't appear that way by looking at the album chart, or listening to a non-commercial radio station. I'd bet a lot of money that The Last Shadow Puppets and The Zutons will sell out more concerts (and sell more albums) than Sara Bareilles or Sam Sparro.

The Zutons are suffering from a lack of airplay? Aren't they number 6 on the radio airplay chart? They are constantly played on the country's most popular radio stations: Radio 2 and Radio 1. (I realise that the commentary author doesn't listen to Radio 2 based on previous comments concerning lack of airplay for Poison Prince.)

 

Yeah they are - 886 plays with a reach of 40.94 million - cant see them in the radio 2 top 30 - tho abba is at #30?!?!?! #9 on radio one's chart

The Zutons are suffering from a lack of airplay? Aren't they number 6 on the radio airplay chart? They are constantly played on the country's most popular radio stations: Radio 2 and Radio 1. (I realise that the commentary author doesn't listen to Radio 2 based on previous comments concerning lack of airplay for Poison Prince.)

 

Dance and R&B are the dominant genres in the UK at the moment? Perhaps on the singles chart, but it sure doesn't appear that way by looking at the album chart, or listening to a non-commercial radio station. I'd bet a lot of money that The Last Shadow Puppets and The Zutons will sell out more concerts (and sell more albums) than Sara Bareilles or Sam Sparro.

 

I've never heard it on commercial radio which is where a lot of consistent play for records comes from...you wouldn't find Radio 1/2 still hammering old Hoosiers/Snow Patrol records, and they would have left the chart by now

 

I very rarely listen to Radio 2 but for Poison Prince to become a hit single, it would need airplay on the same scale as This Is The Life...Radio 2 is not enough to get a huge hit single, you need commercial radio behind you as well

 

you can't deny that dance and R&B are dominant right now...even Scooter and Usher got No.1 albums recently, while the indie albums enter high and disappear quickly, just like in the singles charts...

 

which begs the question, if indie fans are so willing to go to concerts of their favourite acts, why are they so reluctant to buy their singles and albums...you get the feeling a lot of illegal downloading is going on with fans of these genres...

Yeah they are - 886 plays with a reach of 40.94 million - cant see them in the radio 2 top 30 - tho abba is at #30?!?!?! #9 on radio one's chart

 

and compare the reach of this new single to Valerie at its peak...no contest

A band can't produce a Valerie or a Whistle For The Choir on every album. Those are exceptional songs and now classics.

 

I very rarely listen to Radio 2 but for Poison Prince to become a hit single, it would need airplay on the same scale as This Is The Life -- Radio 2's continuous airplay has helped the album stay in the top 40. That's far more important than singles chart positions.

 

Radio 2 is not enough to get a huge hit single, you need commercial radio behind you as well -- Perhaps you need to be reminded of a particular #1 single last December. I guess Radio 2 is huge after all.

 

You can't deny that dance and R&B are dominant right now...even Scooter and Usher got No.1 albums recently, while the indie albums enter high and disappear quickly, just like in the singles charts. -- Are you predicting that Usher will spend the next year in the top 40 albums? I seriously doubt that. I expect Usher to fall down the chart as quickly as Madonna's R&B album. Yes, the Last Shadow Puppets got a #1 album and it fell quickly down the chart. Its brilliance appeals to a discerning audience, so we can't expect huge sales. I'd opt for quality over mainstream appeal any day.

 

A band can't produce a Valerie or a Whistle For The Choir on every album. Those are exceptional songs and now classics.

 

I very rarely listen to Radio 2 but for Poison Prince to become a hit single, it would need airplay on the same scale as This Is The Life -- Radio 2's continuous airplay has helped the album stay in the top 40. That's far more important than singles chart positions.

 

Radio 2 is not enough to get a huge hit single, you need commercial radio behind you as well -- Perhaps you need to be reminded of a particular #1 single last December. I guess Radio 2 is huge after all.

 

You can't deny that dance and R&B are dominant right now...even Scooter and Usher got No.1 albums recently, while the indie albums enter high and disappear quickly, just like in the singles charts. -- Are you predicting that Usher will spend the next year in the top 40 albums? I seriously doubt that. I expect Usher to fall down the chart as quickly as Madonna's R&B album. Yes, the Last Shadow Puppets got a #1 album and it fell quickly down the chart. Its brilliance appeals to a discerning audience, so we can't expect huge sales. I'd opt for quality over mainstream appeal any day.

 

if you're referring to Eva and Katie from December last year, I sincerely doubt the only reason that got to No.1 was because of Radio 2 airplay, more the fact that it was a charity record exclusive to Tesco, and a cover of a classic song. I wonder how many of the 150,000 odd buyers had heard it first on Radio 2...I know I hadn't and I bought it...if Radio 2 truly had such a massive impact on the singles chart, then Sandi Thom's The Devil's Beat should have at least got into the top 40, going by how successful it was on the Radio 2 A-List...

 

No, I don't think Usher will spend ages in the chart, it will fall as quickly as the indie albums...however...a great single from Usher will push him back to the top ten in the same way that it did for Confessions throughout 2004...if Last Shadow Puppets release another single, I doubt it will propel the album back to the top 20...