Chart commentary: An exciting chart, the penultimate one before Christmas, sees Take That cling on to their number one spot with 'Greatest Day'. So, only one more week to hold on to become the official Radio Newtown Christmas Number One. But it's a very big ask, as a clutch of Christmas-related records close in on the coveted honour. Gabriella Cilmi climbs one place to number two with 'Warm This Winter', helped by another TV advertising campaign, a familiar route to chart success used recently by Steph and also The Bellamy Brothers.

 

Meanwhile, there are two new entries within the top five. German Schlager-musik star Helene Fischer was shocked not to make the Top 20 in the autumn with 'Mal ganz erlich', after two number ones during 2008, but she bids for the hat-trick again with 'Heilige Nacht', a German language version of the Christmas traditional 'O Holy Night'. Straight in at number three, she would be favourite for the Christmas chart-topper were it not for the phenomenon that is 'Is This Christmas?' by Liverpool indie band The Wombats. Having made a mark with releases such as 'Let's Dance To Joy Division', their new ode to the misery of a British Christmas seems to have struck a chord, enough to enter the chart at five today.

 

Meanwhile, yet more contenders for the Christmas chart topper appear in the form of Leona Lewis' download hit 'Run', climbing nine places to number four today, and a thirty-year old Christmas standard from Johnny Mathis: 'When A Child Is Born' shoots up fourteen places to six.

 

The Christmas music boom sees a big fall for Buzzjack Song Contest winner Lenka (2 to 8) and blocks the top ten ambitions of Oasis (12) and Wiley (13) in today's chart. Meanwhile, King of Prussia look unlikely to match their chart-topping feat of the autumn, as 'Shades of Hippiedom' climbs only to 15 today.

Keane are happy to chalk up another Top 20 hit, while yet more Christmas music, old and new, muscles into the lower part of the Top 20. A version of 'Little Drummer Boy' by Sir Terry Wogan and Aled Jones enters at 17, while yet another outing for Mariah Carey's Christmas party favourite brings her back into the Top 20.

 

There's no sign of the current release by last year's Christmas chart topper Katie Melua, or of the much vaunted 'X-Factor' winner... but can these be discounted when looking to predict the Christmas number one... well, probably. It looks like Gabriella. Or Helene. Or the Wombat boys. Maybe Leona. Possibly dear old Johnny. Or perhaps Take That will extend their stranglehold on the top spot and score their first seasonal chart topper, possibly the only singles accolade that has so far eluded them

All will be revealed in seven days time...

This week's chart:

 

http://www3.hmv.co.uk/hmv/Large_Images/HMV/1787445.JPGhttp://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii35/Merlo2001/cilmi.jpghttp://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii35/Merlo2001/fischer.jpghttp://i260.photobucket.com/albums/ii35/Merlo2001/tmpphpGOglbI.jpghttp://www3.hmv.co.uk/hmv/Large_Images/HMV/14FLR33CD.JPG

 

1 (1) Greatest Day - Take That (Fourth week)

2 (3) Warm This Winter - Gabriella Cilmi

3 (NEW) Heilige Nacht – Helene Fischer

4 (13) Run- Leona Lewis

5 (NEW) Is This Christmas? – Wombats

 

6 (20) When A Child Is Born – Johnny Mathis

7 (8) Use Somebody – Kings of Leon

8 (2) The Show - Lenka

9 (10) Live Your Life - TI feat Rihanna

10 (4) I Want More – Can

 

11 (5) Human- Killers

12 (14) I'm Outta Time – Oasis

13 (17) Cash In My Pocket - Wiley ft Daniel Merriweather

14 (6) Make You Feel My Love - Adele

15 (21) Shades of Hippiedom- King of Prussia

16 (24) Perfect Symmetry - Keane

17 (NEW) Little Drummer Boy – Bandaged

18 (7) Let Your Love Flow – Bellamy Brothers

19 (9) Stop Space Return - Crazy P

20 (30) All I Want For Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey

 

 

1 (1) Greatest Day - Take That (Fourth week)

4 (13) Run- Leona Lewis

7 (8) Use Somebody – Kings of Leon

11 (5) Human- Killers

12 (14) I'm Outta Time – Oasis

13 (17) Cash In My Pocket - Wiley ft Daniel Merriweather

14 (6) Make You Feel My Love - Adele

16 (24) Perfect Symmetry - Keane

20 (30) All I Want For Christmas Is You – Mariah Care

^_^

1 (1) Greatest Day - Take That (Fourth week) :D

2 (3) Warm This Winter - Gabriella Cilmi :D

4 (13) Run- Leona Lewis :D

5 (NEW) Is This Christmas? – Wombats :D

 

7 (8) Use Somebody – Kings of Leon :wub:

9 (10) Live Your Life - TI feat Rihanna :)

 

11 (5) Human- Killers :)

12 (14) I'm Outta Time – Oasis :)

13 (17) Cash In My Pocket - Wiley ft Daniel Merriweather :D

14 (6) Make You Feel My Love - Adele :D

16 (24) Perfect Symmetry - Keane :wub:

17 (NEW) Little Drummer Boy – Bandaged :puke2:

18 (7) Let Your Love Flow – Bellamy Brothers :)

20 (30) All I Want For Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey :)

 

So how is this chart compiled? Is this from a local radio station based in Newtown (which is somewhere in Shropshire or Powys, isn't it?)? It seems to be far too imaginative for local radio :lol:

Edited December 15, 200816 yr by Harve

Hi Aaron

 

I like:

 

1 (1) Greatest Day - Take That (Fourth week)

2 (3) Warm This Winter - Gabriella Cilmi

4 (13) Run- Leona Lewis

5 (NEW) Is This Christmas? – Wombats

6 (20) When A Child Is Born – Johnny Mathis

7 (8) Use Somebody – Kings of Leon

11 (5) Human- Killers

12 (14) I'm Outta Time – Oasis

14 (6) Make You Feel My Love - Adele

16 (24) Perfect Symmetry - Keane

18 (7) Let Your Love Flow – Bellamy Brothers

20 (30) All I Want For Christmas Is You – Mariah Carey

So how is this chart compiled? Is this from a local radio station based in Newtown (which is somewhere in Shropshire or Powys, isn't it?)? It seems to be far too imaginative for local radio :lol:

 

Hee hee. Radio Newtown doesn't actually exist - it was a fictional radio station on the TV Series 'The Kit Curran Radio Show' during the 1980s (because I'm old and remember the mid 1980s, ha ha!)

The Kit Curran character was played by that fine Scottish actor Denis Lawson, I was amazed to receive a PM from someone who seemed to think I was actually Denis Lawson, I wish I had half his money, good looks and charisma! :lol:

 

The chart is compiled pretty much by what I happen to like at the time, though often positions are decided by number of plays on my IPod. (Am loving the Christmas songs at the mo, so to separate them, I found that Gabriella, Helene, Wombats and Johnny Mathis was the descending order of plays since I put them on last week).

 

I did used to present a Top 20 chart show on Hospital Radio until about 18 months or so ago, which was unique - it was the only chart compiled completely at random by rolling dice... :D

 

Anything can turn up in the Radio Newtown chart... it's mainly songs that are out at the moment (though not just English language ones, I have had 2 German and 1 South American number ones this year), but I do have a fair bit of retro, though not randomly so... there's usually a reason why a retro track turns up, such as the recent number one by Can: although it was made in 1976, and re-released in 2006, I'd never heard it before until it turned up in a link on YouTube for another vid I was watching, and I liked the song so much, I couldn't stop listening to it.

 

Anyway, glad you're enjoying the chart, there's a tense battle for the Christmas number one, and the X-Factor winner will be nowhere to be seen! (Sorry, I really don't like Leonard Cohen's music).

 

Stay tuned for the Top 20 of the Year, which will be mainly based on IPod plays... ;)