Chart Commentary from Jester

Posted February 15, 200916 yr

Lily Allen does the double as she tops both the single and albums chart.

The Fear has remained at the chart summit for a third week, while Lady GaGa’s Just Dance sticks at 3 for a third week and Alesha Dixon rises to 3.

Lily Allen has scored both the UK #1 album and single this week as The Fear stays at #1 on the singles chart for the third week and new album It’s Not Me, It’s You soars straight to #1 on the albums chart. Allen’s debut album, Alright, Still entered the chart at 2 in July 2006, and remained on the chart for an impressive 77 weeks and has sold just shy of a million at 960,000 copies. As The Fear sticks at 1 this week, it is the third consecutive 3 week number 1 following Alexandra Burke’s Hallelujah and Lady GaGa’s Just Dance, which coincidentally stays at 2 for a third week.

Rounding off the top 3 singles, Alesha Dixon rises to 3 to secure her highest charting solo single to date. Breathe Slow has charted 39-23-13-6-5-3 thus far, beating the peak of The Boy Does Nothing (5) and registering her biggest hit since Mis-teeq’s Scandalous hit number 2 in 2003. Eminem stays at number 4 this week, as download only Crack A Bottle featuring Dr Dre and 50 Cent fails to rise despite many predicting it would do so, although with increasing radio support and more promotion for his new album out on 9 March, this still has potential to rise. Finally in the top 5 Tinchy Stryder & Taio Cruz have their fourth week in the top 5, after peaking at 3 twice.

James Morrison & Nelly Furtado rise a place to 6, as Broken Strings continues to yo-yo in the top 10 giving an erratic chart run of 73-51-31-18-6-4-5-2-3-4-5-7-6 so far. Up next is Beyonce, as Single Ladies rises to 7 back at its previous peak for the third week and looks set to rise again and possibly achieve a new peak next week as the single is finally released physically.

Essex band The Prodigy have this weeks highest new entry at 8 with new single The Omen, entering on downloads alone a week ahead of its full release. The lead single from new album Invaders Must Die (released on 23 February) is The Prodigy’s first proper single since Girls hit number 19 in 2004, and their first top 10 hit since Baby’s Got A temper peaked at number 5 in 2002. Full release on Monday on their new label, Take Me To The Hospital could well see the band’s first chart topper since Breathe way back in 1996.

Kid Cudi and the Crookers slide to 9 and Barbadian singer/songwriter Shontelle climbs into the top 10 for the first time as T-Shirt, her debut hit, continues its slow rise moving 45-25-13-10 ahead of the full release on Monday.

This weeks top comprises of 4 British acts, 1 British/Canadian collaboration, 4 US acts and 1 Barbadian act.

The Pussycat Dolls (with a little help from Missy Elliot) rise a place to 15 as Whatcha Think About That continues its download only ascent. US Rockers The All-American Rejects rise to 18, giving them their biggest UK hit since Swing Swing in 2003 and Sex On Fire, Kings of Leon’s former chart topper rises to 19 on its 25th week in the top 40.

Morrissey has a new entry at 21 with I’m Throwing My Arms Around Paris. The iconic Smiths singer narrowly misses out on his 22nd solo top 20 hit since he commenced his solo career in 1988 with top 5 hit and classic Suedehead – his new album Years of Refusal is out tomorrow. Future hit Poker Face from Lady GaGa rises again to 22 and N-Dubz rise to 25 from last weeks 40 in their 8th week on chart with Strong Again, helping their album sell over 450,000 copies on the way. Another track bobbing about the top 40 is Up from The Saturdays, which rises 10 places from 37 to 27 benefitting to use in various TV spots (including Dancing On Ice) and exposure of their new Comic Relief single, I Just Can’t Get Enough which was premiered on Radio 1 last Sunday.

TI & Justin Timberlake garner yet another top 40 hit each as this weeks third highest new entry at 30. Both TI and Justin have been busy so far this year, TI following up massive hit Live Your Life with Rihanna, and Justin following up a guest spot on, coincidentally, Rihanna’s last single Rehab. New mother M.I.A re-enters the top 40, as Paper Planes bounces back at 33, benefitting from its prominent use in BAFTA winning film Slumdog Millionaire. Paper Planes is Mathangi "Maya" Arulpragasam’s biggest hit having a chart run thus far of 69-37-23-19-21-21-20-30-42-55-60-54R(9)-46-43-45-33 during a 16 weeks top 75 stint.

The Killers have a climber from 57 at 40 as Spaceman, the follow up to Human and second release from Day & Age cracks the top 40 although on full release. This looks doubtful to climb further unless BRITS exposure kicks in next week.

On the albums front, the aforementioned Lily Allen enters at the top with her first chart topping album, It’s Not Me It’s You, Kings Of Leon hold on at 2 with former number 1 Only By The Night, and a brace of albums has benefitted from Valentines Day, as UB40’s Love Songs rises to 3 from 19, Luther Vandross similarily titled album Love Songs ascends to 4, all ahead of James Morrison who also rises to 5.

Bette Midler’s best of, Best Bette, climbs from 32 to 6 as last weeks number 1 album, Bruce Springsteen’s Working On A Dream falls to 7. The Fray enter at 8 as their self titled album falls short of the number 4 peak of their 2007 debut album How To Save A Life, The Killers drop to 9 and Pavarotti’s The Duets rises to 10.

Looking to next week, The Prodigy’s Omen should be battling with Lily Allen (who is after a 4th week at number 1) and U2’s new release Get On Your Boots. Beyonce may well reach a new peak with Single Ladies (Put A Ring On It) as should Shontelle’s T-Shirt. The Pussycat Dolls may return to the top 10 with Whatcha Think About It, and physically released TI & Justin Timberlake, Madcon and re-released Time To Pretend from MGMT may trouble the top 30.

Thanks to Polyhex, ManicKangaroo, Wikipedia and HMV for various chart information.