More new blood at the top of the singles chart but no change again in the albums.

 

We start with some bad news. Tinchy Stryder has shown that Take Me Back was not just a one-off by returning with some more rubbish. If anything, this is even more dreadful than Take Me Back. To make matters worse, it has lived up to its name by entering at number one. Why couldn’t he call it number one million? So we’ve gone from two of the best number ones of the year to the worst – even including Islands in the Stream. At least Take Me Back is among the departures from the top 40 so we are spared a double dose of Stryder.

 

Elsewhere in the top ten, there’s not a lot of movement. La Roux spend a second week as runners-up while Calvin Harris falls two places to three. Lady GaGa slips to four and Eminem’s latest appalling dross is up to five.

 

Metro Station leave the top ten, down two stops to number 11.

 

We’ve had a few ladies in the charts so far this year – GaGa, Sovereign, Hawke. We’ve also had some Kings (Of Leon) and a Queen song (GaGa again). Well, now we’ve got a duke. Or a double duke to be precise as Marmaduke Duke make their chart debut, bouncing in at 12 with Rubber Lover. The band are a side project for Simon Neil of Biffy Clyro and JP Reid of the slightly less well-known Sucioperro. A sort of Scottish Last Shadow Puppets if you like. And, yes I know Marmaduke Duke have been going for longer but Alex Turner’s bit on the side made the charts first. This was only just in the top 40 in the early midweeks so either it sold very well in the latter part of the week or there was some data missing on Tuesday. In any event it is the best new entry of the week.

 

The Prodigy’s second single from Invaders Must Die, Warrior’s Dance enters at 18, one place ahead of Lady GaGa’s Just Dance, while Omen falls to 36. I prefer it to Omen but they’ve still done better.

 

Keri Hilson was the featured vocalist on Timbaland’s The Way I Are. She now has her first solo hit (although it does feature the aforementioned Timbaland returning the favour) with Return The Favour entering at 20. Her work with Timbaland and the fact that she has written songs for the likes of Britney Spears and Ciara should tell you all you need to know to decide whether this is any good. Obviously, it isn’t.

 

Following the release of the album, Asher Roth jumps back into the top 40 at number 26 with I Love College. I can only assume that people have listened to the album, decided this is the only track they like and downloaded it. If the rest of the album is even worse than this track, I don’t want to hear it.

 

Sex On Fire falls a full eight places this week. That’s the song’s biggest fall in 33 weeks and 37 is its lowest position in that time. Could this be its last week?

 

Flo Rida’s Sugar also returns to the top 40 at 38 after a couple weeks just outside. They physical release isn’t due until the end of next month so this could be around for a while yet. Oh joy.

 

At 39, we have Deadmau5 and Kaskade. Obviously, English (or, more specifically, spelling) wasn’t their best subject at school. Or perhaps they just forgot to go to lessons. Anyway, I Remember gives them their first top 40 placing. I’ve heard worse.

 

Bat For Lashes benefits from an excellent performance of Daniel on Jools Holland’s programme. She was out of the top 40 all week but, bolstered by the Friday repeat, she holds on at number 40.

 

Depeche Mode led the way in the albums chart throughout the week. However, after what happened with Doves a couple weeks ago there was always a feeling that they might not hold on by Sunday. Sadly, that has proved to be correct as the Mode enter at number two with Sounds of the Universe as Lady GaGa holds on for a fourth week at the top. As happened with Doves, it looks like Depeche Mode’s Jools Holland performance will be a week too late.

 

Meanwhile, Beyoncé’s I Am Sasha Fierce climbs to a new peak at number three in its 23rd week in the chart.

 

The second highest new entry comes from Noisettes. Wild Young Hearts enters at number seven. When pronounced the French way, Noisettes means hazelnuts which could open up a whole new topic.

 

Pink climbs back up eleven places to re-enter the top ten at number ten in the week that Funhouse clocks up six months in the albums chart. Leaving the top ten are Doves, James Morrison and – with a welcome drop of seven places to 11 - Chris de Burgh.

 

Fightstar have always been seen as an attempt by Charlie Simpson to prove that there’s more to him than Busted. They continue to do a good deal less well than “the original McFly” and the new album, Be Human, enters at 20. This still makes it their highest album chart placing, beating the high of number 26 achieved by One Day Son This Will All Be Yours in 2005.

 

Camera Obscura’s career to date can be summed up by the name of their second album, Underachievers Please Try Harder. Until now, they had spent as much time in the charts as Judi Dench. That’s all changed this week as their fourth album, My Maudlin Career, enters at 32. Perhaps some tears (although of joy this time) can be excused from the Glaswegians tonight.

 

Lacuna Coil are another band whose chart career so far has been somewhat modest, although not quite as modest as Camera Obscura. Mind you, perhaps that’s not altogether surprising for a band described by Wikipedia as “Italian gothic metal”. Their fifth album, Shallow Life, is new at ??? giving them their first top 40 album. Their last album, Karmacode, spent as single week at number 47.

 

Asher Roth’s debut album, Asleep in the Bread Aisle, is the final new entry at 38. I’ts a pity Mr Roth didn’t spend more time asleep (whether in the bread aisle or elsewhere) rather than churning out a whole album. Haven’t we suffered enough with I Love College?

 

This week’s veterans compilation is from 10CC whose most successful period was in the 1970s. The Very Best of 10CC is in at 39. It also includes Under My Thumb which was actually by only half of 10CC (5CC if you like), Godley and Creme. The origin of 10CC’s name is rather rude.

 

The only re-entry is James Morrison’s Undiscovered which returns at 36. Among those leaving the top 40 are talent show failures Eoghan Quigg (after just two weeks) and Faryl Smith. How long before we get an album from Susan Boyle?

 

My thanks, as ever, to ChC, Charts+, Music Week and chartstats.com

 

That last sentence on Keri Hilson made me lol.

Great commentary as always :D

Great commentary, and the biggest $h!te of the year goes to N-Dubz.

Nice little commentary there as always. :D