The Suedehead Chart Commentary

New number ones at the top of both charts this week but it’s another quiet week for new entries in the singles chart.

The good news is that Number One is no longer number one as it slips one place. Of course, some people would argue that it has always been a load of number two. The bad news is that its replacement at the top is even worse. Black Eyed Peas who in the past have delivered rubbish such as Don’t Lie and My Humps return with the truly dreadful Boom Boom Pow. With a title like that, why wasn’t in Eurovision? And, I’m not going to lie, I hate it.

Last week’s top two each move down a place with La Roux’s four week run at number two coming to an end without them ever going in for the kill to reach the top.

Lily Allen moves up three places to number five with that famous teenage catch-phrase, Not Fair. She demonstrates that there are still some singles which benefit from a physical release.

The Prodigy are the only other newcomers to the top ten with Warrior’s Dance climbing to number nine. Beyoncé’s Halo has slipped down to 15 and A R Rahman’s destiny is to fall to number 11.

All the other new entries are in the lower reaches of the chart. Indeed, the three remaining entries occupy the bottom three places. Or those of us who think one Eminem record in the charts is one too many, it’s just got worse as Beautiful (which is anything but beautiful) enters at 38. So, we have two songs called Beautiful in the charts and they are both awful.

Akon continues his habit of appearing on other artists’ records. The latest victim is Shontelle who is stuck with him on Stuck With Each Other.

Bill Withers is best known for Lovely Day which features the longest sustained note in a hit single. Following the use of his Ain’t No Sunshine by a Britain’s Got Talent contestant, his original version of the song is a new entry at number 40. The song has been a hit for other artists, including Michael Jackson, but this is the first time Withers’ own version has charted.

When Sex On Fire entered at number one back in September 2008, Barack Obama was a mere candidate for the presidency of the United States, Woolies and Zavvi were still trading and Hull City were near the top of the Premier League. That’s all changed over the following months but Sex On Fire has remained a fixture in the top 40. Until now. It’s gone. The fire has gone out. Only ten singles have spent longer in the top 40, two of them (Umbrella and Rockstar) this century. Use Somebody also drops out this week which means that it shared every one of its 31 weeks in the top 40 with Sex On Fire. All three of the songs between Use Somebody and Sex On Fire in the longevity list have had at least two separate chart runs. For this purpose, I consider Use Somebody to have had only one chart run although it did drop out of the top 40 for a few weeks. This also means that this week’s chart is the first to be made up entirely of songs which made their debut in 2009 (thanks to Paulgilb on ChC for that little fact).

The new Green Day album, 21st Century Breakdown wasn’t released until Friday. Nevertheless it has still sold quickly enough to go straight in at number one. I’ve never been a fan of Green Day but wouldn’t go as far as disliking them. Ian Broudie summed it up perfectly on 6 Music’s Round Table on Thursday. They claim to be influenced by The Clash but every note is in tune and in perfect time. That’s not what punk was all about. The phrase I was thinking of as I listened to parts of it – just before Broudie gave his damning verdict – was that it’s too polished. But that’s probably why they sell so well.

After two weeks at number one, Bob Dylan slumps to number eight. He also fell from the top spot in the American albums chart this week. Curiously, Together Through Life is his first album to top the charts in both the UK and the US.

Maxïmo Park led the way all week before the Green Day album was released although by Friday the lead was a very narrow one. By the end of the week, it has only entered at number six. Like many bands who released excellent debut albums around 2005, their follow-up a couple years later was a disappointment. So much so that I haven’t bought Quicken The Heart yet.

I Love You Because by Jim Reeves is one of the ten songs to have spent even longer in the singles chart than Sex On Fire. Naturally it is one of the songs on his latest Best Of collection along with He’ll Have To Go and I Won’t Forget You which are also among the 100 songs to have spent the most weeks in the chart. He had his first UK hit single in 1960 but didn’t make the albums chart until 1964. However, he made up for lost time with an astonishing eleven albums charting that year. His last collection made number 21 in 2003. This one does significantly better, entering at number nine.

The Enemy, Ciara and Yusuf all leave the top ten with Ciara falling a full twelve places to 21. Not much of a fantasy ride for her.

The fourth highest new entry is Duke Pandemonium from Marmaduke Duke at number 14. This marks a substantial improvement on their debut, The Magnificent Duke, which failed to chart and, of course, follows their debut hit single, Rubber Lover, which is still in the top twenty.

Deadmau5 proves himself to be very much alive with his debut album, Random Album Title entering at 31. The initials of the title spell out the word rat so he seems to have a bit of a rodent fixation.

Blur fans will be eagerly anticipating their return in the summer (assuming we get one this year), including an appearance at Glastonbury. Meanwhile, Graham Coxon, whose musical differences with the rest of the band, has released his fourth solo album, The Spinning Top. His previous albums have been very guitar-heavy. This, by contrast, has a more acoustic sound and seems to owe a lot to the likes of Bob Dylan and Simon and Garfunkel. Sadly, it hasn’t spun to the top but it does enter at number 36.

Paolo Nutini’s second album, Sunny Side Up is released next month. Ahead of that, his 2006 debut, These Streets is back in the top 40 at number 28. And, finally, in Eurovision week, Abba Gold is back at number 40.

As ever, I have to thank ChC, Charts+, Music Week and chartstats.com for their contribution