Col1967

I think this just goes to show how difficult it is to compare hits between two different sales eras. Who has had the 'bigger hit'? Absolute sales figures vary too much and are too crude, how about weeks at no.1 or chart run based on a points system? Or even what has had the biggest 'cultural impact' which is completely subjective anyway. Look at 'Umbrella' for example. 10 weeks at no.1 but by year end in 2007 barely sold 500k. Imagine what a 10 week run at the top these days would sell, you'd be talking well over 2 million.

Well it's no.2 now but it sure is making heavy weather of it. It's a long haul to no.1, if indeed it ever gets there, let alone no.1 overall come Sunday.

I would have thought studies into the various races which investigate the differences would promote more understanding, not less.

Well if it is out it's not even top 1500 yet.

Now you've digitalised it, you really should let your vinyl collection go.....

I rather like that but they've been away for a little while so it's a bit difficult to call exactly what the reaction will be. It could be a massive top 3 hit or a relative flop, so I've played it safe by saying top 10.

Saying 'I'm on team xxxxxxxxxxxx this week' when you are rooting for something to get to no.1. That really makes me cringe.

I wonder what the 3 people who voted 'don't bother with any of them' are doing here in the first place.....

I thought it would be a complete flop! I think Psy will become known as the one hit wonder who actually had two hits, just soon nobody will remember 'Gentleman'.

Why has One Direction been released on a Monday? I know even if it had been released on Sunday it would have had no chance of beating Avicii but a likely highly frontloaded track like this would normally have a Sunday release to maximise chart position. I guess it doesn't really matter now under these circumstances as it's a cast iron no.2 either way.

And yet the biggest selling single in recent years, 'Someone Like You' managed a mere 9 weeks top 10, not very impressive at all in comparison. 1-1-1-1-2-1-2-3-6 It drops out pretty quickly and judging by that top 10 run alone you wouldn't think it's sold almost 1.5 million copies.

Yes, and you keep going on about it too.....

I was thinking that RT would shift around 70k this week and that on average it would be selling at 0.25 of Avicii this week, so that would put Avicii on 280k. 280k!?! is that even possible? That's getting well into sales territory that only charity singles & X-Factor winners venture.

The 1982 Eurvision winner Nicole followed up her no.1 single 'A Little Peace' with a no.75 hit, 'Give me more Time'. An interesting piece of chart symmetry as no.75 was the lowest official position at the time.

I knew somebody was going to point that out :) But as an openly gay person having a no.1, it still counts.

That's what I went for at first, then realised that I (along with everybody else) had missed the most obvious one of all, The Village People!

Already have done. I keep 'em on either side of my head, very handy they are too. I guess my ears are just better tuned to identifying good music than yours!

I don't get the fuss over John Newman. It's a decent enough track for sure, but certainly nothing worth looning over!

Yeah, and never got anywhere near no.1. That was only because of the pre-orders being dumped in all at once. It's no guide to how it will perform long term.

But with guaranteed sales of several tens of thousands every year, the well known Christmas songs are something of a special case and over the years sales will obviously mount up. Aerosmith's 'I don't want to miss a Thing' only sold around 600k when first released but has now sold a million. I've heard it's something to do with Father's Day but 400k?? I don't recall the track ever charting significantly at that time of year.

By 'pushing towards 2m' I meant say 1.8m or so, perhaps by this time next year.

I think 'Blurred Lines' will eventually push towards the 2m mark though, becoming one of the monster hits of all time.

Just looked that up. Ugh. Definately something that the anonymity of internet shopping was made for!

I didn't before but I think 'Blurred Lines' will hang on. Icona Pop simply aren't increasing enough at the moment to overhaul Mr Thicke. And even if they do overtake on iTunes they have to stay there and make up the ground they have already lost, and not be too front-loaded and let Blurred Lines re-overtake later in the week.

Same here. Hoping that it can make 5 consecutive weeks at no.1, a feat that has proved so elusive in recent years.