ThePensmith

THEPENSMITH'S TOP 20 SINGLES CHART Week ending 3rd January 2020 © AM LIMITED 2019 1. (6) NIALL HORAN - Put A Little Love On Me 2. (5) CAMILA CABELLO - Easy 3. (3) DUA LIPA - Don't Start Now 4. (1) PEPPA PIG - Bing Bong Zoo 5. (4) ELLIE GOULDING - River 6. (7) NOW UNITED - Legends 7. (10) JODIE WHITTAKER - Yellow 8. (13) ENDOR - Pump It Up 9. (2) LITTLE MIX - One I've Been Missing 10. (20) THE SHIRES - New Year 11. (18) MARK RONSON FEAT. YEBBA - Don't Leave Me Lonely 12. (19) THE SCRIPT - Run Through Walls 13. (RE) ALPHABEAT - Sing A Song 14. (RE) LUKE EVANS - Changing 15. (RE) PAIGE CAVELL - Red Is The Way 16. (RE) WESTLIFE - My Blood 17. (RE) COLDPLAY - Orphans / Arabesque 18. (RE) NIALL HORAN - Nice To Meet Ya 19. (RE) MCFLY - Touch The Rain 20. (RE) DIPLO FEAT. JONAS BROTHERS - Lonely Compiled from my own personal listening in the last seven days across streaming, digital and physical formats. KEY (1) - last week's position (HNE) - highest new entry (NE) - new entry (RE) - re-entry

New interview with Nicola in The Guardian today, to promote her upcoming West End debut in 'City of Angels', which opens in March: https://www.theguardian.com/music/2020/jan/...e-shed-ever-met How awful about her stalker ordeal, poor lamb. Glad she's OK and settled now. She's also working with Fred Ball who she worked with a lot on 'Cinderella's Eyes' but hasn't said anything concrete about a new album.

I will say that whilst I'm a fan of Ed, I've grown cold on the 'Divide' era since it came out three years ago (nearly said two, forgetting we were in a new year) to the point I just kept the handful of tracks I liked from it on my hard drive and sold my copy on. Put side by side with his first two albums, for me there was a marked downturn in quality control, and really 'Castle on the Hill' was it's one strong single for me. When he does do a proper new album next - which will probably be a year hence, given he's just gone on another hiatus - I hope he comes back with something a little more in keeping with his earlier material. The simplicity of that material was what made him charming and engaging in the first place, and I rather think he lost sight of all of that whilst consciously chasing 'hits'.

My guess is Doug's doing his best to prevent what became a problem the last two times by finding more appropriate spaces for stores that have struggled with rents etc and doing his best to consolidate so that those beyond help aren't dragging the outlets that are successful through the mud. I feel confident he can do it and I still value them and patronise them, but if there's still a HMV near to you then the message is simple - get behind them.

Main chart topic up tomorrow - just posting here for inclusion... THEPENSMITH'S TOP 20 SINGLES CHART Week ending 3rd January 2020 © AM LIMITED 2020 1. (6) NIALL HORAN - Put A Little Love On Me 2. (5) CAMILA CABELLO - Easy 3. (3) DUA LIPA - Don't Start Now 4. (1) PEPPA PIG - Bing Bong Zoo 5. (4) ELLIE GOULDING - River 6. (7) NOW UNITED - Legends 7. (10) JODIE WHITTAKER - Yellow 8. (13) ENDOR - Pump It Up 9. (2) LITTLE MIX - One I've Been Missing 10. (20) THE SHIRES - New Year 11. (18) MARK RONSON FEAT. YEBBA - Don't Leave Me Lonely 12. (19) THE SCRIPT - Run Through Walls 13. (RE) ALPHABEAT - Sing A Song 14. (RE) LUKE EVANS - Changing 15. (RE) PAIGE CAVELL - Red Is The Way 16. (RE) WESTLIFE - My Blood 17. (RE) COLDPLAY - Orphans / Arabesque 18. (RE) NIALL HORAN - Nice To Meet Ya 19. (RE) MCFLY - Touch The Rain 20. (RE) DIPLO FEAT. JONAS BROTHERS - Lonely KEY (1) - last week's position (HNE) - highest new entry (NE) - new entry (RE) - re-entry

That. Was awesome! And has also reminded me how much I miss the series. Quite literally such fun! I won't spoil it for anyone yet to see but a lot of surprises. There is also a new laugh of the season (or several) from Patricia Hodge :lol:

THEPENSMITH'S TOP 10 SINGLES OF THE DECADE © AM Limited 2010 - 2019 1. ED SHEERAN - Castle on the Hill (#1, 2017) K0ibBPhiaG0 2. PHARRELL WILLIAMS - Happy (#1, 2014) 3. DAFT PUNK FEAT. PHARRELL WILLIAMS - Get Lucky (#1, 2013) 4. ED SHEERAN – Shape of You (#2, 2017) 5. ROBIN THICKE FEAT. PHARRELL WILLIAMS & T.I - Blurred Lines (#1, 2013) 6. GEORGE EZRA - Shotgun (#1, 2018) 7. JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE - Can't Stop The Feeling (#1, 2016) 8. LITTLE MIX - Black Magic (#1, 2015) 9. EMELI SANDÉ - Next to Me (#1, 2012) 10. CALVIN HARRIS FEAT. DUA LIPA - One Kiss (#1, 2018) Compiled from my personal listening on physical, streaming and digital formats across the 520 chart weeks covering Friday 1st January 2010 - Friday 27th December 2019. Figures in brackets indicate song's peak position and the year it reached that peak. END OF DECADE COMMENTARY (pictured above) Ed Sheeran is our top artist of the decade – and Official Charts’ too As it is the last year of the current decade, we’ve also compiled our top 10 biggest singles from the last ten years. Unsurprisingly, it is Ed Sheeran who emerges the victor from this particular survey. He spent more weeks at the top of our chart, and indeed, inside our chart than any other artist between 2010 and this year. In our overall top 100, his singles occupy just over a tenth of all available slots. The biggest of them all however is of course ‘Castle on the Hill’, his 2017 chart topper that spent the longest amount of time at the top for any single this decade – twelve weeks in all between January and March of that year. ‘Shape of You’, the single that was released in conjunction with ‘Castle...’ ahead of his last full studio album ‘Divide’, spent the same number of weeks locked behind it at #2, and finishes in fourth place for the decade. Of his other singles in our decade end figures, all but those singles which were released from his current album ‘No. 6 Collaborations Project’ (released back in June) are represented in our top 100, and the lowest placed of all his singles is his debut release ‘The A Team’, a top 3 hit in July 2011, which finishes in 41st place for the decade. A very distant second to Ed is Pharrell Williams, this despite the fact the majority of his success came between 2013 and 2014, first on chart toppers for Daft Punk and Robin Thicke with T.I in 2013, and then on his own release ‘Happy’, a ten week chart topper from 2014 which led the decade list unbroken for two and a half years until Ed’s two 2017 singles came along. Residual sales of some of his other hits are enough to make Williams our second biggest singles act of the decade. 70% of our decade end top 10 is made up of male artists. The only female artists flying the flag are Little Mix – their three week 2015 chart topper ‘Black Magic’ finishing 8th for the last ten years – Emeli Sandé – her six week chart topper ‘Next to Me’ from February 2012 ending 9th for the decade – and Dua Lipa finishing 10th for the decade as part of her guest slot on Calvin Harris’ 2018 chart topper ‘One Kiss’. This is a sharp drop of 30% representation from the 00s, where the lead of the ladies was 60% to the males’ 40%. Our decade end top 10 is also skewed to the latter eight years of this decade, as neither 2010 or 2011 are represented by a single here. Of the best performing from these years, Owl City’s five week chart topper from February 2010, ‘Fireflies’ is #13 for the decade whilst Bruno Mars’ ‘Grenade’, a three week January 2011 chart topper finishes 17th for the decade. Of this year’s singles (2019), ‘Late Night Feelings’ by Mark Ronson and Lykke Li is the top performer but is only able to finish in 12th for the 2010s.

THEPENSMITH'S CHART OF THE YEAR: THE TOP 40 SINGLES OF 2019 © AM Limited 2019 1. MARK RONSON FEAT. LYKKE LI - Late Night Feelings (#1, May) OpNJTr7q1LM 2. SHAWN MENDES FEAT. CAMILA CABELLO - Senõrita (#2, July) 3. PEPPA PIG - Bing Bong Zoo (#1, December) 4. LITTLE MIX - One I've Been Missing (#1, December) 5. MARK RONSON FEAT. CAMILA CABELLO - Find U Again (#1, August) 6. DUA LIPA - Don't Start Now (#1, November) 7. JONAS BROTHERS - Sucker (#1, March) 8. HIMESH PATEL - Yesterday (#1, July) 9. MCFLY - Touch the Rain (#1, September) 10. JODIE WHITTAKER - Yellow (#1, November) 11. P!NK - Walk Me Home (#1, March) 12. NIALL HORAN - Nice To Meet Ya (#1, October) 13. NOW UNITED - Legends (#1, November) 14. MABEL - Mad Love (#1, June) 15. JULIA MICHAELS FEAT. NIALL HORAN - What A Time (#1, February) 16. LITTLE MIX - Bounce Back (#1, June) 17. ALPHABEAT - I Don't Know What's Cool Anymore (#1, September) 18. OLLY MURS - Talking To Yourself / That Girl (#1, July) 19. NOW UNITED - All Day (#1, January) 20. CAMILA CABELLO - Liar (#2, September) 21. JONAS BROTHERS - Cool (#2, June) 22. OLLY MURS - Feel the Same (#3, April) 23. THE VERONICAS - Think of Me (#1, April) 24. DJ SPOONY PRESENTS GARAGE CLASSICAL FEAT. SUGABABES - Flowers (#1, October) 25. MABEL - Don't Call Me Up (#2, March) 26. ALPHABEAT - Shadows (#5, March) 27. NOW UNITED - Párana / Beautiful Life (#1, June) 28. AVICII FEAT. ALOE BLACC - SOS (#2, May) 29. COLDPLAY - Orphans / Arabesque (#1, November) 30. JP COOPER FEAT. ASTRID S - Sing It With Me (#2, July) 31. BUSTED - Radio (#1, February) 32. NOW UNITED FEAT. BADSHAH - How We Do It (#2, March) 33. WESTLIFE - Hello My Love (#2, January) 34. CRAIG DAVID - When You Know What Love Is (#2, June) 35. BASTILLE - Can't Fight This Feeling (#4, November) 36. WESTLIFE - Better Man (#2, April) 37. CALL ME LOOP - Self Love (#4, July) 38. NIALL HORAN - Put A Little Love On Me (#3, December) 39. LOS UNIDADES FEAT. PHARRELL WILLIAMS & JOZZY - E-Lo (#1, January) 40. MARK RONSON FEAT. YEBBA - Don't Leave Me Lonely (#3, November) Compiled from my personal listening on physical, streaming and digital formats across the 52 chart weeks covering Friday 28th December 2018 - Thursday 26th December 2019. Figures in brackets indicate song's peak position and the month it reached that peak. END OF YEAR COMMENTARY (From L-R) Topping our charts in 2019: Mark Ronson, Little Mix and Jonas Brothers After several sluggish years, for fans of slightly faster moving chart action it is a pleasure to report that things have sped up once again on my personal chart. And the stats don't lie - last year, a total of 28 different singles took turns at the top of my chart - the largest such amount for almost five years, when 30 different records took turns at the top in 2014. That's also nearly double the total of number one records - 15 - from 2018. And coming up trumps to beat them all and claim the year's biggest single on my chart was of course 'Late Night Feelings', the mammoth six week chart topper from May by Mark Ronson featuring Lykke Li. It is the first time either Ronson or his collaborator, Swedish singer-songwriter Li have had the year's biggest single. Ronson previously finished at #7 in our top 10 for 2007 with 'Valerie', his #2 cover of The Zutons' hit with Amy Winehouse, whilst Li's previous biggest hit ('Little Bit', a top 30 hit in September 2008) failed to trouble our end of year chart at all. He is also the third British born male artist in a row to claim the year's biggest single, following the triumphs of Ed Sheeran in 2017 and George Ezra in 2018, and the seventh male solo artist to do so this decade. And with strong showings for his August chart topper 'Find U Again' with Camila Cabello (5th for the year), 'Don't Leave Me Lonely' with Yebba (40th for the year, #3 in November) and 'Nothing Breaks Like a Heart' with Miley Cyrus (as high as #21 in January, and #99 for the year), he is also the year's biggest singles act on our chart by far. However, his status as 2019's biggest single was run pretty close in the very final days of this year, thanks to 'Bing Bong Zoo', the surprise Christmas chart topper from Peppa Pig - currently spending its second week at the top of our weekly chart - which raced from nowhere to #3 in the space of four weeks according to our end of year figures. Had the clock ticked over just a couple of days more, it would also have usurped the biggest single of the year to not reach the top of our chart, 'Senõrita' by Shawn Mendes featuring Camila Cabello (the year’s top female solo act), which finishes the year at #2. It seems to be a position it will forever be associated with in years to come, as the summertime release spent five of its eleven weeks inside our top 10 locked down at #2, despite ultimately going onto perform better than the three records by Ronson and Cabello, Himesh Patel ('Yesterday', #8 for 2019) and Olly Murs ('Talking to Yourself / That Girl (Remix)', #18 for 2019) which kept it off the top. The Peppa single wasn't the only one released in the final months of the year to make our end of year top 10. Strong performances from November and December chart toppers by Little Mix (#4, 'One I've Been Missing'), Dua Lipa (#6, 'Don't Start Now') and Jodie Whittaker (#10, 'Yellow') ensure that this is the most Q4 release heavy year end top 10 for a decade. Little Mix also have a lot to celebrate, as even though they released just one other new single over the course of this year - their June chart topper 'Bounce Back', #16 for the year – this combined with residual success of their 2018 hits ensure they are the year's top group where our singles chart is concerned, just snatching it away from Now United in the last few weeks of this year. We've got this far without discussing in depth the average length of a number one hit this year. But the fact the total of chart toppers increased to 28 should be one clue that very few records managed lengthy stays at the summit this year compared to recent years. The only ones to spend as many as four weeks at number one were the two Ronson chart toppers, and Jonas Brothers' comeback single 'Sucker' in March, which was also one of only six records in the whole year to climb to number one rather than enter straight in. Jonas Brothers are also the year’s top all male group, just beating out Westlife, McFly and Busted, who all came back after hiatuses of various degrees of length with new material this year. TOP 10 ARTISTS OF THE YEAR ON MY PERSONAL CHART 1. MARK RONSON 2. LITTLE MIX 3. NOW UNITED 4. JONAS BROTHERS 5. CAMILA CABELLO 6. OLLY MURS 7. WESTLIFE 8. MABEL 9. MCFLY 10. NIALL HORAN Based on collective chart performance over the 52 chart weeks covering Friday 28th December 2018 - Thursday 26th December 2019. MY BIGGEST SINGLE OF THE YEAR: 2018 - 2009 2018: George Ezra - Shotgun 2017: Ed Sheeran - Castle On The Hill 2016: Justin Timberlake - Can't Stop The Feeling 2015: Little Mix - Black Magic 2014: Pharrell Williams - Happy 2013: Daft Punk feat. Pharrell Williams - Get Lucky 2012: Emeli Sandé - Next To Me 2011: Bruno Mars - Grenade 2010: Owl City - Fireflies 2009: Little Boots - Stuck On Repeat

+30 Kylie Minogue - 'Confide In Me' +29 Spice Girls - 'Stop' +28 Eurythmics - 'Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)' +27 Blur - 'Tender' +26 Kylie Minogue - 'Better the Devil You Know' +25 Girls Aloud - 'Love Machine' +24 Coldplay - 'In My Place' +23 David Bowie - 'Modern Love' +22 Natalie Imbruglia - 'Torn' +21 S Club 7 - 'S Club Party' +20 Pet Shop Boys and Dusty Springfield - 'What Have I Done To Deserve This' +19 Puretone - 'Addicted to Bass' +18 Madonna - 'Ray of Light' +17 Moloko - 'The Time Is Now' +16 Artful Dodger feat. Craig David - 'Re-Rewind (The Crowd Say Bo Selecta)' +15 Justin Timberlake - 'Like I Love You' +14 Rachel Stevens - 'Some Girls' +13 Busted - 'Air Hostess' +12 Dido - 'White Flag' +11 Rachel Stevens - 'Sweet Dreams My LA Ex' +10 Appleton - 'Fantasy' +9 Stardust - 'Music Sounds Better With You' +8 Alice Deejay - 'Better Off Alone' +7 Whitney Houston - 'My Love Is Your Love' +6 Destiny's Child - 'Lose My Breath' +5 Manic Street Preachers - 'A Design for Life' +4 JLS - 'Take A Chance On Me' +3 The Saturdays - 'Forever Is Over' +2 Kelis - 'Milkshake' +1 McFly - 'One for the Radio'

I agree, I've consciously made an effort to go once a month at least in the last year - twice on both these last two months to do some of my Christmas shopping. I've got my eye on some sale stuff for when I go to Chelmsford some time over the next week or two. Also re: the Pure scheme. They launched the new HMV Loyalty app at the end of October. Existing Pure points for those who've not already logged in and redeemed them need to do so by January 13th. As it turns out I don't have enough points left even towards a fiver in store credit so I lose what's left on there - about 15,000 or so. Bit of a gutter that you can't carry them forward, but the new loyalty scheme is set to launch in June next year.

Good afternoon all. For the final time in 2019 - and this decade - it's time to bring you my personal top 20 singles for this week. Seven days ago we revealed that Peppa Pig had taken home the bacon - or should that be gammon? - from Little Mix to have our Christmas number one this year. But has 'Bing Bong Zoo' held onto be the final chart topper of this year? Let's find out... THEPENSMITH'S TOP 20 SINGLES CHART Week ending 27th December 2019 © AM LIMITED 2019 1. (1) PEPPA PIG - Bing Bong Zoo 2. (2) LITTLE MIX - One I've Been Missing 3. (4) DUA LIPA - Don't Start Now 4. (3) ELLIE GOULDING - River 5. (5) CAMILA CABELLO - Easy 6. (6) NIALL HORAN - Put A Little Love On Me 7. (7) NOW UNITED - Legends 8. (9) KYLIE MINOGUE - Every Day's Like Christmas 9. (10) THE POGUES & KIRSTY MACCOLL - Fairytale of New York 10. (8) JODIE WHITTAKER - Yellow 11. (11) EMMA BUNTON - Coming Home for Christmas 12. (13) ENDOR - Pump It Up 13. (14) MICHAEL BUBLÉ - It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas 14. (12) BASTILLE - Can't Fight This Feeling 15. (15) JOHN LENNON & YOKO ONO - Happy Xmas (War Is Over) 16. (16) ROBBIE WILLIAMS - Time For Change 17. (19) CHRIS REA - Driving Home For Christmas 18. (RE) MARK RONSON FEAT. YEBBA - Don't Leave Me Lonely 19. (17) THE SCRIPT - Run Through Walls 20. (20) THE SHIRES - New Year Compiled from my own personal listening in the last seven days across streaming, digital and physical formats. KEY (1) - last week's position (HNE) - highest new entry (NE) - new entry (RE) - re-entry CHART COMMENTARY Very glad you can join us for what is always one of our strangest charts of the year, covering the last few days leading up to Christmas, the holiday itself and the small fall period between then. And for the first time all year, there are no new entries, just merely a reshuffle or in some cases no movement whatsoever. Such is the case at the very top of our chart, as Peppa Pig holds firm at number one with 'Bing Bong Zoo' for a second week. It thus means that it is our 28th and final different number one of the year, a tally which thus knocks 2018's total of chart toppers (15) into a cocked hat. In fact, most of the top 10 remains static, bar one place rises for Dua Lipa (up one to #3 on her eighth week around with former number one 'Don't Start Now'), Kylie Minogue (up one to #8 with 'Every Day's Like Christmas') and The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl (up one to #9 with 'Fairytale of New York'). Also on the rise this week: 'Pump It Up' (climbing one to #12 for Endor), 'It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas' (up one to #13 for Michael Bublé, four places lower than the #9 peak it achieved last year), and 'Driving Home for Christmas' (up two to #17 for Chris Rea). 'Don't Leave Me Lonely', the current Mark Ronson and Yebba hit also returns to our top 20 after a week's absence, going up six to #18. Of course, the festive evergreens are undoubtedly in for their usual stock market-esque falls seven days hence now the festive season is pretty much done and dusted. For this week though, no more comment is left to be made, because that is quite literally that for 2019 on my personal charts. Don't forget to check out our Chart of the Year with our top 40 singles of the last twelve months on the End of Year Countdown forum on New Year's Eve, where we'll also reveal our top 10 singles of the decade and reveal what's been the biggest song of what everyone will shortly be referring to as the 2010s. Until then, a very happy new year to you all, and we'll see you back here next week for our first chart of 2020 and the new decade. FLASHBACK TOP 10 Your chance to see how my personal top 10 was looking on this week in the last 20 years. This week in 2003: that year's Christmas chart topper, Michael Andrews and Gary Jules' haunting take on the Tears for Fears hit 'Mad World' stays put for a second week as the last number one of 2003, plus classic hits from The Darkness, Will Young and Sugababes 1. (1) MICHAEL ANDREWS & GARY JULES - Mad World elaaKc2TC8s 2. (2) THE DARKNESS - Christmas Time (Don't Let The Bells End) 3. (3) WILL YOUNG - Leave Right Now 4. (4) SUGABABES - Too Lost In You 5. (7) OUTKAST (ANDRE 3000) - Hey Ya! 6. (9) KATIE MELUA - The Closest Thing To Crazy 7. (5) ATOMIC KITTEN FEAT. KOOL & THE GANG - Ladies Night 8. (6) BLACK EYED PEAS - Shut Up 9. (10) BLUE FEAT. STEVIE WONDER & ANGIE STONE - Signed Sealed Delivered 10. (8) THE IDOLS - Happy Xmas (War Is Over)

Hello everyone. Firstly apologies for the delay, but owing to a personal bereavement over the weekend, my personal top 20 is up slightly later than planned. But it's here now, and it's the most important chart of the year as we find out who takes the Christmas number one on my chart this year. Is it gonna be Little Mix? Peppa Pig? Ellie Goulding? Here's your answer... THEPENSMITH'S TOP 20 SINGLES CHART Week ending 20th December 2019 © AM LIMITED 2019 1. (2) PEPPA PIG - Bing Bong Zoo 2. (1) LITTLE MIX - One I've Been Missing 3. (HNE) ELLIE GOULDING - River 4. (4) DUA LIPA - Don't Start Now 5. (NE) CAMILA CABELLO - Easy 6. (3) NIALL HORAN - Put A Little Love On Me 7. (5) NOW UNITED - Legends 8. (6) JODIE WHITTAKER - Yellow 9. (12) KYLIE MINOGUE - Every Day's Like Christmas 10. (14) THE POGUES & KIRSTY MACCOLL - Fairytale of New York 11. (8) EMMA BUNTON - Coming Home for Christmas 12. (9) BASTILLE - Can't Fight This Feeling 13. (10) ENDOR - Pump It Up 14. (16) MICHAEL BUBLÉ - It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas 15. (15) JOHN LENNON & YOKO ONO - Happy Xmas (War Is Over) 16. (11) ROBBIE WILLIAMS - Time For Change 17. (13) THE SCRIPT - Run Through Walls 18. (NE) WALTHAM FOREST YOUTH CHOIR FEAT. TONY MORTIMER - Stay Another Day 19. (RE) CHRIS REA - Driving Home For Christmas 20. (18) THE SHIRES - New Year Compiled from my own personal listening in the last seven days across streaming, digital and physical formats. KEY (1) - last week's position (HNE) - highest new entry (NE) - new entry (RE) - re-entry CHART COMMENTARY 10 years after 'Banned' of St Trinian's took our Christmas number one in 2009, it is a pleasure to report that the festive top spot on our chart this year is not taken by the biggest pop act of the moment, or even a last minute contender, but instead by a full blown novelty. In its third week on the chart, 'Bing Bong Zoo' by Peppa Pig overcomes its deficit to Little Mix and claims our personal chart's 21st Christmas number one single. vJj3Ch79tNs Peppa - voiced by Harley Bird, who seems to have been the forgotten star in all of this - is thus the second non sentient act to have a number one on my chart, but the first to have the Christmas chart topper in my chart history. Bob the Builder of course did have two number ones, but he was stuck behind S Club 7 for the festive runner up slot in 2000 with 'Can We Fix It', only ascending to the top for the final chart of that year. The performance of 'Bing Bong Zoo' and the Little Mix single 'One I've Been Missing' - which drops a place to #2, thus denying the girls the opportunity to replicate Girls Aloud's feat in the 00s of two Christmas number ones - are such that both are now among the 10 biggest singles of the year on our chart. Where exactly they place? You'll have to join us on New Year's Eve on the End of Chart forum to find out. Back to the Christmas chart for now though, and the highest new hit for the festive season lands at #3 for Ellie Goulding. 'River' is her cover of the Joni Mitchell classic, and thus becomes her best performing single since 'Still Falling for You' made #2 in September 2016. After most of the year off this year to get married, her fourth studio album is finally in the can for 2020 - exactly a decade on from her debut. _8IoUoH3-EE One artist who has very much not been missing in action this year is Camila Cabello, the former Fifth Harmony star having topped the charts for four weeks in August with Mark Ronson on 'Find U Again', and having huge #2 hits with Shawn Mendes on his 'Senõrita' and her own 'Liar'. 'Easy', the second single from her second solo album 'Romance', gives her her fourth top 5 hit of the year, entering at #5. X95tylIxAoc Kylie Minogue rounds off a stellar 2019, climbing three places to #9 with 'Every Day's Like Christmas', whilst The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl return for the fourteenth consecutive year to our festive top 10 at #10 with 'Fairytale of New York'. That is five places lower than it was in the Christmas chart last year, however it's worth noting that our festive top 20 doesn't include Christmas week itself this year, hence the slightly lower rankings for the festive evergreens than usually would be the case and which will undoubtedly be higher seven days hence. See also the current positions of Michael Bublé ('It's Beginning To Look a Lot Like Christmas', up two to #14), John Lennon and Yoko Ono ('Happy Xmas (War Is Over)', non-mover at #15) and Chris Rea ('Driving Home for Christmas', up six to #19). THcbQyFtCqg This year marks the 25th anniversary of 'Stay Another Day', the million selling UK chart topper for Christmas 1994 from Walthamstow's bad boy lad band East 17. To mark the occasion, the band's main singer and songwriter Tony Mortimer, who wrote the song about the passing of his brother Ollie to suicide, has leant his hand to a new version recorded with the Waltham Forest Youth Choir, to raise money for the charity CALM, or Campaign Against Living Miserably for short. It takes the track back into my chart at #18 in this new version, although the East 17 original recharted as recently as 2010 when it peaked at #37. fbuGzi1pIls And so that was the festive chart for 2019. All that remains for me is to wish you a Merry Christmas whatever you may be up to, and however you may be celebrating. See you back here next week for the last chart of the year. FLASHBACK TOP 10 Your chance to see how my personal top 10 was looking on this week in the last 20 years. This week in 2002: Girls Aloud see off their Popstars rivals One True Voice to take that year's Christmas number one, plus classic hits from Blue with Elton John and Eminem 1. (HNE) GIRLS ALOUD - Sound of the Underground V9Wv4SCBiTE 2. (NE) ONE TRUE VOICE - Sacred Trust / After You're Gone 3. (1) BLUE FEAT. ELTON JOHN - Sorry Seems To Be the Hardest Word 4. (2) EMINEM - Lose Yourself 5. (4) DANIEL BEDINGFIELD - If You're Not The One 6. (3) HOLLY VALANCE - Naughty Girl 7. (NE) LOVE INC - You're A Superstar 8. (NE) AVRIL LAVIGNE - Sk8er Boi 9. (5) THE CHEEKY GIRLS - The Cheeky Song (Touch My Bum) 10. (6) LIBERTY X - Holding on for You

My chart topic will be up tomorrow or Sunday: THEPENSMITH'S TOP 20 SINGLES CHART Week ending 20th December 2019 © AM LIMITED 2019 1. (2) PEPPA PIG - Bing Bong Zoo 2. (1) LITTLE MIX - One I've Been Missing 3. (HNE) ELLIE GOULDING - River 4. (4) DUA LIPA - Don't Start Now 5. (NE) CAMILA CABELLO - Easy 6. (3) NIALL HORAN - Put A Little Love On Me 7. (5) NOW UNITED - Legends 8. (6) JODIE WHITTAKER - Yellow 9. (12) KYLIE MINOGUE - Every Day's Like Christmas 10. (14) THE POGUES & KIRSTY MACCOLL - Fairytale of New York 11. (8) EMMA BUNTON - Coming Home for Christmas 12. (9) BASTILLE - Can't Fight This Feeling 13. (10) ENDOR - Pump It Up 14. (16) MICHAEL BUBLÉ - It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas 15. (15) JOHN LENNON & YOKO ONO - Happy Xmas (War Is Over) 16. (11) ROBBIE WILLIAMS - Time For Change 17. (13) THE SCRIPT - Run Through Walls 18. (NE) WALTHAM FOREST YOUTH CHOIR FEAT. TONY MORTIMER - Stay Another Day 19. (RE) CHRIS REA - Driving Home For Christmas 20. (18) THE SHIRES - New Year

Petition for a 2020 version of this though: vT-363VQZ9c PS You're all wrong on the 2008 soulful pop diva front. Gabriella Cilmi's first album was the tits (if forever defined by 'Sweet About Me' alone).

He also presents on Songs of Praise and his own show for CBeebies called Down on the Farm. He did a series for BBC One this year as well called Walks of Life which was him and a lady called Mehreen Baig doing country walking routes around the UK with historical/spiritual significance. And that meme never gets old :lol:

I was about to say :lol: Although Marvin and JB - and to a certain extent Aston - have actually had the most prominent careers since JLS ended, even if not within music. Poor Reesh has indeed been the Nadine, in fact I'm surprised he hasn't done the jungle yet. Would do him good to go on next year I think, especially after the ordeals he's had of recent years.

These things are all cyclical really. Always have been. Everyone thought pop bar Girls Aloud and Sugababes was good for dead in the late 00s when it was all landfill indie bands and faceless dance music. Streaming has undoubtedly made it more difficult of late though. I do think there's been some great pop acts around though, even if they're not having say, Stormzy or Lewis Capaldi levels of success. Now United, who are Simon Fuller's new pop group (well relatively new, they've been going just over a year now) have done pretty well worldwide, and they've got some great songs like 'Legends' and 'All Day' to name a few. Just annoying that it took until September for Simon to realise you couldn't launch a pop act in this day and age without streaming, which considering how forward thinking his previous multi brand concepts like S Club and Pop Idol were was peculiar to say the least. Four of Diamonds, who've been looked after by Peter Loraine at Fascination have had some great singles too. Also Paige Cavell who's the most recent discovery of Brian Higgins and the Xenomania team. There's still some good stuff out there it's just a case of knowing where to look. I do believe though that we're due another turn of the cycle. I think with Little Mix's new show on BBC One coming up in the new year that will be interesting to see what's produced from that.

I do love Olly, and I know he's done it as he's on a break from music, but he needs to bring his natural hair colour back. He looks like a bloody badger atm.

Just 1.7m tuned in for the final of this last night. Ding dong, the show is dead.

Awful news for Shane, never easy losing a parent. All thoughts and love to his family at this time.

SNL performance: 5iboimrLFE8

Hello one, hello all. Welcome to my personal top 20 singles for this week. Just one week remains before we know which record becomes my 21st Christmas number one. But as the competition hots up, are Little Mix still in the running? Has Peppa Pig bought home the bacon? Or have new singles from Niall Horan and Alphabeat proved a strong challenge? Here's the moment of truth... THEPENSMITH'S TOP 20 SINGLES CHART Week ending 13th December 2019 © AM LIMITED 2019 1. (1) LITTLE MIX - One I've Been Missing 2. (2) PEPPA PIG - Bing Bong Zoo 3. (HNE) NIALL HORAN - Put A Little Love On Me 4. (3) DUA LIPA - Don't Start Now 5. (4) NOW UNITED - Legends 6. (5) JODIE WHITTAKER - Yellow 7. (NE) ALPHABEAT - Sing A Song 8. (10) EMMA BUNTON - Coming Home For Christmas 9. (8) BASTILLE - Can't Fight This Feeling 10. (9) ENDOR - Pump It Up 11. (8) ROBBIE WILLIAMS - Time For Change 12. (NE) KYLIE MINOGUE- Every Day's Like Christmas 13. (7) THE SCRIPT - Run Through Walls 14. (RE) THE POGUES & KIRSTY MACCOLL - Fairytale of New York 15. (RE) JOHN LENNON & YOKO ONO - Happy Xmas (War Is Over) 16. (RE) MICHAEL BUBLÉ - It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas 17. (11) NIALL HORAN - Nice To Meet Ya 18. (12) THE SHIRES - New Year 19. (13) MABEL - Loneliest Time of Year 20. (14) MARK RONSON FEAT. YEBBA - Don't Leave Me Lonely Compiled from my own personal listening in the last seven days across streaming, digital and physical formats. KEY (1) - last week's position (HNE) - highest new entry (NE) - new entry (RE) - re-entry CHART COMMENTARY Personal Christmas Chart T-1, as the competition steps up another notch. And the situation is very much as we left it seven days ago. Little Mix stay put at number one for a second week with 'One I've Been Missing', the first record in over two months to manage this feat, whilst Peppa Pig retains her #2 entry point from last week with 'Bing Bong Zoo'. With just one week left until we discover who takes 2019's Christmas number one on my chart, it seems that the two main contenders have all but squared up. However, though Little Mix have the edge at the moment, the still strongly performing Peppa single is defying usual logic and gaining momentum, helped in part by its creators announcing this week that they are teaming up with the charity Save the Children, to whom they are waiving all royalties from streams and downloads of the single. All this means that for the first time in a very long while, the race to be festive chart topper this year is almost too close to call. The epic battle of the biggest girl group on the block with a Christmas cracker versus the kid's favourite TV pig with a silly festive novelty for charity has also overshadowed the fact that, for the first time since its debut, Dua Lipa's 'Don't Start Now' is not a top 3 record this week. Instead, it drops a place to #4 as we welcome the biggest new hit of the week at #3 from Niall Horan. bO3S8CKafbE 'Put A Little Love On Me' is the second single from his forthcoming new album out next spring, and the follow-up to his chart topping 'Nice To Meet Ya' which spent two weeks at number one in October (it's still inside the top 20 at #17). It arrives almost understated at the end of a week where his former One Direction colleague Liam Payne has been embroiled in all manner of controversy regarding the hostile critical and commercial reaction to his debut solo LP after delays of more than two years and associated tabloid movements. (Suffice to say, his seven solo singles to date have failed to make my chart at all). Happily, Niall seems to have sidestepped being made into such cannon fodder, and has let the music speak for itself on this beautiful piano led ballad. Obviously #3 is probably about as good as it's going to get so close to Christmas, but certainly don't rule this one out to be one of the first big hits of 2020 when it arrives. Our only other completely new entry - that definition will make more sense in a second - is at this week's #7 for Alphabeat, who can consider 2019 to have been a very successful comeback year after almost seven years away, following a top 5 smash for 'Shadows' in March and a chart topper in September - the fourth of their career - with 'I Don't Know What's Cool Anymore', and now from the album of the same name comes third single 'Sing A Song' to give them their third top 10 hit of the year, a total only bettered by fellow comeback kings Westlife who have enjoyed four top 10 hits in 2019. tqhY_-YNppM Our last new entry then. Not strictly a brand new song, it lands just outside the top 10, although I strongly suspect that won't be where it peaks. 'Every Day's Like Christmas' was released to little fanfare by Kylie Minogue as the fourth single from her now four year old 'Christmas' album in 2015, co-written by none other than her old labelmate and good friend Chris Martin from Coldplay. It debuts at #12 after a high positioning on my Christmas playlist, and I believe is probably set for a climb next week to round off what's been another stellar year for the Aussie pop royalty. Sn8r4Zm-g3g Also on the up are some returning festive evergreens which advance into my top 20 this week after entering last week. Leading the way as usual, for the fourteenth consecutive year running, The Pogues and Kirsty MacColl go up 23 places to #14 with 'Fairytale of New York', followed closely by a 20 place climb at #15 for 'Happy Xmas (War Is Over)' by John Lennon and Yoko Ono, and a climb of 13 places for Michael Bublé's 'It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas' at #16. j9jbdgZidu8 y1FlCzVaJew bYnqRzJTOYs There's also seasonal re-entries outside my top 20 at #25 for Chris Rea ('Driving Home For Christmas'), at #28 for Gwen Stefani ('You Make It Feel Like Christmas'), Kelly Clarkson at #31 ('Run Run Rudolph'), Wizzard at #37 ('I Wish It Could Be Christmas Everyday') and Slade at #39 ('Merry Xmas Everybody'). So the stage is now set. Which record will we find at the top of our Christmas tree seven days hence to take our 21st Christmas number one on my chart? May the best man, woman, group or er, pig win. FLASHBACK TOP 10 Your chance to see how my personal top 10 was looking on this week in the last 20 years. This week in 2006: Take That's comeback single after 10 years away, 'Patience', storms to a third week at the top, plus classic hits from Gwen Stefani, Matt Willis and Jamelia 1. (1) TAKE THAT - Patience 273eSvOwpKk 2. (HNE) GWEN STEFANI - Wind It Up 3. (NE) MATT WILLIS - Don't Let It Go To Waste 4. (NE) JAMELIA - Beware of the Dog 5. (2) BOOTY LUV - Boogie 2Nite 6. (3) EMMA BUNTON - Downtown 7. (4) NELLY FURTADO - All Good Things (Come To An End) 8. (5) JUSTIN TIMBERLAKE FEAT. T.I - My Love 9. (NE) SCISSOR SISTERS - Land of a Thousand Words 10. (6) ALL SAINTS - Rock Steady

My main chart topic will be up tomorrow: THEPENSMITH'S TOP 20 SINGLES CHART Week ending 13th December 2019 © AM LIMITED 2019 1. (1) LITTLE MIX - One I've Been Missing 2. (2) PEPPA PIG - Bing Bong Zoo 3. (HNE) NIALL HORAN - Put A Little Love On Me 4. (3) DUA LIPA - Don't Start Now 5. (4) NOW UNITED - Legends 6. (5) JODIE WHITTAKER - Yellow 7. (NE) ALPHABEAT - Sing A Song 8. (10) EMMA BUNTON - Coming Home for Christmas 9. (8) BASTILLE - Can't Fight This Feeling 10. (9) ENDOR - Pump It Up 11. (8) ROBBIE WILLIAMS - Time For Change 12. (NE) KYLIE MINOGUE - Every Day's Like Christmas 13. (7) THE SCRIPT - Run Through Walls 14. (RE) THE POGUES FEAT. KIRSTY MACCOLL - Fairytale of New York 15. (RE) JOHN LENNON & YOKO ONO - Happy Xmas (War Is Over) 16. (RE) MICHAEL BUBLÉ - It's Beginning To Look A Lot Like Christmas 17. (11) NIALL HORAN - Nice To Meet Ya 18. (12) THE SHIRES - New Year 19. (13) MABEL - Loneliest Time Of Year 20. (14) MARK RONSON FEAT. YEBBA - Don't Leave Me Lonely KEY (1) - last week's position (HNE) - highest new entry (NE) - new entry (RE) - re-entry

I was gonna say Harry and Niall are the only ones doing anything approaching respectable chart wise at the moment.

Down to #14 in yesterday's midweek, which has now prompted Simon Boyle at The Sun to take all five of them down for knocking copy: https://www.thesun.co.uk/tvandshowbiz/10516...-solo-disaster/ This definitely has shades of late 2001 when similar pieces were being written about the Spice Girls' solo efforts all tanking to a lesser or greater degree.