The dictionary definition of hell might well be attending a singalong screening of the KPop Demon Hunters film. Nonetheless, many people seem to have decided to put themselves through that particular form of torture. People who chose to stay at home and watch it on Netflix have contributed to making it the most-watched film of all time on the streaming platform. Meanwhile, the animated film continues its grip on the upper reaches of the singles chart. Golden by HUNTR/X, EJAE, AUDREY NUNA, REI AMI & KPop Demon Hunters Cast remains at number one for a fourth week. Saja Boys, Andrew Choi, Neckwav, Danny Chung, Kevin Woo, samUIL Lee & KPop Demon Hunters Cast are at number four with Soda Pop and also at number six with Your Idol. Olivia Dean climbs to number two with Man I Need. The top five is completed by No Broke Boys by Disco Lines and Tinashe at number three and Chappell Roan’s The Subway at number five. Doja Cat gets her second top forty hit of the year with Jealous Type at number thirteen. As with many of her hits, it by no means terrible, but it also isn’t particularly good. Two Jealous songs have topped the chart. Alvin Stardust spent a week at number one in 1974 with Jealous Mind and Roxy Music’s version of John Lennon’s Jealous Guy was number one for a week in 1981. Olivia Dean’s Dive entered the top 100 and has remained there for most of the time since then, dropping out a coup[le times because of the rule restricting the number of songs one artist can have in the chart at the same time. Now it is back as one of her three most popular songs and enters the top forty for the first time at number 31. Lady Lady has dropped out to make way for it. The overall result is positive as Dive is a much better song than Lady Lady. Rockabilly revivalists Stray Cats had a number of top forty hits in the 1980s. Last year some stray young goats followed them into the top forty with Chk Chk Boom,a song that entered and left the chart while I was on holiday without me noticing. Now South Korean boyband Stray Kids (yes, another one) are back with Ceremony at number 37. To put it mildly, it is dreadful. I’m now listening to the New Order song of the same name to recover. This week’s random new entry is a track from Rihanna’s 2007 album Good Girl Gone Bad. Breakin’ dishes enters at number 40 to give Ms Fenty her first top forty hit since 2022. She hasn’t released an album since Anti in 2016. Before that, she had released seven albums in as many years up to 2012. Breakin’ Dishes is Rihanna’s 51st top forty single. There is also a random re-entry in the form of Coldplay’s Viva La Vida at number twenty. It has been in the chart for most of the year but has now been given a boost after the Official Charts Company allowed it to revert to the Standard Chart Ratio, meaning that its streams now have the same value as those of newer songs. The song topped the chart in 2008. Oh, and there’s another one. Their first big hit Yellow (number four in 2000) has received the same treatment, so it is back at number nineteen. Last weekend Chappell Roan was one of the headline acts at the Reading and Leeds festival. There was a time when the audience, largely rock fans, would have recoiled in horror at this. However, her performance was very well-received and Hot To Go returns to the chart at number 28. The Hope & Anchor pub in Islington became well-known in the 1970s as one of the venues to host early gigs by a number of punk bands including The Stranglers. It also featured in the video for Madness’s One Step Beyond single. A chance meeting with another band at an open mic night in the pub in 2010 led to Wolf Alice getting their first gig as a support act to April In The Shade. That band went nowhere, but Wolf Alice have done rather better. Their first two albums reached number two before the third, Blue Weekend, went to number one in 2021. They now have a second chart-topping album with their fourth release The Clearing. American alternative metal band released their first album in 1995 and have continued to put out a new set every few years since then. For a long time their biggest success was with their eponymous 2003 release which peaked at number seven. However, a combination of a loyal fan base and low albums sales saw them beat that with their two most recent releases, both of which made it to number five. They now get a new high with Private Music at number two. Some people are forever saddled with being known more for who they are not than for who they are. Laufey will always be known to many people as the Icelandic female singer-songwriter who isn’t Bjork. Her full name is Laufey Lin Bing Jonsdottir which also makes her the Bing who isn’t Crosby. This week she gets her first top ten album with A Matter Of Time at number three. The dictionary definition of optimism might well be booking tickets for the final dates of this year’s Oasis reunion tour. Nonetheless, the Gallaghert brothers have - so far at least - avoided a massive falling-out and the tour has now moved on to the USA. Their Time Flies collection remains in the top five, at number four. A highly expensive boxed set of all their studio albums is at number 39. Alex warren’sYou’ll Be Alright Kid is at number five. Irish folk band Kingfishr (sic) are at number seven with Halcyon. Pendulum are at number eight with Inertia, their first new album for seven years. Artists, and their record labels, now find themselves with a decision to make once an album has been recorded, mixed, edited etc. If they are enjoying singles chart success, perhaps for the first time, there is a temptation to get the album out top the public as soon as possible. However, that is likely to mean releasing it for download and streaming only with physical copies coming along later, thereby potentially consigning it to a lower chart position. Sombr currently has three songs in the top forty, so it is understandable that his record label decided to release his album I Barely Know Her without waiting for physical copies. The best of the songs are very good although there are a couple that I would describe as filler. For now, it is at number ten. It remains to be seen whether it climbs higher when physical copies are available. Royel Otis make their chart debut with their second album Hickey at number fourteen. Stray Kids (see above) are at number 22 with Karma (not Chameleon or Police). Rudimental return to the chart after a four-year absence with Rudim3ntal at number 31. Ten years ago Tyler The Creator reached number sixteen with Cherry Bomb. A new edition of the album has done half as well. It is at number 32. Over their long career, The Who have played several gigs at various cricket grounds around the country. A recording of their gig at Surrey’s ground The Oval in 1971 is at number 40 (I think).
Every single new-born baby is a potential criminal. They are also a potential brilliant surgeon, great entertainer, hugely successful author, or the person who eliminates cancer. What is your point?
