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Jamse, well done for predicting the next number 1! Here is the chart of May 3, 2008: 20 Kylie Minogue - In My Arms Stay => 19 Sam Sparro - Black And Gold NEW 18 Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love 2 Down 17 Gnarls Barkley - Run 4 Down 16 The Kooks - Always Where I Need To Be 5 Down 15 Leona Lewis - Better In Time NEW 14 Mariah Carey - Touch My Body Stay => 13 Kelly Rowland - Work 3 Down 12 Alicia Keys - Like You'll Never See Me Again 5 Down 11 Adele - Chasing Pavements 3 Down 10 Panic At The Disco - Nine In The Afternoon 5 Up 9 Britney Spears - Break The Ice 4 Down 8 OneRepublic - Stop And Stare 2 Down 7 Madonna & Justin Timberlake - 4 Minutes NEW 6 Flo Rida & T-Pain - Low 3 Up 5 Yael Naim - New Soul 14 Up 4 Timbaland, Keri Hilson & Nicole Scherzinger - Scream Stay => 3 Chris Brown - With You 1 Down 2 Duffy - Mercy 1 Down 1 Estelle & Kanye West - American Boy 2 Up I was right that a storm was coming - there are three new entries this week and a couple of big movements in the chart! "4 Minutes" by Madonna and Justin Timberlake debuts in the Top 10 - something which would have been amazing for other songs but I expected better from this single. It's true that there have been only two number 1 debuts in the history of the chart ("Back For Good" by Take That and "Candle In The Wind '97" by Elton John) but few songs would have been more appropriate for entering at the top of the chart other than "4 Minutes"... I guess we'll have to wait! My next hope is Michael Jackson's comeback... "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis is still in the chart (now in its 22nd week) but her new single "Better In Time" is a new entry this week. Can it become her second chart-topper? The lowest new entry - at number 19 - is "Black And Gold" by Sam Sparro. I have noticed that more and more songs that are successful only in the UK are entering the chart... Of course, that doesn't mean they can't do well in other European countries subsequently! Just like I expected, this "storm" results in the fact that "Don't Stop The Music" by Rihanna has gone out. Thus it becomes the third longest stayer in MTV European Top 20 with a total of 27 weeks in the chart. Number 1 is "Asereje" by Las Ketchup with 29 weeks and number 2 - "Say It Right" by Nelly Furtado with 28 weeks. I wonder when a song will spend 30 weeks in the chart... Something that I didn't expect at all is the HUGE 14-place climb of "New Soul" by Yael Naim to number 5. I thought they wouldn't even let it reach the Top 10... I'm glad that I was wrong! There were other surprising movements as well. After entering straight at number 11 and climbing to number 5 in its second week in the chart, now "Break The Ice" by Britney Spears falls 4 places to number 9... It started so promisingly but seems to have ended very quickly. And that's logical, actually - the song isn't that successful around Europe. Not that this means anything - "Nine In The Afternoon" by Panic At The Disco appears only in a couple of European charts, yet it makes a shocking reclimb just when I thought it was on its way out. Here is its chart run so far: 14-11-12-14-15-10 On the other hand, "Touch My Body" by Mariah Carey does seem to be doing well around Europe, yet it remains stuck at number 14. Well, at least there is unpredictability in the chart (one of the reasons why I love it)! Duffy didn't manage to stay very long at number 1 - "Mercy" has left the top after two weeks there. It's been replaced by "American Boy", which becomes the fourth chart-topper to include the word "American" in its title after Madonna's "American Pie" and "American Life" and Green Day's "American Idiot". It's also the first number 1 for Kanye West as both "Gold Digger" and "Stronger" stopped at number 2. Of course, since this is Estelle's first hit in European Top 20, it's her first chart-topper as well! What about next week? Madonna and Justin Timberlake are the obvious contenders for the number 1 position but Yael Naim looks strong, too... It's also possible that Duffy returns to the top. But, in the end, "American Boy" might just stay there!...

Here is the chart of April 26, 2008: 20 Kylie Minogue - In My Arms 2 Down 19 Yael Naim - New Soul NEW 18 Missy Elliott - Ching-A-Ling 2 Up 17 Justice - DVNO 1 Down 16 Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love 1 Down 15 Panic At The Disco - Nine In The Afternoon 1 Down 14 Mariah Carey - Touch My Body 5 Up 13 Gnarls Barkley - Run Stay => 12 Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music 6 Down 11 The Kooks - Always Where I Need To Be 1 Up 10 Kelly Rowland - Work Stay => 9 Flo Rida & T-Pain - Low Stay => 8 Adele - Chasing Pavements 1 Down 7 Alicia Keys - Like You'll Never See Me Again 1 Up 6 OneRepublic - Stop And Stare 3 Down 5 Britney Spears - Break The Ice 6 Up 4 Timbaland, Keri Hilson & Nicole Scherzinger - Scream 2 Down 3 Estelle & Kanye West - American Boy 2 Up 2 Chris Brown - With You 2 Up 1 Duffy - Mercy Stay => There may be only one new entry this week but I'm very happy about it. "New Soul" by Yael Naim really deserved to enter MTV European Top 20 as it has been successful in many European countries. I don't think it will do very well in this chart but what's important is that they let it in - just like in the case of "When You're Gone" by Basshunter. After spending three weeks at number 19, "Touch My Body" by Mariah Carey finally goes up. This 5-place climb to number 14 might indicate that the single is going to have some success in the chart after all. However, that's much more obvious for the biggest climber this week - "Break The Ice" by Britney Spears, which goes 11-5 in its second week in the chart. Her previous two hits ("Gimme More" and "Piece Of Me") both became number ones... Can "Break The Ice" do the same? On the other hand, the biggest faller is "Don't Stop The Music" by Rihanna, 6 places down to number 12. However, the song spends its 27th week in the chart and now there are only two songs ahead - "Say It Right" by Nelly Furtado, which spent 28 weeks in the chart; and the record-holder "Asereje" by Las Ketchup with 29 weeks. A quick comparison - in its 27th week in the chart "Say It Right" was at number 18; "Asereje" was at number 16. "Don't Stop The Music" is higher placed than both at this stage; this should mean that it has every chance to break the record for longest stay in European Top 20! However, I don't really think so. The chart might have been slower during the last couple of weeks but I think a storm is coming and probably next week there will be three or four new entries... So while I can imagine "Don't Stop The Music" spending one more week in the chart and two weeks aren't impossible, I'll be REALLY surprised if it does last three more weeks indeed! Madonna and Justin Timberlake didn't debut this week so "Mercy" by Duffy expectedly spends a second week at the top. The runner-up this time is "With You" by Chris Brown. While "Run It!" went to number 1 two years ago, in my opinion it's unlikely that "With You" will repeat that as the song simply isn't as successful across Europe. But this is the European Top 20 so everything is possible!

Here is the chart of April 19, 2008: 20 Missy Elliott - Ching-A-Ling NEW 19 Mariah Carey - Touch My Body Stay => 18 Kylie Minogue - In My Arms Stay => 17 Rihanna & Ne-Yo - Hate That I Love You 2 Down 16 Justice - DVNO 1 Up 15 Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love 1 Down 14 Panic At The Disco - Nine In The Afternoon 2 Down 13 Gnarls Barkley - Run 3 Up 12 The Kooks - Always Where I Need To Be 1 Up 11 Britney Spears - Break The Ice NEW 10 Kelly Rowland - Work 1 Down 9 Flo Rida & T-Pain - Low 2 Up 8 Alicia Keys - Like You'll Never See Me Again 2 Up 7 Adele - Chasing Pavements Stay => 6 Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music 2 Down 5 Estelle & Kanye West - American Boy 3 Up 4 Chris Brown - With You 1 Up 3 OneRepublic - Stop And Stare Stay => 2 Timbaland, Keri Hilson & Nicole Scherzinger - Scream 1 Down 1 Duffy - Mercy 1 Up As expected, "Mercy" by Duffy is the new number 1. The previous two chart-toppers - "Stop And Stare" and "Scream" - both spent only one week at the top but I think "Mercy" is going to have a longer reign over the chart... unless Madonna and Justin Timberlake debut at number 1 next week! There are two new entries this week. At number 20 is "Ching-A-Ling" by Missy Elliott. She was last seen in the chart in 2005 with "Lose Control", which reached number 6. The other new entry is more interesting. "Break The Ice" by Britney Spears enters at number 11 and actually replaces her previous single "Piece Of Me", which leaves the chart straight from number 6! That's remarkable by itself but even more impressive is that it never went lower than number 6. So far only two other singles have spent all of their weeks in MTV European Top 20 in the Top 6 - "The Saints Are Coming" by U2 and Green Day (its chart run was 6-2) and "All I Want For Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey (it spent only one week in the chart - at number 6)... However, it's Rihanna again that deserves a special mention. "Hate That I Love You" breaks a record this week as it spends its 17th week in the chart after peaking at number 9. Until now "I'm With You" by Avril Lavigne held the record for most weeks in the chart for a song that has peaked at number 9 - 16 weeks... At the same time "Don't Stop The Music" is spending its 26th week in the chart, equalling the third longest stay in European Top 20, which was achieved by "Cotton Eye Joe" by Rednex. Curiously, the latter was also at number 6 in its 26th week in the chart but went out immediately after that! So who remains ahead of "Don't Stop The Music"? Only "Say It Right" by Nelly Furtado (with a total of 28 weeks in the chart) and "Asereje" by Las Ketchup (the record-holder with 29 weeks in European Top 20). I must admit I don't really believe Rihanna is going to break the record... but that becomes more and more likely with every week! Oh, and "Hate That I Love You" and "Don't Stop The Music" have now spent 16 weeks simultaneously in the chart. I doubt that another artist will ever have two simultaneous hits in the chart for such a long time...

tsetsi, I don't think this is an MTV airplay chart - there have been numerous occasions when songs that have been played a lot on MTV haven't entered the chart and vice versa... Here is the chart of April 12, 2008: 20 Lenny Kravitz - I'll Be Waiting 2 Down 19 Mariah Carey - Touch My Body Stay => 18 Kylie Minogue - In My Arms 5 Down 17 Justice - DVNO Stay => 16 Gnarls Barkley - Run NEW 15 Rihanna & Ne-Yo - Hate That I Love You RE-ENTRY 14 Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love 1 Up 13 The Kooks - Always Where I Need To Be 1 Up 12 Panic At The Disco - Nine In The Afternoon 1 Down 11 Flo Rida & T-Pain - Low 1 Up 10 Alicia Keys - Like You'll Never See Me Again 3 Down 9 Kelly Rowland - Work 1 Up 8 Estelle & Kanye West - American Boy 1 Up 7 Adele - Chasing Pavements 1 Down 6 Britney Spears - Piece Of Me 1 Down 5 Chris Brown - With You 3 Up 4 Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music Stay => 3 OneRepublic - Stop And Stare 2 Down 2 Duffy - Mercy 1 Up 1 Timbaland, Keri Hilson & Nicole Scherzinger - Scream 1 Up I had this feeling at OneRepublic would fall from the top after just one week there... and it has happened! I did think it was more probable that "Mercy" by Duffy would replace "Stop And Stare" but it has climbed to the runner-up position and is still a big contender for the number 1... However, the song that got there this week is "Scream". Yes, "Scream" - the second song with this title that has been a chart-topper in MTV European Top 20 (the first one was, of course, the Jackson duet in 1995). A third consecutive number 1 for Timbaland, a second number 1 for Keri Hilson (I would never have guessed that) and a first time at the top for Nicole Scherzinger. Indeed, as a solo artist she hasn't gone higher than number 6 and as a part of Pussycat Dolls she stopped at number 2 (with both "Stickwitu" and "Beep")... What's interesting about Timbaland's achievement is that the first single from his album - "Give It To Me" - didn't become a chart-topper (it peaked at number 2)... while "The Way I Are", "Apologize" and "Scream" all climbed to number 1. There have been artists who have had 3 number ones from the same album in European Top 20... but I think Timbaland is the first to do it with his second, third and fourth single! There is one new entry at number 16. Gnarls Barkley had one of the biggest hits of 2006 with "Crazy", which spent 5 weeks at number 1 in this chart. They scored one more hit after that - "Smiley Faces" reached number 9. Now they are back in the chart with "Run". But the most remarkable things in this week's chart are related to Rihanna. "Don't Stop The Music" spends its 25th week in the chart, equalling the total number of weeks "7 Seconds" by Youssou N'Dour and Neneh Cherry spent in the chart. Now only three songs have been longer in the chart - "Cotton Eye Joe" by Rednex (26 weeks), "Say It Right" by Nelly Furtado (28 weeks) and "Asereje" by Las Ketchup (29 weeks). Futhermore, "Don't Stop The Music" occupies number 4 in its 25th week in the chart, equalling the achievement of "Say It Right". No song has been higher placed than number 4 in its 25th week in the chart! But that's not all. Rihanna also has a re-entry this week! Her duet with Ne-Yo "Hate That I Love You" is back in the chart after being out for 7 weeks. What's impressive is that this is the song's 16th week in the chart! As I said at the beginning of this year, every song that has re-entered the chart has previously spent at most 9 weeks in it... The idea is that if a song spends too many weeks in the chart, it doesn't really have a chance to re-enter... But "Hate That I Love You" does it, in spite of previously having spent 15 weeks in the chart. And that's actually logical as the single has just been released in several European countries... By the way, what it has done is not exactly a record. When I made that commentary at the beginning of the year, there was a reason - "Hey There Delilah" by Plain White T's re-entered the chart after previously having spent 16 weeks in it... Still, "Hate That I Love You" is second best in this category! But the most curious thing is the interaction between Rihanna's two singles. "Don't Stop The Music" was the first to enter the chart back in 2007 but after 3 weeks it was replaced by "Hate That I Love You". However, just a week later "Don't Stop The Music" re-entered the chart and the two songs spent 14 weeks together in the chart (something unheard of ever before)... and then "Hate That I Love You" left the chart at the beginning of this year so "Don't Stop The Music" stayed alone in European Top 20 for 7 weeks... but now they are together again! I really, really doubt there will ever be such a crazy interaction between two singles by one artist in the chart!!!

tsetsi, we do have an official chart in Bulgaria - the Bulgarian Top 100. It's an airplay chart, not a singles chart, of course (as singles unfortunately aren't even sold here)... But I have absolutely no idea what this Bulgaria Singles Top 40 is! Here is the chart of April 5, 2008: 20 Simple Plan - When I'm Gone 1 Down 19 Mariah Carey - Touch My Body NEW 18 Lenny Kravitz - I'll Be Waiting 2 Down 17 Justice - DVNO 3 Up 16 30 Seconds To Mars - A Beautiful Lie 2 Up 15 Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love 10 Down 14 The Kooks - Always Where I Need To Be NEW 13 Kylie Minogue - In My Arms 5 Down 12 Flo Rida & T-Pain - Low Stay => 11 Panic At The Disco - Nine In The Afternoon 3 Up 10 Kelly Rowland - Work 3 Up 9 Estelle & Kanye West - American Boy 8 Up 8 Chris Brown - With You 2 Up 7 Alicia Keys - Like You'll Never See Me Again 4 Up 6 Adele - Chasing Pavements Stay => 5 Britney Spears - Piece Of Me 4 Down 4 Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music Stay => 3 Duffy - Mercy 6 Up 2 Timbaland, Keri Hilson & Nicole Scherzinger - Scream 1 Up 1 OneRepublic - Stop And Stare 1 Up I predicted it last week! Indeed, "Piece Of Me" by Britney Spears has fallen from the top spot after spending two weeks there. Just like I expected, "Stop And Stare" by OneRepublic is the new number 1. And this is a second chart-topper for the group after "Apologize"... Now that's a good start to a career! Speaking of "Apologize", the fact that OneRepublic and Timbaland as separate artists are occupying the Top 2 might have contributed to the disappearance of their collaboration from the chart. It has gone out straight from number 7 - but its achievement of spending its first 19 weeks in the Top 5 will nevertheless most likely never be beaten... Another song which is doing something impressive is "Don't Stop The Music" by Rihanna, which spends its 24th week in the chart. Only three other number ones in the history of MTV European Top 20 have been in the chart for 24+ weeks - "Asereje" by Las Ketchup, "Hips Don't Lie" by Shakira and Wyclef Jean and "Say It Right" by Nelly Furtado. It's even more remarkable that "Don't Stop The Music" is at number 4 - only "Say It Right" has been higher placed in its 24th week in the chart (it was at number 3)... Otherwise, there are two new entries this week. At number 19 we see Mariah Carey's comeback, (in my opinion) the shockingly unimpressive "Touch My Body". She was very successful in European Top 20 with her previous album as it scored 5 hits in the chart, including the number 1 "We Belong Together". The other new entry at number 14 is a surprising one - "Always Where I Need To Be" by The Kooks. In general, I don't like it when a song that only appears in the UK chart enters European Top 20... but with so many random new entries in recent times, I'm actually glad that this one in particular is having success AT LEAST there (it's currently number 3 in the UK)! Otherwise, there are a couple of very big movements in the chart. The biggest climber is "American Boy" by Estelle and Kanye West (incidentally, the current number 1 in the UK), which goes 17-9... On the other hand, the biggest faller is completely flabbergasting as I see no reason why "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis goes 5-15 when it's doing amazingly well across Europe... However, probably the most important climb is the 9-3 of "Mercy" by Duffy. Especially if we take into account that Charlotte, the chart presenter on MTV, said a couple of weeks ago that she hoped the song was heading for the top, I think it's quite possible that it will happen very soon...

Here is the chart of March 29, 2008: 20 Justice - DVNO NEW 19 Simple Plan - When I'm Gone 5 Down 18 30 Seconds To Mars - A Beautiful Lie 1 Up 17 Estelle & Kanye West - American Boy NEW 16 Lenny Kravitz - I'll Be Waiting 7 Down 15 Snoop Dogg - Sensual Seduction 5 Down 14 Panic At The Disco - Nine In The Afternoon NEW 13 Kelly Rowland - Work 3 Up 12 Flo Rida & T-Pain - Low 5 Up 11 Alicia Keys - Like You'll Never See Me Again NEW 10 Chris Brown - With You 10 Up 9 Duffy - Mercy 2 Up 8 Kylie Minogue - In My Arms Stay => 7 Timbaland & OneRepublic - Apologize 3 Down 6 Adele - Chasing Pavements 1 Up 5 Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love 3 Down 4 Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music 1 Down 3 Timbaland, Keri Hilson & Nicole Scherzinger - Scream 3 Up 2 OneRepublic - Stop And Stare 3 Up 1 Britney Spears - Piece Of Me Stay => Four new entries this week... I'm saying it as if it's so usual... and it really is at the moment but I'll always remind that in the period 2001-2003 one could only dream of having four new entries in the chart (it happened a total of one time during that period)! The lowest new entry at number 20 is a second hit for Justice in the chart. "D.A.N.C.E." spent one week in the chart at number 20, then immediately went out, after that re-entered again at number 20 and left the chart again the following week... "DVNO" seems to follow this pattern for now but that can change next week! Then at number 17 we find "American Boy", Estelle's first hit in MTV European Top 20. Kanye West is also featured on this single, which is the current UK number 1. I do wonder how it will do in the rest of Europe. And another first-timer in the chart at number 14 - Panic At The Disco. They somehow resemble The Killers (who have had 3 songs in the chart). So far I knew only one of their songs - "I Write Sins, Not Tragedies" - and it didn't impress me. However, "Nine In The Afternoon" is quite nice... although I really doubt it's going to become a massive European hit. While former number 1 "No One" leaves the chart, Alicia Keys' follow-up replaces it at number 11. And "Like You'll Never See Me Again" is actually the song with the longest title in the current chart. I have noticed that recently as a whole the majority of songs in European Top 20 have consisted of three or four words at most... This week there are some big climbs and falls, the most impressive movement being the 20-10 climb of "With You" by Chris Brown. Can it go all the way to the top like "Run It!" did? "Piece Of Me" by Britney Spears spends a second week at number 1... and that's actually already one more than her previous single "Gimme More"! However, two songs climb 3 places to number 2 and number 3, respectively - "Stop And Stare" by OneRepublic and "Scream" by Timberi Hilsinger. I really think one of these two will be the next chart-topper... and it's very likely that that's going to happen as soon as next week.

Well done for posting this chart, tsetsi! I'm happy about Leona Lewis as it's usually difficult for foreign artists to top the French chart... By the way, I also like "Plus La" by Frederic Lerner!

Jamse, you have done an amazing job! Your commentary is extremely interesting! I guess I'd add just a couple of things: "Clumsy" by Fergie actually becomes her longest staying single in European as it spends its 16th week in the chart while both "London Bridge" and "Big Girls Don't Cry" were in for 15 weeks. And with "Scream" and "Apologize" Timbaland has two songs in the Top 5! However, two artists have even had two songs simultaneously in the Top 3 - Bryan Adams with "Please Forgive Me" and "All For Love" (with Rod Stewart and Sting) and Dido with "Stan" (with Eminem) and "Here With Me"... I think it's not impossible for "Don't Stop The Music" and "Apologize" to accumulate more points than "Gangsta's Paradise" and "Whenever, Wherever"... but I'm not sure anyone would ever have more points than "Asereje"! My hope was that "I Do It For You" by Bryan Adams could have accumulated around 500 points but our recent data suggests very strongly that this isn't true...

Here is the chart of March 1, 2008: 20 KYLIE MINOGUE - WOW NEW 19 Janet Jackson - Feedback 1 Up 18 Nickelback - Rockstar Stay => 17 Maroon 5 - Won't Go Home Without You 5 Down 16 KYLIE MINOGUE - IN MY ARMS NEW 15 Fergie - Clumsy 5 Down 14 Mark Ronson & Amy Winehouse - Valerie 3 Up 13 Linkin Park - Shadow Of The Day 2 Down 12 Alicia Keys - No One 3 Down 11 Jennifer Lopez - Hold It Don't Drop It 4 Down 10 Timbaland, Keri Hilson & Nicole Scherzinger - Scream NEW 9 Snoop Dogg - Sensual Seduction 4 Up 8 Adele - Chasing Pavements 6 Up 7 Gwen Stefani - Early Winter 1 Down 6 Simple Plan - When I'm Gone 2 Up 5 Lenny Kravitz - I'll Be Waiting Stay => 4 Britney Spears - Piece Of Me Stay => 3 Timbaland & OneRepublic - Apologize Stay => 2 Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music 1 Down 1 Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love 1 Up WOW!!!!!! This time I'm not exaggerating at all when I say that chart history is written this week. For the first time EVER there are two new entries by one and the same artist! And neither of them is a collaboration - both are solo singles of the one and only... Kylie Minogue! You have to understand that this is something unique for MTV European Top 20. For more than 17 years it has always been like this: a single by an artist is followed up by another single by the artist. Sometimes there may be an overlap (the follow-up spending its first weeks in the chart while the previous single is spending its last weeks in)... but there has always been consecutivity and not simultaneity. This began to change at the end of 2007 when there were two instances of an artist having two simultaneous songs in the chart - Nicole Scherzinger with "Whatever U Like" and "Baby Love" and Rihanna with "Don't Stop The Music" and "Hate That I Love You". Neither of them was a case of a single and its follow-up - they were just simultaneous hits. However, I didn't think the day would come when two singles by an artist would enter the chart in ONE AND THE SAME WEEK! But now Kylie does it with "Wow" and "In My Arms". And why not? After all, both have been released simultaneously in Europe - just in different countries. With Kylie's unbelievable achievement, it's easy to overlook the third new entry of the week, in spite of its impressive Top 10 debut. Timbaland scores a hit with the fourth single from his album - "Scream", with the participation of Keri Hilson and Nicole Scherzinger. There was a certain song with the same title which made an even more impressive debut in 1995, entering European Top 20 straight at number 2... Of course, I'm talking about the Jackson duet! And with Janet currently in the chart with "Feedback", everything is ready for Michael's comeback! And while Timbaland has a new song in the chart, it's his previous single that really deserves a mention. What "Apologize" is doing is something really amazing. Here is its chart run so far: 5-2-1-4-3-2-1-1-2-2-5-2-1-2-3-3 The song has spent 16 weeks in the chart, all of them in the Top 5!!! The closest chart performances are those of "Shut Up" by Black Eyed Peas and "What Goes Around... Comes Around" by Justin Timberlake, which spent in the Top 5 their first 13 and 12 weeks in the chart, respectively. Even if "Apologize" leaves the Top 5 next week, I think it will be extremely difficult for any song to top its achievement! In this context, "Piece Of Me" by Britney Spears has spent all of its seven weeks in the chart in the Top 5. However, although it debuted straight at number 4 and climbed to number 3 the following week, it has so far failed to go any further. In fact, it's now spending a fifth consecutive week at number 4! And about the new number 1, I can only say: FINALLY! I have waited for a long time to see "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis reach the top and at last the song does it. Let's look at its chart run: 19-16-14-10-8-9-3-2-3-3-3-2-1 When earlier this year "Don't Stop The Music" by Rihanna reached number 1 in its 12th week in the chart, I noted that this was the second longest journey to the top (the clear record being held by "Self Esteem" by Offspring, which first became a number 1 in its 16th week in the chart). Well, now Leona overtakes Rihanna's second position as "Bleeding Love" reaches the top in its 13th week in the chart! I do wonder whether Offspring's record will ever be broken...

Jamse, you seem to have posted only the Top 10? Here is the whole chart of February 23, 2008: 20 Janet Jackson - Feedback NEW 19 Paramore - Misery Business 1 Up 18 Nickelback - Rockstar RE-ENTRY 17 Mark Ronson & Amy Winehouse - Valerie RE-ENTRY 16 Foo Fighters - Long Road To Ruin 4 Down 15 Colbie Caillat - Bubbly 2 Down 14 Adele - Chasing Pavements 2 Up 13 Snoop Dogg - Sensual Seduction 1 Up 12 Maroon 5 - Won't Go Home Without You 6 Up 11 Linkin Park - Shadow Of The Day 1 Down 10 Fergie - Clumsy 1 Up 9 Alicia Keys - No One 4 Down 8 Simple Plan - When I'm Gone 1 Up 7 Jennifer Lopez - Hold It Don't Drop It 1 Up 6 Gwen Stefani - Early Winter 1 Up 5 Lenny Kravitz - I'll Be Waiting 1 Up 4 Britney Spears - Piece Of Me Stay => 3 Timbaland & OneRepublic - Apologize 1 Down 2 Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love 1 Up 1 Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music Stay => Guess who's back? Janet Jackson! I have to say that I had begun to wonder whether we would ever see her again in the chart... But now she enters at number 20 with "Feedback". She was last seen in European Top 20 with "Son Of A Gun" in the chart of February 23, 2002 - exactly six years ago!!! However, this year we should also see another comeback - that of her brother Michael. I know it's too early but I'm already thinking whether he could debut straight at number 1... There are two re-entries this week. "Rockstar" by Nickelback entered the chart at number 17 in the very first edition of the year and immediately went out... which was quite undeserved, considering the song's success around Europe. But I was almost sure that it would re-enter the chart someday... and it does it now, seven weeks later. The other re-entry, however, is much more interesting. "Valerie" by Mark Ronson and Amy Winehouse had a short stay in European Top 20 at the end of last year - it spent three weeks in the chart, peaking at number 11. Now it re-enters TWELVE weeks later! That's not the longest time before a song has re-entered the chart - "Basket Case" by Green Day re-entered the chart fifteen weeks after leaving it; not to mention the special case with Wet Wet Wet's "Goodnight Girl", which appeared in the chart in early 1992 and then again in late 1994... But still, the achievement of "Valerie" is impressive! And deserved, if you judge by the fact that the song spends a sixth week at number 1 in The Netherlands! "I'll Be Waiting" by Lenny Kravitz climbs to number 5 and thus becomes his third highest-peaking single after "Are You Gonna Go My Way", which reached number 2 and "Fly Away" - number 3. But the most remarkable performance is that of "Don't Stop The Music" by Rihanna... which has silently broken a record! The fact that it spends a sixth week at number 1, thus equalling the number of weeks "Umbrella" spent at the top is nice but what's important is that "Don't Stop The Music" is at number 1 in its 18th week in the chart! The thing is, this is a record! NO song has still been at the top this late in its chart run!!! Two songs have been at number 1 in their 17th week in the chart - "Can't Get You Out Of My Head" by Kylie Minogue and "Whenever, Wherever" by Shakira... but now "Don't Stop The Music" does better than these MASSIVE hits! Who would have guessed that when the song left the chart after only three weeks in, having peaked at number 12?...

Mycket bra, Jamse! Where did you find these older charts? It pains me to look at the one from July 1991 as "I Do It For You" by Bryan Adams is only at number 17... I had always hoped that it was the song to spend the most weeks at number 1 in the chart ever! By the way, I do think they take into consideration the singles charts of the different European countries. But there seems to be a subjective element - they decide not to include some big hits while they include some songs that aren't successful anywhere... On the other hand, that makes the chart more unpredictable!

To tell you the truth, I prefer random new entries to no new entries at all! Exactly the new-entryless weeks during 2002-2004 were the biggest reason the period wasn't as interesting as other periods in the history of European Top 20... Here is the chart of February 16, 2008: 20 Paramore - Misery Business NEW 19 Rihanna & Ne-Yo - Hate That I Love You 2 Down 18 Maroon 5 - Won't Go Home Without You NEW 17 Mika - Happy Ending 1 Down 16 Adele - Chasing Pavements NEW 15 Kanye West - Good Life 2 Down 14 Snoop Dogg - Sensual Seduction 4 Up 13 Colbie Caillat - Bubbly 5 Down 12 Foo Fighters - Long Road To Ruin 3 Down 11 Fergie - Clumsy 1 Up 10 Linkin Park - Shadow Of The Day Stay => 9 Simple Plan - When I'm Gone 3 Down 8 Jennifer Lopez - Hold It Don't Drop It 7 Up 7 Gwen Stefani - Early Winter 4 Up 6 Lenny Kravitz - I'll Be Waiting 1 Up 5 Alicia Keys - No One Stay => 4 Britney Spears - Piece Of Me Stay => 3 Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love Stay => 2 Timbaland & OneRepublic - Apologize 1 Down 1 Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music 1 Up Three new entries this week. At number 18 we find "Won't Go Home Without You", Maroon 5's third single from their current album after "Makes Me Wonder" reached number 2 and "Wake Up Call" - number 7. The other two new entries - "Misery Business" by Paramore (at number 20) and "Chasing Pavements" by Adele (at number 16) - are the first hits for these artists in European Top 20. I quite like it when there are newcomers to the chart because sometimes there are only new entries by established artists for weeks! There is a shocking big climber this week. Here is the chart run of "Hold It Don't Drop It" by Jennifer Lopez so far: 14-OUT-16-16-15-8 It looked like it could stay even longer in the lower end of the chart... but that 7-place climb was absolutely unexpected! This is still Jenny's lowest peaking single as a main artist but it can, of course, climb even higher. The Top 5 is really stable - it has consisted of these 5 same songs for 5 weeks now! The only movement in the Top 5 and probably the biggest surprise of the week is the "new" old number 1 - "Don't Stop The Music" by Rihanna. After "Apologize" replaced it at the top last week, "Don't Stop The Music" regains the crown this week to claim a fifth week at number 1! Her only song to have stayed longer at the top was "Umbrella" - 6 weeks.

Here is the chart of February 9, 2008: 20 Jay-Z - Roc Boys 2 Down 19 Avril Lavigne - Hot 5 Down 18 Snoop Dogg - Sensual Seduction NEW 17 Rihanna & Ne-Yo - Hate That I Love You 2 Down 16 Mika - Happy Ending 1 Up 15 Jennifer Lopez - Hold It Don't Drop It 1 Up 14 50 Cent & Akon - Still Will 5 Up 13 Kanye West - Good Life 2 Down 12 Fergie - Clumsy 4 Down 11 Gwen Stefani - Early Winter 1 Up 10 Linkin Park - Shadow Of The Day 3 Up 9 Foo Fighters - Long Road To Ruin 3 Down 8 Colbie Caillat - Bubbly 1 Down 7 Lenny Kravitz - I'll Be Waiting 2 Up 6 Simple Plan - When I'm Gone 4 Up 5 Alicia Keys - No One Stay => 4 Britney Spears - Piece Of Me Stay => 3 Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love Stay => 2 Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music 1 Down 1 Timbaland & OneRepublic - Apologize 1 Up There is only one new entry this week - "Sensual Seduction" at number 18. This is a rare case when Snoop Dogg appears in the chart as a solo artist. By the way, the number of not-so-successful rap songs in the current chart is remarkable - here we find also "Roc Boys" by Jay-Z, "Still Will" by 50 Cent and Akon, "Good Life" by Kanye West... The song that leaves European Top 20 this week is "Change" by Sugababes - after only 3 weeks in the chart and a peak of number 13. Interestingly, the girls seem to follow up their biggest hits with their smallest and vice versa. In 2006, "Red Dress" spent 2 weeks at number 2 and became their biggest hit in the chart. Then "Easy" only reached number 12 and became their smallest hit. After that they came back with "About You Now", which stayed at number 1 for 3 weeks - obviously, their new biggest hit... and now "Change", their new smallest hit! I wonder how many weeks their next single is going to spend at the top... "When I'm Gone" by Simple Plan climbs to number 6 and thus becomes their highest peaking song - "Welcome To My Life" stopped at number 9. But the biggest story is the "new" number 1. In fact, this is the third run at the top for "Apologize" by Timbaland and OneRepublic! Here is its chart run: 5-2-1-4-3-2-1-1-2-2-5-2-1 As you can see, the same thing has happened twice - after topping the chart, "Apologize" has left the Top 3... but then reclimbed back to number 1! This song just never gives up! However, returning to the top twice is not a record - "No Matter What" by Boyzone returned to number 1 THREE TIMES back in 1998...

Good commentary, Yan! I'll just mention that "Early Winter" is in fact Gwen Stefani's FIFTH single from "The Sweet Escape" (after "Wind It Up", "The Sweet Escape", "4 In The Morning" and "Now That You Got It")... which makes its achievement even more impressive!

Great statistics, tsetsi! I'm really happy that I was able to watch the unbelievable Vengaboys case... The edition of July 22, 2000 was CRAZY! "Shackles" by Mary Mary seemed to have peaked at number 4 as it then fell 4-5-7... so when the number 1 was to be revealed, there were two possibilities. I thought that since "My Uncle John From Jamaica" by Vengaboys had debuted straight at number 10 the week before, it was possible that it had gone 10-1... while "Shackles" must have left the chart straight from number 7! However, it turned out to be the opposite case - Vengaboys "disappeared as quickly as they arrived", as the chart presenter said... while "Shackles" climbed 7-1 after having been falling for two weeks before that! That was one of the (if not THE) most shocking climbs to number 1 ever! Anyway, here is the chart of February 2, 2008: 20 Sugababes - Change 7 Down 19 50 Cent & Akon - Still Will 1 Up 18 Jay-Z - Roc Boys 1 Down 17 Mika - Happy Ending NEW 16 Jennifer Lopez - Hold It Don't Drop It Stay => 15 Rihanna & Ne-Yo - Hate That I Love You 6 Down 14 Avril Lavigne - Hot 4 Down 13 Linkin Park - Shadow Of The Day 2 Up 12 Gwen Stefani - Early Winter 2 Up 11 Kanye West - Good Life Stay => 10 Simple Plan - When I'm Gone 2 Up 9 Lenny Kravitz - I'll Be Waiting NEW 8 Fergie - Clumsy 1 Down 7 Colbie Caillat - Bubbly 1 Up 6 Foo Fighters - Long Road To Ruin Stay => 5 Alicia Keys - No One 1 Down 4 Britney Spears - Piece Of Me 1 Down 3 Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love 1 Down 2 Timbaland & OneRepublic - Apologize 3 Up 1 Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music Stay => There are two new entries this week and I'm glad about both of them. I didn't really believe "Happy Ending" by Mika would enter the chart but it does it at number 17 and thus becomes Mika's third hit in the chart after the number 1 "Grace Kelly" and "Relax, Take It Easy", which definitely deserved more than its peak position (number 7) suggests. Neither "Love Today" nor "Big Girl, You Are Beautiful" appeared in European Top 20, probably because they were simultaneously released in different European countries and so they competed with each other (not that this has prevented Rihanna from having two simultaneous hits in the chart)... Lenny Kravitz is back in the chart for the first time since 2004 (his last hit was "California"). "I'll Be Waiting" debuts straight at number 9 and that's justified as it's doing well around Europe, in fact it has become Lenny's biggest hit ever in several European countries! Yet again a song leaves the chart the week after it has debuted. Last week "Let's Dance To Joy Division" by The Wombats was a new entry at number 19... and now it's already out. The last song to spend a single week at number 19 in the chart was "Something About You" by Jamelia. Two songs spend a fourth consecutive week at a definite position - "Long Road To Ruin" by Foo Fighters at number 6 and (more importantly) "Don't Stop The Music" by Rihanna at number 1. Who will take its place at the top? Maybe those who made the most shocking movement this week. Last week "Apologize" by Timbaland and OneRepublic fell 2-5 and it looked like it was on its way down... but now it makes a mirror climb 5-2!!! If it manages to go back to number 1, that will be an incredible achievement!

Here is the chart of January 26, 2008: 20 50 Cent & Akon - Still Will Stay => 19 The Wombats - Let's Dance To Joy Division NEW 18 Sean Kingston - Me Love 1 Up 17 Jay-Z - Roc Boys 1 Up 16 Jennifer Lopez - Hold It Don't Drop It RE-ENTRY 15 Linkin Park - Shadow Of The Day 4 Down 14 Gwen Stefani - Early Winter 3 Up 13 Sugababes - Change 3 Up 12 Simple Plan - When I'm Gone 2 Up 11 Kanye West - Good Life 2 Down 10 Avril Lavigne - Hot 2 Down 9 Rihanna & Ne-Yo - Hate That I Love You 3 Up 8 Colbie Caillat - Bubbly 2 Up 7 Fergie - Clumsy Stay => 6 Foo Fighters - Long Road To Ruin Stay => 5 Timbaland & OneRepublic - Apologize 3 Down 4 Alicia Keys - No One 1 Up 3 Britney Spears - Piece Of Me 1 Up 2 Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love 1 Up 1 Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music Stay => There is a re-entry for a third week in a row! I had the feeling that the week "Hold It Don't Drop It" by Jennifer Lopez spent at number 14 a fortnight ago wouldn't remain its only one in the chart... Now it re-enters at number 16. As for the new entry... Well, "Let's Dance To Joy Division" by The Wombats debuts at number 19. This is yet another random new entry - it's not a huge hit across Europe... BUT I have to say that, in addition to its number 15 peak in the UK chart, the song also reached number 19 in The Netherlands. So it's a Top 20 hit also in a chart outside the British Isles... something which can't be said for other songs that have appeared in MTV European Top 20 (for example, "Here It Goes Again" by OK Go)! There are some statistics about this chart that I like to check once in a while - like which song has spent the most/least weeks in the chart for each peak position. And this week we have a new record in this aspect! "Oh Mother" by Christina Aguilera goes out of the chart after having the impressive chart run: 8-15 A peak position of number 8 and just 2 weeks in the chart! Yes, that's a record! So far the "record" for a peak of number 8 was 4 weeks - by "Only With You" by Captain Hollywood Project in 1993 and "Fight For Your Right" by N.Y.C.C. in 1998. Just for comparison with the neighbouring positions: the record for number 7 is 3 weeks (by "Someday I'll Be Saturday Night" by Bon Jovi) and for number 9 - also 3 weeks (by "Ça Plane Pour Moi" by Leila K. and "Praise You" by Fatboy Slim). Speaking of number 9, the song that currently occupies this position - "Hate That I Love You" by Rihanna and Ne-Yo - is also doing something remarkable. Here is its chart run: 18-14-14-13-13-12-13-11-11-20-12-9 To reach number 11, then to fall to the very bottom of the chart... and still be able to go back up and even reach a new peak position?! Well done! What about the other Rihanna song? "Don't Stop The Music" stays comfortably at number 1 for a third week in a row... Actually, perhaps not so comfortably as the competition is coming nearer and nearer - "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis and "Piece Of Me" by Britney Spears are now at number 2 and number 3...

Hi YanBG! It's great to see yet another Bulgarian here! Why am I so interested in MTV European Top 20? Well, it was back in 2000 that I started to become interested in music... and then I saw this chart on MTV and immediately fell in love with it! I have really strong emotional ties to it and nothing during the years has been able to change that... in fact, recently the chart has been getting even more interesting than when I started to watch it in 2000!!! And that's what matters to me - I don't really care whether the chart is made up. But I don't actually believe it's entirely made up - who's going to make up a chart just like that for more than 17 years?! Because we shouldn't forget that this is the chart of the biggest music television in Europe and has a long history - it's running since at least 1990! About the different MTV's - according to Wikipedia, a new MTV channel will launch in early 2008 - MTV HD (high definition). They say that it will be broadcast all around Europe... Who knows? Maybe this channel will replace MTV Europe. If so, they MUST play European Top 20!

Here is the chart of January 19, 2008: 20 50 Cent & Akon - Still Will 2 Down 19 Sean Kingston - Me Love RE-ENTRY 18 Jay-Z - Roc Boys 1 Up 17 Gwen Stefani - Early Winter NEW 16 Sugababes - Change NEW 15 Christina Aguilera - Oh Mother 7 Down 14 Simple Plan - When I'm Gone NEW 13 Britney Spears - Gimme More 2 Down 12 Rihanna & Ne-Yo - Hate That I Love You 8 Up 11 Linkin Park - Shadow Of The Day 1 Down 10 Colbie Caillat - Bubbly 6 Up 9 Kanye West - Good Life 4 Up 8 Avril Lavigne - Hot 4 Down 7 Fergie - Clumsy 2 Down 6 Foo Fighters - Long Road To Ruin Stay => 5 Alicia Keys - No One 2 Down 4 Britney Spears - Piece Of Me NEW 3 Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love 6 Up 2 Timbaland & OneRepublic - Apologize Stay => 1 Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music Stay => I couldn't have wished for a better start of the year for MTV European Top 20! Now this is unique - there have been four new entries and a re-entry for two weeks in a row! Let's hope the chart will continue to be as active during the whole year... It turns out that the sole week of "Me Love" by Sean Kingston at number 16 in the chart two weeks ago wasn't sole after all... Now it re-enters at number 19 and as last week there was also a re-entry, that makes it two re-entries in just three weeks this year! And that's more than the number of the re-entries for the whole period 2000-2006 (there was a total of ONE)!!!!!! "Early Winter" by Gwen Stefani debuts at number 17. Gwen is doing something remarkable - she has now had five singles from both of her albums enter European Top 20! And usually it's a huge accomplishment for any artist to have five hits from ONE album in the chart... Sugababes' first ever number 1 in European Top 20 - "About You Now" - is replaced this week in the chart by the follow-up "Change", which enters at number 16. Then at number 14 there is a comeback. "When I'm Gone" is Simple Plan's third hit in the chart after "Welcome To My Life" reached number 9 and "Untitled" - number 16... And that was unfair as the latter should have done better in the chart than the former - after all, "Untitled" actually WAS sucessful in some European countries! But the most impressive new entry is "Piece Of Me" by Britney Spears. Straight in at number 4! And that's Britney's highest debut in the chart ever! Previously, the record was held by "Born To Make You Happy", which entered at number 6... but in the first edition of 2000 - and before that there hadn't been a "normal" edition of the chart for two weeks so that could explain its high debut. Otherwise, the highest debut for a Britney single under "normal" circumstances was number 8 for "Toxic". There are also interesting facts regarding the songs that left the chart this week. Last week "Hold It Don't Drop It" by Jennifer Lopez was a new entry at number 14... now it's already out! Of course, it can re-enter someday but for now it's only the third song ever to have spent a single week at number 14 in the chart - after "The First Night" by Monica and "True To Your Heart" by 98 Degrees and Stevie Wonder. The other notable thing is that "2 Hearts" by Kylie Minogue went out of the chart straight from the Top 10. Here is its chart run: 6-5-5-7-7-6-7-6-7 What a chart run! 9 weeks in the chart and all of them - between number 5 and number 7! What else is there in this week's chart? A couple of flabbergasting movements. Last week "Oh Mother" by Christina Aguilera entered straight at number 8... but now it falls 7 places to number 15! It hasn't happened for years that a Top 10 debut falls so much in its second week in the chart... It last happened in 1998 - "No Tengo Dinero" by Los Umbrellos entered at number 10 and fell to number 18 the following week... But even more impressive was the chart run of "Get The Feelin'" by 5ive (which, incidentally, entered the chart just a week before "No Tengo Dinero"): 8-17-7-7 That chart run has it all! A debut in the Top 10, a huge fall... and then, unbelievably, an even huger reclimb! And to top it all, it left the chart straight from number 7 (like "2 Hearts")... Speaking of huge falls and reclimbs... Last week "Hate That I Love You" by Rihanna and Ne-Yo went 11-20 and it looked like we wouldn't see it in the chart anymore... but now it rebounds to number 12! 1998 was definitely the craziest year for European Top 20... can 2008 become just as crazy?!... Anyway, the reclimb of "Hate That I Love You" doesn't seem to affect in any way Rihanna's other single in the chart. "Don't Stop The Music" spends its second week at number 1... but I think it's facing strong competition. Apart from "Piece Of Me", "Bleeding Love" by Leona Lewis also looks impressive as it climbs 6 places to number 3... It will be interesting to see who conquers the top next week!

A new year and a new thread for MTV European Top 20! Here is the chart of January 5, 2008: 20 50 Cent & Justin Timberlake - Ayo Technology 3 Down 19 Gwen Stefani - Now That You Got It 1 Down 18 Colbie Caillat - Bubbly 1 Up 17 Nickelback - Rockstar NEW 16 Sean Kingston - Me Love NEW 15 Foo Fighters - The Pretender 1 Up 14 Kanye West - Good Life Stay => 13 Linkin Park - Shadow Of The Day Stay => 12 Sugababes - About You Now Stay => 11 Rihanna & Ne-Yo - Hate That I Love You Stay => 10 Nicole Scherzinger - Baby Love 1 Down 9 Fergie - Clumsy 1 Down 8 Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love 2 Up 7 Avril Lavigne - Hot 4 Down 6 Kylie Minogue - 2 Hearts 1 Up 5 Britney Spears - Gimme More Stay => 4 Foo Fighters - Long Road To Ruin 2 Up 3 Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music 1 Up 2 Alicia Keys - No One Stay => 1 Timbaland & OneRepublic - Apologize Stay => "Apologize" by Timbaland and OneRepublic spends a third week at number 1 Two new entries - the lower one at number 17 is Nickelback's comeback to the chart after two years' absence. "Rockstar" is their fourth hit in the chart after "How You Remind Me" (which peaked at number 4), "Someday" (number 5) and "Photograph" (number 7). I'm really happy that "Rockstar" entered European Top 20 as the song is doing well in some European countries (and most recently the UK). "Me Love" by Sean Kingston is the other new entry, debuting at number 16. This is the followup to "Beautiful Girls", which despite its huge success around Europe only peaked at number 6 in this chart. Well... There wasn't much to comment on this edition of the chart! BUT... just look at the following one! Here is the chart of January 12, 2008: 20 Rihanna & Ne-Yo - Hate That I Love You 9 Down 19 Jay-Z - Roc Boys NEW 18 50 Cent & Akon - Still Will NEW 17 Sugababes - About You Now 5 Down 16 Colbie Caillat - Bubbly 2 Up 15 Plain White T's - Hey There Delilah RE-ENTRY 14 Jennifer Lopez - Hold It Don't Drop It NEW 13 Kanye West - Good Life 1 Up 12 Nicole Scherzinger - Baby Love 2 Down 11 Britney Spears - Gimme More 6 Down 10 Linkin Park - Shadow Of The Day 3 Up 9 Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love 1 Down 8 Christina Aguilera - Oh Mother NEW 7 Kylie Minogue - 2 Hearts 1 Down 6 Foo Fighters - Long Road To Ruin 2 Down 5 Fergie - Clumsy 4 Up 4 Avril Lavigne - Hot 3 Up 3 Alicia Keys - No One 1 Down 2 Timbaland & OneRepublic - Apologize 1 Down 1 Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music 2 Up 2007 was a great year for European Top 20... And, if we can judge by this edition of the chart, it will be the same during 2008! Four new entries and a re-entry!!! Such a combination has happened only three times in the chart's history (twice in 1998 and once in 1999)... At number 19 is the lowest new entry - "Roc Boys" by Jay-Z. He has had success in the chart during the 2000's because he appeared on some singles by Beyoncé Knowles and collaborated with Linkin Park... Otherwise, his biggest hit as a main artist is "Hard Knock Life", which reached number 3 back in 1999. "Ayo Technology" has been replaced in the chart by "Still Will", which enters at number 18. This time it is Akon that features on the 50 Cent single. Last year Jennifer Lopez returned to the chart with "Do It Well", which wasn't quite successful. Now the follow-up "Hold It Don't Drop It" debuts at number 14. We'll see whether its fate will be better... There is a new entry in the Top 10! And a really surprising one... "Oh Mother" by Christina Aguilera enters straight at number 8. The previous singles from her current album were very successful - "Ain't No Other Man" and "Hurt" both peaked at number 1 while "Candyman" reached number 3. What about the re-entry? At number 15 we find "Hey There Delilah" by Plain White T's, which has done something amazing! By re-entering European Top 20, it scores its 17th week in the chart! The unbelievable is that it spent 16 weeks in the chart, then went out... and re-enters now! No song has returned to the chart after spending so many weeks in it... Not even close to that! Songs usually re-enter the chart after they have previously spent one to several weeks in it... 9 weeks at most! But now "Hey There Delilah" shows that one can never be sure that a song has left the chart for good! There is a new number 1... and this is another absolutely impressive achievement! Before this week, Rihanna held the record for most consecutive number ones - five ("Pon De Replay", "S.O.S.", "Unfaithful", "Umbrella" and "Shut Up And Drive"). Well, now she improves her own record as "Don't Stop The Music" becomes her SIXTH consecutive number 1 in European Top 20! Who will beat this?... Most probably not Rihanna herself as her following single "Hate That I Love You" falls 9 places to number 20 after only peaking at number 11. But there's more! Look at the chart run of "Don't Stop The Music": 14-12-15-OUT-11-7-7-6-5-3-4-3-1 As you can see, the song actually left the chart for a week and then re-entered! In the chart's history, only three other songs have climbed to number 1 after going out of the chart and then re-entering - "Truly, Madly, Deeply" by Savage Garden, "Life" by Des'ree and "If You Had My Love" by Jennifer Lopez. And even that's not all! "Don't Stop The Music" reaches number 1 in its 12th week in the chart. Now this is a long journey to the top! In fact, the second longest ever! Only one song had to wait longer to climb to the top - "Self Esteem" by Offspring back in 1995. Here is how it did it: 20-19-19-18-18-17-18-9-7-5-3-3-3-2-2-1 There is something really amusing about that - "Self Esteem" replaced at the top "Back For Good" by Take That... which was one of the two songs in the chart's history that reached number 1 most quickly (by actually debuting straight at the top)! And another funny comparison between those two songs - "Self Esteem" climbed to number 1 in its 16th week in the chart... while "Back For Good" didn't even spend 16 weeks in European Top 20! But back to this week's chart and there are a few interesting reclimbs - "Shadow Of The Day" returns to the Top 10 by going 13-10 and "Hot" by Avril Lavigne climbs from number 7 to number 4 after falling 3-7 last week. However, the most remarkable reclimb is by Fergie's "Clumsy". It climbs four places to number 5 and thus reaches a new peak position, becoming her third highest-peaking single after "Big Girls Don't Cry" (number 3) and "London Bridge" (number 4). Finally... do you see last week's new entries in this week's chart?! Both "Rockstar" by Nickelback and "Me Love" by Sean Kingston have left European Top 20 after just one week! By the way, "Me Love" is the first song to spend only one week at number 16 in the chart since "Ain't That A Lot Of Love" by Simply Red in 1999... An edition of the chart with two new entries - and both of them gone in the following edition! The only other such case was again in 1999 - the "victims" were "Saltwater" by Chicane and Maire Brennan and "Everything Is Everything" by Lauryn Hill. That's all for now. The new year for MTV European Top 20 starts promisingly...

Well, at least since 1994 every year there has been a chart for the whole year... But not this time! I'll post the charts of 2008 in a new thread but let me first review the year 2007 in MTV European Top 20. 137 different songs appeared in the chart during the year. This doesn't mean anything by itself so let's compare - in the period 2000-2006 there was no single year with more than 114 songs in the chart! And even when we look at the 90's - the "Golden Age" of European Top 20: there has been a bigger total of songs in the chart only in 1992, 1993 and 1998. So 2007 was a busy year for new entries! ...and for re-entries. There were 12 re-entries in the chart in 2007 - a joint second place with 1999 (the most re-entries happened in 1998). And two songs re-entered the chart twice!!! Just to compare with the period 2000-2005 when there were NO re-entries at all (and in 2006 - only one)... Also, the chart of November 17, 2007 contained the second highest number of entries ever - SIX (5 new entries and one re-entry). In addition, there was a week with five new entries and countless weeks with four new entries... While in 2001 and 2002 there were no weeks with more than three new entries! Another anti-record from the 2000's comes from 2003 - then no song debuted in the Top 10 (the highest new entry during the whole year was at number 12)! In 2007 there were numerous Top 10 debuts, including some very high ones... And especially "What Goes Around... Comes Around" by Justin Timberlake, which entered the chart straight at number 2 (!), thus joining the two other songs that have done the same in the chart's history - "Have You Ever Really Loved A Woman" by Bryan Adams and "Scream" by Michael Jackson and Janet Jackson. Only two songs have ever debuted higher (obviosly at the very top) - "Back For Good" by Take That and "Candle In The Wind '97" by Elton John. Since I mentioned the top... In 2007 we saw the least successful number 1 EVER. Until then, no chart-topper had spent less than 8 weeks in the chart... Well, "Window In The Skies" by U2 managed to stay in European Top 20 for a mere 6 weeks. And exactly the opposite - another number 1, "Say It Right" by Nelly Furtado, spent 28 weeks in the chart, thus becoming the second longest stayer in European Top 20 ever. The record holder is "Asereje" by Las Ketchup with 29 weeks but they were spread between two years so "Say It Right" is the song to have spent the most weeks in the chart in a single year. Back to unlucky chart-toppers - "About You Now" by Sugababes scored the biggest fall from number 1 EVER, falling to number 10 (the previous "record" had been 1-8)... What about the biggest movements in the chart in general? The biggest fall in 2007 was 2-16, achieved by "Ayo Technology" by 50 Cent and Justin Timberlake. On the other hand, the biggest climbs were two 16-place climbs - "Gimme More" by Britney Spears went 19-3 and "Hot" by Avril Lavigne went 20-4... and they did that in consecutive weeks! An honourable mention deserves "Ruby" by Kaiser Chiefs, which climbed 15 places from number 19 to number 4. There were lots of curious situations during the year... But the most impressive was the Rihanna case when she had two songs in the chart in three consecutive weeks but the two songs were different in each of the three weeks - the first week "Shut Up And Drive" and "Don't Stop The Music" were in the chart, the following week - "Shut Up And Drive" and "Hate That I Love You"... and the third week - "Don't Stop The Music" and "Hate That I Love You"! This was such an unique situation that I don't think anything similar will ever happen... But all these are just statistics. Let me also say something about the essence of the chart. In the past few years, it was difficult to believe that this was actually the EUROPEAN Top 20 as most of the songs in the chart were by American acts. If there were European acts in the chart, they came from the UK. So I was extremely happy to see in 2007 some songs from other European countries in the chart - like "Summer Wine" by Ville Valo and Natalia Avelon; "Fairytale Gone Bad" by Sunrise Avenue; "What Have You Done" by Within Temptation; "Monsoon" by Tokio Hotel; "D.A.N.C.E." by Justice; "Rise Up" by Yves Larock; "The Kiss Of Dawn" by HIM; "I Found U" by Axwell; "With Every Heartbeat" by Robyn and Kleerup; "Amaranth" by Nightwish... During the 2000's I hoped that someday MTV European Top 20 would return to its glory days from the 90's when it was REALLY interesting. At different times during 2007 I thought that maybe, just maybe that was happening... Well, now that the year has finished, looking at it, I can definitely say that it's true - 2007 was the year when European Top 20 finally returned to its great status!!!!!! Now let's just hope 2008 will be even better!

I agree about Foo Fighters - I can accept that "Best Of You" and "The Pretender" entered the chart as they did comparatively well in Europe... but neither of them deserved reaching number 2! And neither "Resolve", nor "Long Road To Ruin" should have entered the chart... On the other hand, Linkin Park's singles usually do well around Europe... although it's true that "Shadow Of The Day" is not among their most successful ones...

It turns out that in the last week of 2007 there wasn't a chart for the whole year but a normal edition of European Top 20! Here is the chart of December 29, 2007: 20 Wyclef Jean & Akon - Sweetest Girl Stay => 19 Colbie Caillat - Bubbly NEW 18 Gwen Stefani - Now That You Got It 1 Down 17 50 Cent & Justin Timberlake - Ayo Technology 6 Down 16 Foo Fighters - The Pretender 2 Up 15 Craig David - Hot Stuff Stay => 14 Kanye West - Good Life 2 Down 13 Linkin Park - Shadow Of The Day 4 Down 12 Sugababes - About You Now 2 Down 11 Rihanna & Ne-Yo - Hate That I Love You 2 Up 10 Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love 4 Up 9 Nicole Scherzinger - Baby Love 2 Down 8 Fergie - Clumsy Stay => 7 Kylie Minogue - 2 Hearts 1 Down 6 Foo Fighters - Long Road To Ruin 10 Up 5 Britney Spears - Gimme More Stay => 4 Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music 1 Down 3 Avril Lavigne - Hot 1 Up 2 Alicia Keys - No One 1 Down 1 Timbaland & OneRepublic - Apologize 1 Up I was almost sure that this would be a chart for the whole year... but I was wrong. Still, it's possible that the chart of 2007 becomes broadcast in the beginning of the following year - it has happened several times in previous years... I just knew "Apologize" by Timbaland and OneRepublic would reclimb to the top! Here is its chart run so far: 5-2-1-4-3-2-1 When it fell from the top to number 4, that was a big shock... but it has since climbed one place every week and thus spends a second week at number 1 now. What's really remarkable is that during the three weeks between its two appearances at the top there have been two other chart-toppers - "About You Now" by Sugababes and "No One" by Alicia Keys. But, interestingly enough, Sugababes' single itself had the same fate - it also went to number 1, then fell and there were two other chart-toppers before it returned to the top (and the funniest thing is that one of them was "Apologize")... As I commented a few weeks ago, such a thing had only happened twice in the history of MTV European Top 20... but now it has happened twice in one year! I'm just waiting for the day when a song will return to number 1 after three other songs have been there... "Don't Stop The Music" by Rihanna falls 3-4 but her other single in the chart, the duet with Ne-Yo "Hate That I Love You" climbs to number 11, thus reaching a new peak position. The other artist with two singles in the chart - Foo Fighters - are doing much better. Their older song "The Pretender" reclimbs 18-16... And what about "Long Road To Ruin"? Now that's a surprise! Just look at the beginning of its chart run: 19-14-18 It looked like it was going to leave the chart quite soon... Instead it reclimbed two places to number 16 last week... Still, nothing that impressive. But this week it makes a 10-place climb to number 6!!! "Long Road To The Top"? I don't know... I just know that there is a tendency for Foo Fighers singles that aren't successful around Europe to do well in this chart - "Resolve" reached number 5... There is only one new entry at number 19 this week - "Bubbly" by Colbie Caillat. I was going to say that I'm very glad when there is a new entry in the chart that hasn't entered the UK chart but is doing well in other European countries... Then I checked that and I was shocked to find out that "Bubbly" did spend a single week in the UK chart... at number 72?! In any case, the song is successful around Europe so it deserves being in European Top 20.

Hej Jamse! I'm really happy to see yet another fan of European Top 20! And yes, I also thought before that it was just Markus Toksdorf and I that were so interested in the chart... It's amazing to find out that there are other people sharing this hobby! I do wonder when European Top 20 started. Having in mind that MTV Europe itself started on August 1, 1987, I guess the chart started in 1988 at earliest... What the chart is based on is the biggest mystery! I have only heard the chart presenters say that it's a "sales and airplay chart"...

Once again, THANK YOU! However many times I say that, it wouldn't be enough! It's amazing to find this information after so many years of searching! I really hope that you'll find the earlier charts as well. The biggest question for me is: how many weeks did "I Do It For You" by Bryan Adams spend at number 1? Also, you have charts even from 1990? Do you actually know whether the chart started in 1990 or even before that?

Here is the chart of December 22, 2007: 20 Wyclef Jean & Akon - Sweetest Girl NEW 19 Plain White T's - Hey There Delilah 4 Down 18 Foo Fighters - The Pretender 5 Down 17 Gwen Stefani - Now That You Got It 2 Up 16 Foo Fighters - Long Road To Ruin 2 Up 15 Craig David - Hot Stuff 1 Down 14 Leona Lewis - Bleeding Love 2 Up 13 Rihanna & Ne-Yo - Hate That I Love You 1 Down 12 Kanye West - Good Life 5 Up 11 50 Cent & Justin Timberlake - Ayo Technology Stay => 10 Sugababes - About You Now 9 Down 9 Linkin Park - Shadow Of The Day Stay => 8 Fergie - Clumsy 2 Up 7 Nicole Scherzinger - Baby Love 1 Up 6 Kylie Minogue - 2 Hearts 1 Up 5 Britney Spears - Gimme More 1 Up 4 Avril Lavigne - Hot Stay => 3 Rihanna - Don't Stop The Music 2 Up 2 Timbaland & OneRepublic - Apologize 1 Up 1 Alicia Keys - No One 1 Up Where is last week's number 1?... At number 10!!! By falling 9 places, "About You Now" by Sugababes becomes the biggest faller from number 1 EVER! I'm not sure the girls are happy that they have broken exactly this record... So far the biggest falls from the top were: "All For You" by Janet Jackson, which went 1-8; and "Truly, Madly, Deeply" by Savage Garden, which went 1-7. The song that replaces "About You Now" at the top is "No One" by Alicia Keys. I would never have guessed that looking at the beginning of its chart run: 10-6-9-10... But in the end it went all the way to number 1! There are, of course, some contenders - "Apologize" by Timbaland and OneRepublic continues climbing back, reaching number 2 this week and seeking to return to the top spot. And Rihanna scores her sixth Top 3 hit with "Don't Stop The Music". Having in mind that all the previous five did become number ones, maybe this will be the sixth in a row? "Clumsy" by Fergie goes 10-8, equalling the peak position of "Glamorous" and beating the number 9 peak of "Fergalicious". Another song which reaches a new peak position is "Good Life" by Kanye West. Here is its curious chart run: 16-13-OUT-OUT-OUT-20-14-OUT-17-12 It has appeared in the chart three different times, entering outside the Top 15, then making a climb into the Top 15 and leaving the chart after that! Going by that logic, I'd expect it not to appear in next week's chart... and that seems even more likely as next week it's probably going to be the chart of the whole year! Which means that maybe the song at number 20 is the last new entry of 2007. It's quite a nice surprise for me to see "Sweetest Girl" by Wyclef Jean and Akon debut in European Top 20. Wyclef's last appearance in the chart was very successful as his collaboration with Shakira "Hips Don't Lie" became a number 1... Otherwise, his last solo single in the chart dates back to 2001 when "Perfect Gentleman" peaked at number 10.