Ghoulian

I knew it had fallen away quite a bit but 6k SCR seems terrible for it. And what a strange time to re-set it, rather than when it was actually doing well.

99k as of this week!

I bet “Golden” is back to 0 weeks of decline for good measure.

“Elizabeth Taylor” is an earworm. That and “Ophelia” are the only tracks I really enjoyed from a couple of plays of the album.

A ____ Palace Reminds me of “Wet And Gushy”.

Good vocal performance on “FU and UF”. And nice to see 7 new entries in the Top 20 - that doesn’t happen very often these days.

Would need to average about 30k per week for the rest of the year, so would need to stabilise and stop dropping off very soon.

All of 38-40 have dropped 2 since Wednesday…

You can see how accurate it is. (The positions I post are official and only the sales are estimated.)

“Out Of Your Mind” for me - “Rock DJ” is not a Robbie highlight.

Can’t see them making it - they’re on about 310k and 340k respectively. There could be a few 2025 releases going gold before the year is out and still not making it: Chappell alone could end up with 2.

Thrown out with quite some velocity is Maximo Park. The Newcastle band had quite a string of hits in the period from 2005 to 2007. This was their only Top 10, reaching #9 in March 2007. 4th: Maximo Park - Our Velocity 16/28 votes (57%) 5th: The Script - Breakeven 12/30 votes (30%) 6th: Sarah Whatmore - When I Lost You 12/29 votes (41%) 7th: George Michael - Flawless (Go To The City) 10/28 votes (36%) 8th: 50 Cent - 21 Questions 10/26 votes (34%) 9th: Geraldine - Once Upon A Christmas Song 14/27 votes (52%) 10th: Brian Kennedy & Peter Corry - George Best - A Tribute 13/29 votes (45%)

Blown away like a bubble is Michael Bublé. This is one of the lowest peaking tracks in the whole series. It peaked at #38 in April 2007, but continued to do well on downloads thereafter. He wouldn’t have a Top 10 hit until 2009 when he really became the king of easy listening. 7th: Michael Bublé - Everything 10/27 votes (37%) 8th: Atomic Kitten - Ladies Night 10/31 votes (32%) 9th: Lil’ Bow Wow - Bow Wow (That’s My Name) 13/30 votes (43%) 10th: Lostprophets - Rooftops (A Liberation Broadcast) 23/33 votes (70%)

The Kittens - what a boring single.

10th: R Kelly - Happy People / U Saved Me 21/29 votes (72%)

Not yet: People Watching 512k for 2025 (615k total) Rein Me In 471k “Rein Me In” will definitely end up with higher 2025 numbers.

254k now and about to drop below 20k per week. Bar probably around 450k so will be short I think. Yeah the issue film tracks have is that they won’t necessarily have airplay beyond the film hype, so once they fall away they can really fall hard. Demon Hunters is defying any regular expectations so far though. I wouldn’t rule out “Ordinary” either which is looking incredibly sticky.

They’re all in the current bottom 5, and then there’s a struggling group from 89-92 that will come into play in a few weeks. There are new entries on the horizon but potentially nothing for next week. Will be interesting to see if “Another Love” can finally make it back in - I reckon it might have been #101 for the last 5 weeks straight! I have: Just Keep Watching 370k (but down to 11k per week so no longer outpacing the likes of “Another Love” by that much) What It Sounds Like 330k (but quite a margin of error on this) 12 To 12 323k The Fate Of Ophelia 291k Where Is My Husband! 235k

Ronan’s only excellent song

“That’s My Goal” is an original composition but it’s so much a product of the winner’s song formula that it might as well not be. “You Raise Me Up” did indeed feel like it was perfect for Westlife. I’d probably put that as the higher of these two but it’s still very uninspiring. I got more from the George Best tribute version that charted around the new year.

A brilliant top 5 in this group, but it’s also well endowed with not so good stuff, with relatively little in-between. “Just The Two Of Us” may be a controversial top pick but I think it’s one of the best examples of its style ever. Amazing that Hazel O’Connor had 3 Top 10s but everything else missed the Top 40, including 2 #41 leakers. A fab final big hit from her anyway. 9 Grover Washington Jr Just The Two Of Us Only hit for this US saxophonist with Bill Withers singing: one of the most beautiful and dreamy smooth soul songs in existence 9 Hazel O'Connor Will You Her 3rd Top 10 and final Top 40: a beautiful high drama and emotionally performed ballad with an extraordinary saxophone solo 8 Kraftwerk Pocket Calculator Their 2nd Top 40 6 years after the 1st: a fab and innovative single, and I love the bleepy noises like tapping calculator buttons 8 Squeeze Is That Love A minor hit for them but a really special and beautifully performed bouncy Beatles-esque pop song about at troubled marriage 8 Siouxsie And The Banshees Spellbound They're back after a #41 and this is indeed spellbinding with their usual punchy vocals and swirling electronic accompaniment 7 George Harrison All Those Years Ago His 1st hit in a long time and a tribute to John: like most George tracks this has a lovely warmth and a familiar intimate feel to it 7 Vangelis Chariots Of Fire The film theme and the Greek composer's only solo Top 40: an iconic instrumental though has more impact alongside visuals 6 The Polecats Rockabilly Guy Their only other Top 40 after the double A of covers with an original Rockabilly song: this is well done with a strong guitar solo 5 Michael Jackson One Day In Your Life 481st #1: I used to think this was a dirge but I do like the soaring vocal lines, and it's an excellent performance from Michael 4 UB40 Don't Let It Pass You By/Don't Slow Down A 4th consecutive double A side hit from them: "Don't Let It Pass You By" does just that but the other side has more oomph 3 Champaign How 'Bout Us Only hit for this US soul bands: it gets a few points for the big production and rich vocal harmonies but overall it's quite sleepy 3 Coast To Coast Let's Jump The Broomstick A 1959 song which Brenda Lee had covered earlier: there's nothing wrong with this version but it doesn't feel very necessary 2 Kate Robbins And Beyond More Than In Love Only hit for this "Crossroads" actress who had appeared in Eurovision with her sister last year: this is a dull and soppy track 2 Paul Shane And The Yellowcoats Hi-De-Hi (Holiday Rock) The theme to the "Hi-De-Hi" sitcom: it's very far from good but an inoffensive and chirpy little 1950s style rock and roll number 1 Enigma Ain't No Stopping A project by UK producer Nigel Wright: this is a bloated medley of clips of various tracks that doesn't give me any enjoyment 1981 Group 10: #462 06/06/1981 The Jam Funeral Pyre 4 {4}-4-12-24-38-54->6 #463 30/05/1981 Odyssey Going Back To My Roots 4 44-23-8-6-5-{4}-5-9-17-27-42-58->12 #464 30/05/1981 Kool And The Gang Take It To The Top 15 55-33-24-22-{15}-18-25-31-62->9 #465 06/06/1981 Ultravox All Stood Still 8 46-17-9-{8}-11-20-24-37-65-73->10 #466 13/06/1981 Red Sovine Teddy Bear 4 22-{4}-4-9-19-35-54-75->8 #467 06/06/1981 Bucks Fizz Piece Of The Action 12 57-25-17-{12}-13-15-16-34-53->9 #468 30/05/1981 Phil Collins If Leaving Me Is Easy 17 58-44-29-27-{17}-23-31-36->8 #469 16/05/1981 Imagination Body Talk 4 68-54-45-43-31-19-11-7-6-{4}-5-8-13-20-34-43-65-73->18 #470 06/06/1981 Elaine Paige Memory 6 66-34-15-9-{6}-7-10-19-28-38-53-75-69R(23)-70-67->15 #471 30/05/1981 Dead Kennedys Too Drunk To f*** 36 65-41-{36}-42-57-72->6 #472 06/06/1981 Whitesnake Would I Lie To You 37 60-{37}-37-48-50-67->6 #473 06/06/1981 Third World Dancing On The Floor (Hooked On Love) 10 64-38-31-27-25-13-12-{10}-10-12-17-24-38-60-67->15 #474 20/06/1981 The Specials Ghost Town 1 21-6-2-{1}-1-1-2-5-12-22-30-47-56-73->14 #475 13/06/1981 Linx Throw Away The Key 21 51-32-23-{21}-22-22-31-38-74->9 #476 20/06/1981 Gillan No Laughing In Heaven 31 33-32-{31}-34-60-73->6

DC - that really took them to another success level.

“Thong Song” is Sisqo’s 1 great song, but “Freestyler” to win.

Week 43: 1 1 Taylor Swift The Life Of A Showgirl 503,000 2 2 Sabrina Carpenter Short n' Sweet 467,000 840,000 3 3 Ed Sheeran +-=÷x (Tour Collection) 347,000 450,000 4 4 Oasis Time Flies... 1994-2009 328,000 2,360,000 5 5 Fleetwood Mac 50 Years: Don't Stop 298,000 1,770,000 6 6 The Weeknd The Highlights 283,000 1,520,000 7 7 Oasis (What's The Story) Morning Glory 262,000 5,560,000 8 10 Alex Warren You'll Be Alright Kid (Chapter 1) 234,000 250,000 9 9 Sam Fender People Watching 232,000 10 8 Chappell Roan The Rise And Fall Of A Midwest Princess 232,000 530,000 11 11 Elton John Diamonds 228,000 1,880,000 12 12 Sabrina Carpenter Man's Best Friend 217,000 13 13 Billie Eilish Hit Me Hard And Soft 214,000 560,000 14 14 SZA SOS 212,000 690,000 15 15 Charli XCX Brat 212,000 500,000 16 16 Noah Kahan Stick Season 208,000 680,000 17 17 Michael Jackson The Essential 205,000 2,040,000 18 18 Tate McRae So Close To What 202,000 19 19 ABBA Gold: Greatest Hits 199,000 6,100,000 20 20 Fleetwood Mac Rumours 190,000 3,500,000 21 21 Arctic Monkeys AM 186,000 2,280,000 22 22 Oasis Definitely Maybe 184,000 2,980,000 23 23 Taylor Swift The Tortured Poets Department 183,000 970,000 24 24 Eminem Curtain Call: The Hits 182,000 3,500,000 25 25 Linkin Park Papercuts 181,000 350,000 26 26 Olivia Rodrigo Guts 172,000 660,000 27 27 Lady Gaga Mayhem 170,000 28 28 Olivia Rodrigo Sour 167,000 1,220,000 29 29 Gracie Abrams The Secret Of Us 162,000 300,000 30 30 Central Cee Can't Rush Greatness 149,000 31 31 Calvin Harris 96 Months 141,000 210,000 32 32 Queen Greatest Hits 139,000 3,180,000 33 33 Post Malone The Diamond Collection 138,000 470,000 34 34 Benson Boone Fireworks & Rollerblades 136,000 260,000 35 35 Ariana Grande Eternal Sunshine 136,000 320,000 36 36 Pitbull Greatest Hits 134,000 600,000 37 37 Billy Joel Piano Man: The Very Best Of Billy Joel 132,000 1,670,000 38 38 Ed Sheeran ÷ 132,000 4,460,000 39 39 Fontaines D.C. Romance 127,000 240,000 40 40 Maroon 5 Singles 124,000 960,000 51 68 Olivia Dean The Art Of Loving 112,000 68 71 Ed Sheeran Play 98,000 I’m pretty confident “Play” has done 98-99k, so not sure how it’s already gone gold.

Not convinced actually, but “Birds Of A Feather” might just get there. It’s selling 12k per week right now and needs 11k per week average.