US and UK Chart Analysis, 2/25/2006

I'm combining them this week! Charts are mostly static at the top this week. The Yanks are still gaga over Beyonce, who tops the Billboard Hot 100 for the 4th week and the top 40 airplay chart for the third week. Meanwhile the Brits have Meck topping the sales chart for a second week and Madonna topping the airplay chart for a third week. The Brits and Grammies propelled winning albums up the UK and US album charts. Arctic Monkeys spend a 4th week at #1 on the UK albums chart, while Jack Johnson's Curious George Soundtrack tops the Billboard 200 albums chart.

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Billboard Hot 100:

Beyonce (Featuring Slim Thug) spends a 4th week at #1 with "Check On It." She still has a ways to go before "Check On It" becomes even close to challenging the longevity of her previous two solo #1 hits--"Crazy in Love" spent 8 weeks at #1 while "Baby Boy" spent 9. James Blunt remains bulleted at #2 with "You're Beautiful." If he could hit #1, he'd become the first Brit to have a #1 single in the US since Elton John's "Candle In The Wind 1997" 9 years ago. Sean Paul's "Temperature" is the only new entry in the top 10, up 10 to #8. It's this week's Sales Gainer winner and Sean Paul's 5th top 10 hit.

At #12, Dem Franchize Boys earn the Airplay Gainer award and are up 11 spots this week with "Lean Wit It, Rock Wit It." Cascada also makes a good jump this week, up 8 to #19 with "Everytime We Touch."

Pink is back at #25 with "Stupid Girls," her 9th top 40 hit and this weeks highest debut in the Hot 100. Pink first hit the top 40 in 2000 with a trio of hits from her first album, Can't Take Me Home, a slick Babyface-produced collection of R&B/Pop. Best of the lot was "Most Girls," which hit #4. She had her first (and so far only) #1 hit in 2001 as 1/4 of the Moulin Rouge quarter remake of "Lady Marmalade." In 2002, Pink returned with her second album, which proved to be much different and more interesting than her debut. Missundaztood was a brilliant blend of pop, rock, R&B, and funk influences that firmly rooted Pink as a personality beyond label influence. The album scored three big top 10 hits, "Get The Party Started," "Don't Let Me Get Me," and "Just Like a Pill." In trying to remain edgy, however, Pink continued her move away from R&B and toward rock with her third album Try This in 2003. The magic was gone this time, and neither "Trouble" nor "God is a DJ" managed to make the top 40. Pink appears to be turning that around with "Stupid Girls," which looks set to deliver her a major hit.

There's several other new entries in the top 40 this week that deserve recognition. At #33 (up from #41) is "Walk Away," the 7th top 40 from Kelly Clarkson, and 5th release alone from her second album, Breakaway. At #38 is the first top 40 hit for Jack Johnson, "Upside Down," from this week's #1 album, the soundtrack (all by Jack Johnson) for the film Curious George. Johnson's first chart appearance was 4 years ago with "Flake;" last year he had a hit (with a very cool video) for "Sitting, Wishing, Waiting." He's been a favorite on VH-1 for his laid back singer-songwriter approach (and he's very good looking too, which doesn't hurt his video airplay). Finally at #39 is Brad Paisely (featuring Dolly Parton) with "When I Get Where I'm Going."

Billboard 200:

Jack Johnson lands a #1 album with Curious George, the soundtrack to the new film. Mary J. Blige maintains pole position with a bullet for The Breakthrough. Second biggest debut of the week is Dem Franchize Boys at #5 with On Top of Our Game.

Grammy Award winners got expected boosts this week. Mariah Carey's The Emancipation of Mimi, winner of Contemporary R&B Album of the Year, re-entered the top 10, up 7 to #7. Kelly Clarkson, winner of Pop Album of the Year for Breakaway is up 16 spots to #8. Last week was the first and only week the album has spent outside of the top 20 since its debut 62 weeks ago. Kanye West's Late Registration, which won Best Rap Album, is up 20 spots to #30. The evening's biggest winner, U2's How to Dismantle an Atomic Bomb, the Album of Year, re-enters the chart at #49. The annual Grammy compilation is also up 17 spots to #15.

R&R Top 40:

Beyonce (Featuring Slim Thug) remains #1 for a third week with "Check On It," and commands a significant lead over #2, Ne-Yo's "So Sick," which is up 2 to #2. Kelly Clarkson scores her 7th top 10 hit at #10 with "Walk Away," the fifth top 10 hit from Breakaway. Pink leaps into the top 40 at #31 (up from #49) with "Stupid Girls," her 12th top 40 hit.

UK Singles:

1. "Thunder In My Heart Again" - Meck Featuring Leo Sayer

It's a second week at #1 for Meck and Leo Sayer. Interestingly, the UK chart is off to a slower start than usual this year. "Thunder in My Heart Again" is only the 3rd #1 hit this year. Last year, by the time we'd gotten to the 7th week, there had been 7 #1 singles--one per week.

5. "Woman In Love" / "I Get The Sweetest Feeling" - Liz McLarnon

Former Atomic Kitten Liz McLarnon is the first member of the now defunct group to have a top 10 solo hit. This double-A side single consists of 2 remakes, but they are well done, particularly "Woman in Love," a remake of Barbra Streisand's #1 hit from 1980. It's this week's highest debut.

7. "All Time Love" - Will Young

Will Young's classic love song benefits from Valentine's Day sales and moves back up into the top 10, to spend its 4th week within the top 10. This is the longest stay he's had in the top 10 since "Leave Right Now," a #1 single, managed 7 weeks (his longest stay). Recent singles, "Your Game," "Friday's Child," and "Switch It On" all managed only 1 week within the top 10.

13. "One More Night at Home" - Friday Hill

Second biggest new entry of the week comes from boyband Friday Hill at #13, a far cry from the top 5 placing of their debut single last year, "Baby Goodbye."

15. "Ride a White Horse" - Goldfrapp

Goldfrapp's third Supernature single debuts at #15 this week. "Ride a White Horse" is a pulsing slice of electro-pop, just as satisfying as "Ooh La La." Although the single fails to make the top 10, which both of their last singles "Ooh La La" and "Number 1" did, you have to remember that until "Ooh La La" hit #4 last year, the best they'd done was #20 with "Strict Machine." So not too shabby.

UK Albums:

It's a fourth week at #1 for the Arctic Monkey's Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I'm Not. The Monkeys picked up the Brit Award for Best Newcomer lsat week. Kaiser Chiefs, the award show's big winner (3 awards-British Group, British Rock Group, and Live Act) are up 5 spots to #2 with Employment. KT Tunstall, winner of Best British Female Act, is up 15 spots to #4 with Eye to the Telescope. At midweek, Will Young was all the way up to #2, but he settles back down a bit in the end at #5. Coldplay's X&Y, which won Best British Album, makes a big leap up 13 spots to #8. At #10 is the week's highest debut, The Jam's hits collection, Snap.

UK Airplay:

Madonna tops the airplay chart for a third week with "Sorry," which is finally in shops today. Moving up 2 spots to #2 is relative newcomer Corinne Bailey Rae with "Put Your Records On." In a surprising move, Kelly Clarkson's "Because of You" is up 5 to #5; the single itself is now 12 weeks old. Westlife makes a big leap into the top 10, up 18 spots to #6 with "Amazing." This bodes well for the new single, which is out today, since neither "You Raise Me Up" or "When You Tell Me That You Love Me" were very big airplay hits, even though they sold well, particularly the former. Also making a big up into the top 10 is El Presidente, up 14 spots to #9--the single itself charted fairly poorly, debuting at #39 last week.

New band Orson makes a good leap up 21 spots to #12 with "No Tomorrow." I've listened to samples on their Web site and I'm definitely interested in their forthcoming album. The Sugababes' latest, "Red Dress" is up 5 to #13, while one of their previous singles (and not even the most recent), "Push the Button" is nipping at its heals, up 3 to #14 in its 24th week on the chart. They're also at #22 with "Ugly." Both "Push the Button" and "Ugly" topped the airplay chart. Massive Attack is back at #34 with a new entry, "Live With Me," which comes out in March. I heard a sample of it--very cool.

So next week's UK singles chart is set to be quite a chart battle, with new releases from Madonna, Westlife, and Corinne Bailey Rae vying for #1. There's also new singles out from Simon Webbe and The Darkness. I'll give the edge to Madonna, but look to Corinne Bailey Rae to be the darkhorse for a steal.