Wednesday, April 19, 2006

UK Chart Analysis, 4/22/2006

Gnarls Barkely reigns supreme for a 3rd week on the singles and airplay charts, while The Streets tops the albums chart. Click below for full details.

UK Singles:

1. Crazy - Gnarls Barkley

Gnarls Barkley--the fictional creation that is the collaboration of infamous producer DJ Danger Mouse and rapper Cee-Lo tops the UK singles chart for a second week with another healthy week of sales. The album lands next week--expect a #1. Also, this drops at US radio next month--expect a big summer hit there.

2. No Promises - Shayne Ward

So, the true test of a reality pop star is not whether he or she can land at #1 with their first single (everyone does), but whether they can continue past that and actually establish a career based on music and not television. Will Young did it, so did Kelly Clarkson, but beyond that, few Pop Idols, American Idols, X-Factor Winners, etc. have managed to become solid stars. Take 2004's X-Factor winner, Steve Brookstein, had one #1 single, a remake of "Against All Odds," and then vanished from the face of the Earth (FYI--I had to go look up his name, so obscure has he become). So Shayne then has crossed the first hurdle, having released a second single, which manages to chart impressively at #2 with sales figures that would have landed him at #1, if it weren't for the massive Gnarls Barkley single. Although panned and trite, I must confess I actually like this single, and I think it's better than "That's My Goal," which was boring. As with the aforementioned Will and Kelly though, the first whole album is really obligatory contract stuff, and it's the second album that really shows whether a reality star can really stand up as an artist. If you doubt that Kelly Clarkson has a legitimate star, just take a look at those Breakaway sales figures--astounding stuff.

5. S.O.S. - Rihanna

Rihanna's third single debuts at #5, the second-highest digital only debut yet since the UK chart rules changed to allow singles to chart the week before their physical release based on their on-line sales. Gnarls Barkley, of course, is the only artist to debut at #1 with digital sales. This bodes well for next week, where Rihanna will surely charge up to #2 and maybe #1, if she can unseat Gnarls--a tough proposition.

10. Put Your Records On - Corinne Bailey Rae

After 2 weeks at #11, Corinne Bailey Rae rebounds into the top 10, in her 8th week on the chart. Clearly a record with legs.

14. Better Do Better - Hard-Fi

Hard-Fi's 5th single, a pretty amazing feat in itself, ties the peak of last single, December's "Cash Machine." It's a mellower release from them, but equally good. Cool band I think.

15. Here We Go - Trina Featuring Kelly Rowland

I may have misjudged this track when it was released a few months ago in the US. I didn't care for it at the time, but I've heard it on British radio a few times this week, and it's growing on me. This is Trina's first top 40 hit (she reached #45 in 2002 with "No Panties) and 5th solo-credited appearance for former Destiny's Child member Kelly Rowland, who hit #1 as a featured vocalist on Nelly's "Dilemma" and #2 with her own hit, "Stole."

16. Unpredictable - Jamie Foxx Featuring Ludacris

Jamie Foxx is an amazing ACTOR. He won an Oscar for his ACTING in Ray. He was really good in Jarhead, where he demonstrated his immense talent as an ACTOR. Okay, he was a lot of fun on Kanye's "Gold Digger," but this track does not hold up.

19. Smooth Criminal - Michael Jackson

Now autobiographical.

26. Dance, Dance - Fall Out Boy

Again, here's another debut based on downloads that should shoot up into the top 10 next week.

27. Kids With Guns / El Manana - Gorillaz

This is a bit disappointing, although predictable, since Damon Albarn burned out after the first 3 singles from the first Gorillaz album too. I've really been into "Kids With Guns" this week--it's great.

29. I Feel It - Lorraine

I'm interested in where this group is going. Clever electronica is always worthwhile, and this band is getting good buzz. Album is supposedly forthcoming.

34. From Paris to Berlin - Infernal

Another downloads-only track destined for the top 10 next week. It's a great dance track, and will hopefully break through the glass ceiling that dance tracks have been trapped under thus far this year.

UK Albums:

The Streets tops the album chart this week with his third album, The Hardest Way to Make an Easy Living, which shows he still is worth something, despite the lowly #8 peak of the album's clever first single, "When You Wasn't Famous." No other significant news this week

UK Airplay:

Gnarls Barkley continues to reign on the airplay chart for a third week with "Crazy," while Coldplay edges closer to the top at #2 with "The Hardest Part," the fourth release from X&Y, but which isn't being released as a physical single, a la "God Put Smile On Your Face" and "Don't Panic" from their previous albums. All 3 of the albums other singles topped the airplay chart last year. Richard Ashcroft moves up 8 spots to #5 with "Music Is Power," which it out in shops this week. His last, "Break The Night With Colour" hit #2 on the airplay chart. Snow Patrol also crashed into the top 10, up 18 spots to #7 with their fabulous forthcoming single, "You're All I Have."

Rihanna moves into the top 10 at #9 with "S.O.S." and Beatfreaks maves a 19 spot leap to #13 with "Somebody's Watching Me."

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