UK Singles Chart, 7/5/2008

1. Closer - Ne-Yo

It's peculiar but not uncommon for a popular American artist has a hit in the UK that isn't a hit at home. The last single by an American artist to hit #1 in the UK but miss the U.S. top 10 was Madonna's "Sorry." Other examples from this decade include "Nasty Girl" by The Notorious B.I.G. and friends, "Get Right" by Jennifer Lopez, "Like Toy Soldiers" by Eminem, and Christina Aguilera's "Dirrty."

In The U.S., Ne-Yo hit #1 in 2006 with "So Sick" and #2 last year with "Because of You." He's had several other top 10 hits, but "Closer" isn't one of them (the single peaked at #25 two weeks ago). Yet it sits on top of the UK singles chart this week, having slowly climbed the top 10 over the last 5 weeks. "Closer" is Ne-Yo's 4th top 10 hit and 2nd #1 after "So Sick."

3. No Air - Jordin Sparks Featuring Chris Brown

Another American Idol winner besides Kelly Clarkson finally has a hit in the UK. Jordin Sparks rises 7 spots to #3 this week to become the American Idol with biggest charting UK single yet, beating the #5 peak of Kelly's "Since U Been Gone." This good fortune is somewhat analogous to American Idol results at home. On the American charts, Jordin Sparks is the only other Idol winner besides Clarkson who appears to have major potential as a pop artist, having hit #3 with this single a few months ago (and #8 last year with "Tattoo"). And no, I'm not forgetting Carrie Underwood, who is now perhaps the most successful American Idol winner in American, but she's more a country artist than a pop artist. "No Air" is a great pop single and I'm glad to see it was able to cross the pond.

4. Forever - Chris Brown

For whatever reason (probably because they're both young American male pop/R&B artists) I have a mental link between Ne-Yo's "Closer" and Chris Brown's "Forever"--both having come out at about the same time in the states and the UK and both climbing the chart at about the same pace, at least in the UK. "Forever" is Chris Brown's third UK top 5 hit, his second coming just one spot above this, giving him two top 5 hits this week. The last time an artist had two top 5 singles in the top 10? It was September 2006, when Timbaland was the featured artist on both Justin Timberlake's "Sexyback" at #2 and Nelly Furtado's "Promiscuous" at #3. He was, of course, the producer of both singles too.

16. Geraldine - Glasvegas

Scottish band Glasvegas score their first top 40 hit this week with "Geraldine." The group hails from Glascow, but apparently has an affinity for Las Vegas too, having used both cities' names to form theirs. Glasvegas is the 9th act from the BBC Sounds of 2008 list to score a top 40 hit. Only Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong has yet to have a top 40 single. The biggest hits from that bunch so far:

1. Adele - #2 "Chasing Pavements"
2. Duffy - #1 "Mercy"
3. The Ting Tings - #1 "That's Not My Name"
4. Glasvegas - #16 "Geraldine"
5. Foals - #26 "Cassius"
6. Vampire Weekend - #38 "Oxford Comma"
7. Joe Lean and the Jing Jang Jong - #43 "Lonely Buoy"
8. Black Kids - #11 "I'm Not Gonna Teach Your Boyfriend How to Dance with You"
9. MGMT - #31 "Electric Feel"
10. Santogold - #27 "Les Artistes"

24. Shut Up and Let Me Go - The Ting Tings
31. Electric Feel - MGMT

While we're on the subject of the BBC Sounds of 2008 list, two of the other artists on it also score top 40 hits this week. The Ting Tings, who hit #1 in May with "That's Not My Name" score their third top 40 with "Shut Up and Let Me Go." It's not in stores until July 14, so expect this to rise--likely will become their second top 10 hit.

MGMT, the American electro/indie band who hit #35 earlier this year with their debut, "Time to Pretend," score a slightly bigger hit at #31 with its follow-up, "Electric Feel."

30. Bye Bye - Mariah Carey

Today's chart commentary started with an example of a popular American artist whose latest single unusually charted much higher in the UK than in the U.S., and I'm closing with something equally interesting--a popular American artist whose last single was a big hit in both countries--and the follow-up a bomb in both. "Touch My Body," Mariah Carey's first single from her latest album was a #1 hit in America and a #5 single in Britain. It's follow-up, tipped by many as a sure thing, has gone belly up in both countries, peaking at #19 in the U.S. and #30 this week in the UK. Truthfully, I'm not that surprised and a little glad. "Bye Bye" is fine but bland, and there are many other better tracks on E=MC², an album I happen to rather like. "I Stay in Love" is a much better ballad, and upbeat tracks like "Migrate" and "I'll Be Lovin' U Long Time" are good too. Hopefully this won't prevent them from getting a chance.