1. So What - Pink
Pink rules the UK singles chart for the third week with "So What." American acts have now ruled the top spot in the UK singles chart for 12 weeks--almost a quarter of 2008. That beats the 11-week run for Americans in 2006 when Orson, Ne-Yo and Gnarls Barkley spent 11 weeks in a row at #1 (9 of which were from Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy," Britain's #1 single of 2006). As far as I can tell, this is the longest stretch of Americans ruling the #1 spot in the UK in over 20 years. Girls Aloud look set to end that reign next week, returning Brits to the top of the UK chart with their latest, "The Promise." Pink's album Funhouse is out next week.
2. The Winner's Song - Geraldine
3. Don't Call This Love - Leon Jackson
Now for some fun. British comedian Peter Kay is no stranger to the singles chart. His 2005 collaboration with Tony Christie, "(Is This the Way to) Amarillo" was the year's #1 hit, and his 2007 remake/collaboration with the Proclaimers on "I'm Gonna Be (500 Miles)" was a major #1 last year. Now he's gone and teamed up with Gary Barlow to create a parody of UK reality TV show pop singers, "The Winner's Song," from "Peter Kay's Britain's Got the Pop Factor... and Possibly a New Celebrity Jesus Christ Soapstar Superstar Strictly on Ice," which aired last week on Channel 4. "The Winner's Song" is the victory lap so to speak of that show's "winner" Geraldine McQueen. And it hits all the pop cliches we've come to know and love from songs like "A Moment Like This," "That's My Goal," or "All This Time" like the plodding opening piano chords, self-actualizing lyrics and the last chorus key change (of which this song actually has two).
What's most fun perhaps is that this "parody" of reality TV-produced pop stars has actually trumped a genuine one. Last year's X Factor winner Leon Jackson released his first proper single last week, "Don't Call This Love." Surely he hoped this would be his "Bleeding Love," the similarly positioned record that Leona Lewis has carried to #1 all over the world. Sadly for Mr. Jackson his new single has underperformed, landing at a mere #3. Even Shayne Ward managed better when he hit #2 with "No Promises," his first single after his #1 victory lap. This confirms what I had suspected--while Leona Lewis has gone on to be a international pop superstar, Leon Jackson is going to have to settle for regional (and less substantial) success. I see birthday parties in his future (really great parties though).
5. Up - The Saturdays
Pop girl group The Saturdays prove they weren't a one-hit wonder with "If This Is Love," beating that single to become their first top 5 hit. It comes a week after Sugababes, the reigning queens of British girl group pop hit #3 with "Girls" and a week before Girls Aloud come out with their latest, "The Promise." This is another great track, further piquing my interest. It's got quite an '80s groove, with a deep synth bass line akin to something Michael Jackson would have done. Their debut album Chasing Lights has already garnered a 5-star review from Britain's gay newspaper, Pink Paper, saying "Stop! You might want to remember where you were when you heard that The Saturdays were actually very good indeed."
6. Take Back the City - Snow Patrol
Snow Patrol jump up nine spots to #6 this week with "Take Back the City," the first single from their new album A Hundred Million Suns, out next week. As such, it becomes the group's fifth top 10 single, besting by one place the #7 peak of the first single from their last album, "You're All I Have" from Eyes Open. While last year's "Signal Fire" is their highest charting single (#4), they are best remembered by their 2006 #6 hit "Chasing Cars."
9. Raindrops (Encore Une Fois) - Sash! Featuring Stunt
I'm kicking myself for not having bought this in London last week, for it is not available on US iTunes nor any other download store I know of. Sash! became popular in the UK in 1997, scoring top 3 hits with all of their first four singles, all in different languages. Their very first single, Encore Une Fois hit #2 in March of 1997. They followed with seven other top 10 hits, my favorites of which were "Stay" (#2 in 1997) and "Mysterious Times" (#2 in 1998). It's been 7 years now since they've had a major hit, and "Raindrops" comes from their latest greatest hits collection (they've already had a couple of other ones). It's a mashup with Stunt's, "Raindrops," and frankly I fail to see how it's different from that song other than a woman announcing "Encore Une Fois" before the chorus. Still, it's a fun dance track, giving the German dance artist his 9th UK top 10 hit.
11. Love Lockdown - Kanye West
It's a "grower not a shower" as Reggie keeps reminding us annoying during the Radio 1 UK top 40 chart show. Kanye West is up another three spots to #11 this week and should crack the top 10 next week. This is slated to get a physical release in 2 weeks.
23. Spiralling - Keane
The release of Keane's new album Perfect Symmetry, which tops the UK albums chart this week (their third to do so), send that album's first single "Spiralling" back up the chart 11 spots to the #23 peak position it reached 6 weeks ago.
25. Kids - MGMT
MGMT's "Kids" is proving to be another hit for them, jumping 10 spots to #25. Their last single, "Electric Feel," peaked at #22.
28. Be the One - The Ting Tings
The Ting Tings see diminishing returns from their fourth single, which falls well short of the #1 and #6 placings of their last two singles, "That's Not My Name" and "Shut Up and Let Me Go."
No comments:
Post a Comment