UK Singles Chart, 3/28/2009

1. Poker Face - Lady GaGa
2. Right Round - Flo Rida Featuring Ke%ha
3. (Barry) Islands in the Stream - Vanessa Jenkins & Bryn West Feat. Tom Jones and Robin Gibb

Yet again, we have a genuine surprise at the top of the UK singles chart this week. Conventional wisdom would have favored the Vanessa Jenkins and Bryn West Comic Relief charity single for a second week at the top, yet "(Barry) Islands in the Stream" falls to #3. If you were watching the midweeks reports you'd have known that would probably happen; however, you also probably expected Flo Rida to reclaim the top spot with "Right Round." In the end, a surprising surge from Lady GaGa finds her second single "Poker Face" at #1, giving the dance pop singer her second UK chart-topper. Coming about 2 months after her debut, "Just Dance," topped the chart, makes Lady GaGa the first act to have multiple #1 hits this year--a feat no one achieved last year. The last time an act had multiple #1 hits in one calendar year was the Sugababes in 2007, who topped the chart early in the year with Girls Aloud around this time of year with their Comic Relief single "Walk This Way," and then again in October with "About You Now." Since we're on this track, when was the last time an artist scored 3 #1 hits within one calendar year? Well Elvis did it in 2005 with his re-releases of "Jailhouse Rock," "One Night" and "It's Now or Never," but a more satisfying answer would probably be 2002, when Will Young and Gareth Gates both had 3 #1 hits, one of which they scored together with their remake of "The Long and Winding Road." That Sugababes, Eminem and Westlife all also had 2 #1s each in 2002 made it quite the year for artists with multiple chart-toppers.

9. Halo - Beyonce

Still selling just on downloads and weeks away from its physical release, Beyonce's "Halo," climbs 11 spots to #9. Go B go!

11. In for the Kill - La Roux

Here's an exciting debut! La Roux is a British synth pop duo, selected as one of the BBC "Sounds of 2009" acts. Their single from last year, "Quicksand," has been available for awhile, but this is the act's first new hit since the buzz-generating BBC pick. After Lady GaGa's two #1s, this is the highest a Sounds of 2009 act has charted thus far.

14. Love Etc. - Pet Shop Boys

Their new album, Yes, is out tomorrow. Released just 1 week in advance is the Pet Shop Boys' latest single "Love Etc." Probably would have liked a top 10 placing, but this isn't too bad for a band that's been around 25 years now. Their last album, Fundamental, yielded three top 40 hits, including #8 single "I'm with Stupid."

20. Jai Ho (You Are My Destiny) - AR Rahman & the Pussycat Dolls

"Jai Ho" was recently a top 40 hit in the US, and so it is now in the UK, debuting this week at #20, giving The Pussycat Dolls their 9th UK top 40 hit. So far, it's their lowest-charting single, but it doesn't come out until April 13, so there's a good chance it will be climbing.

27. No You Girls - Franz Ferdinand

Franz Ferdinand's last single, "Ulysses," peaked at a disappointing #20, so it's nice to see that "No You Girls" may be poised to correct that oversight, as it jumps into the top 40 on downloads at #27, still 2 weeks away from its physical release. While the top 10 is still a ways away, it's not an impossibility.

30. Takin' Back My Love - Enrique Iglesias feat. Ciara

Enrique Iglesias' pop music career is holding on for dear life these days. Sure he made a minor comeback in 2007 with "Do You Know (The Ping Pong Song)," but last year's first greatest hits single, "Away," was DOA. So he gets another reprieve, however slight, with "Takin' Back My Love," which features hot pop artist Ciara (hot in comparison to poor Enrique, who is, by now, quite cold I'm afraid).