UK Singles Chart, November 6, 2010

1. Promise This - Cheryl Cole

X Factor judge and Girls Aloud member Cheryl Cole scores her second #1 hit with "Promise This," the first single from her second album, Messy Little Raindrops, out tomorrow. It's been just a year since Cole released her first album and hit #1 with its first single. That song, "Fight for This Love," was a massive hit, raking in nearly 300,000 copies sold in its first week (the second highest tally for a #1 hit in 2009 after the Christmas #1), and was the year's fourth biggest hit. "Promise This" sold about 157,000 copies, a far cry from "Fight for This Love's" total, but still enough to make it the second-biggest first-week sales for a #1 hit so far this year after the "Everybody Hurts" Haiti relief single. Cole's had quite a year since "Fight for This Love," notable for the public dissolution of her marriage to footballer Ashley Cole and her nasty bout of Malaria contracted while on vacation in Africa, the latter of which forms the lyrical inspiration for this single (I'll set aside the discussion of the appropriateness of turning a near-death experience into a fun pop song).

2. Only Girl (in the World) - Rihanna

In the duel between big female pop stars, the one that is arguably bigger internationally has to settle for #2...yet again, as "Only Girl" becomes Rihanna's 8th #2 single, and third this year, following "Rude Boy" and "Love the Way You Lie." Soon she'll be in the running for "Queen of the #2s." Madonna and Kylie have both had 11.

8. Just a Dream - Nelly

Nelly climbs up three into the top 10, making "Just a Dream" his 13th top 10 hit.

11. Hollywood - Michael Buble

Michael Buble jumps 16 notches to #11 with "Hollywood," making it his second-highest charting single after #5 hit "Haven't Met You Yet."

13. Seek Bromance - Tim Berg (feat. Amanda Wilson)

This is a pretty decent dance track, so I'm surprised it couldn't fight its way into the top 10. It joins the long line of instrumental dance tracks--in this case Tim Berg's "Bromance"--that gets a vocal makeover to make it a pop hit.

14. Defender - Peter Andre

He's still making music? Who knew? Apparently enough people to put this into the chart at #14.

15. Runaway - Devlin (feat. Yasmin)

Here's another one I thought could have been in the top 10. British rapper Devlin hit #31 earlier this year with "Brainwashed," and comes close to the top 10 this with this second single, a rather grand mix of strings, pianos, beats, singing and rapping.

37. Stay the Night - James Blunt

Interest in James Blunt as a major pop star appears to be dead, as the first single from his third album limps onto the chart at #37. His first album generated four top 40 hits, including the massive international smash, "You're Beautiful." His second album's singles fared significantly worse, although he did manage a top 5 hit with its first release, "1973." That was 3 years ago, perhaps he was just away too long, although in truth I think he's just been coasting on the success of "You're Beautiful" ever since getting extraordinarily lucky with that tune.