UK Singles Chart, 11/13/2010

1. Only Girl (in the World) - Rihanna

Rihanna climbs a notch to #1 with "Only Girl," her fourth #1 hit in the UK and first this year after hitting #2 in the spring with "Rude Boy" and #2 in the summer with Eminem on "Love the Way You Lie." It's the first single to climb to its first week at #1 since Flo Rida did so in August with "Club Can't Handle Me." Rihanna moved about 135,000 copies of "Only Girl," about 20,000 fewer than Cheryl Cole sold last week, making "Only Girl's" 1-week sales the third biggest of a #1 hit this year; both she and Cole trail significantly the over 453,000 copies sold the first week of release for Helping Haiti's "Everybody Hurts." Rihanna's new album, Loud, is out next week.

3. Happiness - Alexis Jordan

Is Alexis Jordan this year's Agnes? Perhaps, as her debut single, "Happiness," charged onto the chart at #3. It's a frothy piece of classic House-based dance pop reminiscent of Cher's "Believe." The 18 year-old is surely hard at work on her first album, which she will likely deliver to her Jay-Z-owned record label.

4. Firework - Katy Perry

Still climbing this one--up 2 more to #4, making it her 7th top 5 hit.

10. Higher -The Saturdays (feat. Flo Rida)

With the physical release of "Higher," which has been on the radio for months, The Saturdays finally see the single vault into the top 10, becoming their 8th single to do. Of their nine released, only "Work" missed the top 10 and rather spectacularly, peaking at only #22.

11. Check It Out - Will.I.Am & Nicki Minaj (feat. Cheryl Cole)

Even the mixing in of Cheryl Cole's vocal onto the UK version of this single wasn't enough to put it in the top 10, as Black Eyed Peas' member and busy producer Will.I.Am and his hip-hop protege Nicki Minaj, just miss the top 10 at #11. Minaj had her first top 10 hit a couple weeks ago, appearing on Jay Sean's #9 hit "2012" (#23 this week).

12. Stay - Shakespear's Sister

This enigmatic duo had a few hits in the early '90s, the biggest of which was "Stay," which spent 7 weeks at #1 early in the year and went on to be the year's fourth biggest hit. It was also a hit in the US, where it peaked at #4. Thanks to its use on X Factor, the song is a hit again, charging up 42 places to #12 (it even had enough sales last week to hit #64).

19. Make You Feel My Love - Adele

Not going away this one, up 8 this week.

20. One in a Million - Ne-Yo

Falling far short of the #1 peak of his last single, "Beautiful Monster," Ne-Yo's follow-up reaches only #20. I smell a flop. Nothing he's put out has stuck in the US, and I think he got lucky with "Beautiful Monster" doing well in European countries.

22. Second Chance - Tinchy Stryder (feat. Taio Cruz)

The '20s are full of singles one would expect to chart higher. Here's another: the second single from Tinchy Stryder's forthcoming second album, which manages to make little impact on the chart this week. Even the presence of Taio Cruz--still in the top 30 with #1 hit "Dynamite"--doesn't help.

26. Insatiable - Nadine

Nadine Coyle becomes the second member of Girls Aloud to step out solo, although she does so with far less fanfare than her bandmate Cheryl Cole (who I need not remind you enjoyed her second #1 hit last week). I don't think Nadine is even on a major label.

29. Take Control - Roll Deep (feat. Alesha Dixon)

And yet another surprisingly low chart performance. Roll Deep hit #1 earlier this year with "Good Times" and then hit #1 again this summer with "Green Light." So what went wrong this time? The album still isn't out, this sounds a lot like their other songs, and even features a popular vocalist. Very strange.

****

Next week: The race for #1 is Take That's to lose, as "The Flood" may be the re-formed band's hottest hit yet, and their first to feature Robbie Williams again. It's #1 on the airplay chart. Vyying for top 10 spots: B.o.B with Rivers Cuomo, Eminem with Lil Wayne, McFly with Taio Cruz, Pink (with just herself) and the return of Shayne Ward.