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Week Ending July 12th 2008

Posted Mon 7 Jul 2008 8:55AM BST by James Masterton in Chart Watch UK
I can't really avoid saying it, so lets get it out the way early. Glastonbury Effect. It can be overstated and at times given credit for something that would have happened anyway, but in the immediate aftermath of one of the biggest and certainly most widely publicised summer festivals, it has become a kind of tradition to scrutinise the sales performances of the big name acts involved in the week that follows and note just how their live appearances have boosted their chart positions.

More on that later, because although this weeks Number One act on the singles chart did indeed appear at Glastonbury and memorably performed his single for the benefit of the BBC cameras it would only dilute what he has achieved by suggesting it was entirely down to his appearance at Worthy Farm. Dylan 'Dizzee Rascal' Mills has been releasing singles and albums and winning awards ever since he was 18 years old, but for some reason his hits have never quite managed to hit the big time. He seemed to be on his way when 'Stand Up Tall' reached Number 10 (not 11 as the BBC are erroneously reporting) in 2004 but when the single releases from his last album 'Maths + English' made 20, 22 and 23 in 2007 it seemed he was destined for mid-table obscurity.

Unusually the change in his chart fortunes comes as he leaves the guiding had of XL Recordings who signed him as a teenager and strikes out as a total independent on his own Dirtee Stank label. Clearly it has done him the world of good as this week 'Dance Wiv Me' shoulders all competition out of the way as its downloads alone make it the biggest selling single of the week. Not that Dizzee should get all the credit of course, as the track is very much a genre-hopping ensemble effort with contributions from Calvin Harris and Diz's own protégé Chrome. It is to say the least a quite compelling combination as the warring musical styles of the three participants combine in a way that is almost magical, the Grimecore vocals from Dizzee Rascal bounce over the top of Harris' electronic beats before giving way to the smooth R&B tones of Chrome. This is three and a half minutes of three men having a whale of a time on a record that is fun, accessible and yet amazingly true to the musical roots of all three participants at the same time.

Dizzee Rascal thus hits the top with his 11th chart single, Calvin Harris with his third, whilst Chrome begins his chart career with a peak that he will never be able to better. Eyebrows will of course be raised at the liberties the title of the track takes with the English language, 'Dance Wiv Me' arguably the first deliberately misspelled title for a Number One hit since the Pussycat Dolls topped the chart with 'Stickwitu' in late 2005. Such dictionary mangling is of course hardly new with Slade having spent half their career in the 70s releasing singles spelled with Wolverhampton patois whilst a decade later Prince would habitually write song titles in textspeak - some years before the SMS message had even been invented.

A spectacular debut at the top inevitably overshadows the second biggest hit of the week, so due credit here to Basshunter who follows up the Number One smash 'Now You're Gone' with 'All I Ever Wanted' which narrowly failed to make the runners up slot and so has to content itself with a Number 3 entry. Just like his first hit, Jonas Altberg charts with an English language remake of a single he first released two years ago in his native Sweden. Just as 'Now You're Gone' was originally 'Boten Anna', a song about irc chatbots, 'All I Ever Wanted' began life as 'Vi sitter i Ventrilo och spelar DotA' and in true geek style dealt with sitting in an online chatroom whilst playing a custom Warcraft III map. The roots of the track go even further back than that, its melody based heavily on cult 2001 French club track 'Daddy DJ' which only ever made it to these shores as an import.

Incidentally, the chart duel between the Basshunter and Dizzee Rascal singles could well extend to a second week, both tracks arriving in physical form this week (July 7).

One more single penetrates the Top 10 this week and as expected it is 'Stay With Me' from Ironik which vaults 11-6 as physical sales are added to the mix. The single fares slightly better than the other three notable physical releases of the week, 'We Made It' from Busta Rhymes and Linkin Park holding firm at Number 10, whilst 'When You Touch Me' from the Freemasons featuring Katherine Ellis can only creep to Number 23. Perhaps most surprisingly of all Estelle proves the old maxim that you are only as good as your last hit. As 'American Boy' actually rebounds to Number 21 this week, the followup 'No Substitute Love' arrives at a miserable Number 30 from where you suspect it will progress no further.

For a second week running Chris Brown claims two simultaneous Top 5 hits as 'No Air' slips to Number 4 with 'Forever' one place behind. As you may have read in the comments to last week's Chart Watch UK, both Sean Paul and Elton John can lay claim to being the last artists to manage this double. I'm tempted to discount Elton John from the list simply because one half of his two 2005 Top 5 hits was via his 34 year old sampled vocals on 2Pac's 'Ghetto Gospel. His co-credit was merely for publishing reasons rather than any direct contribution to the track so you could argue he was part of the production rather than an actual performer on the single. Sean Paul in 2003, like Chris Brown today qualifies for the honour by the back door, the artists performing one Top 5 hit on their own and the other as a guest star on someone else's track (Blu Cantrell's 'Breathe' for Sean Paul). Is it therefore correct to argue that Whitney Houston still can claim to be the last artist with two simultaneous Top 5 hits, given that 'I Will Always Love You' and 'I'm Every Woman' were her own brand new solo recordings?

Mind you, Chris Brown is this week just one of no less than three acts to claim two simultaneous Top 20 hits. He is joined by the Ting Tings whose former Number One 'That's Not My Name' slips to Number 13, nicely meeting 'Shut Up And Let Me Go' which rises to Number 15. Also doing the double is Madonna. Her own former Number One '4 Minutes' is at Number 17, one place below the followup 'Give It 2 Me' which has now recovered from its Top 30 stutter last week to claw a place in the Top 20. Madonna goes physical next Monday (July 14th) with the Ting Tings following a week later. Honourable mention must also be made here of both Flo Rida and Estelle who have duopolies of their own with two singles apiece inside the Top 30 whilst Coldplay and Duffy round things off with two simultaneous Top 40 hits at present.

So then to the Glastonbury Effect which inevitably impacts the album chart rather more than the singles listings apart from a couple of notable exceptions. Albums from the Ting Tings and of course Amy Winehouse charge back into the Top 10 with Vampire Weekend, MGMT, Elbow, Last Shadow Puppets and Kings Of Leon amongst those to put on sales in the wake of their festival performances. Singles wise it is perhaps the aforementioned MGMT who turn out to be the surprise package with current single 'Electric Feel' surging 31-22 and previous hit 'Time To Pretend' reappearing at Number 60 after it first peaked at Number 35 in early April.

Leave it to one man in particular however to land the most out of the blue hit of all. As I discussed on the podcast last week, quite aside from the fuss that surrounded his headline status, Jay-Z was in the unusual position of not having any current product to sell whilst at the same time maybe introducing himself to an audience who had never before seen him perform. The net result is the arrival at Number 35 on the singles chart of his 2004 hit '99 Problems', the track making its first Top 75 appearance since early 2005. The song gets a solitary chart run for the very first time, having originally been released as a double a-side with 'Dirt Off My Shoulder'. With the 2004 single having long since been deleted, '99 Problems' charts here as a standalone album cut with its "weeks on chart" count reset. Not far behind in sales terms perhaps inevitably is 'Numb/Encore' which moves 64-45, the closest it has come to a Top 40 re-entry since its original chart run in the first half of 2005. As noted by commenters last week, the track is now within a few thousand sales of becoming the biggest selling single never to reach the Top 10, the single having never climbed beyond Number 14 despite scaling the peak three times three years ago. This is the track's 41st week as a Top 40 hit which you may be surprised to learn only makes it the second most charted single to feature Jay-Z. The first? Rihanna's 'Umbrella' of course which needs just one more week in the Top 75 to join the elite band of 52 week hits.

Finally whilst we are on the subject of long-running hits, a tip of the hat to 'Rockstar' from Nickelback which this week drops out of the Top 40 for the first time since it first entered on November 17th 2007. Frustratingly it means they fall just short of setting a new record, only able to match the 37 week continuous Top 40 run clocked up by Frankie Goes To Hollywood with 'Relax' way back in 1984.

55 Comments

1. Phil -
James, you mean Duffy rather than Adele who has two simultaneous top 30 hits. Adele is on her way back, though, with Hometown Glory!

2. michael_787 -
Adele having two hits in the Top30 this week, huh? Well maybe I just happen to have a wrong list...
Probably, though, it would be more appropriate to include Duffy in the list of artists with two simultaneous Top40 hits, "Warwick Avenue" sliding down to #12 and "Mercy" still hodling its ground at #33.
Plus: Chris Brown actually has THREE songs in the Top40. Let's not forget that "With You" is still around at #37.
Congrats btw to Katherine Ellis who returns top the Top30 after an absence of almost ten years. Last time she has seen chart action was on "La Musica", a #14 hit in April 1999, where she appeared under her pseudonym Arrola.

3. dcs234 -
I'm a long term fan of the singles charts, but I can't help but feel that random album cuts pushing their way into the listing will ultimately have a detrimental effect on the ability of new artists to break through.
I understand the value of digital sales, but in Jay-Z's case the chart listing is of limited value whereas a chart entry for a new artist could be hugely important.
I would propose a ruling where a chart eligible single has to be packaged as such, whether digitally or physically with a single catalog no. (as opposed to a long player track listing) and a B-side or collection of remixes and some promotional artwork.
You shouldn't be able to fall ass-backwards into the charts, your record company should have to make a minimal investment in your success. That would still allow for opportunistic releases like the Mint Royale song, but would prevent cynical, lazy chart listings, like the Jay-Z track. I happen to love 99 Problems especially the Grey Album version, but I don't think Jay-Z cares whether his sales translate to a top 40 placing or not and I don't believe that the track deserves one.

4. slippery_hippo -
Great column James, Love it! I won't quote stats as you do it so well...

I believe Dizzie Rascal is the new Shaggy. Will only get big hits if people actually sing on them with him. I hate most of his other Vicky Pollardesque "songs" but even I would say that I quite like Dance Wiv Me.

5. Brett -
What a low count of new entries, even for this chart era. Just 3 new hits in the top 40! Next week looks set to be quiet as well, ironically with 3 huge physical releases (Jordin Sparks, Dizzie Rascal and Basshunter) although it will seem like a quiet week as they will probably barely move if at all in spite of becoming available physically!

I see Coldplay's Viva la vida is dropping fast in the similar fashion that their old hits used to in the pre download era, it seems unlikely now that it will ever have a physical release.

It looks as though Sharleen Spiteri may actually make the top 40 next week.

As for Nickelback, I am sick of hearing "Rockstar" but it would have been nice to see the chart record broken. Looks as though "Photograph" could be another lingerer, and another mention for the Glastonbury effect has to go to MGMT who would almost certainly have dropped out of the top 40 this week if not for their live performance.

6. Carlos -
I don't like any of Nickelback tracks! Frankie still rules!

7. -
good to see Basshunter back for a bit of cheesy europop. he was going to release a cover of the KWS classic Please Don't Go, but something obviously went awry. But I like this new single too. Hard2Beat seem to be on fire, Basshunter, September all scoring massive hits. Hope September release 'Satellite' as their next single. Classic tune, been on my ipod for years.

Also, Michael_787, Katherine did the vocals on Fascinated by Raven Maize which did make the top 40 just, in 2002. so it hasnt been quite that long. She's also got a promo out of a cover of Ain't Nothing Going On But The Rent (the old Gwen Guthrie song) - on Hard2Beat - spooky!

8. michael_787 -
re entry #7:
In my comment above I was referring to the TOP30. Since the Raven Maize song halted at #37 in 2002, my count stands correct.
By the way it pains my ears to hear "Please Don't Go" referred to as a "KWS song", when all KWS did was make an uninspired cover version of what was originally a #3 hit by KC and the Sunshine Band thirteen years earlier.

9. CJ -
Interesting to read about Basshunter, I knew it was a recycled song but didn't know it had anything to do with Daddy DJ.
I'm so glad Nickelback haven't beaten Frankie's record, that Nickelback song is absolutely horrendous.

10. -
nice try but you can hardly therefore claim she has had no chart action!! its ok, you can admit you forgot that one ;)

you're right of course about KC and the Sunshine Band. KWS simply did a dancier version of it and were much more successful - five weeks at number one if memory serves

11. greatbarrbados@ymail.com -
I see Chasing Cars makes its 80th week in the Top 75 this week. It would be amazing if it was to clock up 100 weeks and if it can beat Frank Sinatra's 'My Way' record.

12. michael_787 -
re #10:
Nothing to admit. If my intention had been to refer to positions outside the TOP30, I would have included not only "Fascinated", but also "Gettin' Into You", credited to W.O.S.P., which went to #48 in 2001 featuring Katherine's vocals, and perhaps even "Harlem One Stop", credited to Bimbo Jones, which was a #98 hit in 2006. Alas, my comment was restricted to the TOP30 and that's what I clearly pointed out.
Katherine did indeed "see chart action" in 2001 (and I am even referring to the TOP10), but that was not as a singer, but as a writer: She co-wrote the infectuous "Salsoul Nugget" by Girl Next Door, a #6 hit.

13. James Masterton -
Estelle..Duffy..Adele, they all blend into one in my head at times. Get a second name girls, you know it makes sense. Corrected the slip.

14. michael_787 -
Corrected? Not quite. It now says "Duffy has two hits inside the Top 30", which still is not true. "Mercy" is at #33, so Duffy has two hits inside the Top 40.

15. armand.rahim -
Why is Chasing cars still around beats me. I mean, it is not even a classic and yet still lingers around. Guess this explains why only a handful of new songs is debutting in the charts when old tracks such as this is still around.
Boring

16. r_guckian -
Just a minor error, but this is actually Calvin Harris' fourth chart single (the oft forgotten Merrymaking At My Place making #43 in August of last year).

17. Yahoo! Music User -
Could anyone tell me where I could get a full listing of the top 200 singles this week? I have found the top 100 on the official charts company's website but can't find top 200??? I presume they're available somewhere as folks last week new about Craig David's disastrous placing in the top 200!!!

18. Yahoo! Music User -
What an impressive run Gabriella Cilmi is having in the charts at the moment! Sweet About Me must be in the chart now for 17 or 18 weeks and still inside the top 10 (even though it took such a long time to get there I think it's amazing how it's holding strong)! It's a track I really liked from the beginning but what I don't understand is how it finally leaped up the charts after all those weeks and reach #6! Don't get me wrong I was delighted to see it but where did it come from????!!!

Speaking of Gabriella, she must be the first new Australian artist in a long time to reach the top 10. Holly Valance and Delta Goodrem must be the last female artists to reach the top 10 with debut singles, Holly's Kiss Kiss reaching #1 in May 2002 and Delta's Born to Try reaching #3 in March 2003! My question is though what happened to these 2? I know Delta is still scoring massive hits in Oz but how come they're not bein releashed here?? And as for Holly!! Her last single was the super State of Mind in November 2003 which reached a respectable #8 and now she seems to be extinct!! I know she's returned to acting but is her career in music over?? I hope not!

Both of them have had 3 top 10 hits, I hope Gabriella's success continues and that she doesn't end up like Vanessa Amorosi, does anyone remember her fantastic summer anthem Absolutely Everybody in Sept 2000 which was a #7 hit! I was recently looking at the Australian single's chart and she was in the top 5, are there any plans for more releases from her here in the UK?? It's such a shame if not . .

As for fellow Oz, poor ould Stephanie McIntosh (aka Skye in Neighbours), her debut single Mistke bombed in July 07, only reaching #47, It wasn't the worst track either! What is with our reluctance to embrace Australian artists??? With the exception of the mighty Kylie . . I mean look at her sis Dannii, she had massive exposure on the X Factor last year and she releashed Touch Me Like That (a fantastic club anthem) back in Dec of last year and it charted outside the top 40 . . It was much better than Kylie's 2 Hearts which reached #4 the previous month . . .

19. -
Michael_787 - you're very picky! Lighten up!

as for chart positions, she's had many more outside the top 100 too. All "chart action" in your own words!

However you can cling onto the fact that you were of course refering to the top 30 (who uses a top 30?!) - perhaps you should have limited it to having a top 23 hit! :)

20. jon.alexander333 -
It's worth noting that although Whitney had simultaneous top 5 hits they weren't her own - one was a Dolly Parton cover and the other was by Chakka Khan so she can't claim to have 2 original songs in the top 5.
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