Chart Chat UK: October 4, 2009

This week is boring.  Taio Cruz holds tight at the top, Shakira stays put at 4, and the only real movement is at the bottom of the top ten.  Temper Trap hops into the number 7 position, with their slow-burning single 'Sweet Disposition.'  Pitbull grabs another hit, as 'Hotel Room Service' gets delivered at 9, and Dizzee Rascal's 'Dirtee Cash' rings up at 10.  Down at 14, Madonna continues her slide down the hooker pole with her latest, as all the focus has been pushed to the decent selling album.  La Roux, while flopping at 27 with the full release of 'I'm Not Your Toy,' doesn't take the honors of the biggest failure of the week.  That title goes to Natalie Imbruglia, whose electro-Coldplay comeback doesn't even make the top 40 despite the song being LITERALLY AMAZING.  Radio just didn't support this one at all.  Shame, programmers.  Shame. 

The UK Top Ten:
1 - Taio Cruz: Break Your Heart
2 - Jay-Z ft Alicia Keyes: Empire State of Mind
3 - David Guetta Ft Akon: Sexy Chick
4 - Shakira: She Wolf
5 - Black Eyed Peas: I Gotta Feeling
6 - Jay-Z ft Rihanna & Kanye West
7 - Temper Trap: Sweet Disposition
8 - Pixie Lott: Boys & Girls
9 - Pitbull: Hotel Room Service
10-Dizzee Rascal: Dirtee Cash

Chart Chat UK, September 27, 2009

The top two stays the same this week, as both Taio Cruz and David Guetta hold steady at 1 and 2 respectively. At 3, Jay-Z and Alicia Keys leap up 12 places with 'Empire State of Mind', and kick Madonna all the way down to 8 with her latest, 'Celebration.' Shakira edges up a spot with 'She Wolf,' flip-flopping with Jay-Z's last hit, 'Run This Town,' which hangs on at 5 and gives Mr. -Z his second top five hit this week. The Black Eyed Peas refuse to let go of their chart death-grip (which is thankfully less severe than in the U.S. where they have spent a full 6 months at the top with their last two tracks), and back up the chart to 6. Mini Viva hangs on to a top ten placing for one more week, as 'Left My Heart In Tokyo' slides to 10. I think everyone was a bit surprised at its success, and more so at its staying power. Our first new entry is at 11, as Dizzee Rascal continues his chart onslaught with 'Dirtee Cash.' The song isn't even an official single yet, but its impending release has set downloaders' hearts aflutter. My guess is this song's future is looking rather good. At 12 we find Temper Trap, with their lovely 'Sweet Disposition' pushing up another few places. The Australian band may just crack the top ten if this unconventional chart trajectory continues. Released all the back in 2008, 'Disposition' this week manages its highest chart placing yet. Not a lot else is going on, save for the number 35 entry for new Sugababes member Jade Ewen. With all the 'babes drama, this single was more or less dumped - its release more a contractual obligation than an effort to have a hit - so a top 40 placing isn't the end of the world. Jade just recorded vocals on the Sugababes next single, which in our opinion is one of their best yet, so Ms. Ewen has nothing to worry about.


The UK Top 10:

1 - Taio Cruz: Break Your Heart
2 - David Guetta ft Akon: Sexy Chick
3 - Jay-Z ft Alicia Keys: Empire State of Mind
4 - Shakira: She Wolf
5 - Jay-Z ft Rihanna & Kanye West: Run This Town
6 - Black Eyed Peas: I Gotta Feeling
7 - Pixie Lott: Boys & Girls
8 - Madonna: Celebration
9 - Dizzee Rascal: Holiday
10-Mini Viva: Left My Heart in Tokyo

Chart Chat UK: September 20, 2009

This week there's lots of action on the chart, as we have a new number 1, a missed opportunity, and an up-and-comer. First up is Taio Cruz with his new single 'Break Your Heart.' Taio is a busy man - he's reportedly working with Kylie and Leona and everyone else under the sun - but even with all that going on he has managed to bag his first chart topper. Not so lucky is our number 3 entry. Madonna's had a lot more luck over in the UK than she has in her home country, where she releases singles more as concert promotions rather than to become hits in their own right. In the UK, however, she has been enjoying some the biggest hits of her career. In the past eleven years every one of her album's lead singles have hit the top, save 'American Life' (which hit number 2 in 2003). All that means that 'Celebration' becomes her lowest-charting lead single since 'Evita's' 'You Must Love Me.' Number 3 is nothing to sniff at, especially for an artist that has been going at it for as long as she, but one can't help but feel this track just isn't resonating with listeners as well as hoped. Number 5 finds quite the opposite situation, as Shakira racks up her sixth top ten. Leaping twenty places this week, 'She Wolf' is a solid bet to become her second chart topper after its full physical release this coming week. Pixie Lott tumbles all the way down to 6 from 1, but she shouldn't be too upset with this result. What's really going on is everyone stopped buying the single and started buying the album, which bows at 6 on the album chart this week. ScopiSat faves Mini Viva hang in there at 9, and Sugababes manage another week in the top ten despite my predictions of a swift demise. With all the rumors of a lineup change, perhaps the single got a sales bump from the idea this may be the last chance to buy a 'Babes track in this incarnation. The rest of the chart is pretty quiet, save an honorable mention for Little Boots, whose 'Remedy' maintains a slow descent at 13, and the appearance of what will surely be a huge hit for Jay-Z and Alicia Keys. 'Empire State of Mind' debuts at 15 this week solely off the back of the duo's US MTV Video Music Awards performance, giving Jay-Z two hits in the top 20 this week. With a full single campaign in the works, it would be very very foolish to expect anything less than chart greatness from this track.

The UK Top Ten:
1 - Taio Cruz: Break Your Heart
2 - David Guetta ft Akon: Sexy Chick
3 - Madonna: Celebration
4 - Jay-Z ft Rihanna & Kanye West: Run This Town
5 - Shakira: She Wolf
6 - Pixie Lott: Boys & Girls
7 - Black Eyed Peas: I Gotta Feeling
8 - Dizzee Rascal: Holiday
9 - Mini Viva: Left My Heart in Tokyo
10- Sugababes: Get Sexy

Chart Chat UK: September 6, 2009

The 'epic chart battle' of the week is over, and it's 1776 all over again. The American Jay-z (and Rihanna and Kanye West) track reigns supreme over Brit girls Sugababes who are relegated to number 2 with the first single off their upcoming album. To be fair, the 'babes never really had a chance against such a pedigree, as 'Run This Town' matches three of hip-hop's biggest luminaries. Also new in the top 10 are Kings of Leon, whose 'Sex On Fire' screams into the number 6 position after the song was performed on the X-Factor. The track is already the most-downloaded song in UK history, and this rather staggering re-entry proves there are somehow still a few people who don't already own it. Woman of the moment - or should we say Lady - Ms. Gaga helps Wale to a number 12 spot with 'Chillin,' while Just Jack hangs around with his new track at 15. The 16 spot goes to Booty Luv's 'Say It,' which while not the outright bomb of the week (we'll get to that in a moment), is a far cry from the top 10 successes they enjoyed with the last couple songs. There's little else of note in the top 40...Temper Trap hangs out at 29 with 'Sweet Disposition,' and Prodigy make an appearance at 38 with 'Take Me To The Hospital.' Perhaps most interesting is what is NOT in the top 40 this week. Dolly Rockers, the ScopiSat favorite and much-buzzed-about girlband, are nowhere to be seen. The girls' first proper single, 'Gold Digger,' is a mix of talky northern sass and hooky chorus and it quite frankly is a bit of a shock to not see it at least in the make a bit of a splash. This certainly isn't how their big debut was meant to go, but hopefully there is more to come from the terrific trio. Next week brings another hotly-tipped debut, from Mini Viva with 'I Left My Heart In Tokyo.' As of this writing the track already in the top 15 on iTunes so it looks like they'll avoid the DOA label. To see just how far they manage to actually go, check back next week!

The UK Top Ten:

1 - Jay Z ft Rihanna and Kanye West: Run This Town
2 - Sugababes: Get Sexy
3 - David Guetta ft Akon: Sexy Chick
4 - Dizzee Rascal: Holiday
5 - Black Eyed Peas: I Gotta Feeling
6 - Kings of Leon: Sex On Fire
7 - Little Boots: Remedy
8 - Tinchy Stryder ft Amelle: Never Leave You
9 - Beyonce: Sweet Dreams
10- Esmee Denters: Outta Here