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Shed Seven etches its name in the history books as A Matter of Time (via Cooking Vinyl) bows at No. 1 on the U.K. Albums Chart.
With its fast start, the aptly-named A Matter of Time becomes the Britpop era band’s first chart leader. According to the Official Charts Company, the York, England-formed outfit now claims honors as the rock band with the longest-ever gap between a debut album and first leader – now set at 29 years and 3 months.
The indie act this year celebrates the 30th anniversary since the release of that debut LP, Change Giver, which peaked at No. 16 back in 1994.
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Since then, Shed Seven (Rick Witter, Paul Banks, Tom Gladwin, Tim Wills and Rob Maxfield) has landed five titles in the top 10, including A Matter of Time, their sixth studio LP.
British 2 tone legends The Specials own the all-time record for the longest gap between their debut (The Specials from 1979) and first U.K. 1 (2019’s Encore), clocking in at 39 years, 3 months.
The leader at the halfway stage, A Matter of Time knocks over Lewis Capaldi’s Broken By Desire To Be Heavenly Sent (EMI), which returned to No. 1 the previous week on the release of an expanded edition. Capaldi’s sophomore set dips 1-2, while The Weeknd’s The Collection (Republic Records/XO) holds at No. 3.
Meanwhile, British pop-punk band Busted returns to the top 20 with former leader Greatest Hits 2.0 Busted Live). The hits collection bounces to No. 19 on the release of an extended Another Present for Everyone edition, which includes new single “One of These Days .
Finally, Dublin, Ireland garage-punk outfit SPRINTS lands at No. 20 with their debut release Letter to Self (City Slang), while U.S. singer-songwriter Teddy Swims paddles to a first ever U.K. top 40 album with I’ve Tried Everything But Therapy (Part 1) (via Warner Records). Featuring the top 10 hit “Lose Control” (up 14-6 on the Official Chart), Therapy lands at No. 24.
“Murder on the Dancefloor” (via Polydor) is killing it in the U.K., where Sophie Ellis-Bextor’s 2001 pop number returns to its peak position.
Powered by its sync in Emerald Fennell’s dark feature film Saltburn, Ellis-Bextor’s solo hit rebounds 8-2, equaling its best position set more than 22 years ago.
According to the Official Charts Company, “Murder On The Dancefloor” doubles its highest-ever streaming week in the U.K. to date, accumulating 4.7 million streams over the seven-day cycle.
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The Saltburn effect can be seen further down the list as Mason and Princess Superstar’s “Perfect (Exceeder)” (Armada), which also appears in the film, vaults 40-26. The mashup cut originally peaked at No. 3 in 2006.
Another movie is having an influence on the U.K. top 40. Natasha Bedingfield’s breakthrough “Unwritten” (Phonogenic) bounces to No. 24 on the tally, published Friday, Jan. 12 — for its first stint in the top 40 in almost 20 years. “Unwritten” originally peaked at No. 6 in 2004, but writes a new chapter in its chart journey thanks to its use in Will Gluck’s rom-com Anyone But You.
The top new entry on the latest Official U.K. Singles Chart is Liam Gallagher and John Squire’s collaboration “Just Another Rainbow” (Warner Records), new at No. 16. It’s Gallagher’s highest-charting solo single yet and the sixth top 40 for the former Oasis and Beady Eye frontman. “Rainbow” is the first top 40 effort for Squire, guitarist with the enigmatic Manchester band The Stone Roses.
British rockers Bring Me The Horizon bag an eighth top 40 appearance with “Kool-Aid” (RCA), new at No. 21. It’s the Sheffield, England outfit’s highest appearance on the weekly tally since 2014’s “Drown” floated to No. 17.
Also, Drake’s “Practice” (Cash Money/Republic Records) cracks the top 40, some 13 years after its release. Originally appearing on Drizzy’s 2011 album Take Care, “Practice” debuts at No. 27 after igniting a new viral trend on TikTok. That effort lifts the Canadian hip-hop star’s career top 40 tally to a whopping 91.
At the top of the tally, Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season” (Republic Records) snags a second consecutive week at No. 1.
The leader at the midweek stage, “Stick Season” was the U.K.’s most-streamed track last week, with 7.5 million streams plays, the OCC reports.
Thirty years into their career, Shed Seven are on track for a first-ever U.K. No. 1. The Britpop era indie band leads the midweek U.K. chart with A Matter of Time (via Cooking Vinyl), the York five-piece’s sixth studio effort. Whatever between now and the publication of the weekly chart, A Matter of Time should […]
Sophie Ellis-Bextor continues its dance up the U.K. chart, thanks in part to the small-screen magic of Saltburn.
The British pop veteran’s “Murder On The Dancefloor” (via Polydor) is proving lethal once again, capturing the zeitgeist through a sync in Emerald Fennell’s Saltburn, the dark comedy that’s caught fire on Amazon Prime Video.
As previously reported, “Murder On The Dancefloor” breezed into the Official U.K. Singles Chart last Friday, Jan. 5 at No. 8 — for its first top 10 appearance in more than 22 years.
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Based on midweek sales and streaming data published by the Official Charts Company, “Dancefloor” is buzzing. The track is predicted to hit No. 3 when the weekly chart is published this Friday, just one position below its all-time peak, set following its release in 2001.
Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season” (Republic Records) is predicted to retain top spot, ahead of Jack Harlow’s former leader, “Lovin On Me” (Atlantic), which is expected to hold at No. 2.
The top new release should belong to Liam Gallagher, whose collaborative single with John Squire, “Just Another Rainbow” (Warner Records), is set for a No. 4 debut. As a member of Oasis, Gallagher has collected eight U.K. No. 1 singles, and 26 appearances in the top 40; with Beady Eye and as a solo artist, Gallagher has an additional six top 40 appearances. Squire, as founding guitarist with fellow Manchester rock favorites The Stone Roses, has four top 10 and 15 top 40 appearances on the national singles survey.
Meanwhile, U.S. artist Teddy Swims could crack the U.K. top 10 for the first time with “Lose Control” (Atlantic), which lifts 10-7 on the Official Chart Update.
Sheffield, England-formed rock band Bring Me The Horizon is on track for an eighth top 40 appearance with “Kool-Aid” (RCA), new at No. 12 on the chart blast.
Finally, Sabrina Carpenter’s “feather” (Polydor) is flying on the chart blast, up 33-17. If it holds its course, “feather” will become the American singer and actress’s first top 20 single in the U.K. It’s already her career-best performer, outpacing “Skin” (No. 28) and “Nonsense” (No. 32).
All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Singles Chart is published this Friday, Jan. 12.
As sales of vinyl grew for the 16th consecutive year in the U.K., Taylor Swift and The Beatles reigned supreme.
Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (via EMI) was the U.K.’s biggest-selling vinyl album of 2023, according to data published by the Official Charts Company, shifting 84,700 copies on the format since its release last October.
The fourth in Swift’s re-recording projects blasted to the biggest opening week for any album in 2023 (with more than 184,000 combined units), and logged three weeks at No. 1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart. Based on midweek data, it’s set to log a fourth when the weekly chart is published this Friday, Jan. 5.
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Swifties love their wax. 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is one of three Swift LPs to crack the top 10 on the Official Top 40 best-selling vinyl albums of 2023, ahead of Speak Now (Taylor’s Version) (No. 4) and Midnights (No. 8), while another five titles impact the year-end chart: Lover (No. 20), folklore (No. 21), reputation (No. 27), evermore (No. 37) and the Record Store Day limited-edition release folklore – The Long Pond Studio Sessions (No. 38).
Completing the podium on the U.K.’s year-end vinyl albums chart is The Rolling Stones’ Hackney Diamonds (Polydor), at No. 2; and Lana Del Rey’s Did you know that there’s a tunnel under Ocean Blvd (Polydor), at No. 3, respectively.
Meanwhile, The Beatles’ “last” single “Now And Then” (via Apple Corps), released 53 years after the Fab Four split, is crowned the best-selling vinyl single of 2023 in the U.K.
The song, which began life as a demo recorded by John Lennon in the late 1970s, and which features contributions from all four members of the legendary band, moved 33,000 copies on vinyl since its release, which included 12” and 7” versions, with fans snapping up clear, light blue and blue/white marble editions.
En route to No. 1 on the weekly tally last November, “Now And Then” established a flurry of records, including the longest span between an artist’s first and last No. 1, and the U.K.’s fastest-selling vinyl single of the century.
On the year-end vinyl singles tally, Boygenius’s “The Rest” (Interscope) comes in behind the Beatles, at No. 2, while veteran electronic music wizard Aphex Twin completes the top 3 with “Blackbox Life Recorder 21F” (Warp). British punk icons the Sex Pistols land three vinyl releases in the U.K.’s top 10, all via Virgin: “Anarchy in the U.K.” (No. 5), “Holidays in the Sun” (No. 6) and “Pretty Vacant” (No. 9).
Vinyl is no trifling matter. Data published by the BPI, which operates the OCC in a joint venture with entertainment retail body ERA, shows that the format posted its 16th consecutive year of growth in 2023.Year-on-year growth was 11.7% to 5.9 million units (up to week 51), for the highest annual sales figures for the format since 1990. That’s well up on the 2.9% growth recorded in the previous year.
See the full year-end vinyl charts here.
With Christmas out of the way, Taylor Swift is eying a return to the U.K. chart throne by week’s end.
Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (via EMI) leads the midweek U.K. chart, up 2-1, and is on track for a fourth non-consecutive stint at No. 1.
It’s not just at the pointy end of the midweek chart where Swift marks her territory. 1989 (Taylor’s Version) is one of seven Taylor LPs projected to impact the top 40, the Official Charts Company reports, including 2017’s reputation (at No. 9), 2022’s Midnights (No. 10), 2019’s Lover (No. 11), 2020’s folklore (No. 14) and evermore (No. 26), and the original, 2014 release of 1989 (No. 39).
Meanwhile, ABBA’s juggernaut, Gold: Greatest Hits, could rebound to No. 3, its highest chart position since 2008. The career retrospective has already logged a record 1,130 weeks – and counting – on the Official Chart.
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Also on the rise is Noah Kahan’s Stick Season (Island), which is set to lift 8-6, for a new peak, as its title track has a shot at No. 1 on the national singles chart.
Also on the way up, based on midweek sales and streaming data published by the OCC, are collections from Fleetwood Mac (50 Years – Don’t Stop, up 13-7 via Rhino), Michael Jackson (The Essential up 26-18 via Epic), Post Malone’s (The Diamond Collection, up 27-19 via Republic Records) and Elvis Presley (ELV1S: 30 #1 Hits, up 48-35 via RCA).
Festive records should begin their annual pilgrimage down and out of the chart, including Michael Bublé’s Christmas (Reprise), the leader on the most recent tally, published Friday, Dec. 29.
All will be revealed when the Official U.K. Albums Chart is published this Friday, Jan. 5.
Miley Cyrus’ “Flowers” bloomed in a big way, as her pop hit ended 2023 as the U.K.’s biggest single.The lead track from Cyrus’ chart-leading eight studio LP Endless Summer Vacation (Columbia), “Flowers” captured 198 million combined audio and video streams in the U.K., according to data published by the Official Charts Company — good enough for the most-streamed song and music video for the year. Along the way, “Flowers” logged 10 weeks at No. 1 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, raking in some 1.7 million U.K. chart units since its release in January 2023. Also, its 91,000 downloads led all tracks in 2023.Coming in at No. 2 on the OCC’s tally of biggest tracks for 2023 is Dave and Central Cee’s “Sprinter” (via Live Yours/Neighbourhood), a different type of athlete that spent 10 consecutive weeks at No. 1 and collected 161 million audio and video streams in the territory. “Sprinter” ends 2023 with 1.2 million U.K. chart units. Following its release last June, “Sprinter” set a new record for the biggest streaming week for a rap single in U.K. (13.4 million streams and 108,200 chart units in its first tracking week). By the end of its run, another record for a rap track.Completing the year-end singles podium is Raye and 070 Shake’s “Escapism” (Human Re Sources), with 1.2 million total U.K. chart units, a sum that includes 142 million audio and video streams. Taylor Swift appears twice on the tally, with Midnights cut “Anti-Hero” (at No. 4 via EMI) and 2019 Lover album track “Cruel Summer,” which was finally issued as a single in 2023, for a No. 2 peak on the weekly chart and No. 11 appearance on the year-end list.Christmas only comes once a year, though two festive classics make the year-end cut. Wham’s “Last Christmas” (Epic) which set a new record for endurance when it became the U.K.’s coveted Christmas No. 1 single for 2023, 39 years after release, comes in at No. 18 on the year-end list, which Mariah Carey‘s “All I Want for Christmas is You” (Columbia) is at No. 29.
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Official Top 40 Biggest Songs of 2023:
“Flowers” — Miley Cyrus
“Sprinter” — Dave & Central Cee
“Escapism” — Raye featuring 070 Shake
“Anti-Hero” — Taylor Swift
“Miracle” — Calvin Harris/Ellie Goulding
“Calm Down” — Rema
“Kill Bill — SZA
“Boy’s A Liar” — Pinkpantheress
“As It Was” — Harry Styles
People” — Libianca
Michael Bublé’s Christmas (via Reprise) proves it’s the gift that keeps giving as it heads back to No. 1 on the U.K. albums chart.
The festive hit lifts 2-1 for a sixth non-consecutive week at the summit, to close out the year atop the Official U.K. Albums Chart, published last Friday, Dec. 29.
Christmas first reached the summit of the national tally following its release back in November 2011, returning to the top for two weeks in December that same year, the Official Charts Company reports. Since then, the LP has logged time at No. 1 in January 2021 and December 2022.
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According to the OCC, Christmas is home to five of the top 40 biggest Christmas songs of the 21st century in the U.K. – “It’s Beginning to Look a Lot Like Christmas” (No. 1), “Holly Jolly Christmas” (No. 8), “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” (No. 15), “Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)” (No. 19), and “Jingle Bells” (No. 20) with the Puppini Sisters.
The Canadian crooner holds off Taylor Swift’s former leader 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (via EMI), which lifts 3-2; and The Weeknd’s The Highlights, up 9-3 (via Republic Records/XO), respectively.
As Brits handed out gifts over the festive season, compilations provided the soundtrack. Elton John’s Diamonds (up 12-4 via Mercury/UMR), ABBA’s Gold: Greatest Hits (up 15-5 via Polydor), Eminem’s Curtain Call: Greatest Hits (up 10-9 via Interscope), and Fleetwood Mac’s 50 Years – Don’t Stop (up 23-13 via Rhino) all climb the chart. It’s worth noting, ABBA’s career retrospective has now logged a staggering 1,130 weeks on the Official U.K. Albums Chart, and makes its first dent on the top 5 since September 2021.
Predictably, a batch of festive compilations made their mark. Bing Crosby’s Christmas Classics (UMR/Virgin) lifts 73-18, and Nat King Cole’s The Christmas Song (UMR/Virgin) rises 86-22, both new peak positions.
The top new entry belongs to vocal group Pentatonix, with their addition to the festive season’s playlist, The Greatest Christmas Hits (RCA), new at No. 64.
Wham’s “Last Christmas” is the last U.K. No. 1 of 2023, leading a top 40 that features a record-setting array of holiday singles.
“Last Christmas” logs a fourth consecutive week at No. 1 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart, and ends the year as one of the market’s top 20 singles, based on sales and streams captured by the Official Charts Company.
Released back in 1984, George Michael and Andrew Ridgeley snagged a piece of chart history when “Last Christmas” recently completed the longest journey to the coveted Christmas No. 1, completing its odyssey after 39 years.
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The British duo’s evergreen pop treat heads-up an all-Xmas top 5, outpointing Sam Ryder’s “You’re Christmas to Me” (unchanged at No. 2 via EastWest/Rhino), Mariah Carey’s “All I Want For Christmas Is You” (unchanged at No. 3 via Columbia), Ed Sheeran and Elton John’s “Merry Christmas” up 5-4 via Atlantic/EMI) and Brenda Lee’s “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree (up 7-5 via MCA), respectively.
“Last Christmas” became Wham’s fifth U.K. No. 1 when it summited on Jan. 1, 2021 – some 36 years after release. And in doing so, it discarded the unwanted record as the U.K.’s best-selling single to not hit the top.
The latest Official U.K. Singles Chart, published Friday, Dec. 29, is one for the history books, boasting a record 37 festive songs in the top 40.
The singles to buck the trend are Noah Kahan’s “Stick Season” (down 4-10 via Republic Records), the only non-Christmas song in the top 10; Jack Harlow’s “Lovin On Me” (down 8-27 via Atlantic), and Tate McRae’s “greedy” (down 17-37 via Ministry of Sound).
Finally, Cher scores her highest-charting single in the U.K. in over 22 years, as “DJ Play a Christmas Song” (Warner Records) lifts 20-18.
A week earlier, the pop icon established two new Official Chart records by becoming the first solo artist ever to score a top 40 hit with new material across seven consecutive decades, and the oldest female solo artist to crack the top tier.
“DJ Play a Christmas Song” is Cher’s highest charting track in the U.K. since “The Music’s No Good Without You” reached No. 8 in November 2001.
Hackney Diamonds are forever, it would seem, as the Rolling Stones return to No. 1 in the U.K.
The Stones’ latest album bumps 6-1 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart, published Friday, Dec. 22, for its second non-consecutive week at the top.
Featuring collaborations with Lady Gaga, Elton John Stevie Wonder and Paul McCartney, and contributions from former bass player Bill Wyman and the group’s late drummer Charlie Watts, Hackney Diamonds (via Polydor) is the Stones’ first album of original material in 18 years– since A Bigger Bang, which peaked to No. 2 in 2005.
Following its release in October, the LP went straight to No. 1 for the rock legends’ 14th U.K. No. 1, by outselling the rest of the top 5 combined.
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“It’s a wonderful way to round off 2023,” the Stones say in a statement published by the Official Charts Company. “Thank you to everyone for listening to Hackney Diamonds. Have a very happy Christmas and New Year.”
The Christmas gift for the Stones also doubles-up as a late birthday present for guitarist Keith Richards, who turned 80 on Dec. 18.
Meanwhile, Michael Bublé’s Christmas (Reprise) holds No. 2 on the new chart, while Taylor Swift’s 1989 (Taylor’s Version) (via EMI) improves 4-3.
Cher brings some Christmas cheer to the latest tally with her Christmas (Warner Records) collection, which lifts 15-5 for a new peak position. Christmas features “DJ Play A Christmas Song,” which lifts 41-20 on the latest U.K. singles chart, an effort that sees the iconic entertainer become the first solo artist to achieve a top 40 hit with new material on the Official U.K. Singles Chart across seven consecutive decades, the Official Charts Company reports.
At 77 year and 7 months, Cher is also the oldest solo female performer to snag a top 40 U.K. single, besting previous record holder Shirley Bassey, who was 70 years, 4 months old when “The Living Tree” reached No. 37 in 2007.
