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Latest Music News From Central FM
Since the inception of the singles chart in 1952, just five singles have had continuous spells at Number One that run into double figures. 'Cara Mia' by David Whitfield, 'Rose Marie' by Slim Whitman, 'Everything I Do (I Do It For You)' by Bryan Adams, 'I Will Always Love You' by Whitney Houston and 'Love Is All Around' by Wet Wet Wet are now joined by a sixth - 'Umbrella' by Rihanna and Jay-Z which proudly spends its tenth week at the top of the UK singles chart. It is now officially the longest running Number One of the century and its ten week total is now the longest since Wet Wet Wet clocked up 15 weeks with 'Love Is All Around' in 1994.
Technically 'Umbrella' now ranks as the joint sixth longest running Number One of all time, the ranks of double figure Number One singles swelled by two other singles - 'I Believe' by Frankie Laine and 'Bohemian Rhapsody' by Queen whose total number of weeks at the top also propel them into the all-time list. Indeed it is because of one of those singles that there are actually two records for "longest run at Number One". The Bryan Adams single holds the consecutive record at 16 weeks but Frankie Laine can claim a longer run thanks to the 18 week total of 'I Believe' back in 1955.
Actually the run nearly came to an end this week, the steadily declining sales of 'Umbrella' are narrowing ever further the gap between it and the rest of the chart. The small matter of a couple of hundred copies separated it from Kate Nash and 'Foundations' which moves back up to Number 2 this week and following just behind is Timbaland with 'The Way I Are' which gains a new peak of Number 3 this week. After five weeks as a download only hit the single will finally hit the shops this week, but are there enough people left without a copy to give it the required surge to the top?
The only new entry to a quiet Top 10 is Mark Ronson and Lily Allen with 'Oh My God'. The single moves 12-8 to land two places below the peak of the Kaiser Chiefs' original. It is the first Top 10 hit for Miss Allen since 'LDN' reached Number 6 in September last year. Her last two singles 'Littlest Things' and 'Alfie' only made Numbers 21 and 15 respectively.
The highest new entry of the week comes from acclaimed Scottish newcomer Amy MacDonald. The latest in the wave of young singer songwriters to have had their fame sparked by web-based word of mouth, she is the most unlikely sounding pop star of the year, specialising in folk rock tunes in a manner which makes her a modern day Joan Baez. Nonetheless at the age of just 19 her influences are rooted in the modern era which makes debut hit 'Mr Rock And Roll' such an absorbing and attention-grabbing listen. After a slow download start at Number 79 the song leaps to Number 12 and quite frankly is deservedly the most diverting new record you will hear this month.
Also on the climb into the Top 20 is Mika with his third single 'Big Girl (You Are Beautiful) which moves 33-14. Like most of the tracks on his album it is a bright, happy go lucky pop tune with a verse that is almost as much a singalong as the chorus. It's fate is to be just as good as 'Grace Kelly' which unfortunately means it just cannot have the same impact that his debut hit (still the biggest seller of the year) managed in the dark January days. It seems odd to damn a single just for being as
Biffy Clyro land their third Top 20 hit of the year this week, new single 'Folding Stars' making a debut at Number 18 on physical sales. Although a Top 10 hit eludes them for the moment they can take some satisfaction from the fact that their current album 'Puzzle' has spawned the most successful run of hit singles of their career. In their four year career they had yet to reach the Top 20 but have now done so three times in a row, their biggest so far being Number 13 track 'Saturday Superhouse' which hit the chart in March.
With the first "High School Musical" film having produced a couple of hit singles last year (most notably 'Breaking Free' which made Number 9 in October) it was perhaps inevitable that the sequel would see its songs heading chartwards. The first of those arrives this week at Number 20 in the shape of 'What Time Is It'. Diminishing returns are inevitable with these kind of projects but this new single has at the very least beaten the Number 40 peak of Part 1's finale 'We're All In This Together' which crept to Number 40 just before Christmas. The film itself has yet to be seen, receiving its US premiere in a few weeks time with the UK one set to follow shortly after that, suggesting that this may not be the last we have seen of Cast Of High School Musical 2. The breakout star of the project has been lead actress Vanessa Hudgens who released a solo album in America last year on the back of the success of the first film. Once free of her "musical" commitments I suspect an international career is inevitable. It is wrong to confess I'm more of a Cheetah Girls man myself?
The ability of US R&B hits to make the chart weeks ahead of proper release comes to the fore once more down the bottom end of the Top 40. New in this week at Number 32 is the superstar pairing of R Kelly and Usher with 'Same Girl'. Take from R Kelly's album 'Double Up' it is the followup to 'I'm A Flirt' which was only released a few weeks ago and which made Number 18. Usher has been absent from the charts since 2005s 'Caught Up' but with the release of 'Same Girl' not due until August 13th it seems inevitable that this collaboration will return him to the heights he hit back in 2004 with a string of hit singles that included no less than two Number Ones.
Finally for this week, one other bit of history repeating that has come about as a result of Rihanna's unexpectedly long stint at the top. Back in 1991 and 1993 both Bryan Adams and Whitney Houston saw the releases of their followup singles collide with the continuing run of their Number One hits. So it was that 'Can't Stop This Thing We Started' joined 'Everything I Do (I Do It For You)' in the Top 20 whilst 'I'm Every Woman' landed at Number 5 in February 1993 just as 'I Will Always Love You' slipped down to Number 4. This week in 2007 'Shut Up And Drive' by Rihanna makes a download only appearance at Number 65 and whilst it doesn't actually come out officially until September 3rd, you can bet your life that it will be joining 'Umbrella' in the Top 20 at the very least within the next few weeks