http://www.ultimusic.com/index.php zh-cn http://www.ultimusic.com/read.php?823 mydot <admin@yourname.com> Wed, 04 Apr 2007 09:07:17 +0000 http://www.ultimusic.com/read.php?823
]]> http://www.ultimusic.com/read.php?818 mydot <admin@yourname.com> Mon, 02 Apr 2007 12:39:01 +0000 http://www.ultimusic.com/read.php?818
It's a tale of two records at the top end of the singles chart this week, one experiencing the best of times the other wondering just what might have been had things been different.

Still conquering all are the Proclaimers and their comedy partners who are still outselling all comers with '(I'm Gonna Be) 500 Miles' which manages a second week at Number One. Its fortunes this week contrast ever more sharply with those of the other Comic Relief single 'Walk This Way' which takes a dramatic 14-2 tumble this week - although this will make it easier for us all to move on and pretend it never existed which is surely no bad thing.

Its absence from the Top 10 leaves the way clear for the records which occupied numbers 3-6 last week to rise a place, thus enabling Avril Lavigne to move to Number 2 with 'Girlfriend' which duly becomes her biggest hit single to date. With the sparky pop track hitting the shops this Monday (2nd) one would ordinarily not have to be much of a clairvoyant to predict an easy rise to Number One in seven days time. These are of course no ordinarily circumstances and the commanding lead enjoyed by the Proclaimers single suggests that 'Girlfriend' is destined instead to be one of those records which famously locks at Number 2 behind an insanely popular novelty.

Outside the Top 5, Fergie's 'Glamorous' gets a full shop release and so accelerates to Number 6, still three places short of the Number 3 peak scaled by her first solo hit 'London Bridge' in September last year. Collaborator Ludacris lands himself his third biggest chart single, nestling behind the Number 4 peak of Ciara's 'Oh' from August 2005 and Usher's 2004 Number One hit 'Yeah' both of which featured guest turns from the rapper. His biggest hits have all come as second banana to another act, his biggest solo or lead artist success coming in November 2003 when 'Stand Up' peaked at Number 14.

The only other new arrivals in the Top 10 are older hits on the rebound, Justin Timberlake's 'What Goes Around Comes Around' advancing 12-9 whilst Mika's 'Grace Kelly' still refuses to go away and moves 11-10 this week. The former Number One stands a good chance of colliding with his next single 'Love Today' which is starting to pick up sales and airplay ahead of its April 23 release. The album cut makes its Top 75 debut this week at Number 48 and all things being equal should be a Top 40 hit in time for Easter Sunday.

The highest Top 40 climber this week is 'Last Night A DJ Saved My Life' from celebrated remixer Seamus Haji which vaults 38-13 upon physical release. The song is far and away one of the most famous soul/dance tracks of the early 80s. Originally recorded by InDeep, the track was a club hit on both sides of the Atlantic and reached Number 13 here in 1983. Even untouched in its original form it is an almost guaranteed floorfiller to this day. Many club acts have attempted to cover the track since but few have been able to do it justice. Cold Jam limped to Number 64 in 1990, Sylk 130 made Number 33 in 1998 and most recently Fab For crept to Number 34 with a cover version in 2003. Seamus Haji's electro remake was an underground hit in 2004 but now finally escapes for a full commercial release. His take on the track is radical to say the least, transforming it into a frantic Electro-house track that races along at a breathtaking pace. His reward is the most successful remake of the song to date, agonisingly matching the peak of the 24 year old original.

Also entering the Top 20 is Christina Aguilera who rises 21-17 with 'Candyman'. The track is destined to end up as another 'Say It Right', having been announced for a physical release at the start of the year only for this to be cancelled and the track left to fend for itself as a download-only release. It has been a frustrating experience for many of her fans who were hoping that the forties themed track would have given her a major smash hit but whilst its continued upward mobility is encouraging it may well struggle to climb any further. The bigger labels are certainly keen to experiment with the concept of digital-only singles promotions although it seems to be transatlantic female soloists who are in the firing line. As well as the Christina and Nelly Furtado singles in the Top 20, we also have Pink's rather fantastic 'Leave Me Alone (I'm Lonely)' which has been sculling around just inside the Top 40 for the last three weeks and which tumbles 34-37 this week. As a CD single it would have been a sure-fire Top 20 hit and maybe more, but as a belatedly promoted album cut it may end up as her smallest ever Top 40 single.

The highest Top 40 new entry lands at Number 18 as Kings Of Leon arrive on the chart with brand new single 'On Call'. The first single to be taken from their third album 'Because Of The Times', it neatly becomes their second Top 20 hit, landing just a couple of places short of 'The Bucket' which was a Number 16 hit in November 2004.

If the stories are to be believed, the one thing which so far has prevented a lucrative Spice Girls reunion is the continuing belief of Melanie C that she alone still is a viable prospect as a solo artist. Her last attempt at solo stardom came in 2005 with the self released album 'Beautiful Intentions'. It only spawned one hit single here, the Number 10 hit 'Next Best Superstar', second single 'Better Alone' having been sold only through iTunes and via mail order and was thus chart ineligible. It is claimed that the album sold more worldwide than her last major label album 'Reason' and thus for the moment the former Sporty Spice remains resolute in her aim of being a solo star. Her latest single is a cover of one of the most enduring novelty songs of the 60s. Originally an American hit for the Strangeloves in 1965, 'I Want Candy' was first taken into the charts here by Brian Poole and the Tremeloes who hit Number 25 that same year. The song is probably best known on these shores thanks to the exciteable version by Bow Wow Wow which was a Number 9 hit in 1982. Its most recent appearance was back in 2000 when Aaron Carter made a rather pointless version that crept to Number 31. The Melanie C single doubles as the title song to the new Britflick of the same name which has been advertised incessantly over the last couple of weeks with the song pushed to the fore. Needless to say it hasn't done much good. With a combined physical and online release the track makes a rather apologetic Number 24, not quite her worst ever singles chart performance but hardly the kind of placing that is going to bolster her credentials as a mainstream pop act. I'm not one to kick a girl when she is down, but really when there is potentially a massive payday waiting in the wings for a Spice Girls reunion tour, why is she even bothering?

Let's wind up the Top 40 singles on a more positive note. The Number 26 peak of Faithless' last single 'Bombs' was not the best of starts for their new album 'To All New Arrivals' but the prospects are perhaps slightly better for second single 'Music Matters' which arrives at Number 38 some way ahead of its planned April 23 release. Even as a committed hater of dance music, I'm consistently blown away by Faithless and this new single is the very essence of why they are so good. All the elements are there, from the eerie Sister Bliss backing track, the lead vocals from guest singer Cass Fox and the obligatory contribution from the always effortlessly cool Maxi Jazz. It has been three years since their last Top 10 hit and although expecting this track to get that far might be a little too optimistic, you can't blame a bloke for dreaming.

Finally it is worth noting the effect of the rather disturbingly fawning coverage of Elton John's 60th birthday celebrations this week. His new collection of Greatest Hits flies to Number 2 on the albums chart, unable to dethrone Take That despite an ITV special on his career at the end of the week. The occasion was also marked by the arrival online for the first time of his entire back catalogue (frustratingly restricted to iTunes for the moment to the annoyance of those of us who use Napster or 7Digital). Those journalists who continue to lazily speculate that a potential mass release of Beatles songs will result in a single-artist Top 10 should note that although a handful of Elton classics have dutifully appeared in the Top 200 singles listing, just one sells enough to make the Top 75. Said track is the one from which his new collection takes its name - 1972 Number 2 hit 'Rocket Man'. The fact that it was central to the plot of this week's episode of the BBC series 'Life On Mars' couldn't have had anything to do with this could it? ]]> http://www.ultimusic.com/read.php?801 mydot <admin@yourname.com> Sun, 25 Mar 2007 14:08:40 +0000 http://www.ultimusic.com/read.php?801
MASSIVE 'MASSEY': It's a chart of gold for Neil Young, who has his highest-debuting album on The Billboard 200 in almost 12 years with "Live at Massey Hall 1971" (Reprise), which blasts onto the tally at No. 6. That's the best first-week position for Young since "Mirror Ball" entered at No. 5 in July 1995.

"Massey Hall" is Young's 40th album to chart, just counting releases credited to him away from groups like Buffalo Springfield and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young. Surprisingly, "Massey Hall" is the third highest charting album of Young's career. Only "Harvest" (No. 1 for two weeks in 1972) and "Mirror Ball" have charted higher.

Without Buffalo Springfield in the mix, Young's album chart span is now stretched to 37 years, nine months and one week, counting back to the June 1969 debut of "Everybody Knows This Is Nowhere." Including his work with Buffalo Springfield, Young's album span is an almost round figure of 40 years and one week, dating back to the March 1967 debut of the group's eponymous first LP.

'WASTED' DAZE: A 6-3 move on Hot Country Songs for "Wasted" (Arista) gives Carrie Underwood four top three hits in a row from her debut album, "Some Hearts." She's scored two No. 1 hits from this album so far, with "Jesus, Take the Wheel" and "Before He Cheats." Sandwiched between those hits was "Don't Forget to Remember Me," which peaked at No. 2.

Should "Wasted" wend its way to the top, Underwood will be the first act to pull three No. 1 hits off a debut album since the Dixie Chicks did it in 1998-99 with "There's Your Trouble," "Wide Open Spaces" and "You Were Mine," all from the "Wide Open Spaces" CD.

Should Underwood equal the Dixie Chicks' achievement, she will still need one more chart-topper to match the four No. 1 songs Brooks & Dunn collected from their first chart album, "Brand New Man." The title track began the run in 1991, followed by "My Next Broken Heart," "Neon Moon" and "Boot Scootin' Boogie."


'OVER'JOYED: Daughtry continues to rack up No. 1s on charts compiled by the Billboard Information Group. This week, the band's single "It's Not Over" (RCA) takes the lead on the CHR/Top 40 chart. "It's Not Over" is in its fifth week at No. 1 on the Adult Top 40 chart, and the "Daughtry" CD is No. 1 for the 11th week on Top Rock Albums. The album has also been No. 1 on The Billboard 200, Top Digital Albums and Billboard Comprehensive Albums.


TWICE IN LOVE WITH AMY: Aside from "American Idol" contestants and artists who gained fame on the Disney Channel, it's rare for anyone else to make a double debut on The Billboard Hot 100. So kudos to the U.K.'s Amy Winehouse for her pair of entries "You Know I'm No Good" (Universal Republic) at No. 90 and "Rehab" right below at No. 91.

That's just half of the good news chart-wise for Winehouse this week. She enters The Billboard 200 at No. 7, besting the first week positions for two other debuting British female artists -- Natasha Bedingfield (a No. 26 bow the week of Aug. 20, 2005) and Lily Allen (a No. 20 opening the week of Feb. 17). ]]> http://www.ultimusic.com/read.php?766 mydot <admin@yourname.com> Tue, 27 Feb 2007 02:11:44 +0000 http://www.ultimusic.com/read.php?766
The arrival of their physicals plays nicely into the hands of Kelis and Cee Lo as they make a flying leap up the chart. Having slipped a couple of places to Number 15 last week, 'Lil Star' surges back up the charts with the assistance of CD sales and reaches a brand new peak of Number 3. The single is Kelis' fourth Top 3 hit, her first to climb this high since she hit Number 3 with the Andre 3000 duet 'Millionaire' at the end of 2004. That single came at the end of a year when both 'Milkshake' and 'Trick Me' had also both made Number 2 to make it her most successful year to date. Her partner in crime on this single is Gnarls Barkley singer Cee Lo who thus has his biggest chart hit since he performed on 'Crazy' last year.

The Fray's album 'How To Save A Life' was finally given a physical re-release last week and it arrives at Number 4 on the album chart as the highest new entry of the week. This has done nothing to dent the upward progress of its title track on the singles chart though and it reverses the fall it experienced last week to move 7-5 to notch up its highest chart placing to date.

Indeed reversing of previous falls appears to be something of a chart theme this week. The highest climber on the Top 40 is Sophie Ellis-Bextor with 'Catch You'. A CD release helps her comeback single soar 24-8 after a wobble which saw its download sales drop sufficiently to dump the single out of the Top 20. Panic over, it becomes her biggest hit single since 'Mixed Up World' made Number 7 in late 2003 and becomes her sixth Top 10 hit single solo, her seventh if you count her uncredited lead vocal on 'Groovejet' by Spiller which topped the chart in the summer of 2000. It seems like another lifetime away.

Take That's former Number One 'Patience' is finally outsold by its followup this week as 'Shine' moves 11-10 to give the "boy" band their 14th straight Top 10 single and the 15th of their career. Needless to say a jump into the Top 3 is more or less assured next week as the physical version of the single finally arrives in the shops.

One place behind them is Justin Timberlake with 'What Goes Around Comes Around' which has now moved 59-44-29-14-11 since it first appeared on the Top 75. The single still has one more week of download-only sales before it appears physically and Top 10 is a fairly safe bet for next week.

'Standing In The Way Of Control' spends its final week as a download only single by moving 17-13 to register its highest peak to date for The Gossip. No doubt boosted by its sudden popularity as a backing track for TV promos (thank you Channel 4 and your 'Skins' promos) it too looks a safe bet for a Top 10 placing next week.

The release of a CD single finally helps to turn Beyonce's 'Listen' into something approximating a respectable hit single. After a promising start the track had seen its online sales slip away somewhat and indeed last week the track tumbled out of the Top 40 altogether, slipping to Number 51. This week the single soars to Number 16, effectively becoming the highest new entry on the Top 40 but it will still rank as Beyonce's worst performing solo single to date. Her only other solo release to miss the Top 10 was 'Me Myself And I' which hit Number 11 in early 2004.

The highest "new" entry (as opposed to a re-entry) inside the Top 40 this week lands at Number 20. A rare example of an act reworking his own track, Belgian-Italian producer Junior Jack first released 'Stupidisco' back in 2004. A sizeable club hit at the time, the single only reached Number 26 and was at the time just another in a long line of rather middling chart hits the producer had created. His only real success had come a year earlier when as Room 5 he had topped the chart with 'Make Luv'. Nonetheless 'Stupidisco' lived on as a turntable hit, promting the artist to have another go at the track. Now with a brand new vocal from Shena (previously the voice of Michael Gray's 'The Weekend') and retitled 'Dare Me (Stupidisco)' the single arrives in the Top 20 with a physical release after landing at Number 64 on downloads last week. Not that the door is totally closed to club hits at the moment, but despite the word of mouth praise, this is as far as Junior Jack is going to get with what is at the very least his first ever Top 20 single under this particular alias.

Into the category of "future hits to watch out for" we can put Fergie and 'Glamorous'. The single is actually only her second solo Top 40 hit after the massive 'London Bridge' last year. 'Fergalicious' was made into a single but was download-only in this country and thus under the old rules was never eligible for the main chart. This new single will hit the shops on March 19 which should hopefully mean its Number 27 placing this week is just the start of better things to come. Also new are The Killers with 'Read My Mind', the third single lifted from the 'Sam's Town' album (although since the release of 'Bones' they have also released the one-off Christmas song 'A Great Big Sled' which was a download only single last December). 'Read My Mind' enters the Top 40 at Number 29 just ahead of its CD version which arrives in the shops this week.

As if to prove just how far the market has swung away from big sales for brand new hits, the highest brand new chart entry arrives as low down as Number 36. 'This Is A Song' from the Magic Numbers has that particular honour although as a combined release it stands little chance of moving any further. The same can be said for 'What Would Steve Do' by Mumm-Ra which is the second biggest new single of the week - all the way down at Number 40. ]]> http://www.ultimusic.com/read.php?670 mydot <admin@yourname.com> Mon, 11 Dec 2006 11:41:53 +0000 http://www.ultimusic.com/read.php?670
At 5.50pm a new email arrived. This time with a slightly different version of the singles chart which crucially promoted many new arrivals to slightly better positions. Quite what the fault was with the first version is unknown at the time of writing, suffice it to say this is the first time in over a decade we have had the chart re-issued with corrections prior to official publication.

Two seemingly unconnected things happened over the last couple of weeks. First the latest series of ITV's 'I'm A Celebrity, Get Me Out Of Here" was won by a rather bemused Matt Willis, ex of Busted who even complained on the show that he hadn't actually done anything worthy of victory. Secondly, the makers of the annual "record of the year" show admitted that one of the reasons the event is not on TV this year is because it keeps being hijacked by block voting from fans of particular groups. You don't have to be a psychic to know that had the event taken place as usual this year, a McFly record would have walked away with it despite their songs being some of the poorest selling chart-toppers this year.

The lesson here is that it is in the nature of teenage pop acts to attract attention and acclaim far beyond the level that their actual popularity suggest they deserve. The Take That return could so easily have fallen into this track and it is therefore quite satisfying to note that they have instead done exactly the reverse - their comeback single 'Patience' sits firm at the top of the singles chart for a third week whilst the 'Beautiful World' album remains its domination over on the long player charts. Their sales cannot be written off as twentysomething women reliving their teenage crushes, the record is selling to a far wider audience and turning the return of Take That into the sensation of the year. First time around their longest spell at Number One was four weeks, a total achieved by both 'Pray' and 'Back For Good'. As the seasonal rush hots up, all eyes will be on whether 'Patience' can equal that particular record.

On then to the biggest new hit of the week, and boy this is going to be fun. There is a long history of chart hits emanating from kids TV. From the unfortunate (Teletubbies, Tweenies), through the indifferent (All*Stars) and the incredibly good indeed (Monkees, S Club 7). Now there is a new addition to the list as the charts are invaded for the first time ever by the residents of Lazytown. Originating in Iceland of all places, the antic of Stephanie, Sportacus, Robbie Rotten and their puppet friends have swiftly grown into a worldwide phenomenon with both Nick Jnr and the BBC airing the episodes in this country. Part of the "get up and get active" gimmick of the programme is the song that features in each edition and this has led to the inevitable spin-off album and now a Number 4 chart hit.

Be warned, it isn't crap either. 'Bing Bang (Time To Dance)' is a breezy kiddie-friendly Scando-pop track that calls to mind the work of both Aqua and Cartoons. Admittedly it is unlikely that anyone over ten has actually bought the single (at least not to listen to themselves) but a Top 5 smash hit it is. There is no way I can come out the other side of this sentence with any shred of credibility intact, but believe it or not 'Bing Bang (Time To Dance)' is actually one of the best and most joyously uplifting pop records you have heard all year.

As for the biggest download hit of the week, well it just goes to show that often reviewers know nothing. When 'Wind It Up', the brand new single from Gwen Stefani's new solo album 'The Sweet Escape' was unveiled, there was general dismay at just how underwhelming it was. The 'Love Angel Music Baby' album had been stuffed full of gems such as 'What You Waiting For' and 'Cool' and was deservedly a massive seller, and the hope was that Gwen would return with something as equally perfect. Instead 'Wind It Up' has thrown lavishness out of the window in favour of a stripped down Neptunes produced club track which is clearly meant to be a companion to the cheerleader chant of 'Hollaback Girl' but which instead winds up as the worst thing she has ever released. Samples of 'The Lonely Goatherd' from 'The Sound Of Music' only serve to drag it even further down the crapper. Or so we all thought. Just for a change the public have disagreed in droves and the online sales of the track have propelled it to a Number 8 new entry, coincidentally matching the peak of 'Hollaback Girl' from June 2005. Expect CD sales to further consolidate its position next week and to ensure it becomes the most negatively reviewed smash hit of the year. Thankfully the rest of the album contains some slightly more inspired work.

Now if the Gwen single was hated by everyone who wrote about it, how about a track that was pretty much universally loved? Said single vaults 34-10 this week as Jamelia deservedly lands herself a Top 10 single with the inspired 'Beware Of The Dog'. The track's appeal lies in the way it is constructed around the guitar riff from Depeche Mode's classic single 'Personal Jesus'. The result is a track that positively crackles with an energy that compels you to dance in the very best way. Her last single 'Something About You' was widely praised, but 'Beware Of The Dog' is something else altogether, her transformation from R&B diva into rock chick only enhanced the other week when she joined Feeder onstage in London for a rendition of the song.

The next new hit of the week is a single that at one stage wasn't even being considered. Traditionally the task of performing the theme tune to a James Bond film has gone to an established big name, Madonna, Garbage, Tina Turner and Sheryl Crow having done the honours in the past decade with the likes of A-Ha, Duran Duran and of course Sheena Easton and Shirley Bassey having featured in older films. As befits the back to basics nature of 'Casino Royale', the producers this time around chose someone who whilst not a complete unknown is hardly a familiar name. Chris Cornell's chart career stretches back over a decade, first as lead singer of Soundgarden (biggest hit 1994s 'Black Hole Sun') and then subsequently with Audioslave (biggest hit 'Cochise' in early 2003). His solo debut 'You Know My Name' opens the movie and whilst the intense rock single is a world away from your traditional Bond theme it fits the bill just perfectly. Available online since the end of last month, the track at first wasn't being considered for a full single release which would have potentially made it the first Bond theme since Shirley Bassey's 'Moonraker' to not appear on the singles chart. Fortunately sense prevailed and with the CD due a belated release next week, the track duly appears at Number 12 to reflect its position as one of the biggest selling online singles of the moment. The delay in its chart appearance almost certainly means that by next week we will still be waiting for a Bond theme to top the chart, Duran Duran's 'A View To A Kill' having missed out by one place in 1985.

Morrissey rounds off a satisfying 2006 with 'I Just Want To See The Boy Happy', the fourth single to be lifted from the 'Ringleader Of The Tormentors' album and its fourth Top 20 hit. It lands at Number 16 this week which further ensures it is not the smallest, September's 'In The Future When All's Well' having only made Number 17.

Having in equal measure annoyed and entertained people with the summertime smash Number 2 hit 'Everytime We Touch', German dance act Cascada return to the singles chart this week with a followup. Those looking for a reason to hate them need look no further than this week's Number 17 hit 'Truly Madly Deeply' because yes, it does indeed appear to be a trance cover of Savage Garden's 1998 hit single. Now admittedly, as well regarded as it was, the original was still one of the weediest love songs of its era but in no sense did it deserve the treatment it has got here, what little emotion the song possessed is now trampled by the shrieking vocals and multi-layered synths to make a record which on the surface is utterly, utterly vile. Having landed where it has on downloads alone you can more or less guarantee it will go Top 10 next week, so in searching for a saving grace it is worth pointing out that whilst the trance version is the one being promoted on the single as the "radio edit", the track does exist in an "original mix" which by contrast keeps the song as a ballad, beautifully rendered by singer Natalie Horler and which if anything actually surpasses the Savage Garden version for emotion. Is that a first? A single which is available in two contrasting versions but which are both in their own way utterly astonishing.

There is a downside to selling thousands of albums, as the Scissor Sisters have discovered this week. At the same time that 'I Don't Feel Like Dancing' was topping the singles chart a couple of months ago, parent album 'Ta Dah' was finding its way into its fair share of homes. The immediate knock-on effect has been to effectively smother the followup 'Land Of A Thousand Words' which arrived at Number 68 on downloads last week and now can only move to a rather lowly Number 19 on combined sales. If this ends up being a "lost" single it will actually be nothing less than a tragedy as the track is a lavish ballad with its roots once again firmly in the mid 70s. Mention must also go to the accompanying video which is the most glorious James Bond title sequence pastiche you will ever see. On past form the performance of this track actually shouldn't come as a surprise, their second single from their first album was of course the well regarded 'Take Your Mama' which could only reach Number 17 and was until now their smallest hit to date. Nonetheless, 'Land Of A Thousand Words' would have made the perfect Chistmas Top 5 hit and it is to be regretted that it will get nowhere near.

One track that should be Top 10 at the very least next week is P Diddy's 'Tell Me', the followup to the Top 5 hit 'Come To Me' which charted back in September. With no less a star than Christina Aguilera on vocals, the rap hit lands at Number 20 on downloads alone this week, so expect the usual combined sales boost in seven days time. Also worth watching is Lil' Chris' second single 'Gettin' Enough' which arrives at Number 33 thanks to digital sales. His album appears to have bombed which will make the performance of the single next week a good indication of whether he is seen as anything more than a novelty one hit wonder.

Finally for this week, with the season of joy fast approaching, the Christmas classics are out in force on the radio and also doing business online. This being the last Christmas where they will be dependent on a CD release to be able to chart, it is nice to see two famous old hits inside the Top 30 already. At Number 23 are the Pogues with 'Fairytale Of New York' which, as I mentioned last week, is chart eligible due to its Christmas 2005 re-release although this actually means it will vanish from the listings in Christmas week itself. A new arrival is Slade's 'Merry Xmas Everybody' which is a "new" CD release and duly moved 54-22 to give it its highest chart placing since it made Number 20 for Christmas 1983. The track has now been a Top 40 hit on five separate occasions and has made the Top 75 chart ten times. Hitting Number One in 1973, it reappeared in 1980 in a live version, in 81, 82, 83, 84, 85 and 86 in the original and in 98 in a remix version which limped to Number 30.

Outselling all the other Christmas classics however is a track which pulled off the same trick last year as well. Mariah Carey's 'All I Want For Christmas Is You' is Top 20 in the official downloads chart and incredibly Top 5 on iTunes. Originally a Top 3 hit in 1994, I suspect its continuing popularity is due to its use at the climax of the film 'Love Actually' which received its terrestrial premiere on ITV1 last week. The version from the film is by child star Olivia Olson yet despite being readily available online it is still Mariah's original which is being snapped up for download. For the moment however, without a corresponding CD release neither version will tickle the main singles chart. ]]>