WEEK ENDING 6th MAY 2017

After the 13 week run at Number One of "Shape Of You", we have a different Number 1 single for the fourth week in a row, as Clean Bandit claim their second successive chart topper, a mere 15 weeks after their last Number 1, "Rockabye", relinquished top spot to the aforementioned Ed Sheeran song.

"Symphony" enlists the vocal talents of Swedish songstress, Zara Larsson, who claims her first UK Number 1 single.  It also means that Sheeran or Clean Bandit have been at Number One for 24 of the past 25 weeks.  Also, British artists have now spent 31 consecutive weeks at Number 1 - the longest run this millennium.

So congratulations to Clean Bandit and Zara, this is "Symphony".

Ed, however, is at 2 & 3 with "Shape Of You" and "Galway Girl", and he can take some consolation from the fact that this week he overtakes Elton John's total of 679 weeks on the UK Singles chart to become the 2nd most successful UK male artist of all time, behind only Cliff who is still well ahead on 1,177 weeks.

After vacating the Number 1 spot last week, Harry Styles remains at Number 4 this week with "Sign Of The Times", while also static at 5 is Drake with "Passionfruit".

After 9 weeks on the chart, moving up 9 places to Number 6, "Swalla" by Jason Derulo, Nicki Minaj & Ty Dolla $ign finally hits the Top 10 this week.

Here's the video.

Straight in at 7, is this week's highest new entry from Shawn Mendes.  It gives the Canadian singer 3 Top 10 hits in 5 singles.

This is "There's Nothing Holdin' Me Back)"

Static at 8 is Martin Jensen with "Solo Dance", while down two places to 9 is "Something Just Like This" from Chainsmokers & Coldplay.

We end the Top 10 with the track which replaces Ed Sheeran at Number 1 in the US this week - "Humble" by Kendrick Lamar drops four places from last week's 6 on the UK chart.

A big climb this week, up 14 places to Number 20, comes from Stratford-born rapper Momodou Jallow (AKA J Hus), who gets his first UK Top 20 hit.

This is "Did You See".

Talking of big climbers, this week's highest climber debuted at Number 70 last week, but this week (thanks to a remix version featuring an uncredited Justin Bieber), Luis Fonsi & Daddy Yankee climb a massive 48 places to Number 22.  It gives Puerto Rican born Fonsihis first taste of UK chart success, while it marks Daddy Yankee's first UK hit since 2005, when "Gasolina" hit the Top 5 in July of that year.

Already a Top 10 hit in the US, this is "Despacito".

At Number 24 this week, we have another massive climber, up 39 places from last week.  On this track Moroccan born Karim Kharbouch (AKA French Montana) teams up with Swae Lee (of hip hop group Rae Sremmurd) to claim his first UK hit as a lead artist.  He previously charted as one of the guest vocalists on will.i.am's 2014 Number 2 hit, "Feelin' Myself".

This is "Unforgettable".

Climbing back up 9 places this week, it's former 1D member Zayn Malik and his collaboration with Canadian rapper PartyNextDoor.

This is "Still Got Time".

New at 34 this week, its a welcome return to the chart after 4 years away for Hayley, Zac & Taylor AKA Paramore.

This is the excellent "Hard Times".

Another artist returning after a few years away form the Top 40, is Lana del Rey who enters at Number 38 this week after nearly three years away.

Featuring the Weeknd, this is Lana with "Lust For Life".

At 39 this week, up another nine places is Cheat Codes featuring Demi Lovato.

This is "No Promises".

Re-entering the chart at Number 44 this week, thanks to the Number 2 debut of their comeback album "Tears On The Dancefloor", is Steps.

This is "Scared Of The Dark".

As usual, I finish with tracks from the US & UK Number 1 albums.  No surprise in the UK as Ed Sheeran makes it eight  consecutive weeks at the top with "Divide".  The last album to hit eight consecutive weeks at Number 1 in the UK? - Ed's previous album "Multiply", which spent 8 weeks at the top in July/August 2014!

From the album, the track which is at Number 3 on the singles chart, this is "Galway Girl".

In the US,  Kendrick Lamar claims his third Number 1 album with "DAMN." to complete the chart double.

From the album, here is his new US Number 1 single, "Humble".

                 

                            UK NUMBER 1's/NUMBER 2's ON THIS DAY 

 
1 year ago - One Dance - Drake featuring WizKid & Kyla/Cheap Thrills - Sia
5 years ago - Call Me Maybe - Carly Rae Jepsen/Let's Go - Calvin Harris featuring Ne-Yo
10 years ago - Beautiful Liar - Beyoncé & Shakira/Give It To Me - Timbaland featuring Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake
20 years ago - Blood On The Dancefloor - Michael Jackson/I Believe I Can Fly - R Kelly
30 years ago - La Isla Bonita - Madonna/Can't Be With You Tonight - Judy Boucher
40 years ago - Knowing Me Knowing You - Abba/Red Light Spells Danger - Billy Ocean
50 years ago - Puppet On A String - Sandie Shaw/Somethin' Stupid - Nancy & Frank Sinatra
60 years ago - Cumberland Gap - Lonnie Donegan/The Banana Boat Song - Harry Belafonte

US NUMBER 1's ON THIS DAY 

1 year ago - Panda - Desiigner/7 Years - Lukas Graham
5 years ago - Somebody That I Used To Know - Gotye featuring Kimbra/We Are Young - fun featuring Janelle Monae
10 years ago - Girlfriend - Avril Lavigne/Give It To Me - Timbaland featuring Nelly Furtado & Justin Timberlake
20 years ago - Hypnotize - The Notorious BIG/Foolish Games - Jewel
30 years ago - (I Just) Died In Your Arms - Cutting Crew/Looking For A New Love - Jody Watley
40 years ago - Hotel California - Eagles/When I Need You - Leo Sayer
50 years ago - Somethin' Stupid - Nancy & Frank Sinatra/The Happening - The Supremes

Don't forget you can see all the latest UK & US Top 40 videos on my YouTube channel - Chart Blog UK 

Tune in next week to see if Clean Bandit can hold off the might of Justin Bieber to claim a second week at the top.

Until then, for anyone living in the Vale of Glamorgan in South Wales, you can here my dulcet tones as guest co-presenter on the Gareth Long show on Bro Radio (98.1 FM), every Tuesday between 7 & 9 pm.  For the rest of you, see you next week.

Bye!!