WEEK ENDING 30th DECEMBER 2017

Well, in a year that Ed Sheeran dominated the chart to the tune of a record 279 chart weeks, it is fitting that he, in the end, easily claimed his first Christmas Number 1.  To put that figure in perspective, it means an average of 5 Ed Sheeran tracks were in the Top 75 every week!  Even more impressive is the fact that for the second half of the year, due to the new chart rules, he was restricted to a maximum of three entries on the chart.

He becomes the annual chart champion for the third time in four years - he was also top dog in both 204 & 2015.

Here is the man himself, with the symphony version of "Perfect" which features the voice of Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.

Not content with the Christmas Number One, Mr Sheeran also features at Number 2 on the chart, as his guest stint on Eminem's "River" debuts at Number 2 behind "Perfect".  It is both artists' fifth Number 2 hit in the UK (if it fails to hit Number 1).  Ed has also spent 13 unsuccessful weeks at Number 2, a figure bettered by only 5 acts in history - Elvis Presley with 27, Cliff Richard with 23, Kylie Minogue with 20, Rihanna with 18 and Pat Boone with 17 (this total only applies to tracks which failed to reach Number 1).

Here are Eminem and Ed Sheeran with "River", a track from Eminem's 8th consecutive Number 1 album, "Revival".

Static at Number 3, but close to claiming the Number One spot on the anniversary of George Michael's death, is "Last Christmas" by Wham!, while another Christmas classic falls two to 4 - Mariah Carey with "All I Want For Christmas Is You".

Also static at Number 5 is Rita Ora with "Anywhere", while back up two places to 6 is Big Shaq with "Man's Not Hot".

The third Christmas hit in the Top 10 is static at Number 7 this week, on its 82nd week on the chart, "Fairytale Of New York" from the Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl, while climbing back up 2 places is the act who had last year's Christmas Number One, Clean Bandit (featuring Julia Michaels) with "I Miss You".

Down 3 to 9 is X Factor winner Rak-Su featuring Naughty Boy & Wyclef with "Dimelo", while into the Top 10 for the first time after 9 weeks on the chart is American hip hop artist NF (AKA Nathan Feuerstein) with "Let You Down".

With 16 Christmas songs in the Top 40 this week, the non-Christmas tunes are having to take a back seat this week, but up 10 places to Number 17 is an artist enjoying his first UK Top 10 hit.

With "Barking" this is Ramz.

New at 19 this week, is the second track from the Number One album from Eminem.

This is "In Your Head".

Talking of Mr Marshall Mathers, the highest climber of the week is also a track from "Revival" - up 33 places to 21 this week, is the first single from the album, which debuted at Number 7 earlier this month.

Featuring Beyonce, this is "Walk On Water".

We now look outside the Top 40 for a track which has jumped 19 places this week.  Jax Jones (born Timucin Fabian Kwong Wah Aluo) is an English DJ & record producer who first became known as guest artist on Duke Dumont's 2014 Number One single, "I Got U".  Ina Wroldsen is a Norwegian singer-songwriter.

This is Jax featuring Ina with "Breathe".

Also up 19 places this week, to Number 45, is English-Ghanaian rapper Momodou Jallow (better known as J Hus), with a track which was one of 5 he placed on the chart back in May.

Up to a new peak position, this is J Hus with "Bouff Daddy".

Still on the chart this week, and back up one place to 52, is man of the year Ed Sheeran with "Shape Of You" which clocks up its 50th consecutive chart week - one of only 25 tracks to ever reach this milestone.

As usual I finish off with tracks from the US & UK Number 1 albums.  In the UK, as mentioned a couple of times above, Eminem claims his eight consecutive UK Number 1 album with "Revival", a record he shares with Led Zeppelin & Abba.

From the album, this is "Untouchable".

In the US, country singer Luke Bryan claims his third consecutive chart topper with "What Makes You Country".

From the album, here is track 3, "Light It Up".

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

 
1 year ago - Rockabye - Clean Bandit/Human - Rag 'n' Bone Man
5 years ago - He Ain't Heavy...He's My Brother - The Justice Collective/Impossible - James Arthur
10 years ago - When You Believe - Leon Jackson/What A Wonderful World - Eva Cassidy & Katie Melua
20 years ago - Too Much - The Spice Girls/Teletubbies Say Eh-Oh - The Teletubbies
30 years ago - Always On My Mind - Pet Shop Boys/Fairytale Of New Yourk - The Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl
40 years ago - Mull Of Kintyre-Girls School - Wings/The Floral Dance - The Brighouse & Rastrick Brass Band
50 years ago - Hello Goodbye - The Beatles/I'm Coming Home - Tom Jones
60 years ago - Mary's Boy Child - Harry Belafonte/Ma He's Making Eyes At Me - Johnny Otis & his Orchestra with Marie Adams & the Three Tons of Joy

US NUMBER 1's ON THIS DAY 

1 year ago - Black Beatles - Rae Sremmurd featuring Gucci Mane/Starboy - The Weekend featuring Daft Punk
5 years ago - Locked Out Of Heaven - Bruno Mars/Diamonds - Rihanna
10 years ago - No One - Alicia Keys/Low - Flo Rida featuring T-Pain
20 years ago - Candle In The Wind '97-Something About The Way You Look Tonight - Elton John/How Do I Live - LeAnne Rimes
30 years ago - Faith - George Michael/So Emotional - Whitney Houston
40 years ago - How Deep Is Your Love - Bee Gees/You Light Up My Life - Debby Boone
50 years ago - Hello Goodbye - The Beatles/I Heard It Through The Grapevine - Gladys Knight & the Pips

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 Ed can continue his dominance into 2018.

For those of you in the Vale of Glamorgan area in South Wales, especially for Christmas, tune into Bro Radio on 98.1 FM all next week between 2 and 6 pm, as Gareth Long and I are presenting a show every day