WEEK ENDING 20th JANUARY 2018

As the charts begin to return to normal after the anomaly of Christmas, no change at the top as "Perfect" by Ed Sheeran spends a sixth straight week at Number 1 - his 23rd week at Number One in his career, a figure bettered by only 10 artists in chart history.

The Top 10 are as follows:-

80 weeks - Elvis Presley (21 Number Ones)
69 - The Beatles (17)
46 - Cliff Richard (14)
44 - The Shadows (12)
32 - Frankie Laine (4)
31 - Abba (9)
30 - Justin Bieber (6)
29 - Madonna (13); Take That (12)
25 - Rihanna (9)

Also, he is also at Number 2 this week, as guest vocalist on Eminem's "River", giving him 14 career weeks at Numbers 1 & 2, putting him one ahead of Justin Bieber.

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

As mentioned above, still at Number 2 this week is Eminem & Ed Sheeran with "River", while back up one place to 3 is Rita Ora with "Anywhere".

Moving up another four places to claim his debut Top 5 hit is Ramz with "Barking", while finally hitting the Top 5 on its 11th week on the chart, up 1 place from 6 last week is Clean Bandit & Julia Michaels with "I Miss You".

A track hitting a new peak 12 weeks into its chart career, moves up four places to 6 this week  - US rapper NF with "Let You Down".

This week's highest new entry comes in at Number 7.  A track from his 2016 album "24K Magic", Bruno Mars has collaborated on this remix with US rapper Cardi B.

Here are Bruno & Cardi with "Finesse".

Down one place to 8 is MK with "17", while down 6 to 9 is "Man's Not Hot" from Big Shaq.

Top 3 for the first time, up 3 places to 3, is Big Shaq with "Man's Not Hot".

And at Number 10, up 5 places, finally into the Top 10 after 7 weeks is Craig David & Bastille with "I Know You".  It gives the Southampton R & B legend 15 Top 10 hits, but is just Bastille's third, and their first in more than 4 years.

New at 11, is the title track from the latest "Fifty Shades" movie, "Fifty Shades Freed".

This is Liam Payne and Rita Ora with "For You".

Up another 10 places to 14 this week, here is "Breathe" from Jax Jones feauring Ina Wroldsen.

New at 15 this week, its a welcome return for the legend that is Justin Timberlake as "Filthy" becomes his 22nd UK Top 20 hit, but just his second in nearly 5 years.

Here is JT with "Filthy".

Up 12 places this week is the lead track from the brand new Number 1 album - the soundtrack to the movie "The Greatest Showman",

Here is "This Is Me" with soloist Keala Settle.

Meanwhile, up 17 places to 23, is another track from that album.

Featuring vocals by stars Hugh Jackman, Keala Settle, Zac Efrom & Zendaya, this is "The Greatest Show".

A third track from the album is also in the Top 30 this week, and is the highest climber of the week.

Up 20 places to 26 this is "Rewrite The Stars" featuring Zac Efron & Zendaya.

New at 33 this week is a collaboration between rappers Kendrick Lamar & SZA.

This is "All The Stars".

Still in the Top 4o, at Number 35 this week, is "Shape Of You" by Ed Sheeran which celebrates a whole year on the chart this week.  It becomes just the 18th track in chart history to spend an unbroken year on the Singles chart.

Up 17 places to 38 this week is Dua Lipa.

This is IDGAF.

 She hits the Top 10 for the first time this week, and moves up 14 places to Number 40 on the chart as well.

Featuring 21 Savage, this is Cardi B with "Bartier Cardi".

As usual I finish off with tracks from the US & UK Number 1 albums.  This week, the same album takes the honours both sides of the Atlantic - the soundtrack to the movie "The Greatest Showman".

From the album, and sung by Loren Allred, this is "Never Enough".

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

 
1 year ago - Shape Of You - Ed Sheeran/Castle On The Hill - Ed Sheeran
5 years ago - Scream & Shout - will.i.am featuring Britney Spears/I Knew You Were Trouble - Taylor Swift
10 years ago - Now You're Gone - Basshunter featuring DJ Mental Theo/Piece Of Me - Britney Spears
20 years ago - Never Ever - All Saints/Bamboogie - Bamboo
30 years ago - Heaven Is A Place On Earth - Belinda Carlisle/Always On My Mind - Pet Shop Boys
40 years ago - Mull Of Kintyre-Girls School - Wings/The Floral Dance - The Brighouse & Rastrick Brass Band
50 years ago - Hello Goodbye - The Beatles/Magical Mystery Tour (Double EP) - The Beatles
60 years ago - Great Balls Of Fire - Jerry Lee Lewis/Ma, He's Making Eyes At Me - Johnny Otis & his Orchestra with Marie Adams & eh Three Tons Of Joy

US NUMBER 1's ON THIS DAY 

1 year ago - Bad And Boujee - Migos featuring Lil' Uzi Vert/Black Beatles - Rae Sremmurd featuring Gucci Mane
5 years ago - Locked Out Of Heaven - Bruno Mars/Diamonds - Rihanna
10 years ago - Low - Flo Rida featuring T-Pain/No One - Alicia Keys
20 years ago - Truly Madly Deeply - Savage Garden/Together Again - Janet
30 years ago - The Way You Make Me Feel - Michael Jackson/Need You Tonight - INXS
40 years ago - Baby Come Back - Player/How Deep Is Your Love - Bee Gees
50 years ago - Judy In Disguise (With Glasses) - John Fred & his Playboy Band/Chain Of Fools - Aretha Franklin

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 of 2018.

For those of you in the Vale of Glamorgan area in South Wales, tune into Bro Radio on 98.1 FM on Tuesday evening from 7 to 9 pm to hear my dulcet tones as guest co-presenter on the Gareth Long show.  For everyone else, join me here column next week.