On the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the UK singles chart, two years and a few weeks ago, my first book was published. British Singles Chart - All Time Top 100 (ISBN 978-1-291-21667-7 / http://www.amazon.co.uk/British-Singles-Chart-Time-1000/dp/1291216677/ref=sr_1_1) is a list of the biggest chart performers of all-time.
The list was compiled using a points system. The records in each week's top 40 are awarded points based on their chart position. 1 point for no.40, 2 points for no.39 and so on up to 39 points for no.2 and 40 points for no.1. In the case of ties, peak position then weeks spent at the peak position are used as the first tiebreakers. If necessary, lower chart positions will be considered. In other words, a record that spent more time higher up the chart will be ranked higher. The points system is adapted slightly for the charts before March 1960, when the chart expanded to a top 50. When the chart is smaller than a top 40, the points are spread out through the chart. For instance, for the records in a top 20, they are awarded the points normally given to numbers 2, 4, 6 etc. and for the records in a top 12, they are awarded the points normally given to numbers 3, 7, 10, 13, 17, 20, 23, 27, 30, 33, 37 and 40.
As we've just passed the charts' 62nd anniversary and we see the re-appearance of two Christmas perennials, I thought I'd update the list. Here's the current top 40, with the position from two years ago in brackets.
1. (1) Stranger On The Shore / Mr. Acker Bilk
2. (-) Happy / Pharrell Williams
3. (2) Relax / Frankie Goes To Hollywood
4. (3) Rock Around The Clock / Bill Haley and his Comets
5. (4) I Believe / Frankie Laine
6. (-) All Of Me / John Legend
7. (8) Fairytale Of New York / The Pogues feat. Kirsty MacColl
8. (5) Sex On Fire / Kings Of Leon
9. (6) She Loves You / The Beatles
10. (7) I Love You Because / Jim Reeves
11. (9) Hound Dog / Elvis Presley
12. (10) My Way / Frank Sinatra
13. (11) Bohemian Rhapsody / Queen
14. (12) Somebody That I Used To Know / Gotye feat. Kimbra
15. (13) Rockstar / Nickelback
16. (14) I Gotta Feeling / Black Eyed Peas
17. (15) Moves Like Jagger / Maroon 5 feat. Christina Aguilera
18. (76) All I Want For Christmas Is You / Mariah Carey
19. (16) Let's Twist Again / Chubby Checker
20. (17) (Everything I Do) I Do It For You / Bryan Adams
21. (-) Counting Stars / OneRepublic
22. (18) Love Is All Around / Wet Wet Wet
23. (19) Side Saddle / Russ Conway
24. (20) Brown Girl In The Ring / Boney M
25. (-) Rather Be / Clean Bandit feat. Jess Glynne
26. (21) Rivers Of Babylon / Boney M
27. (22) Heartbreak Hotel / Elvis Presley
28. (23) Poker Face / Lady Gaga
29. (24) Use Somebody / Kings Of Leon
30. (25) Sexy And I Know It / LMFAO
31. (26) Albatross / Fleetwood Mac
32. (-) Let Her Go / Passenger
33. (27) Hips Don't Lie / Shakira feat. Wyclef Jean
34. (28) Secret Love / Doris Day
35. (29) Think Twice / Celine Dion
36. (30) Release Me / Englelbert Humperdinck
37. (-) Stay With Me / Sam Smith
38. (31) Someone Like You / Adele
39. (32) Umbrella / Rihanna feat. Jay-Z
40. (33) The Last Waltz / Engelbert Humperdinck
So, the biggest hit of the last two years is the second biggest of all time. "Happy" by Pharrell Williams recently dropped out of the top 40 after 49 weeks, with 4 of them spent at number one. It's still in the top 100 and could turn around. In fact, it probably will in the immediately post-Christmas period - big hits normally get a bounce as people redeem the iTunes vouchers they got for Christmas. It only needs 29 more points to overtake the late Acker Bilk at the top.
A record that is still in the top 40 is "All Of Me" by John Legend, having chalked up 43 weeks so far. It needs just 6 points to overtake Frankie Laine for 5th place.
The perennial Yuletide re-appearance of "Fairytale Of New York" by the Pogues featuring Kirsty MacColl, sees it overtake three records in the last two years. Since Christmas 2005, co-inciding with the counting of downloads in the chart, it has averaged 4 weeks in the top 40 each year. If it achieves its recent yearly average again this Christmas, it will be up around "Relax".
The other Christmas ever-present is "All I Want For Christmas Is You" by Mariah Carey, which climbs into the top 40 at number 18. It has appeared every Christmas since 2007. It averages about 9 points fewer than the Pogues each year, which could take it into the top 10 if repeated this year.
"Counting Stars" by OneRepublic is a new entry at number 21, having notched up 34 weeks in the top 40, 2 of them at number one.
The other three new entries: "Rather Be" by Clean Bandit feat. Jess Glynne - 40 weeks in the top 40, 4 at number one; "Let Her Go" by Passenger - 30 weeks in the top 40; "Stay With Me" by Sam Smith - 29 weeks in the top 40 (and counting), 1 at number one.
Forced out of the top 40: Imagine / John Lennon; I Remember You / Frank Ifield; You're The One That I Want / John Travolta & Olivia Newton-John; Valerie / Mark Ronson feat. Amy Winehouse; Tears / Ken Dodd; Tie A Yellow Ribbon Round The Old Oak Tree / Dawn feat. Tony Orlando; All Right Now / Free
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