OCC
Foo Fighters Set to Reenter U.K. Charts Following Taylor Hawkins’ Death
Foo Fighters’ biggest hits are on the climb in the U.K., as British fans mourn the untimely death of Taylor Hawkins, aged 50. Based on midweek data, the stadium rock outfit’s Greatest Hits (RCA) collection flies 84-4, and is set to match its peak position from 2009. The career retrospective is the U.K.’s second most-streamed album of the week, the OCC reports. Another Foos compilation is about to bursting back into the Top 40, the 2006 live LP Skin and Bones, which is on course to reenter at No. 36, while the Foos’ heavy metal project Dream Widow is set to debut at No. 55. Dream Widow dropped last Friday, March 25, the same day Hawkins was found unresponsive in his hotel room in Bogota, Colombia, where the band was on tour. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, char...
Dave’s ‘Starlight’ Enters Week Three Atop U.K. Singles Chart
Dave’s “Starlight” (Neighbourhood Recordings) continues to glow bright in the U.K., where its snags a third consecutive week at No. 1. “Starlight,” which debuted atop the Official U.K. Singles Chart after its surprise release, is the most-streamed song of the week in this territory, racking up 7.3 million plays over the past cycle, the OCC reports. “Starlight” leads an unchanged Top 7 this week. Though the gap between Dave’s longest-running No. 1 hit and the current No. 2-ranked U.K. single, Aitch and Ashanti’s “Baby” (Capitol), begins to close, the charts company reports. Further down the list, there are new peak positions for tracks by Cat Burns (“Go” up 10-8 via RCA/Since 93), Bad Boy Chiller Crew (“BMW” up 21-9 via Relentless), George Ezra (“Anyone for You” 14-12 via Columbia), Tiesto ...
Charli XCX Collects First U.K. No. 1 With ‘Crash’
Charli XCX has her first U.K. chart crown as Crash (Atlantic) smashes its way to No. 1. Just hours after Crash hit the summit of Australia’s chart, the British artist produces the same result on the Official U.K. Albums Chart. Crash is Charli’s fifth studio album, and her first to crack the U.K. Top Ten. Her previous best was a No. 14 for 2019’s Charli, while her most recent lockdown LP, the Mercury Prize-nominated How I’m Feeling Now, peaked at No. 33 in 2020. The new album crashes the Official Vinyl Albums Chart at No. 1, as physical formats generate over 70% of Crash’s total chart sales over the course of the week, the OCC reports. Expect the new collection to continue motoring along, thanks to the release last Friday of a deluxe version, featuring four new tracks. Explore See latest vi...
Aitch and Ashanti’s ‘Baby’ Takes Pole Position In U.K. Chart Race
The U.K. singles chart race is shaping up as a homegrown hip-hop battle, as Aitch looks set to bump Dave from the summit. Based on sales and streaming data collected from the first 48 hours in the cycle, Aitch (real name Harrison Armstrong) moves into pole position with “Baby,” which samples Ashanti 2003 song “Rock Wit U (Awww Baby)” and credits the R&B artist as its feature singer. The Manchester rapper’s lead is a narrow one. According to the Official Charts Company, just a small handful of chart sales separate “Baby” from Dave’s “Starlight,” which has ruled the weekly chart for three consecutive frames. If “Baby” can maintain its momentum, it’ll be Aitch’s first ever U.K. No. 1, and Ashanti’s second, after 2004’s “Wonderful” with Ja Rule and R. Kelly. Explore See latest videos, char...
Charli XCX Set to ‘Crash’ U.K. Albums Chart
Charli XCX is in pole position for her first U.K. No. 1 with Crash (via Atlantic). The British singer and producer leads the chart race at the midway stage with Crash, her fifth studio album. Currently, the LP is the biggest seller on physical formats, accounting for some 83% of its total chart sales, the OCC reports. Whatever happens between now and the completion of the race, Charli XCX should have a new career high. Across her four previous releases, her best position on the Official U.K. Albums Chart is No. 14 for 2019’s Charli. Coming in at No. 2 on the Official Chart Update is indie guitar band Sea Girls with their sophomore set Homesick (Polydor), while veteran Welsh rock act Feeder is eying a tenth Top 10 album with Torpedo (Big Teeth), which hurtles in at No. 3. Explore See latest...
Dave’s ‘Starlight’ Shines Atop U.K. Chart For Second Week
Dave’s “Starlight” (Neighbourhood Recordings) doesn’t lose any luster on the U.K. chart, as the surprise release enters a second week at No. 1 ahead of Aitch’s fast-starting “Baby.” “Starlight” accumulates a market-leading 6.5 million streams to extend its stay atop the Official U.K. Singles Chart, the OCC reports, for the Brit Award winner’s longest streak at the summit (his “Freaky Friday” collaboration with Fredo logged a single week at No. 1 in 2018). The highest new entry on the new frame belong to Aitch’s “Baby” (Capitol), which starts at No. 2 for the British rapper and songwriter’s seventh Top 10 appearance. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The single, credited to Aitch and Ashanti, samples “Rock Wit U (Aww Baby),” the U.S. R&B artis...
Rex Orange County Bags First U.K. No. 1 With ‘Who Cares’
Rex Orange County breaks through for his first U.K. No. 1 with Who Cares? (via Columbia), the alt-indie marvel’s fourth studio album, and second with RCA. Born in Hampshire, England, Rex Orange County (real name Alexander James O’Connor) easily eclipses his previous best, a No. 5 for 2019’s Pony, his major-label debut following two self-released efforts. Who Cares leads an all-new Top 3, besting Swedish rockers Ghost and their fifth studio effort IMPERA (Loma Vista), new at No. 2. IMPERA misses out on the crown, though it does give Ghost a new career high, improving on the No. 10 for 2018’s Prequelle. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news Meanwhile, Bryan Adams enters the chart at No. 3 with So Happy It Hurts (BMG), for the Canadian rocker’s 11th U.K...
Aitch and Ashanti’s ‘Baby’ Challenges Dave’s ‘Starlight’ For U.K. Chart Crown
Dave is heading for a third straight week at No. 1 in the U.K. with “Starlight,” the British rapper’s biggest hit to date. But he won’t get there without a challenge. Aitch and Ashanti “Baby” is rocking on the chart blast. The single, which debuted at No. 2 on the Official U.K. Singles Chart last Friday (March 18), is keeping the race tight. Based on sales and streaming data from the first 48 hours of the chart week, “Baby” holds at No. 2 and could make a run for the title, the OCC notes. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news “Starlight” leads an unchanged Top 7 on the First Look chart, which ranks the performance of singles in the early stages of the chart cycle. Meanwhile, George Ezra is on track for his seventh Top 10 single with “Anyone For You,”...
Rex Orange County Leads Midweek U.K. Chart With ‘Who Cares’
Who cares? Brits clearly do. Rex Orange County is on track for a first U.K. No. 1 with Who Cares, the English act’s fourth studio album. Who Cares (via Columbia) rules the Official Chart Update, and should establish a career-best for the 23-year-old Hampshire singer and multi-instrumentalist. Prior to Who Cares, the singer (real name Alexander James O’Connor) had a chart best of No. 5 with his previous LP, 2019’s Pony, his first with a major label. Rex Orange County has been a name-to-watch in the alt/indie scene since 2017, when he guested on Tyler, the Creator’s Grammy-nominated album Flower Boy and broke out with his own single “Loving Is Easy,” alongside Benny Sings. He went on to finish runner-up in the BBC’s Sound of 2018 poll. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See lat...
Dave’s ‘Starlight’ Glitters Atop U.K. Chart
Encanto’s magical reign atop the U.K. singles chart comes to an abrupt end as Dave’s “Starlight” (via Neighbourhood Recordings) debuts at No. 1 with the year’s fastest sales. “Starlight,” a surprise release, caught Encanto’s “We Don’t Talk About Bruno” off-guard as it fires to the top with 63,000 combined chart sales, the OCC reports. That first-week sum includes 7.7 million streams, the biggest opening week for any track in 2022, according to the charts compiler. Dave, winner of best hip hop/grime/rap act at the 2022 Brit Awards, now has 11 Top 10 singles, and a second career No. 1 following 2018’s “Funky Friday” featuring Fredo. Explore See latest videos, charts and news See latest videos, charts and news The seven-week streak of “Bruno” comes to a crashing halt, as the Disney release tu...
Stereophonics Snag Eighth U.K. No. 1 Album With ‘Oochya!’
Stereophonics power to an eighth U.K. chart crown with Oochya! (Stylus), their 12th studio album. Oochya! blasts to No. 1 on debut, outpacing its nearest competitor by a margin of 2-to-1, according to the Official Charts Company. With that feat, the Welsh rock act matches the chart success of Taylor Swift, Oasis and R.E.M. Led by singer Kelly Jones, the band has previously summited with Performance and Cocktails (from 1999), Just Enough Education to Perform (2001), You Gotta Go There to Come Back (2003), Language Sex Violence Other (2005), Pull the Pin (2007), Keep the Village Alive (2015) and Kind (2019). The runner-up on the latest Official U.K. Albums Chart is Marillion, the veteran British rock band whose 20th album An Hour Before It’s Dark (Ear Music) bows at No. 2. Explore See latest...
Central Cee Overtakes Tears For Fears In U.K. Albums Chart Race
In a well-paced U.K. chart race, Central Cee’s 23 (via Central Cee) pulls ahead at the last turn for the hip-hop artist’s first leader. Born in Shepherd’s Bush, London, Central Cee (real name Oakley Neil H T Caesar-Su) goes one better with 23, the rapper’s sophomore mixtape, which debuts at No. 1. A year earlier, his debut Wild West went to No. 2 on the Official U.K. Albums Chart. After leading the midweek survey, ‘80s legends Tears For Fears have to settle for second place with The Tipping Point (Concord). It’s the first full album of original material for Roland Orzabal and Curt Smith since 2005, and it’s the band’s first U.K. Top 5 appearance since 1993’s Elemental went to No. 5. The Tipping Point finishes the week as the U.K.’s best-selling vinyl release. Explore See latest videos, cha...
