* NM Top 100 singles, 17 February 2007 *

[Earl Purple]

I would like to comment that whilst I have welcomed the new format of the UK chart being opened to download-only singles, with fewer silly chart rules, I am disappointed with the low number of new entries each week breaking into the top 40.

So many of my top singles are now on the "obscure" list. In fact I'm getting comments from a few about how much interesting new music I'm introducing them to.

1 ( 2 ) High School Never Ends - Bowling For Soup < 1st #1 hit >
2 ( 1 ) Grace Kelly - Mika (#1[4])
3 ( 3 ) A House Is Not A Home - Field Music
4 ( 7 ) Lil Star - Kelis ft Cee-Lo
5 ( 5 ) 21st Century Man - Nigel Clark
6 ( 6 ) Do What Thou Will - Paperlung
7 ( 4 ) The Burden - Weeping Willows (#2[2])
8 ( 10 ) Flight Of The Finch - Dan Sartain
9 ( 13 ) Sugar Assault Me Now - Pop Levi
10 ( 15 ) Fallen Leaves - Billy Talent

11 ( 28 ) Ruby - Kaiser Chiefs
12 ( 36 ) Shine - Take That
13 ( 21 ) Desecration Smile - Red Hot Chili Peppers
14 ( 8 ) Annie Let's Not Wait - Guillemots (#6)
15 ( 9 ) Back When You Were Good - Hours (#2[1])
16 ( 40 ) Little Beats - Schwab
17 ( 14 ) Sexy In Latin - Little Man Tate (#14)
18 ( 16 ) Zerox Machine - Client (#16)
19 ( 11 ) Fools With Money - Luke Toms (#9)
20 ( 18 ) This Ain't A Scene It's An Arms Race - Fall Out Boy (#18)

21 ( 26 ) Rainkiss - 747s
22 ( 46 ) This Old Love - Lior
23 ( -- ) Unknown Stuntman - Smokestack Lightnin'
24 ( 49 ) Be Good Or Be Gone - Fionn Regan
25 ( 53 ) Giddy Stratospheres - Long Blondes
26 ( 33 ) Young At Last - Bench Connection
27 ( -- ) Promis Q - DAAN
28 ( 35 ) King And Country - Seth Lakeman
29 ( 25 ) A Bad Dream - Keane (#25)
30 ( 56 ) When I'm Away From You - Evi Hanssen & Frederic DiBono

31 ( 24 ) Rootless Tree - Damien Rice (#24)
32 ( 27 ) A Brighter Beat - Malcolm Middleton (#27)
33 ( -- ) Monsters - Sugars
34 ( 12 ) Don't Let Him Waste Your Time - Jarvis Cocker (#4)
35 ( 39 ) Lil' King Kong - Simple Kid
36 ( 30 ) How To Save A Life - Fray (#30)
37 ( 63 ) Rosé - Feeling
38 ( -- ) Paradise - Eskimo Brit
39 ( 20 ) February Song - Josh Groban (#15)
40 ( 44 ) Oh MJ - Little Ones

41 ( 23 ) Maybe Tomorrow - Goldenhorse (#18)
42 ( -- ) This Is A Song - Magic Numbers
43 ( 68 ) A Journey From A To B - Badly Drawn Boy
44 ( 17 ) Musical Chairs / Departure Lounge - Ghosts (#6)
45 ( 19 ) Starz In Their Eyes - Just Jack (#10)
46 ( 50 ) Wrong Again - Louise Setara
47 ( -- ) Open Your Eyes - Snow Patrol
48 ( 74 ) Dreamers - Jack Savoretti
49 ( 55 ) Shipwreck - Hot Club De Paris
50 ( -- ) Stars - Morten Abel

51 ( 57 ) Perfect Skin - 69 Eyes
52 ( 22 ) Lithium - Evanescence (#11)
53 ( 32 ) Ain't Never Been Cool - Lucky Soul (#26)
54 ( 34 ) Love You - Little Barrie (#29)
55 ( 43 ) Fish Bowl - Mia Darling (#43)
56 ( 80 ) Freewheel - Duke Special
57 ( -- ) O Valencia! - Decemberists
58 ( 45 ) Falling Out Of Love - Trijntje Oosterhuis (#45)
59 ( 61 ) Hang Me Up To Dry - Cold War Kids
60 ( 83 ) Still Fallin' [piano mix] - Steve Mitchell

61 ( 29 ) This Time (I'm Gonna Try It My Way) - DJ Shadow (#17)
62 ( 48 ) Time Machine - Amanda Ghost & Boy George (#48)
63 ( -- ) Say It Like You Mean It - Bill Coleman
64 ( 86 ) Advice To A Lover - Unbelievable Truth
65 ( 65 ) Yksinäisten Miesten Kanjoni - Jorma Kääriäinen
66 ( 88 ) Now Listen - Shakin' Stevens
67 ( -- ) Someone To Love - Fountains Of Wayne
68 ( 52 ) 1000 Marching Feet - Expozez (#52)
69 ( 67 ) If Looks Could Kill - Camera Obscura (#67)
70 ( 90 ) Tell Me What Went Wrong - Eight Legs

71 ( 54 ) Loser - Plastiscines (#54)
72 ( 42 ) 5:55  - Charlotte Gainsbourg (#35)
73 ( -- ) Helly Betty - Jeff Golub
74 ( 71 ) Different When It Comes To You - Bruce Cockburn (#71)
75 ( 94 ) Jealous Girls - Gossip
76 ( 58 ) A Little Bit - Madeleine Peyroux (#58)
77 ( -- ) I Spy - Get Cape Wear Cape Fly
78 ( 96 ) Newport Living - Cute Is What We Aim For
79 ( 31 ) Come Home - Findlay Brown (#9)
80 ( 38 ) We Could've Been Big - Jack Drag (#23)

81 ( 75 ) Diamonds On My Belly - Hafdis Huld (#75)
82 ( -- ) Shine On - Jet
83 ( 37 ) Blag Steal & Borrow - Koopa (#20)
84 ( 77 ) Rolling On - Jan Leyes (#77)
85 ( 100 ) More Than Enough - Jamie Pearce
86 ( 78 ) Lovers - Secret Show (#78)
87 ( -- ) It's Not OK - Enemy
88 ( 51 ) Phantom Limb - Shins (#42)
89 ( -- ) Breathe - Dan Bern
90 ( 64 ) My New Dawn - Daniel Kirkley (#64)

91 ( -- ) When Your Heart Stops Beating - Plus 44
92 ( -- ) After All - Werle & Stankowski
93 ( 70 ) La Chaleur Humaine - Bertrant Betsch (#69)
94 ( -- ) You Broke My Heart - Lavender Diamond
95 ( 59 ) Smile On Fire - Jack Drag (#47)
96 ( 73 ) Diamond Heart - Marissa Nadler (#71)
97 ( -- ) If I Had My Way - Rosemary
98 ( 41 ) I Luv U - Ordinary Boys (#6)
99 ( -- ) If I Called You On The Telephone - Revelations
100 ( 79 ) Lay And Love - Bonnie Prince Billy (#75)
________________________________________________

-- ( 47 ) Learning To Breathe - Nerina Pallot (#12)
-- ( 60 ) Drama Queen - Switches (#32)
-- ( 62 ) Golden Skans - Klaxons (#33)
-- ( 66 ) Window In The Skies - U2 (#17)
-- ( 69 ) H'sabtek Ana - Najim (#52)
-- ( 72 ) Famous Last Words - My Chemical Romance (#53)
-- ( 76 ) High Atop The Silver Branches - Elf Power (#23)
-- ( 81 ) Reveal - Roxette (#59)
-- ( 82 ) Popular Mechanics For Lovers - Beulah (#25)
-- ( 84 ) Whistle For The Choir - Fratellis (#1[6])
-- ( 85 ) One Of Two - Sky Larkin (#81)
-- ( 87 ) Start Of Something New - Andrea Ross (#84)
-- ( 89 ) Agony - Unbelievable Truth (#41)
-- ( 91 ) Moi Me Bailataan - Tea & Skidit (#67)
-- ( 92 ) On Your Marks - Voltage Union (#70)
-- ( 93 ) In Shock - Kristin Hersh (#44)
-- ( 95 ) Nightless Night - Husky Rescue (#74)
-- ( 97 ) Too Little Too Late - JoJo (#49)
-- ( 98 ) Arnold Layne - David Gilmour ft David Bowie (#20)
-- ( 99 ) The Photos On My Wall - Good Shoes (#5)
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-- ( -- ) Stiletto - Cutler
-- ( -- ) We Are Not The Enemy - Fear Of Music
-- ( -- ) A Good Thing - Di-rect
-- ( -- ) The Best Of Both Worlds - Hannah Montana
-- ( -- ) Don't Let Them Take You Down (Beautiful Day) - Jesse Malin
-- ( -- ) Take This Heart - IV Thieves
-- ( -- ) Too Late Too Late - Mr Hudson & The Library
-- ( -- ) I'm A Rat - Towers Of London
-- ( -- ) Control Freak - Area15
-- ( -- ) Life Begins - Energies
________________________________________________

Most of the songs on this chart can be downloaded from 7 Digital. You can use that site from anywhere in the world, don't need to install any special software nor sign up simply to browse the site. You only need to create an account when you actually want to buy something. Most of the songs are 77p, and the quality is very good - wma files of 192 Kbps (with DRM), and some are also available in mp3 format (with no DRM). 7Digital is actually run by some of the ex-members of dotmusic.

The two highest entries this week come under the label of "obscure". Smokestack Lightnin' is the name of the artist (their name comes from a Howlin' Wolf song). The song is about the unsung heroes in the film industry - the stuntmen who are not even given the glory they deserve.

The second highest entry by Belgian indie-disco act DAAN. They have been around for about 7 years but this is the first I have heard of them. I really suggest people to check out this song and if they really like this kind of thing, to check out the band. In fact I would like to see Haven try to go out and promote some artists who are not making the charts.

[Admin]

Cant believe the Shins missed your top 50

I like these.

4 ( 7 ) Lil Star - Kelis ft Cee-Lo
12 ( 36 ) Shine - Take That
13 ( 21 ) Desecration Smile - Red Hot Chili Peppers
15 ( 9 ) Back When You Were Good - Hours (#2[1])
17 ( 14 ) Sexy In Latin - Little Man Tate (#14)
20 ( 18 ) This Ain't A Scene It's An Arms Race - Fall Out Boy (#18)
31 ( 24 ) Rootless Tree - Damien Rice (#24)
34 ( 12 ) Don't Let Him Waste Your Time - Jarvis Cocker (#4)
45 ( 19 ) Starz In Their Eyes - Just Jack (#10)
47 ( -- ) Open Your Eyes - Snow Patrol
52 ( 22 ) Lithium - Evanescence (#11)
56 ( 80 ) Freewheel - Duke Special
59 ( 61 ) Hang Me Up To Dry - Cold War Kids
61 ( 29 ) This Time (I'm Gonna Try It My Way) - DJ Shadow (#17)
88 ( 51 ) Phantom Limb - Shins (#42)

[TheThorne]

well although a lot of my music doesnt do so well anymore in the chart I dont really care the top 40 is far more interesting & reflects what the majority of people like and you dont have so many records bougt by a bands fanbase charting them for 1 week at 37 amd disppearing again. The top 40 is a place for real hits again.

We dont want the days of 18 new entries every week returning and a different number one every week now its more like the 80s again.

5 for your top 10 are currently hits for me didnt really think much of Nigel Clark or Paperlung, will try to hear the other 3 I dont know.

[Earl Purple]

We don't need 18 new entries in the top 40 but we could do with more than 2 (this week the Feeling and RHCP were the only two new entries in the top 40 and we are now in February - this isn't the first week of the year).

In the 1980s there were typically around 8-10 new entries a week. In the early 1960s songs used to stay in the chart for ages and there were very few new entries each week.

Noticeable that Mika is the 3rd UK #1 in a row to spend at least 4 weeks on top, in fact it has surpassed Leona Lewis and Take That by making it to 5 weeks.

Phantom Limb didn't miss my top 50, it reached #42, still that is very poor for a band that have had two #2 hits. Still, January 2007 was one of the strongest months ever and not everything could chart high.

Nigel Clark was lead singer of the band Dodgy who were one of my favourite britpop bands, in fact Free Peace Sweet is up there among the best albums of the britpop era, a bit underrated by many because the most successful single was "Good Enough" which is one of their weakest tracks in my opinion. If you listen to the whole album a few times you'll see how great it is, particularly from Found You onward.

[TheThorne]

oh yeh I really liked Dodgy my fave was 'In A Room' but just cant get into this single will try to hear more though and yeh we have fewer songs going straight in but we have climbers again!!

[Earl Purple]

My top 40 has 10 entries, 4 of them brand new entries into the chart, 6 of them climbing from lower down. My chart also has climbers.

If more new music were being promoted, the UK chart might look the same. Not necessarily the same songs, obviously, but the movements could be similar.

I remember in the past when January would often be the most interesting month because a lot more new indie acts were breaking, only for it to revert back later in the year. Remember 1999, anyone? That week when the Offspring entered at #1 and Terrorvision at #2. Ok neither of them were new but both were having their biggest hits, and Gay Dad entered new in the top 10 around the same time. Unfortunately in 1999 we still had a long time to wait for the real revival, although my chart was full of the stuff all year.

I guess internet and blogs and myspace and youtube.com etc alone cannot promote new artists enough and it still needs the media.