Shaggy's widely expected arrival at the top of the U.K. singles chart with "It Wasn't Me" (MCA) left a giant imprint on the survey. Selling a massive 345,000 copies in its first week, the track's arrival at No. 1 was apparently unhindered by pre-release s ales that had already taken an import version to No. 31 last week.
It's the Jamaican-born artist's fifth U.K. top-10 hit and his third No. 1, after his debut hit "Oh Carolina" reached the summit in March 1993 and "Boombastic" repeated the trick in September 1995. "It Wasn't Me" is also Shaggy's first hit on MCA after he lost his contract with Virgin. Speaking on BBC Radio 1 last night (March 4) he commented: "When you get dropped by a record company, it sends somewhat of a message that you're finished. But to me the best revenge is success, and I'm getting it right now."
Atomic Kitten's "Whole Again" (Innocent/Virgin) was edged down to No. 2 after its epic four-week run at the top. But the single did well to stay ahead of several other prominent new entries, including "Nobody Wants To Be Lonely" by Ricky Martin and Christina Aguilera (Columbia) at No. 4, Nelly Furtado's "I'm Like A Bird" (Dreamworks/Polydor) at No. 5, and a double-disc barrage by Manic Street Preachers.
The Welsh rockers had been thought to have a chance of locking down the top two when they announced plans for two new single releases on the same day. But after slipping gradually through the week, the Manics could only enter at No. 8 with "So Why So Sad" and No. 9 with "Found That Soul."
The U.K. album chart saw revitalized sales of several of last week's Brit Award-winners, and three who didn't win anything: Craig David, whose "Born To Do It" (Wildstar) reportedly doubled in sales to rebound 16-8; David Gray, back up 13-7 with "White Ladder" (iht/East West); and Dido, who spends a fifth week at No.1 with "No Angel" (Cheeky/Arista).
Coldplay, who won best British band and best British album for "Parachutes," saw the Parlophone set increase in sales sixfold to jump back 8-2, whi le double winners U2 climbed back 10-3 with "All That You Can't Leave Behind" (Universal/Island). Four of the group's previous albums also climbed into the top-75. Fun Lovin' Criminals had the top new entry of the week with their new Chrysalis release "Loco" at No. 5.
Dido's album also snags another week at the top of Music & Media's pan-European album chart for the March 10 issue, where German chart regular Peter Maffay has the highest debut at No. 9 with "Heute Vor Dreissig Jahre" (Ariola). OutKast's "Ms. Jackson" (LaFace/Arista) holds at No. 1 on the Eurochart Hot 100 Singles tally.
It's the Jamaican-born artist's fifth U.K. top-10 hit and his third No. 1, after his debut hit "Oh Carolina" reached the summit in March 1993 and "Boombastic" repeated the trick in September 1995. "It Wasn't Me" is also Shaggy's first hit on MCA after he lost his contract with Virgin. Speaking on BBC Radio 1 last night (March 4) he commented: "When you get dropped by a record company, it sends somewhat of a message that you're finished. But to me the best revenge is success, and I'm getting it right now."
Atomic Kitten's "Whole Again" (Innocent/Virgin) was edged down to No. 2 after its epic four-week run at the top. But the single did well to stay ahead of several other prominent new entries, including "Nobody Wants To Be Lonely" by Ricky Martin and Christina Aguilera (Columbia) at No. 4, Nelly Furtado's "I'm Like A Bird" (Dreamworks/Polydor) at No. 5, and a double-disc barrage by Manic Street Preachers.
The Welsh rockers had been thought to have a chance of locking down the top two when they announced plans for two new single releases on the same day. But after slipping gradually through the week, the Manics could only enter at No. 8 with "So Why So Sad" and No. 9 with "Found That Soul."
The U.K. album chart saw revitalized sales of several of last week's Brit Award-winners, and three who didn't win anything: Craig David, whose "Born To Do It" (Wildstar) reportedly doubled in sales to rebound 16-8; David Gray, back up 13-7 with "White Ladder" (iht/East West); and Dido, who spends a fifth week at No.1 with "No Angel" (Cheeky/Arista).
Coldplay, who won best British band and best British album for "Parachutes," saw the Parlophone set increase in sales sixfold to jump back 8-2, whi le double winners U2 climbed back 10-3 with "All That You Can't Leave Behind" (Universal/Island). Four of the group's previous albums also climbed into the top-75. Fun Lovin' Criminals had the top new entry of the week with their new Chrysalis release "Loco" at No. 5.
Dido's album also snags another week at the top of Music & Media's pan-European album chart for the March 10 issue, where German chart regular Peter Maffay has the highest debut at No. 9 with "Heute Vor Dreissig Jahre" (Ariola). OutKast's "Ms. Jackson" (LaFace/Arista) holds at No. 1 on the Eurochart Hot 100 Singles tally.
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