“Smack That” (Universal) by Akon featuring Eminem rose 12-1 on the new U.K. singles chart yesterday (Nov. 19) to give the Senegalese rapper a second No. 1 in the territory to place alongside last year’s “Lonely.” On the album chart, George Michael’s retrospective “Twenty Five” Aegean) went straight to the top, becoming his sixth U.K. No. 1 album as a solo artist.
The Akon single debuted at No. 12 last week on download sales and hit the peak following its full release, replacing Westlife’s “The Rose” (S/Sony BMG). That song fell to No. 3, also overtaken by “My Love” (Jive) by Justin Timberlake featuring T.I. Take That’s reunion single “Patience” (Polydor) opened at No. 4, while that group’s former member Robbie Williams’ “Lovelight” (Chrysalis) climbed 28-8.
Also making big climbs following physical release were Christina Aguilera’s “Hurt” (RCA), up 33-11, and “Set the Fire to the Third Bar” (Fiction/Polydor) by Snow Patrol featuring Martha Wainwright, up 37-18 to give Wainwright her first appearance in the U.K. top 20.
This week’s album chart contained a mixture of big successes and notable failures. Michael’s latest chart-topping performance comes in spite of a run of adverse publicity concerning his controversial personal behavior, and underlines his unswaying popularity with a native audience now flocking to the British leg of his extensive European tour.
The two-CD “Twenty Five” set is divided into “For Living” and “For Loving” discs and features his current hit with former Sugababe Mutya Buene, “This Is Not Real Love” (which debuted and peaked at No. 15 last week) and his new collaboration with Paul McCartney, “Heal the Pain.” The album is due for U.S. release next year.
The current lineup of Sugababes scored a No. 3 entry with their own anthology, “Overloaded — The Singles Collection” (Universal Island). It ensured that the entire top four of the album chart was comprised of compilations, with sets by Jamiroquai and Girls Aloud at No. 2 and No. 4 respectively.
Teenage classical crossover female quartet All Angels debuted at No. 9 with their debut release for UCJ (Universal Classics & Jazz), while “The Pick of Destiny” (Epic) by Tenacious D, the lighthearted power metal duo of Jack Black and Kyle Gass, entered at No. 10.
But former Blue member Simon Webbe’s second solo album “Grace” (Innocent) had to be content with a No. 11 debut, following the failure of the first single “Coming Around Again” to reach the top 10. Also making more modest debuts than expected were “The Best of Depeche Mode – Vol.1” (Mute) at No. 18, The Game’s “Doctor’s Advocate” (Geffen) at No. 21, Pulp frontman Jarvis Cocker’s solo set “Jarvis” (Rough Trade) at No. 37 and, most of all, the much-vaunted reunion album from female quartet All Saints, “Studio 1” (Parlophone), which just made the bottom rung of the top 40.
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