Chart News


John Hlavaty ([email protected])
Wed, 18 Nov 1998 13:17:58 -0500


Some tidbits:

Canada:

The two versions of "The Sweetest Thing" charted separately
in Canada. Had they charted together, the song may
have been the #1 song for the last several weeks.

Despite charting separately, "The Sweetest Thing - Part 1"
still debuted at #1 in Canada several weeks back. "The
Sweetest Thing - Part 2" debuted the same week at #3.

Last week, Part 1 dropped to #3 and Part 2 dropped to #4.

This week, Part 1 held steady at #3, but Part 2 jumped UP
to #2!

This gives U2 two top 5 singles for 3 consecutive weeks.
What's even more interesting is that these singles
are simply variations of each other!

If anyone is interested, Nanda Lwin has written
some interesting tidbits about U2's chart success at
http://www.canoe.ca/JamMusicCharts/home.html.
Below is an excerpt:

>Chart Talk
>
>By NANDA LWIN -- Jam! Showbiz
>
>SUPERSTAR WEEK: In what could be the most spectacular week for new releases in
>recent memory, three albums by superstars crash atop the SoundScan albums chart. The
>latest from U2, Alanis Morissette, and Celine Dion enter at Nos. 1, 2, and 3 respectively
>making this week the first time ever that the top three are occupied by debuts. U2's "The
>Best Of U2: 1980-1990" is the new No. 1 making it the Irish band's fifth chart-topping
>release. It is fitting that U2 should be the act to outdo the competition to enter at the top. Five
>years ago, U2's "Zooropa" became the first album ever to debut at No. 1. "The Best of U2"
>is the third U2 title to accomplish such a feat in the past five years.

>RECORD-BREAKING: With U2 at the top with its fifth chart-topping title, the band is
>now tied with Tragically Hip as the act with the most No. 1 albums. "The Best Of U2: 1980-
>1990" joins the group's other No. 1's: "The Joshua Tree", "Rattle and Hum", "Zooropa",
>and "Pop". Four other acts (Celine Dion, Madonna, Phil Collins, Bryan Adams) are right
>behind U2 and Tragically Hip with four chart toppers each. If that wasn't enough, Collins
>and U2 are related to each other in another way. With Collins' "Hits" falling out of the top
>spot, this week marks the first time in history that a No. 1 greatest hits package is replaced
>by another one. In two weeks' time, we will see if Mariah Carey's collection of hits, "#1"
>will replace U2 at the top making it three consecutive greatest hits albums.

>CELINE'S CHRISTMAS: Debuting below Alanis Morissette is Celine Dion whose
>latest offering rewrites chart history. "These Are Special Times" enters at No. 3 becoming
>the highest-charting Christmas album ever. "Noel" by Marie Michele Desrosiers previously
>held the record as the biggest seasonal title stopping at No. 10 in December 1996. Dion's
>high debut also means that "Special" is only the second time Christmas music has reached
>the top 10. The next highest-charting entry after "Noel" was 1987's "A Very Special
>Christmas" which charted at No. 14.

(NOTE: The U2 connection in the above passage is that U2 did a remake of "It's
Christmas (Baby Please Come Home)" on the "A Very Special
Christmas".

This week's Canadian album charts have yet to come out.

Ireland:

U2's "Best Of" is #1 for the second week in Ireland. Unlike
the U.K., (where the "Best Of + B-sides" charted at #2 and
the "Best Of" without the b-side charted at #8), only
one version of U2's "Best Of" is on the charts (at least
for now).

One wonders if the U.K. charts combined the sales
of the two versions of U2's "Best Of" would they be
greater than the #1 album (George Michael's "Best Of"
album).

Here are the top five singles in Ireland this week according
to Chart-Track/IRMA:

TW LW Song Artist
 1 3 Believe Cher
 2 5 Stand By Me 4 The Cause
 3 4 I Don't Want to Miss a Thing Aerosmith
 4 2 The Sweetest Thing U2
 5 1 Irreplaceable Kerri Ann

Ciao,

John

John J. Hlavaty, Ph.D. Tel: 978-927-5054, ext. 360
New England BioLabs, Inc. Fax: 978-921-1350
32 Tozer Road e-mail: [email protected]
Beverly, Ma 01915



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