As the industry settles down during the holiday season, the chart continues to be quiet. Martin Luke Brown scores a tenth week at the top with “Nostalgia,” becoming the longest chart leader of the year. The only movement in the top ten comes from Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars, whose “Uptown Funk” jumps Jamie Scott’s “Unbreakable” to finally enter the top three, following five weeks at #4, in its seventh week on the chart. Only four songs make their debut this week: The Voice finalist Chris Jamison and Wet each score their first entries, while Nicki Minaj (featuring Jessie Ware) and Madonna both return with new album tracks.
2014 charts
With the top ten completely frozen in the week before Christmas, the most action is further below: big jumps come from Carrie Underwood, Purity Ring, and BØRNS. Eleven new songs make their debuts, but the highest is a lowly #82 entry for Prince Royce and Snoop Dogg’s “Stuck On A Feeling.” Additional debuts include new songs from CAFUNÉ, Brandi Carlile, and Max Frost, as well as newcomers Caitlyn Smith and Jason French charting their first entries.
As “Shut Up And Dance” moves up to a new peak of #2 after five weeks of waiting at #3, Walk The Moon also achieves another top-twenty hit as Talking Is Hard album track “Work This Body” vaults from #64 to #11. Carrie Underwood scores the highest of only seven debuts this week, with “Little Toy Guns” coming in at #57. Purity Ring debuts at #66 with “push pull,” the lead track from their upcoming album, while Tourist makes his second chart entry ahead of his upcoming debut album as “Illuminate,” featuring Years & Years, makes it into the chart at #95 after several weeks in waiting below the top 100. Two covers also make debuts: Nikki Yanofsky’s SoundCloud-exclusive cover of Raury’s “Cigarette Song” debuts at #78, while A Great Big World marks the year’s third holiday entry with their cover of Gayla Peevey’s “I Want A Hippopotamus For Christmas,” part of Epic Records’s holiday compilation EP I’ll Be Home For Christmas.
The top four hold steady for another week, though Walk The Moon could challenge for a spot in the top two soon. Below, One Direction leapfrogs Carrie Underwood to enter the top five, while Nick Jonas’s “Jealous” joins the top ten in a fifth consecutive week of upward movement. Labrinth scores the week’s biggest jump with another song called “Jealous,” jumping 55–13 in its second week; Mary J. Blige and I Know Leopard also move into the top twenty. Of the week’s nine debuts, six belong to Walk The Moon and their new album Talking Is Hard; Sam Smith, Brayton Bowman, and Rixton also chart new entries.
With another week of the top ten resting fairly stagnant, the week’s big movers are from newcomers charging toward the chart’s upper reaches. I Know Leopard makes a big jump from #87 to #21 in their second week on the chart with “Perfect Picture,” while Sinclair, One Direction, and Tor Miller all make double-digit jumps in the top fifty. The week’s new entries include a new track from Montaigne, whose first hit “I’m A Fantastic Wreck” also returns after peaking at #12 in July; a re-recorded version of Paramore’s self-titled album track “Hate To See Your Heart Break” featuring Joy Williams (formerly of The Civil Wars) also enters at #70. In addition, the chart gains new singles from Labrinth, The Neighbourhood featuring French Montana, and Olly Murs featuring Travie McCoy, along with newcomers Brayton Bowman and The Avener.
The top three are stagnant this week, but just below, Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars slide up three spots to #4 in their second week on the chart with “Uptown Funk,” while One Direction scores their second top-ten placement this album cycle as “Night Changes” vaults from #33 to #8. And while 1D scores several debuts upon the release of new album FOUR, it’s Sinclair who scores the top debut, with “Heaven On Earth” entering at #45 under a big #58-#30 jump for “The World Is Ours.” In addition to One Direction’s five debuts, new entries include chart newcomers Tor Miller and I Know Leopard, as well as new debuts from Sinclair, Lifehouse, and Nick Jonas. Kelly Clarkson also scores the first seasonal song to enter the chart this year, as “Wrapped In Red” debuts at #92. It’s the title track and first song to chart from her 2013 holiday album, since my chart went on hiatus late last year – her last song to chart was “Tie It Up,” which peaked at #35 last fall.
Mark Ronson and Bruno Mars easily score the week’s highest debut, entering at #7 with “Uptown Funk.” One Direction scores another big entry with a #33 debut for new single “Night Changes,” while the rest of the debuts include chart newcomers Six60, Bahamas, Francesco Yates, BØRNS, and CAFUNÉ.
While Martin Luke Brown holds down the top spot for a third week, Walk The Moon slides back into the top three with “Shut Up And Dance” as “Something In The Water” by Carrie Underwood enters the top five. Fifth Harmony scores their first top twenty hit with “Sledgehammer;” Calvin Harris and HAIM score the highest debut as “Pray To God” debuts at #58, beating new One Direction cut “Ready To Run” (#62).
The top five are stagnant, while Fifth Harmony takes a “Sledgehammer” to the chart with the highest debut at #31. Grace Mitchell returns with a new peak for “Runaway,” while Alex & Sierra score multiple debuts.
After nine weeks at the top of the chart, Jamie Scott concedes the pole position to Martin Luke Brown, who takes the top spot in his third week on the chart. In the lower half, Jessie Ware and WATERS each score multiple debuts.