We've only just begun, but the year starts with a parade of No.1 hits. None of which are the Olivia Dean track that is supposed to be there. How weird.
We're back for a new year. And so it appears are all the old hits from before. But that finally gives one lady in particular her chance to shine. RAYE tops the charts after a winter waiting in the wings. Get your exclamation marks ready!
So is this the end of the beginning, or the beginning of the end of the start. Or are we still just getting started? I lose track. Stranger Things have happened on the charts - not least a hit from 2024 winding up finally at the very top of the 2026 charts.
Meet Bruno (solo for the first time in almost ten year) who just might have the highest new entry of the week. Find out what gives him joy (and pain) inside. But is this the beginning of the end for Djo or just the end of b... oh make your own jokes.
I think, THINK, Robbie Williams might be overcompensating for something. Either that or he is a record breaker of some kind. Find out more inside.
Through my magic chart window (an aperture, if you will) I see a unique One Direction solo chart double. Louis Tomlinson No.1 with an album you didn't know he'd released, and Harry Styles at No.1 with a single that EVERYONE is talking about. Including me, inside.
They are back. Back! And still totally not shagging, no sir. Raindance rebounds to the top, all the Grammy winners appear to rebound as well. But what is scarier? Milky back in the Top 40, or the fact that their song is now 24 years old.
Opalite is No.1 as we all expected - but not without a scare. More people now know who Bad Bunny is. But is that really a long term thing? Hop to it.
Babies are being born this week who were conceived the day this man's song was released. That's how long he has had to wait. But the most epic climb to No.1 in chart history has finally reached a climax. But is it thanks to the woman not pictured here?
Writing this before the BRITs have been broadcast, so if it turns out Olivia Dean cleans up you know I am a genius for predicting it. [I AM]. She continues to clean up on the UK charts, and you can find out just how she does this inside. Meanwhile there are 3 members of Little Mix, and all their solo albums have reached No.3.
All credit to Official Charts for getting the normally reticent Gorillaz to pose with their No.1 award as they climb The Mountain to No.1 again. But they aren't necessarily the story this week, nor as it turns out are the BRITs whose sales influence, while still measurable, diminish by the year. All the stories on a still busy chart week inside.
Harry Styles is in his hero era, so just sit back and enjoy the ride. His fourth album is his most difficult, but somehow is also now his biggest. Meanwhile the Top 20 is rammed with Golden Oldies. And Ella Langley hits a low-key but rather distinctive chart benchmark.
Normalcy is restored as Sam Fender & Olivia Dean execute a swift return to the summit, fending off a videoless Bella Kay and the ever-present threat of the ACR axe. From Harry Styles’ album dominance to the "Generic American Bloke" influx, here is your definitive guide to the week in pop. Also featuring some entirely appropriate Sienna Spiro workship.
The hiatus is over, the barracks are empty, and the "superior seven" have officially landed. But as BTS storms the summit with record-breaking numbers, a look behind the curtain reveals the strict chart rules—and the fan-led frenzy—keeping the wheels turning. From the "forbidden door" of bulk-buying to the curious case of RAYE’s five-minute symphony, we’re diving into a week of high-stakes comebacks and the cautionary tales of those left in the dust.
