Official NZ Top 40 Chart & Commentary May 31

Comment - Wednesday May 31 2006
By Andrew Miller

The 500th #1

We’re finally there - the 500th #1 Single since the Official NZ Music Charts were first published on May 2 1975. The honour goes to newcomer Gnarls Barkley’s Crazy.

Already a poster-child internationally for the emerging digital music market, the song moves one place to claim the top spot this week knocking the 499th Hips Don’t Lie by Shakira and Wyclef Jean to #2.

It’s the first straight ‘Crazy’ #1 for New Zealand, although Fine Young Cannibals spent four weeks at the summit in 1989 with the 193rd #1 She Drives Me Crazy.

The very first #1 on the RIANZ charts on May 2 1975 was Australian Helen Reddy’s Free And Easy a single only ever released here. After just one week on top it was replaced by Frankie Valli’s My Eyes Adored You.

The year with the most #1s was 1997 with 34 different chart-toppers. The least #1s in a year occurred in 1975 when just eight tracks went all the way, although the chart only took in eight months of that year, not twelve. The full year with the least number of #1s was 1978’s total of 10.

Kiwi #1's

There’ve been 48 Kiwi #1s among the 500. First was Mark Williams’s Yesterday Was Just The Beginning Of My Life in June 1975 and the most recent All I Ask by NZ Idol winner Rosita Vai in October last year.

Scribe’s Stand Up/Not Many is the longest-running local chart-topper, racking up 12 non-consecutive weeks at #1 in 2003. Scribe also ties with Deep Obsession as Kiwis with the most #1s with three each. Margaret Urlich, Neil Finn and Che Fu have had three #1s as part of groups and as solo artists. Margaret in Peking Man (Room That Echoes 1984) in girl-group When The Cat’s Away (Melting Pot 1987) and solo (Escaping 1989). Neil Finn also wrote his three #1s I Got You (Split Enz 1980) Don’t Dream It’s Over (Crowded House 1987) and Can You Hear Us? (solo 1999). Che Fu achieved it with Supergroove (Can’t Get Enough 1994) DLT (Chains 1996) and solo (the double-sided Without A Doubt/Machine Talk).

Another local tune has the distinction of being the only song to ever hit #1 twice in separate years. You Make The Whole World Smile by Hammond Gamble & The Red Nose Gang first hit #1 in August 1992 and exactly a year later it was #1 again after having dropped out of the Chart completely.

Of the international contingent, U2 and Michael Jackson have had more #1 songs here than anyone else, each racking up eight. Jackson has had a total 28 weeks on top of the charts while U2 have been #1 for 23 weeks.

The female artist with the most is Mariah Carey with seven.

Boney M’s Rivers Of Babylon is the longest running #1 racking up 14 straight weeks in 1978.Six songs have hit #1 been remade and hit #1 again: Funky Town (Lipps Inc 1980, then Pseudo Echo 1987), Cruisin’ (Smokey Robinson 1980, then Huey Lewis & Gwyneth Paltrow 2001), Do They Know It’s Christmas? (Band Aid 1985, then Band Aid 20 2004), Tragedy (Bee Gees 1979, then Steps 1999), The Tide Is High (Blondie 1981, then Atomic Kitten 2002), Tears On My Pillow (Johnny Nash 1975, then The Parker Project 1991).

There have been 69 songs to enter the chart at #1. First was C.W McCall’s Convoy, in February 1976. The most recent was just two weeks ago when Busta Rhyme’s Touch It achieved the feat.

The Most #1s

1. Michael Jackson - 8 (28 weeks total)
2. U2 - 8 (23 weeks)
3. Mariah Carey - 7 (18 weeks)
4. ABBA - 6 (17 weeks)
5. UB40 - 5 (23 weeks)

Top #1s 1975-2006

1. Rivers Of Babylon - Boney M in 1978 (28 weeks on the chart, 14 at #1)
2. Wasted Days And Wasted Nights - Freddie Fender in1975 (38 weeks, 12 at #1)
3. Stand Up / Not Many – Scribe in 2003 (24 weeks, 12 at #1)
4. Axel F - Crazy Frog in 2005 (33 weeks, 11 at #1)
5. Can't Help Falling In Love - UB40 in 1993 (23 weeks, 11 at #1)

Top #1s by Kiwis 1975-2006

1. Stand Up / Not Many - Scribe in 2003 (12 weeks at #1)
2. Sailing Away - All Of Us in 1986 (9 weeks)
3. Slice Of Heaven - Dave Dobbyn & Herbs in 1986 (8 weeks)
4. Moonshine - Savage featuring Akon in 2005 (7 weeks)
5. They Can't Take That Away - Ben Lummis 2004 (7 weeks)

The New Singles

#10 Youth Group - Forever Young
The highest and first of three new entries by Aussies this week is by Sydney quartet Youth Group, led by singer/songwriter/guitarist Toby Martin. Their second album Skeleton Jar was issued here last November, however Forever Young isn’t on it. The highest new entry at #10, it’s the theme to the new season of TV show The OC. The track’s a former Australian #1 (currently at #7).

#17 TV Rock - Flaunt It
Another Aussie act, another chart newcomer. DJs Grant Smillie and Ivan Gough are TV Rock whose Flaunt It is a former Australian platinum-selling #1.

#39 Pete Murray - Opportunity
Rounding out the trio of new entries from across the ditch is Pete Murray with the second hit lifted from his sophomore set See The Sun. New at #39 Opportunity peaked at #29 earlier this year in Pete’s homeland.

The New Albums

#10 Dixie Chicks - Taking The Long Way
Multi-Grammy Award winning country trio Dixie Chicks are sisters Martie Seidel and Emily Robison along with vocalist Natalie Maines. They have highest new entry honours, coming in at #10 on this week’s Albums chart. Their last chart appearance came three years ago in May 2003 when Home reached #8.

#19 Johnny Cash - Personal File
The Man In Black’s biggest chart year in New Zealand and unfortunately he isn’t around to see it! New at #19 is Johnny Cash’s last studio album produced by Rick Rubin. Personal File brings his 2006 tally to four charting albums and that doesn’t count the Walk The Line soundtrack featuring his songs as performed by the cast of the Cash bio-pic.

#31 Neil Young - Living With War
Canadian Neil Young turns 61 in November, but age doesn’t slow him down when it comes to recording. His latest, Living With War is new at #19. His first New Zealand charting album was 1996’s #36 Zuma.

#39 Simple Minds - The Best Of Simple Minds
Following on from their recent New Zealand tour, Scottish band Simple Minds bag their first hit album here in 11 years with their second Greatest Hits compilation. The first compilation was #1 for four weeks late in 1992. Previously they’d hit #1 with Sparkle In The Rain in 1984, which included their sole New Zealand #1 single Waterfront which held the top spot for two weeks and was our 117th #1 single.

You can contact Andrew at:
andrewmiller @ radioscope.co.nz

Top 40 Albums - Week To Sunday, 28 May 2006

This Last Weeks
Week Week In Title Artist Label

1 1 2 Stadium Arcadium Red Hot Chili Peppers WEA/Warner
2 9 4 The Italian Patrizio Buanne Universal
3 8 26 PCD The Pussycat Dolls Universal
4 3 34 All The Right Reasons Nickelback Roadrunner/Universal
5 6 5 The Very Best Of Roy Orbison SBME
6 2 4 10,000 Days Tool SBME
7 4 16 Eye To The Telescope KT Tunstall Virgin/EMI
8 7 44 Back To Bedlam James Blunt WEA/Warner
9 5 4 Pearl Jam Pearl Jam SBME
10 new 1 Taking The Long Way Dixie Chicks SBME
11 17 10 Both Sides Of The Gun Ben Harper Virgin/EMI
12 10 56 Based On A True Story Fat Freddy's Drop TheDrop/Rhythmethod
13 19 23 Pipeline Under The Ocean Pluto Capitol/EMI
14 13 14 Sing-Alongs And Lullabies Jack Johnson Universal
15 11 2 Warm Hand Don McGlashan ArchHill/Rhythmethod
16 12 2 Broken Boy Soldiers Raconteurs XL/Rhythmethod
17 14 4 Freshmen Nesian Mystik Bounce/Universal
18 16 8 Montage Yulia SBME
19 new 1 Personal File Johnny Cash SBME
20 18 3 I Love You Aaradhna DawnRaid/Universal
21 24 4 Lunatico Gotan Project XL/Rhythmethod
22 reentry 9 See The Sun Pete Murray SBME
23 20 5 We Shall Overcome: The Seeger Sessions Bruce Springsteen SBME
24 15 4 The Voice: The Ultimate Collection Russell Watson Universal
25 26 15 Chris Brown Chris Brown SBME
26 33 27 Confessions On A Dancefloor Madonna WEA/Warner
27 22 17 Ring Of Fire: The Legend Of Johnny Cash Universal
28 23 26 Switch INXS SBME
29 35 8 I'm Not Dead Pink SBME
30 21 3 All The Roadrunning Mark Knopfler And Emmylou Harris Universal
31 new 1 Living With War Neil Young WEA/Warner
32 28 17 Secret Life Of The Veronicas WEA/Warner
33 36 2 Homegrown Dub: 100% Remixed Katchafire Mai/Shock
34 30 14 See You On The Other Side KoRn Capitol/EMI
35 32 9 Collected Massive Attack Virgin/EMI
36 25 12 Corinne Bailey Rae Corinne Bailey Rae Capitol/EMI
37 29 4 Eyes Open Snow Patrol Universal
38 31 3 Tenology The Ten Tenors WEA/Warner
39 new 1 The Best Of Simple Minds EMI
40 reentry 11 Amore Andrea Bocelli Universal

Chart compiled by Media Sauce Ltd.

© Scoop Media