La Chart

As much as I personally like The Ting Tings, I never in a billion years thought they would have much mainstream success, but it seems this Sunday I may have to eat my words very very largely when they chart at a very high position. I'm still not entirely convinced by them - I love the songs but when I saw them live in January they were quite ropey. That probably doesn't matter to all the people who find them irresistible to jump up and down to in a club and I certainly have enjoyed playing them for the last year or so.

But, what the hell is going on with the chart? It's gone from being irrelevant and a bit rubbish to being completely amazing in the last 12 months. Downloads revolutionized it but it seems they also made people into better music? I think it all started when Robyn went to #1 - an artist bloggers had been banging on about for ages was suddenly adored by the mainstream. Forgetting Eva Cassidy and Leon Jackson, have there been any bad number ones in recent times? They've only been 4 all this year and we're in mid May! Basshunter deserved it for proving no radio play still creates an amazing buzz on a dance record (if you've not checked out Boten Anna you need to!), Duffy might be annoying now but it gave me the 'must listen to 20 times in a row and scream about this' feeling on first listen, Estelle nailed it and finally got the success she deserved and Madonna created a brilliant dancefloor record.

So what else is going to be #1 this year? Fingers crossed on Sara Barielles, Late of the Pier, Lykke Li and Jordin Sparks w/ Chris Brown. Two of those are extremely likely and two of them are could bes depending how things take off.