They're calling it the Glastonbury Effect. Despite being dealt the double blow of freak weather and car bombs, the UK music-buying public took adversity on the chin and made last week one of the highest-selling weeks this year for albums. This must be because, when the chips are down, there's nothing that soothes your average Briton like blasting the Killers' Sam's Town full volume and dancing around the living room. It's what they did during the Blitz, you know.
Proof positive of this trend is the fact that Sam's Town has shot back into the top ten (number nine, to be precise), up from number 36 last week. Likewise, Dame Shirley Bassey has shot in at number six with her latest release, Get The Party Started. See what an M&S advert and some glittery wellies can do for a girl's career? Fellow Pyramid stage performer Amy Winehouse's album Back To Black also feels the benefit; having already waltzed in and out of the top five about 30 times this year, she shuffles up one place to five.
And it so continues, albeit in a less remarkable fashion: Arctic Monkeys go from 14 to 12 with their album Favourite Worst Nightmare, and Arcade Fire return to the top forty from obscurity (otherwise known as number 73) with Neon Bible. While these last two examples, admittedly, reflect increased sales of the tiniest amount. But before you suggest that the Glastonbury Effect is a myth created by some chart hack, just look at the number one spot: Editors are in with their second and just-released album, An End Has A Start. Which is proof not just that the band are famous for more than an affiliation with Edith Bowman, but that playing a storming set down on Worthy Farm will earn both respect and decent album sales.
Meanwhile, the singles chart has something of the youth centre about it this week, it must be said. Rihanna is still at number one with her hit Umbrella...ella...ella...eh...eh..., followed by the delightful and very youthful Kate Nash at number two with Foundations. Enrique Iglesias is at number three with his song Do You Know - maintaining the youth-centre theme because he samples the sound of a ping-pong ball in it. The Enemy are at number four, an impressive climb from number 51, with their single Had Enough. They also keep up the theme because they look like they've spent a fair amount of time trying to get a free game by jimmying the coin slot on a pool table. Jack Penate is at number seven with Torn On The Platform, not to mention his colourful clothing and inspirational attitude; isn't there something of the "I can be your mentor" community youth worker about him?
The limits of this analogy are exposed when we get to My Chemical Romance's Teenagers, a song that starts off all Marc Bolan but ends up all Gary Glitter (strictly in the musical sense), which is up six places to 29. Mutya Beuna's Real Girl is down to 21 from last week's 13 and the Fray have two singles back to back. Unfortunately, Over My Head (Cable Car) and How To Save A Life are at number 38 and 39, making it a relatively hollow achievement.
http://music.guardian.co.uk/news/story/0,,2116681,00.html
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