Slow-climbing Ne-Yo finally hits top spot
|  | | Ne-Yo | | Not many singles sell more than 100,000 copies before reaching number one but Ne-Yo's second chart-topper Closer - which reaches the summit at the eighth attempt this week - sold 100,377 copies on its first seven weeks in the chart, while moving 22-24-12-7-5-3-2.
Despite its second-week wobble, Closer has increased sales every single week since its release, and added a further 30,676 copies to its tally last week, enough to push Coldplay's first number one, Viva La Vida, down to second place. Ne-Yo's 2006 debut, So Sick, was a more instant success, moving 18-1 on its second week in the chart, and is the biggest seller of his four Top 10 hits to date, though Closer should eventually eclipse its career tally of 191,906 sales.
Slipping to number two on sales of 21,716, Viva La Vida is the only UK song in a top five otherwise dominated by US R&B acts and only the second number one song to spend a single week at number one in 2008, the first being That's Not My Name by The Ting Tings.
Although leapfrogged by his own No Air duet with Jordin Sparks - which vaults 10-3 (18,637 sales) - Chris Brown's latest solo waxing, Forever, continues to move up the chart. Despite also having to compete with the new Forever Edition of his Exclusive album, on which it is one of four added tracks, Forever is on the rise for the fourth straight week, and even manages to increase sales again, albeit by just 11. The track has thus far moved 17-11-8-5-4, with sales of 73,038, including 18,479 last week.
Ahead of physical release today, Busta Rhymes' We Made It collaboration with Linkin Park jumps 14-10, with sales improving 36.4% to 13,678. It's Rhymes' 11th Top 10 hit, and Linkin Park's fourth.
UK garage and "chipmunk" vocals rear their heads again, courtesy of Ironik, whose debut major label single, Stay With Me, is the week's highest new entry, arriving at number 11 on sales of 10,731. Meanwhile, Glasvegas played a well-received sets at Glastonbury on Thursday and Friday, helping their first major label (Columbia) single Geraldine to a number 16 debut on sales of 9,563.
Manchester band The Courteeners career thus far has been on an upward curve, with debut single Cavorting's number 192 peak last August being improved on by each subsequent hit, with Acrylic reaching number 44 (October), What Took You So Long peaking at number 20 (January) and Not Nineteen Forever reaching number 19 (March). Fifth single No You Didn't No You Don't debuts at number 35 this week (4,780 sales) but has little scope for growth, with all formats out.
After an undistinguished run on download alone, Mariah Carey's Bye Bye was released on vinyl and CD last week, and finally makes the Top 40. Moving 56-44-49-50-48-30 to date, the track is the second single from Carey's current album E=MC2, following Touch My Body. (Music Week)
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