9 Songs To Go…!
Until the 1000th No.1. From the record industry’s point of view it would be neat if the 1000th No.1 also coincides with this year’s Xmas No.1. Will the public be so accomodating? With another week at the top for Eric Prydz likely the margin of error is small – it seems far more likely that the ‘historic’ 1000th chart-topper will fall in the ‘Babylon Zoo slot’, sometime in January. In other bands, no-marks and has-beens of the world unite: this is your chance for a place of honour in the Guinness Book, next to Nicole, whose “A Little Peace” was the 500th notch on the ultimate pop bedpost.
(Personally I’m hoping that the merger of download and sales charts happens after the 1000th no.1, as I think that might be a neat cut-off point for Popular. But since it’ll be 2010 before I get to 2004 anyway this is somewhat moot.)
Anyway, if Santa DOES smile on the record industry, who is likely to get the big one this Christmas. Current odds are, apparently:
X Factor Winner 5 – 1
Cat Stevens and Ronan Keating 6 – 1
Mick Jagger & Joss Stone 8 – 1
U2 8 – 1
Westlife 10 – 1
Girls Aloud 10 – 1
Madonna 14 – 1
Donny Osmond 14 – 1
Michelle McManus 16 – 1
Robbie Williams 16 – 1
Ye Gods. Merry Christmas!
(Uncoincidentally, it’s CLUB POPULAR tonight, at the Chapel Bar, Islington, near Angel tube, flyer with map available on the front page of FT, free entry, #1 hits all night, etc etc.)