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UK Single Sales And Predictions

February 22, 2005 | Music
Here are sales figures for last week's UK singles chart:
01 Jennifer Lopez 49,928
02 Elvis Presley 24,439
03 LL Cool J 20,000

For this week's singles chart "Music Week" predicts:
1 Elvis - 'His Latest Flame' (19,186 copies)
2 Nelly - 'Over And Over' (9318 copies)
3 Jennifer Lopez - 'Get Right' (6,500 copies)

The compilation "Love, Elvis" drops to #23.

Recent history is likely to repeat itself at the chart summit, however, with Elvis Presley’s latest reissue (Marie’s The Name) His Latest Flame (RCA) getting off to a convincing start, and likely to outperform nearest rival Nelly Featuring Tim McGraw’s "Over And Over" (Island) by over 200%. Other possible new entries in the Top 20 come from Girls Aloud (Polydor), Akon (Universal), Usher (LaFace), Verbalicious (All Around The World) and Reflekt feat. Delline Bass (Positiva).
Source:Various
Jefffirmin wrote on February 22, 2005
Good start. Fingers crossed that Elvis can hang on to that top slot this week. Surely, he's got a great chance against the other releases.
glennd wrote on February 22, 2005
It´s getting harder and harder to get to #1.
Tony C wrote on February 22, 2005
I think Jennifer Lopez will drop greatly this week, with such a large number of sales last week. Nelly is good competition, though. He's very popular and could take the lead as the week goes on. We must not take this as defeat, getting to number two is still a fantastic achievement.
mtm1a wrote on February 22, 2005
Better start,and a bit more hope than last week-COME ON KING!
I am Buffalo-Horn! wrote on February 22, 2005
I think Elvis can do it again!!
pacer1965 wrote on February 22, 2005
By the end of the week Nelly should catch up to Elvis and then probably out sell him on saturday.I dont think His Latest Flame will get to number one.But as long as Elvis gets in the top 5 I will be very happy.I have stopped buying the singles because I am having so much trouble finding them.It is great fun seeing Elvis get so high in the charts in 2005.Lets hope the rest of the singles can get into the top 5.If Elvis gets to number one again it will be a big bonus for me.
roytcbintheuk wrote on February 22, 2005
Do not give up thats what they want you to do. Buy them online if you can hmv site is a good place to start as i have had no problems getting mine at all from them and the postage is reasonable as well. This will be the last time elvis will give such a large impact on the uk charts so lets keep up the good work and be positive Elvis as still got a good chance in notching up 2 or 3 more #1s
FTD44 wrote on February 22, 2005
this should be the number 1 song for several weeks one of the best 2-sided singles elvis ever had and when this side is done let's turn it over and play the flip side the classic Little Sister...again no.1 for several weeks and would make a great remake for both sides
CD King wrote on February 23, 2005
HIS LATEST FLAME / Little Sister is indeed the very BEST ELVIS Presley single ever. My all time favorite Elvis song. If this doesn't get to Number One, there just ain't no justice.
roytcbintheuk wrote on February 23, 2005
i know some fans have been logging on to other message boards me included and i have been giving my opinion take a look at the bbc top of the pops website and you will see me amongst others giving our point of view on reviews etc given by their host well look at the comments the fans have been making and then see what the reply is by their host who seems to dance around the points made by fans and only answer what they want to i suggest eveyone takes a visit onto these sites and give them a run for there money. Its time to take care of business! ps did anybody see channel 4 the ultimate pop star, who was #1 you are not dreaming cliff richard what planet is this tv station on what a load of b******s
DerryJoe wrote on February 23, 2005
Keep buying anywhere in the top five is great, but there is always the chance of another number one! another good site to get your singles pre-orderd is "Sainsbury's entertain You" do a search for it and you should have no problem finding it. Lets keep the Flame burning buy HIS LATEST FLAME now.
alan21 wrote on February 23, 2005
I think it's great that elvis is even getting to no.2 in the u.k charts and i'm ecstatic when he gets a no.1 and i would like to say to those fans that are finding it hard to get the singles ''don't give up''they are out there some where,i too was finding it difficult at first to get them (they're as rare as hens teeth) but now i have no problem at all getting them,i along with a fellow fan went to our local store and basically harassed them in a nice way that now our copies are now reserved for us and without the help of the delightful staff of the store we would also be struggling,anyway i do hope that elvis goes to the no.1 slot this week and there are a few more no.1s to come because he deserves it for releasing fantastic music
Eddie White wrote on February 23, 2005
I agree with CD KING. These two records are absolutely timeless and befit the legacy of Elvis. These are two of my all time favourite Elvis records aswell. They remain timeless and at the same time draw a line for anyone else to follow. Needless to say, that line has never been topped. Absolutely superb.
dailyone wrote on February 23, 2005
2 is great considering elvis wasnt on the charts for years and he is doing better than the mid sixties and all of the 70's pratically.
get real wrote on February 23, 2005
great - this is the best way to get to # 2 - when there is so much space beween it and the #1. Great job Elvis.Its only hard to get a #2 when there is a few hundred difference. I do think that Latest Flame is one of his best singles. I hope it does well. I think this might be his best chance to get to #1 in recent weeks - but Saturdays kill us.
izzy wrote on February 23, 2005
I have noticed that this week HIS LATEST FLAME for the first time are available in our local woolworths. Dose this mean that other fans have droped out of the race to get them or are there more issues available.
CEP wrote on February 23, 2005
hey roytbdintheuk the channel 4 programme was correct - it was n't about the ultimate pop star, it was about who has sold the most copies of number 1 singles in the UK.Cliff Richard has actually sold more than Elvis as have the Beatles. The programmes figures were correct as of February 1st 2005 and so include the number ones in January. If you are going to report on happenings in the Elvis world it is important that we get our facts right. Cliff has had a number one in each of the last 5 decades which is amazing. He is about 1 million ahead of Elvis in terms of number 1 singles sold. Still number 3 ain't bad after all this time.
joemin wrote on February 23, 2005
CEP, This was the origonal press release about the Ultimate Pop Star. Was the info any different in last weekend's edition?? "His music may divide the nation, but the substantial sales of his hundreds of records have secured the Peter Pan of pop, Sir Cliff Richard, another, superlative accolade, that of UK Ultimate Pop Star. The veteran pop singer with 20,969,006 UK sales pipped The Beatles (20,799,632) and Elvis Presley (19,293,118), to the title, as the biggest selling artist of the last 50 years. Last night’s Channel 4 show, The Ultimate Pop Star, crowned Madonna the top female artist, coming in at number four in the list, and the only female in the top ten Ultimate Pop Stars. The show counted down the definitive list of the 50 biggest-selling artists of all time, based on UK singles sales from the past 50 years. Elton John came fifth, Michael Jackson sixth, and Queen seventh." In the origonal transmission they said the figures were compiled from the "data used to compile the uk charts". This data of course was only sample data in the first 10 years or so of the charts, so sales for the first 10 years or more were not reflected fully in these figures. Had they used actual sales figures they would have had Elvis first, Cliff second and beatles third. All 3 would have had higher totals.
roytcbintheuk wrote on February 23, 2005
Thank you joemin i could not have said it better and yes cep we do need to get our facts right thats the reason why i gave my opinion, you have got to question where these so called facts came from and when brian quinn emailed channel 4 asking them where they got their figures from he got no reply and sony/bmg were not asked for any sales figures either
dailyone wrote on February 24, 2005
this double will definatly goe to number 1 . its to good not too . a bargain , two great songs on one single . wasted actually , both should have been split on other singles .
Sidewinder wrote on February 24, 2005
Interested in comments about Cliff Richard being No1 singles artist. As for 1st of Feb.2005 -forget it! This programme was a repeat from last year before Elvis released "Rubberneckin'" "That's Allright Mama" etc. etc. plus all the late buys on "A little less conversation". Elvis has far outsold Cliff in the singles market and the albums market from 1958 onwards (remember Elvis first had hits from 1956 in the UK- two years of non accounting so it seems).Arguments for The Beatles are valid because for the 8 years they existed as a chart act they outsold everyone -no doubt about it.But Elvis has consistently been on the charts for the best part of 40 years to Cliffs 37 and how many hits did Cliff have from 1969 - 1979 ? Not Many. Elvis No.1 Beatles No2 and Cliff around and about but never No1.
CEP wrote on February 24, 2005
Thanks for the update joemin - actually the figures are not far off being correct and Cliff did sell a lot of records from 58 through to about 70 so I would n't be so sure that he is behind.Why do we question figures and data when Elvis isn't the number one in a list and just accept everything as true when he is - selective quibbling
Sidewinder wrote on February 25, 2005
CEP I think you need to look at the available stats i.e The Guinness Book of Hit Singles where Elvis has had 21 number 1 hits and Cliff only 13. Also the number of weeks spent on the charts where Elvis reigns supreme over everyone.Presumably he was selling thousands of copies per week and a quick ratio average should confirm if you are on the chart for over 100 weeks more than your nearest rival, chances are, you have sold more records in total.I think RCA and HMV can tally up between them at least 20 million selling singles released by Elvis within his lifetime. Remember Heartbreak Hotel and Jailhouse Rock to name but two hits recharted at least four times apiece selling in total how many? These songs were not even his biggest hits! It's Now Or Never and All Shook Up were number 1 for 6 weeks apiece! When Elvis died Record Shops around the country sold out completely of all product were these sales recorded? Face it Elvis is the all time singles number 1 and Cliff is merely a pretender to the throne.I agree that we Elvis fans do bask in the glory of his achievements but why not? It is all part of the Elvis experience knowing the story and being able to relate the record breaking career of The King. I should know I've been doing it now for 30 odd years. Do you agree yet CEP?
mtm1a wrote on February 25, 2005
I completely agree with Sidewinder, There have been pretenders,there have been contenders,but there is only ONE King...
emjel wrote on February 25, 2005
CEP - I thought this programme was about the number of single sales attained - NOT just about the sales of No.1 records as you mention. We really need to know how the figures were arrived at. Many of these polls etc are based around the number of weeks a record stays in the charts. Was this the method used? Another thing to consider, even if Cliff has outsold Elvis, is that between 1977 when Elvis died, and 1988 (sorry that's how far my details go), Cliff had 25 chart entries, 10 of which were Top 10, whereas Elvis only had 16, and these were basically re-issues. No doubt Cliff had far more chart successes between 1988 and 2004 than Elvis. In all honesty, is the comparison really fair considering Elvis died in 1977. But then look at the time frame for the Beatles - just 9 years. If you look at it like this, how meaningful are these polls and stats.